In order to capitalize on the hype of the live-action movie Batman Returns (1992), it was decided by the powers to be that this episode would be the first episode to air, despite being the fifteenth episode produced, because it featured Catwoman who was one of the antagonists from to the live-action movie. This animated version of Catwoman/Selena Kyle even has blonde hair, instead of being a brunette like the comics, which is based on Michelle Pfeiffers Catwoman/Selena Kyle from "Batman Returns".
Kevin Altieri called for an almost impossible bit of animation, a scene where the Red Claw is briefing her men with a slide show staged so she moves in front of the projected images during the briefing. "In cartoons if you want lines to bend over characters, it's not a trick, it's real animation. You shouldn't do it. The chances of it working are astronomical, but I went for it anyway, and they did it! They blew so many other simpler things, and this they pulled off."
Although the two parts of "The Cat and the Claw" were produced as the fifteenth and sixteenth episodes, Part 1 was aired first on September 5, 1992 to tap into the interest in the character of Catwoman aroused by the release of the live-action film Batman Returns (1992). Part 2 was later aired on September 12, 1992 as the eighth aired episode.
Kevin Altieri said of the rooftop meeting between Batman and Catwoman: "I use that as a example of how to board, when we hire people. It has all my tricks in it. Lame animation, but the board's good."
Scenes from the first part of this episode were used in the game, "The Adventures of Batman and Robin", on level 4: "Tale of the Cat". The music is also the same.