Gary the Snail - Definition and Overview

Gary the Snail is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon television cartoon series, SpongeBob SquarePants, which first aired in July 1999. Gary is Spongebob's pet snail, although he meows like a cat. He is a very bright snail, smarter than SpongeBob, and can tie and wear shoes. He tries to get SpongeBob to do the right things, and SpongeBob somehow always understands exactly what Gary means when he meows.

Gary doesn't like taking baths and sometimes sleeps a lot. He once hung out with Patrick Star for a very long time because he wanted a cookie from Patrick's pocket. He has his own bed, exercise wheel, water and food bowls. SpongeBob entered Gary in a snail race in one episode. SpongeBob pushed him too hard and Gary lost to Patrick's rock "snail".