is "capable of infectious energy and non-verbal comedy all the same", despite communicating mostly via squeaks and grunts. Rufus is one of the show's primary sources of comic relief, alongside Ron. As revealed in "The Naked Mole Rap", a song written about Rufus, Ron obtains Rufus because his father is allergic to all animal furs, leading him to settle for a hairless pet and ultimately discover Rufus on the Internet. Development Creation and voice Writers Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle conceived Kim Possible as an animated television series about a teenage girl who can seemingly do anything, and her best friend who struggles to do the same, into which Rufus was incorporated once the show's "basic foundation" was written. Rufus was conceived at the behest of Disney Channel executives, who insisted that all children's animated series could benefit from at least one animal sidekick. The addition of a pet character was among the earliest notes the creators received from the network. Although Schooley and McCorkle did not mind the note themselves, some staff writers were dismissive towards the suggestion. Deciding the show's resident pet should be as unique as possible, Schooley was inspired by his children's fascination with the naked mole-rat exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo, describing the animals as "ugly, gross, but somehow still cute creatures". Already weary of constant network edits and suggestions, the creators allegedly tricked the executives by conceiving Rufus as a naked mole-rat, which in turn forces everyone to say the word "naked" whenever the character's species is mentioned throughout the children's program. The reason for the character's existence being that Ron's father is allergic to animal fur was not conceived until much after Rufus' introduction into the show. Despite the character's eventual popularity, the writers maintained using him sparingly throughout the series, in which he is "only peppered in there occasionally" apart from occasional brief gag-orientated episodes focusing on the character. Rufus is voiced by American actress Nancy Cartwright, following a common trend in which animated male characters are voiced by women. Cartwright's dialogue for Rufus consists of almost entirely squeaks, gurgles and giggles, believing that the character offers comedy and "a little levity to the show." However, the character occasionally utters words and phrases considered to be Kim Possible hallmarks, such as "boo-yah". Cartwright researched naked mole-rats in preparation for the role, discovering that they "are tunnel dwellers and social animals who live