The film's budget is disputed. In 1972, "The Hollywood Reporter" stated that "Fritz the Cat" recouped its costs in four months following its release. A year later the magazine reported that the film grossed $30 million worldwide and was produced on a budget of $1.3 million. In 1993, director Ralph Bakshi said ""Fritz the Cat", to me, was an enormous budget -- at $850,000 -- compared to my Terrytoon budgets ..." In an interview published in 1980, Bakshi stated "We made the film for $700,000. Complete".