Skitty made its debut in I Feel Skitty!. Torchic wandered off during a training session and met a sick Skitty who would not eat or battle. Brock suggested they take it to a Pokémon Aromatherapy Center, where it was revealed that Skitty had wandered in the desert so long, it lost its sense of smell. Skitty recovered after it was sprayed with some medicine. Team Rocket then kidnapped Skitty because Jessie wanted it for herself. However, Meowth fell in love with Skitty and tried to help Skitty escape, because he did not want such a cute Pokémon to have to suffer the many misfortunes that always befall the trio. Eventually, May and Jessie had a Pokémon battle with their Beautifly and Dustox to decide who would get Skitty; May proved victorious.
May temporarily left Skitty at her house because it liked the greenhouse there. She returned it to her party (it is unknown if permanently) in The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!, and for the Wallace Cup where it defeated an Exeggutor with Blizzard.
Personality
When Skitty was first caught, during a few episodes it let itself out of its Poké Ball in the same way that Misty's Psyduck, Jessie's Wobbuffet, Brock's Croagunk and James's Mime Jr. do.
Skitty has a very cute and charming personality. Skitty is always cheerful, and loves to play with mops, string, and its own tail. Skitty can be a bit ditzy at times, though.