Doing What We’re All Thinking About Mickey

About 200 feral cats roam Disneyland, where they help control rodents.

Spend enough time at Disneyland and you’ll see them. Maybe you’ll spot one snoozing in the bushes near the Jungle Cruise or observing you warily as you ride the tram, but one thing is certain: However many cats you see, there are more out of sight.

About 200 feral cats roam the Happiest Place on Earth, where they earn their keep by helping to control the rodent population. The felines were first seen not long after Disneyland opened in 1955, when they took up residence in Sleeping Beauty Castle, and it soon became evident that keeping them around had more advantages than trying to escort them off the premises.

The mutually beneficial alliance even includes permanent feeding stations for the cats, as well as spaying or neutering and vaccinations. Though not official cast members, these adept hunters — who mostly come out at night — have earned a devoted following of their own. There are websitesInstagram feeds, and YouTube videos devoted to them. They’re not quite as popular as the actual rides at Disneyland, obviously, but for cat-lovers, they’re an attraction all their own.

Of course, cat-lovers are an attraction unto themselves.