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What child didn’t grow up wishing they could live in the Cinderella castle at Disneyland? Who hasn’t closed their eyes and wished with all their might that they could be Cinderella? Well … maybe you didn’t need to set your sights so high to gain entrance to the illustrious castle, if you had wished to be a cat you may have had better luck!

It is a little known fact that Disneyland is not only home to fantastical creatures, but also a colony of feral cats! Cats have taken up residence at Disneyland since 1955. Allegedly, Walt Disney found the cats living in the building that is now Sleeping Beauty’s castle, and rather than evicting the four-legged intruders from the grounds, he let them stay. The cats were natural hunters and could fend for themselves. They even proven helpful to control any unwanted rodent populations – yeah, we’re looking at you Minnie! Disney now runs a TNR program to help control the cat population and there is even a vet clinic that helps ensure they all stay healthy.

The colony of cats have become rather famous in their own right and an entire Instagram account and website have been created to document their escapades.

Where you might expect Mickey, Minnie and Pluto to run up to you for a picture, the cats prefer to avoid humans.

 

The Disney Cats Instagram account is dedicated to the photos that park-goers snap of the cats.

An added bonus to being a Disney Cat … never having to wait in lines!

And novelty photos are free!

The official motto of the cats reads, “Disneyland is our land. We prowl its streets when the humans go away. And we try our best to forget that it was all started by a mouse.”

The cats have assimilated into the park seamlessly. Can you even tell which is a real cougar?

Nothing says “magical evening” like dinner for two with a Disney Cat.

So, next time you’re waiting on line at California Screamin’ take a look around … you might find a furry friend to keep you company.

You can read the full profile of all the Disneyland Cats website.

 

All image source: DisneyCats/Instagram