Disneyland's pet cats?

[frozman]

Does anyone know anything about the cats that Disneyland takes care of? On a trip last week I was eating at the hungry bear restaurant (next to Winnie the Pooh/Splash Mountain) I grabbed a seat upstairs near the back (the very back was ropped off) and as soon as I sat down 2 cats came out from around the corner, a skinny white cat and a chubby gray tabby. I couldn't get the white one to come up, but the gray tabby was very friendly, and I shared a couple of fries and a bit of meat from my burger with it, and unlike the animals at the Big Thunder Ranch, this cat seemed happy to be petted. After I finished eating I circled back to a cast member, who confirmed that those 2 cats (along with about 3-4 others) live behind the restaurant and someone comes around and feeds them each morning. What he didn't know is why exactly they were there, whether it be they were strays who wandered onto Disney property or if someone who couldn't care for them asked Disney to take them in (I know at one time Big Thunder Ranch had a black sheep that was from a 4-H club and the family didn't want the sheep to be sold and slaughtered, so they asked Disneyland to take it in).
I also saw a black cat run across a Bugs land in CaAdv, but he took off too fast for me to call him up. Anyone know how many there are, and where else they can be found?
Maybe they should put a Mary Poppins Character in front of the Hungry Bear restaurant to sing:
Feed the Cats, 10 bucks a burger
10 bucks, 10 bucks, they're meowing to you

[badkitty]

I read somewhere that the cats were brought in (and are actually cared for) to keep the smaller rodent population at bay. You can see a few cats occassionally near Indy and the Jungle Cruise.

[Disney4us2]

I think they are mostly ferral cats that are fed by Disney. I have seen several on the tram from/to parking and park stops. There are several over by Whitewater Snacks at Grand Californian. They want the cats around to keep the non Mickey mice population down.:cat::mouse:

[Paradise Pier Pinocchio]

There are several that frequent Taste Pilots grill too. I don't anymore, but the cats do. LOL.

:smickey:

[Mufasa]

I think the last estimate I heard was around 200 feral cats between the 2 parks at the resort.

I don't think anybody knows exactly when they started to appear at the resort, but animal handlers use a trap, spay/neuter and release program with the adult cats to control the total population because they do in turn help with rodent control for the resort.

Any kittens that are born they attempt to find homes for through area animal shelters and there are five permanent feeding stations set up specifically for the cats at night.

[MegaDisney]

I want a kitten born at Disneyland!

[BrerGnat]

These cats are all over. I've seen them in every land at DL, They like to hang out at the Whitewater Snacks outdoor eating area at the Grand Californian Hotel too.

I'm not sure feeding them is a good idea. Well, meat is probably fine, but cats shouldn't be eating french fries...

They eat lots of mice, just not the famous ones. :D

[teamblackwell]

I was there about 2 weeks ago, didn't see any cats. I saw a few mice in the landscaping by Matterhorn though.
I don't particularly like mine too much, but is it hypocritical to exterminate mice in a park that was built on the concept of Mickey Mouse? dunno:shrug:

[BrerGnat]

I was there about 2 weeks ago, didn't see any cats. I saw a few mice in the landscaping by Matterhorn though.
I don't particularly like mine too much, but is it hypocritical to exterminate mice in a park that was built on the concept of Mickey Mouse? dunno:shrug:

Well, they do carry disease, and I'm sure there would be QUITE a publicity nightmare if a guest was bitten by a rabid rodent...

[joonyer]

Well, they do carry disease, and I'm sure there would be QUITE a publicity nightmare if a guest was bitten by a rabid rodent...

Just so no one will get unduly concerned, rabies is extremely rare in small rodents; There has never been a confirmed rabies case in rats or mice in the U.S.

Raccoons, Foxes, Skunks, Coyotes and Bats are the most common carriers among wild animals in the U.S..

The Ironic thing is: The most common domestic rabies carrier you are likely to come across in the U.S.? CATS.

Nevertheless, and in spite of the popularity of Mickey, the cats keeping rodent population down in the parks is a good thing.

[BrerGnat]

Just so no one will get unduly concerned, rabies is extremely rare in small rodents; There has never been a confirmed rabies case in rats or mice in the U.S.

Raccoons, Foxes, Skunks, Coyotes and Bats are the most common carriers among wild animals in the U.S..

The Ironic thing is: The most common domestic rabies carrier you are likely to come across in the U.S.? CATS.

Nevertheless, and in spite of the popularity of Mickey, the cats keeping rodent population down in the parks is a good thing.

Okay, well maybe not rabies, but other diseases/illness are still carried by mice...