by Caroline Brigagao
insidethemagic.com
It's no news that Disney Parks hide some special park features in plain sight, like the hidden suite in Cinderella Castle, Walt Disney's apartment at Magic Kingdom in Disneyland Park, and the private members-only Club 33, also located in Disneyland Park.
However, Disneyland Resort in California focuses a lot of its attention on a "secret attraction" in Disney Park 24/7, and they manage to hide it in plain sight.
To be more exact, there are around 200 of these secret attractions. Yes, you read it right — There are about 200 feral cats at Disneyland! The adorable feral cat colony lives in the happiest place on earth. And now, I bet you agree with the Aristocrat's song "Everybody Wants to be a Cat":
The History Behind the Cats
There have been sightings going as far as 1955, soon after Disneyland opened.
The story goes: When Walt Disney decided that there should be an attraction inside the Sleeping Beauty Castle — what we know today as the Castle Walkthrough attraction — he brought engineers into the castle to begin the planning. But to his surprise, he was greeted by a feral cat colony that had made the court their home.
But the cats had brought a huge problem — an infestation of fleas. Walt Disney knew he couldn't just get rid of the cats without sparking public uproar, so he adopted each cat and made them all Cast Members. By doing so, the problem seemed to be solved in the best possible way.
Unfortunately, things weren't that simple. Due to the theme Park's rustic design, Disneyland had ironically brought unwelcomed Guests to the Park — rodents. For Walt's luck, not all feral cats had set home in the castle but other places around the Park property. Those cats found their wonderland inside the Park with a good source of food — the rodent population — plus, the Park was a place free of the typical dangers that a stray cat faces. They would come out at night and hunt inside the Park in peace.
Someone at the Disney Company had a brilliant idea; allow the cats to live in the Park. By nature, feral cats are scared of humans. Therefore they wouldn't bother the park's guests, and apparently, they were doing a better job at pest control than human exterminators.
The idea worked so well that the cat population at Disneyland still exists with more than 200 felines. The kittens received a forever home at the happiest place on earth, and the theme Park Guests are always surprised and glad to spot one of the felines around the Park.
Disneyland and the Cats' Relationship
After deciding to keep the cats, the Disney Company established protocols and ways to keep the cats and guests safe. Disney placed feeding stations around the property, the cats were all spayed/neutered, vaccinated the entire feral population, and Circle D Ranch Cast Members were assigned to care for the furry batch of Disneyland Cast Members.
Mostly, the cats stay hidden during the day and roam around at night. But not all cats follow that rule. Park guests often spot the feral cats sleeping around the park or wandering around the park property during the day. For that reason, and as a general rule, Disney does not encourage Guests to try to get too close or even pet the cats. They are better off remaining solitary and admired from a distance. But, by all means, take some pictures!
If any of the Disneyland cats start to get too friendly around the guests, or if a new cat litter is born, Disney decides to put them up for adoption to a Disney employee — So they are always part of the Disney family.
And, as if it wasn't enough that those cuties are roaming around the park, they also have their own Instagram, Twitter, and official webpage – disneylandcats.com - where people can keep up with the Disney feline world.
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