Disneyland is home to hundreds of feral cats who have free rein in the park - and you can adopt one
According to the cats' fan site, the feline invasion of Disneyland began in 1955, when the Walt Disney Company had to evict them from Sleeping Beauty Castle. Those cats were adopted by cast members.
But, at some point, someone got the idea that the cats could perform a valuable service — ridding the park of rodents and pests.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
DisneylandCats.com said that a team of Disney cast members is assigned to feed, monitor, and provide medical treatment to the park-wide clowder.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
DisneylandCats.com reported that cats are fed at stations near the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Disneyland and White Water Snacks at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa.
It's been estimated that there are about 200 cats in the park today. All the cats are also spayed and neutered to prevent overpopulation.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
When accidents happen and a litter of kittens is born, they're adopted out to Disneyland cast members, to keep the population size under control.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
The site added that Disneyland will identify any cats that are "too comfortable around humans" to cast members.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
This policy of trap-neuter-return (TNR) isn't without controversy and has attracted criticism from PETA and other groups. But Vice reported in 2014 that "most animal rights activists seem confident that TNR is a humane and safe way to handle feral cats."
Source: Vice
Guests are discouraged from approaching the feral "cat members," according to DisneylandCats.com. And, for the most part, they keep to themselves.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
That hasn't stopped some of the cats from becoming internet celebrities. The cats' fan site has accrued 15,600 Twitter followers and 63,000 Instagram followers.
Some of the high-profile cats have been given there own names. For example, this tortoiseshell has been dubbed Francisco. He hangs out around Grizzly Peak.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
And this is Ned, a domestic longhair who's frequently spotted on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel.
Source: DisneylandCats.com
The cats also have some prominent fans. Actor Ryan Gosling — a former Mouseketeer — discussed the cats in a 2011 interview with Conan O'Brien.
Source: Los Angeles Times, Team Coco
Gosling said that he had heard Disneyland had trained an "army" of "commando cats" to descend on the park at night and eat all the mice. He didn't quite have the details right, but his words instantly became a meme.
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