Guest Shredded for Petting Disneyland Cats; "They're Not an Attraction for You"

The iconic Disneyland cats are attractions in their own right. The fuzzy felines let themselves into Sleeping Beauty Castle in the early days of Disneyland Park, happy to take care of any rodents in exchange for a safe place to sleep. Disney Cast Members were grateful for the natural pest control and thus began the decades-long tradition of the Disneyland feral cat colony.

Over the years, regular visitors have kept track of the cats living around Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, and Downtown Disney. Though they often keep their distance, the adorable kitties are often spotted napping during the day after long nights of hunting!

But Reddit user u/princessmore had a different experience. She noticed one of the Disneyland cats, affectionately called Snickers, exploring in a fenced-off area and called out to her. To the Guest’s surprise, the friendly feline approached her and accepted some pets:

I called to Snickers and she came over and let me pet her ❤️

I called to Snickers and she came over and let me pet her ❤️
by u/Princessmore in Disneyland

Though the Guest simply wanted to share a memorable experience with fellow Disneyland Resort fans, she couldn’t have predicted the ensuing fiery debate. Dozens of commenters slammed her for touching Snickers and putting her Disneyland home at risk.

“Their job is to hunt mice,” said u/Laur_duh. “If they get too used to human attention they start going up to people they don’t do their job and Disney will remove them from the Park. Just observe them from a distance please. I know it’s tempting to pet them but like a service animal, they need to focus on their purpose and you’re distracting them. They are well cared for where they are.”

“I was at DCA in February of 2020 and there was a cat (probably Snickers) near the fence line,” u/Gojirahawk recalled. “And there was a security Cast Member right next to it to make sure nobody touched him/her.. There is a good reason for this..”

“Their job in the parks is pest control,” u/Lesterknopff agreed. “They’re not an attraction for you.”

Still, others reassured the Guest that the Disneyland cats don’t approach Guests if they don’t want to, and there was nothing wrong with a brief interaction.

“I can guarantee this cat isn’t getting rehomed due to people petting it,” u/FatBoiEatingGoldfiish argued. “Every time I see it it always walks up and gets scritches for at least the past 7 years with Cast Members watching.”

“The people in the comments on this thread are the Disney folk that I cannot stand,” u/HandleDry1190 wrote. “It’s not her fault that the cat came up to her. The cat is going to be okay and I can guarantee she isn’t the first person to pet it.”

While Inside the Magic cannot confirm that friendly Disneyland cats get rehomed, it’s best to follow Disney Cast Member instructions. Never reach into a restricted area to pet a cat, and listen to employees if told to leave the animals alone.

Have you interacted with the Disneyland cats? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments.

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks Guest experiences. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.