Happy National Pet Day! Here are the best cats on screen ever
Prick up those fuzzy little ears! It’s National Pet Day, the time of year for celebrating the best kittens on screen. Before we start in on the list, we’ve got a few honorable mentions for you. If you love your film and TV shows with a healthy side of pussy, get bingewatching these stat.
While watching Marvel’s Deadpool 2, keep your eyes peeled for these major A-list celebrity cameos: Taylor Swift’s cats.
Get familiar with Sabrina Spellman’s familiar, Salem, while bingewatching Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
If you’re brushing up on your Game of Thrones by handling a cheeky seven-season rewatch before this weekend, watch out for Tommen Lannister’s brave knight Ser Pounce.
Without fur-ther ado, here’s our ranking of the ten best film felines of all time.
10. Orion: Men in Black (1997)
A cat so cool he carries the entire Arquillian Galaxy on his collar. Could your cat be trusted with such an almighty responsibility without losing it in a back alley scrap or while getting their ass stuck in the cat flap? Thought not.
9. Mr. Fuzzypants: Nine Lives (2016)
Critics really dumped on Nine Lives upon its release for being a heinous waste of Kevin Spacey’s acting talents and a sign that cinema is well truly in the shitter, but we’d argue it isn’t actually that bad. Mr. Fuzzypants – the cat being occupied by the spirit of Spacey’s billionaire bozo Tom (honestly the less you know about why the better) – is a total star that we want to throw catnip and toy mice at, pronto!
8. Sassy: Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
The 90s tear jerker stomped all over the tired stereotype that dogs & cats can’t possibly be friends by depicting a cautious kitty named Sassy (Sally Field) as being best pals with an American bulldog called Chance (Michael J. Fox) and Shadow (Don Ameche). She’s the voice of reason in the film and a bit of a party pooper, but when you’re going on an impulsive adventure through the Californian wilderness, somebody has to be.
7. Cat: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Providing a totally deep metaphor for the lack of connection Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) feels to those around her as well as her unwillingness to feel tied to anyone or anything, Cat is the real heart of Breakfast of Tiffany’s. Don’t believe us? Watch the ending of the movie where Holly frantically searches for Cat (and thus realizes she does have an emotional connection to something) – it’s one of the most moving moments in cinema history.
6. Puss in Boots: Shrek 2 (2004)
If you were lucky enough to be a kid when Shrek 2 came out, you likely had a bit of an awkward crush on the swashbuckling kitty voiced by perennial stud Antonio Banderas (The Skin I Live In). And honestly, who could blame you? Puss in Boots is a legit charmer and a total player with a sharp wardrobe. If cats were this cool in real life they’d be running the damn planet by now (and we’d probably let them).
5. Blofeld’s cat (unnamed): From Russia With Love (1963)
It’s sad that Blofeld’s cat doesn’t have a name but let’s all just take a moment to appreciate how the lap-sitting kitty was likely the true MVP of every foiled plot in every James Bond movie it appeared in – Blofeld is just a shill.
4. All of those damn jazzy felines: The Aristocats (1970)
Disney’s classic kitty cartoon (with the most dynamite Disney soundtrack ever) also happens to feature some of the greatest and quirkiest cat characters of all time. Between the outrageous alley cat jazz band, streetwise Thomas O’Malley (Phil Harris), and inheritance queen Duchess (Eva Gabor), it’s cool cats galore!
3. Mr. Bigglesworth: Austin Powers (1997)
Dr. Evil’s (Mike Myers) feline co-conspirator encounters some disastrous compilations with a cryogenic capsule that renders the little dude completely bald. Though his original white mane is legit nicer than all the luscious locks of the Film Daily newsroom put together, he’s arguably got a sassier edge to him with his bald look. Own it Bigglesworth!
2. Keanu: Keanu (2016)
Offering a shrewd twist on the devastating plot of John Wick (where Keanu Reeves’s eponymous hero is gifted a pet dog by his late wife, only to have a gang of thugs callously murder it), Jordan Peele (Get Out) & Keegan-Michael Key’s comedy instead tells the story of a heartbroken slacker (Peele) who discovers his newly acquired kitten Keanu has been stolen from his home.
All kittens are cute, but as Clarence (Key) states, Keanu is the cutest. A fact made all the more apparent when his boss Chaddar (Method Man) dresses the little guy in a du-rag. He has so much attitude!
1. Jonesy: Alien (1979)
The ginger tomcat of the USCSS Nostromo is just as formidable, strong, and badass as its human Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). Jonesey saves Ripley’s ass by distracting the alien (and somehow doesn’t get slaughtered) and also manages to escape the ship and survive the whole horrific ordeal. This kitty is a boss!