:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/cats-2000-05bcaae4a72041899ff20c085450df11.jpg)
One of the most fascinating things about cats is their unpredictability. With all due respect to dogs and the unwavering friendship they provide, cats are simply more compelling to watch because of their independence, their cleverness, and even — let’s face it — their rudeness. Of course, cats can also be fiercely loyal themselves and make for great sidekicks for our heroes (and some villains…).
In honor of National Pet Day, EW has assembled a list of our favorite cats in movie history who all serve various functions within their respective films — limited to house cats only.
7. Milo from The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1989)
Dogs and cats living together…Mass hysteria!
6. Mrs. Norris from the Harry Potter series
Everett Collection
J.K. Rowling‘s wizarding world is filled with plenty of felines (as seen above!), but the most memorable is Filch’s beloved tabby, who skulks around Hogwarts in search of misbehaving students.
5. Tom Cat of Tom and Jerry (1940–present)
Rarely has a cat been so humiliated by their prey than Tom Cat by Jerry Mouse. No matter how many traps he sets, Tom inevitably ends up yowling in pain after his scheming backfires, as seen in the early-’40s cartoons all the way through a 2021 feature film.
4. Church from Pet Sematary (1989 and 2019)
Poor Winston Churchill (a cat, not the prime minister) kicks the bucket — only to return from the dead and terrorize his former family. It’s not his fault he was laid to rest in a cursed burial ground! This undead kitty was creepy in the original 1989 film, but he’s even more haunting in the 2019 remake. Talk about the cat who came back.
3. Puss in Boots from Shrek 2 (2004) and beyond
Everett
This lovable, swashbuckling cat originated centuries ago in literature, but he has been popularized in recent years thanks to the Shrek franchise. First appearing in Shrek 2, Puss (voiced with gusto by Antonio Banderas) became a loyal ally to Shrek and his gang, while his origins were explored in the spinoff films Puss in Boots (2011) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).
2. Jonesy from Alien (1979)
Everett Collection
The ship cat and unofficial mascot of the USCSS Nostromo is a sci-fi and horror icon — and of the few to survive the deadly xenomorph. Sigourney Weaver may be the lead in Alien, but Jonesy is obviously the star.
1. Cat from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Everett Collection
Poor no-name slob: He belongs to nobody, and nobody belongs to him. Holly Golightly’s (Audrey Hepburn) unnamed cat is the ultimate film feline, a fluffy orange sweetheart who, like most cats, observes everything around him with a sort of passive disapproval.
