Is it already Hairball Awareness Day again? April 25th always rolls around so fast. It hardly seems like a year has gone by since the last time we were urged to groom our cats carefully and monitor their diets so that they'll be less likely to choke on hairballs. This year, however, Moviefone feels inspired to celebrate in a different way, via the Walt Disney Pictures studio.

For 75 years, the movie studio usually associated with mice has nonetheless been at the forefront of introducing memorable cats into pop culture. Some are heroic, some villainous. Some are animated, some are live-action. Some are house pets, some are big jungle cats, and some are both. Some speak, and some are as eloquently silent as real-life cats. And none of them seems to worry much about hairballs.

Here, then, is a history of Disney movie cats extensive enough to scratch the itch of any Disney cat fancier. Pour a saucer of milk and read along with your favorite feline.