10 Movies That Will Delight Your Cat

Even after centuries of domestication, cats remain completely in tune with their killing instinct, and even the most docile of house cats will start going crazy when they spy a bird in their garden. Along with mice and rats, birds are one of the primary animals that cats see as prey, and if you want to give your moggy a chance to live out their hunting dreams without the inevitable unpleasant clean-up, then get The Birds on your telly. 

In Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, a small coastal town comes under siege by birds and is therefore full of birdsong, cawing, and the sound of flapping wings. All of this will have your kitty enraptured, most likely batting at the screen in an attempt to help save the poor tormented townsfolk. 

Although smaller, the household cat is technically a relative of big cats such as leopards, tigers, and lions. Watching these bigger wild cats at the zoo, it doesn’t take long to see the similarities to their smaller cousins, and so of course your cat would love to watch The Lion King. 

A reworking of Hamlet, The Lion King tells of young lion cub Simba who is framed for the death of his father, King Mufasa, by his conniving Uncle Scar. Easily one of Disney’s best animations, The Lion King will be a cosy and comforting watch for your cat (that one scene aside) that will let them daydream about being big, too.

If you think that your cat might be lonely, or if they really enjoy nature shows such as Planet Earth, then Kedi is an absolute must-watch. The documentary profiles the stray cat population of Istanbul, following them as they go about their lives. With so many cats, even the most solitary of felines will start to think of themselves as one of the clan. 

Just be forewarned that some of the cats' stories get rather sad at times, and so having tissues to hand is advisable. 

For some reason – likely how their colour pops on camera – when it comes to cats in films, they are almost overwhelmingly of the orange or ginger variety. From Puss in Boots and Garfield, Breakfast at Tiffany’s Cat, and The Cat From Outer Space, this colour of cat is everywhere. Of all of them though, there is one who reigns supreme as king: Jones. More affectionately known as ‘Jonesy’, this feline is the Nostromo’s ship cat in Sir Ridley Scott’s iconic Alien. 

Although it might not sound like it, Alien is a fantastic film to watch with the cat, as not only is Jones an iconic mouser (potentially in league with the xenomorph), but the sound design is incredible. The sequence where poor Brett meets his fate is populated by sounds of dripping water, clinking chains and, in the aftermath of his demise, the contented purring of Jones. Just be sure to reassure them that you would never handle their carrier with the same reckless abandon as Ripley. 

Gints Zilbalodis’s beautiful animation Flow won the 2025 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and it doesn’t take much to understand why. Not only are the visuals a delight, but the story also follows black kitty Cat as he journeys across a world devastated by a great flood. As he travels aboard a boat, he encounters a variety of other animals and goes on a journey of self-discovery that changes him from a solitary creature to being part of an unusual found family. 

What makes Flow such a great movie to watch with your cat is that this is not an animation in which the animals on screen speak in English. Rather, the animals all keep to their traditional methods of communication, and so the film is packed with the wonderful sounds of the natural world. Another special quality of Flow is that it will mesmerise cats and children alike, making it the purrfect selection for family film night. 

Based on the book by James Bowen, A Street Cat Named Bob chronicles how one ginger street cat called Bob helped save Bowen’s life when he was a struggling addict. Bob proves the healing power animals can have for us humans, and the bond between James and Bob was so strong that Bob insisted on going everywhere with his friend. This led to sightings of Bob on a variety of London buses; Bob and James were regular features on Covent Garden’s busking scene. The sadly now-departed kitty was also famed for his array of dainty scarves. 

In the film, made in 2016, Bob was mostly played by the real-life feline, with Bowen portrayed by Luke Treadaway. A Street Cat Named Bob is a lovely and wholesome movie that will have you and your furry companion snuggling close. Even better, it spawned a sequel, A Christmas Gift From Bob, as well as a short-lived animated series, meaning that Bob is a character that can be revisited all year round. 

I most recently watched Men with the newest addition to my cat clan, and the kitten was glued to the screen throughout. In Alex Garland’s horror film, Jessie Buckley’s Harper takes a trip to the country. Her retreat is meant to provide her time and space to deal with a personal tragedy, but the male population of the village (who all possess a strong resemblance to Rory Kinnear) won’t leave her alone. 

Divisive among its human viewers, Men unites its feline audience thanks to the stunning use of sound design. The isolated rural location opens up plenty of opportunities for bird song, the cries of foxes, as well as the peaceful soundscape of country fields and paths. Harper’s early wanderings around the countryside are a particular highlight, and will have your furry friend's ears twitching aplenty. 

Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, first appeared in Shrek 2. His entrance, a wonderful (and unexpected in a kids' film) homage to Alien, immediately won over audiences. After accompanying Shrek for adventures in Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After, Puss was given his own series of movies. The first movie was fairly ropey, but its sequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, is incredible. A kids' film that dives into some really meaty topics such as anxiety and mortality, The Last Wish was far better than it had any right to be, given its predecessor. 

While the film will enable humans – young and old alike – to process some complex feelings, for the cats watching, Puss is a hero they can aspire to be. Thanks to the sultry vocals of Banderas, Puss might just become a dreamboat heartthrob for them, too. Trust me, a kitty crush on Puss is far healthier than having to deal with an expected litter of kittens… 

If your moggy is more of a mouser than a bird catcher, then 1997’s MouseHunt is an obvious viewing selection. The story of MouseHunt follows a very clever mouse battling two bumbling brothers who have recently inherited the mansion the rodent resides in. Playing as a cross between Tom and Jerry and Home Alone, MouseHunt is a comedy that the family can chuckle along to, too. 

For the cats among the audience, seeing a mouse constantly scuttling across the screen will have them hypnotised, and by the time the chase between Catzilla and the mouse arrives, your cat will be fully locked in.

Every well-prepared person has their plan in place should the zombie apocalypse, an alien invasion, or similar level catastrophe arise, but does your cat have their plan devised? 

If not, then you need to get them in front of A Quiet Place: Day One, stat. Working as a prequel to A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place 2, Day One winds the clock back to the beginning of the invasion. In the prequel, cancer patient Samira and her cat Frodo are visiting New York when life as humankind knows it changes forever. What follows is an intense story of survival featuring one of the best feline performances, as Frodo gets plenty of chances to shine, and even save the day on occasion. 

The hook of the A Quiet Place films is that the threat detects its prey by sound, and so in order to survive, silence is key. Now, cats are not known for being silent, especially when their food is late, and so it is important to prepare them for such a scenario when they might have to be quiet.