Ranking the Hottest Cat Movie Stars, From Keanu to The Hunger Games

Meow, indeed.

By Seija Rankin May 02, 2016 8:34 PMTags
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File this under Under-appreciated Costars: Cats.

That's right, cats.

Our feline friends have been stealing thunder from the rest of the animal kingdom on the Internet for ages now. Grumpy Cat, Lil' Bub, Keyboard Cat—they all have huge followings and deservedly loyal fan clubs. But their onscreen (that would be the big screen, here) counterparts have been given decidedly less attention. Why do we worship cats on Instagram yet give no love to those who so boldly stand beside Hollywood's biggest actors? We're calling foul on this practice.

This weekend's wacky comedy Keanu gave us just the reminder that we needed to give these kitties their time in the sun. The flick stars comedy duo Key & Peele as they traverse Los Angeles in search of their missing four-legged comrade, embedding themselves within a local drug-dealing gang in order to hatch a harebrained rescue mission. And were Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael-Key hilarious? Of course. Was the movie's writing so incredibly spot-on as to make us laugh down to our very innards? Duh. But the true star was that teeny tiny tabby, Keanu. His little meow darn stole the show, and was just begging for a look back at the best kitty costars.

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8. Mr. Bigglesworth, Austin Powers

We don't want to judge a book by its cover, but man this cat was creepy looking. We respect the hustle and the fact that he was kind of an evil genius in his own way, but still. We like our movie kitties cute and cuddly, thankyouverymuch.

7. Buttercup, The Hunger Games

If there's something below a tertiary character, that was poor Buttercup. She basically just popped in and out whenever the movie needed to remind us that Prim actually did own a cat. But that said, the fact that she basically rose from the dead during Mockingjay—Part 2 was pretty baller. Not every cat could survive a futuristic bomb attack—and we know no cat actor wants to get itself that dirty. Way to go all in, Buttercup.

6. Sassy, Homeward Bound

Sassy was true girl power to the max. She completely held her own with her male (and canine) costars, which we think is definitely a tribute to how awesome Sally Field is. People often forget about the fact that Sassy was the OG movie cat, but just know that we'll always remember the fact that she actually swam in a raging river. (Or her stuffed animal counterpart did, whatever).

5. Mrs. Norris, Harry Potter

If anybody ever questions the fact that animals and their owners start to look alike, show them this photo of Filch and Mrs. Norris. The resemblance is uncanny. The Hogwarts groundskeeper's kitty is technically a villain in the series, but we love how deeply she committed to the role. Just look at that scowl!

4. Jinx, Meet the Parents

Four words: Cat. Peeing. In. Toilet. Case closed.

3. Thackery Binx, Hocus Pocus

Courtesy Disney

Okay, fine, we cheated. Thackery isn't actually a real cat. (But man, that high quality CGI sure threw you for a loop, didn't it?). That being said, any movie cat that transforms into this deserves a place in the Feline Hall of Fame.

2. Keanu, Keanu

Has there ever been a more gangster pet. Definitely not. This little guy can run, jump, meow and wear a gold chain better than anybody.

1. Crookshanks, Harry Potter

It's a magic cat, y'all! Crookshanks is unarguably a total genius (just like her movie mom)—she can actually problem solve like a human. Plus she got to spend multiple movies with Emma Watson, which is about as lucky as someone could get, human or feline.

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