Mickey and Minnie may rule Disneyland during the daytime but hundreds of feral cats take the night shift, patrolling the park for real mice at play.

CC BY: HarshLight

he story: Is the House of Mouse is actually home to hundreds of feral cats? Unveiling 8 secrets about Disneyland, Adam K. Raymond at Mental Floss says that each night, a colony of cats takes over the park (and has since 1955). Park officials, who love them because they help control the mouse population, have set up permanent feeding stations, but still take measures to contain the cats' numbers, spaying and neutering the felines, and putting any kittens they find up for adoption. "After all," says Raymond. "A park full of cartoon mice is more enticing than a park full of real ones."

The reaction: This is certainly a "creepy revelation," says The Australian. No one wants to imagine the Happiest Place on Earth "overrun" with hundreds of cats — or actual mice for that matter. For cat lovers, however, says Tina Ferraro at YA Fresh, this just provides more incentive to visit the park. "Next time I go to Disneyland, I'm keeping my eyes open for cats." And it's a brilliant way to handle both the cat and mouse problem. It's "a smart, humane solution," says Chip and Company. "As an animal lover, this warms my heart."