The Cat Returns

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The Cat Returns
Theatrical release poster
Japanese name
Kanji	猫の恩返し
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn Neko no Ongaeshi
Directed by	Hiroyuki Morita
Screenplay by	Reiko Yoshida
Based on	Baron the Cat by Aoi Hiiragi
Produced by	Toshio Suzuki Nozomu Takahashi
Starring	Chizuru Ikewaki Yoshihiko Hakamada Tetsu Watanabe Yosuke Saito Aki Maeda Tetsurō Tamba
Cinematography	Kentaro Takahashi
Edited by	Megumi Uchida
Music by	Yuji Nomi
Production company	Studio Ghibli
Distributed by	Toho
Release date	July 20, 2002 (2002-07-20)
Running time	75 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$65 million[1]

The Cat Returns (Japanese: 猫の恩返し, Hepburn: Neko no Ongaeshi, lit. 'The Cat's Repayment') is a 2002 Japanese anime fantasy film^[2] directed by Hiroyuki Morita from a screenplay by Reiko Yoshida, based on the 2002 manga Baron the Cat by Aoi Hiiragi. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Hakuhodo, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi and Toho, and distributed by the latter company. It stars Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Tetsu Watanabe, Yosuke Saito, Aki Maeda and Tetsurō Tamba. This is Hiroyuki Morita's first and only film as director for Studio Ghibli.

It is a spin-off of Whisper of the Heart. It was theatrically released in Japan on July 20, 2002, through Toho and in 2005 in the United States through Walt Disney Home Entertainment.^[3] It received generally favourable reviews,^[4] and won the Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival. GKIDS re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on January 16, 2018, under a new deal with Studio Ghibli.^[5]