That Darn Cat

Patti is a teenager in a small Massachusetts town who finds her everyday life dull until her cat, D.C., comes home carrying a clue: a watch or collar tag with a message from a kidnapped woman. The victim is a housekeeper whose abductors mistook her for the wealthy wife of a local businessman, and the cat is the only witness to the crime. Convinced something serious has happened, Patti pushes skeptical authorities into action and teams up with an FBI agent, Kelso, to trace where the cat has been and find the woman in time.

The film is a 1997 Disney family comedy directed by Bob Spiers, and it was the second of the two features he directed, arriving the same year as Spice World. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski wrote the screenplay, and Robert Simonds produced. Christina Ricci plays Patti, with Doug E. Doug as Zeke, Dean Jones as Mr. Flint, Peter Boyle as Pa, Michael McKean as Peter Randall and Dyan Cannon as Mrs. Flint among a credited cast of 45.

Released on February 14, 1997, the film runs 89 minutes and took about 18 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 4.7/10 from roughly 5,200 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5/10 from about 104 votes. A critics' rating of 4.1/10 from 15 reviews places it below even the modest audience scores.