The Cat Returns (Japanese: 猫の恩返し Hepburn: Neko no Ongaeshi, lit. The Cat's Repayment) is a 2002 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiroyuki Morita of Studio Ghibli, produced by Toshio Suzuki and Nozomu Takahashi, written by Reiko Yoshida, based on The Cat Returns by Aoi Hiiragi with music by Yuji Nomi, and stars Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Tetsu Watanabe, Yosuke Saito, Aki Maeda and Tetsurō Tamba. A spin-off of Whisper of the Heart, it was theatrically released in Japan on July 20, 2002 through the Toho Company and in 2005 in the United States through Buena Vista Home Video. It received an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival.