The Cat Empire is a six-piece band, based in Melbourne, Australia. Their sound is often described as a fusion of jazz, ska, funk and rock with heavy Latin influences.

The Cat Empire began as a trio with Oliver McGill on keyboards, Felix Riebl on percussion and vocals and Ryan Monro on double bass in late 1999 and started playing a wide variety of gigs in Melbourne.

The band soon expanded in 2001 adding Harry James Angus on trumpet, Will Hull-Brown on drums and Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwala as a DJ.

The band recorded its debut studio album, The Cat Empire, in seven months during 2003 with producer Andy Baldwin in Melbourne.

The Cat Empire released their second album, Two Shoes on 19 April 2005. The album, recorded in Havana, Cuba, contains many old favourites for those who followed the Cat Empire from the beginning, as well as some new tunes.

2006 was a busy year for the band, in March they participated in the opening of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, playing their own compositions for approximately one hour as the Games athletes entered the stadium, introducing the band to a worldwide audience of around one billion.

The band's name was created by Felix Riebl's younger brother, Max, and its distinctive cat's eye icon was created by Ian McGill, Ollie McGill's father.