Origins of The Aristocats

[T_O]

I have read several places that the idea for The Aristocats came about in the early 60s, and was written by a couple of men on Disney's payroll.
Today I came across this short called "Kitty Cornered," which was made in 1956 by Paramount Pictures. The similarities in plot are obvious, and Kitty Kuddles even looks like Marie. Could this be the "real" origin of the Aristocats?