Beautiful, independent, and fascinating creatures, it's no wonder that so many studios have taken a shot at making animated movies about cats.

While they say dogs are a man's best friend, cats evoke more complicated emotions. Depending on who you ask, they can be good luck or bad luck. The truth is though, cats are not so different from us. They have a natural curiosity that can get them into trouble and they also don't just let any stranger treat them like they are friends.

Due to all that they are and what we think of them, cats put a great spark in the human imagination. There are many memorable cat characters in all forms of media, from comics to the big screen. However, there is still room for cats to grow in film. While there are some known movies centered on cats, cat lovers are always looking for more.

10 The Cat Returns (2002)

Leave it to Studio Ghibli to really bring in the imagination of what cats are about. The story follows a girl named Haru who saves a cat from a car. She finds out later that that cat is a prince and the Cat Kingdom invites her to becomes the prince's bride. She doesn't say yes, but she also doesn't say no so the cats take that as a yes.

Haru hires the Baron, a cat figurine given life, to save her from this marriage. In terms of cat content, this movie is one of the best. It takes you to the entire Cat Kingdom and nearly the entire cast is cat characters. The main villain is even a Cat King.

9 The Lion King (1994)

If you like house pet cats, then you probably love big wild cats as well. Disney's The Lion King is a creative re-telling of Shakespeare's Hamlet through the wild world of the jungle. Of course, this re-telling is much more lighthearted and doesn't have a high death count.

The main cast is lions. If enjoyed, the movie has gotten two sequels and a TV show with many lion characters as well. It is one of the movies considered Disney's best, as it was made during the company's Renaissance period.

8 A Whisker Away (2020)

Have you ever wished that your crush would treat you with the same love and affection in how they treat their own pet? This movie goes there, with the main character shape-shifting into a cute cat to spend time with a boy she likes.

However, her dabbling in shape-shifting magic starts to have negative consequences. This anime movie has gorgeous animation and also features a part where the viewer gets to see a world of supernatural cats.

7 The Aristocats (1970)

This famous Disney movie is focused on a family of cats that belong to a rich old woman. The woman loves her cats so much that they inherit the bulk of her belongings in her will.

Her butler is pretty upset about that, so he dumps the cats far away under a bridge. There, the family of pampered cats meets an alley cat who decides to help them find their way home. Humans play a very small part in this musical movie.

6 Cats Don't Dance (1997)

Cats Don't Dance is a hidden gem of the late 90s. Unfortunately, it was a box office bomb at the time. However, many critics and audiences have been revisiting the film lately and have found it delightful. The story follows many animals, but the main characters are cats.

The story is set in the late 1930s with the main cat character, Danny, trying to achieve his dreams of being a star. He is pretty naive and optimistic, which is quite the foil for the other cat character, Sawyer, who is cynical and sarcastic.

5 A Cat In Paris

This movie is less about a cat and more about the humans that surround the cat. During the day, the cat lives with a young girl named Zoe. At night though, the cat hangs out with a jewel burglar named Nico. One day the cat brings Zoe one of Nico's stolen items and she gets caught up in a crime plot.

The cartoon noir is thrilling but never scary. While it is focused on humans, their common connection to the cat really highlights the animal's independence.

4 Oliver And Company (1988)

In terms of Disney films, Oliver and Company fell away from relevance very quickly in comparison to The Lion King and The Aristocats. This is partly due to the fact that it was released on the same day as The Land Before Time.

It is a creative re-telling of Oliver Twist. Instead of London, it is set in New York City and Oliver is a homeless kitten instead of a human. Many of the other characters are dogs, though there are about three humans in the story.

3 Puss In Boots (2011)

The roguish cat character from the Shrek series was so loved that the studio decided to give him his own film. Of course, it takes place in the same world as Shrek still so there are a lot of beloved fairytale characters such as Jack and Jill.

Puss is not the only cat in the movie though. There is also Kitty Softpaws who is a female counterpart tuxedo cat and love interest.

2 Gay Purr-ee (1962)

This movie was actually the first animated feature to be released in theaters by Warner Bros. It was also a box office bomb despite having good reviews at the time. It is an underrated animated musical gem about a cat, Mewsette, and her running away to Paris in order to experience a more glamorous life.

The songs for this film were composed by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, which is a big deal since they are the same people who created the music for The Wizard of Oz.

1 The Secret Life Of Pets

This is a movie that was just made for all pet lovers. Of course, the main stars are dogs, but Chloe the cat is also a big character in the movie. She is a fat blue tabby and a lot of her comedy comes from cat quirks such as trying to fit into a box that is too small for her and being food motivated.

Besides Chloe, there are the alley cats lead by the hairless sphinx, Ozone, and his second-in-command, Nitro. This movie also got a sequel.

NEXT: 10 Things Everyone Completely Missed In The Secret Life Of Pets 2

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