The Best Animated Series About Cats of All Time
From the alleys of New York to the enchanted realms of Studio Ghibli, the cat has always been one of the most fascinating protagonists of animation.
Ironic, elusive, tender or enigmatic, the feline has conquered screens and hearts all over the world, becoming a true visual and narrative icon. In this article we explore the best cartoons about cats, crossing decades and continents: from American animated series more famous as Tom & Jerry e Garfield, to Japanese anime which elevate the cat to a mythical creature.
A journey into the animated world of cats, where each character tells a fantastic and funny story.
The best animated series about cats
Tom & Jerry (1940–present)
Let's start with what is impossible to ignore: Tom & Jerry is not just a series of animated slapstick. It is a lesson in direction, rhythm and comic construction. Tom, perpetually frustrated in his attempt to capture Jerry, embodies the tragedy of repeated failure. But the genius lies in his expressive elasticity: with each episode Tom transforms – sometimes pathetic, other times threatening, even romantic or chivalrous. He is a changing character, always new. And behind him is the silent orchestra of Hanna and Barbera, masters of an animation that knew how to dance with music… continue reading>>
Garfield and Friends (1988–1994)
Garfield and Friends takes the irony of Jim Davis's comic strip and translates it into a television series that can hold its own against adult sitcoms. Garfield doesn't move much, but every word is an arrow. The strength of the series lies in the rhythm of the dialogue, in the never banal sarcasm, and in a surprisingly aware writing. In an era in which cartoons pushed on action, Garfield he bet everything on the word. And he won… continue reading >>
Isidoro - Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats (1984–1985)
Less celebrated than Garfield but equally incisive, Heathcliff (Isidoro, for those who loved him in Italy) is the street cat par excellence. Arrogance, hooligan charm, sense of belonging to the neighborhood: Heathcliff is a product of the 80s in the best sense of the word. The series, in reality, is divided into two segments: on one side the adventures of Heathcliff, on the other the group of Catillac Cats, an urban feline gang of rare visual originality. The design, the visual ideas, the slapstick gags but with a metropolitan aftertaste: everything works. A little pearl of the period… keep reading >>
Fleek Extravagance - Eek! The Cat (1992–1997)
An often forgotten title, yet fundamental to understanding the transition of 90s animation towards a more meta and postmodern irony. Eek! is a cat who is optimistic to the point of self-harm, always ready to help others even at the cost of his own life. The series is frenetic, full of nonsense, and manages to be both childish and sophisticated. Its black humor, disguised as colorful cartoon, anticipates many of the dynamics that will explode with Ren & Stimpy e SpongeBob.... Read on >>
Top Cat (1961–1962)
Few people remember how much Top Cat – known in Italy as Topo Gigio and his friends, a completely misleading title – it was ahead of its time. The brainchild of Hanna-Barbera, Top Cat is a con man cat who lives in a New York alley and leads a gang of marginal cats. The series is a parody of bourgeois sitcoms, with a protagonist who looks like a feline Groucho Marx, trying to survive with cunning and rhetoric. The animation is limited, but the writing shines. It is a social comedy in cartoon format… Read on >>
Sylvester cat
Ok, CatDog is not a cat in the strict sense. But Cat, the feline half of the two-headed protagonist, is such a well-written character that she deserves a place here. Snobbish, neurotic, cultured, obsessive, Cat is the opposite of her dog brother, impulsive and naive. The series is all played on this dichotomy, and Cat becomes the perfect incarnation of the "cartoon cat" in the most psychoanalytic sense of the term: always on the verge of exploding, always convinced of being right, always defeated by reality. She is a character who anticipates BoJack Horseman, but in a grotesque way… keep reading >>
Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat (2001–2003)
Produced by PBS and set in an idealized imperial China, Squirrel is a pedagogical series, delicate and surprisingly refined. The style is soft, inspired by oriental art but filtered by a western sensibility. Sagwa is a young curious and rebellious kitten, who confronts the rules of tradition, the authority of her parents and the discovery of autonomy. One of the few "educational" series that manages not to be paternalistic, thanks to careful and visually very refined writing... keep reading >>
Felix the Cat – The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1997)
Felix is a monument of animation: born in 1919, he was the first truly recognizable animated character on a global scale. But it is with The Twisted Tales that the black cat becomes relevant again for a new audience. This 90s series, psychedelic and stylized, is a radical reinvention. Felix becomes almost a Dadaist symbol, immersed in surreal worlds, with a direction that cites Tex Avery, Terrytoons and music videos. It is one of the most daring – and successful – attempts to update an icon without betraying it… continue reading >>
The Pink Panther – The Pink Panther Show (1969–1979)
Although not a “house cat”, the Pink Panther is in all respects a feline creature, silent, ironic, very elegant. Born from an animated sequence by Blake Edwards, it found its consecration on TV with The Pink Panther Show, where the protagonist did not speak, but dominated every scene with movement alone. It is a lesson in narrative economy and mime animation. The gags were constructed as short films, often accompanied by jazz music. Pure visual synthesis…. Read on >>
Produced by Rainbow (the Italian production company founded by Iginio Straffi, creator of the Winx), 44 Cats is a 3D animated series intended for preschool audiences, which debuted in 2018Since its first broadcast on Rai Yoyo, the series has obtained a huge response also internationally, arriving on channels like Nickelodeon and platforms like Netflix. The series revolves around four musician kittens – Lampo, Milady, Pilou and Polpetta – who live in the garage of the sweet Grandma Pina. Together they form a band, the Buffycats, and each episode sees them busy helping other animals, dealing with small daily problems or discovering the value of friendship, empathy and collaboration…. keep reading >>
Best Japanese Anime Series About Cats
Who, home sweet home (Who's Sweet Home) – The World Through the Eyes of a Puppy (2008–2010)
It's hard to think of a sweeter and more disarming series. Chi's Sweet Home it is domestic, everyday animation, capable of transforming banality into poetry.
Each episode lasts a few minutes, and tells the story of a lost kitten, taken in by a family. But the strength of the series is not in the plot, but in the staging of elementary emotions: hunger, fear, play, affection.
The graphic style is minimal, almost childish, yet every feline gesture is perfectly observed. Who does not speak, but everything about her communicates: a masterly example of silent animation, which works on rhythm and gaze rather than on words.
Nyan Koi! – The Curse of the Cat (2009)
The idea is surreal, but it works: a boy breaks a sacred statue in the shape of a cat and, from that moment, acquires the ability to understand what cats say.
From here comes a school comedy full of misunderstandings, romance, but also unexpected reflections on human-animal relationship.
Cats talk a lot. They are vain, manipulative, tender, vindictive. They are – in short – amplified representations of our own instincts.
Nyan Koi! It's not a revolutionary series, but it's one of those that manage to transform a bizarre idea into a constellation of small authentic moments.
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Bananya – The Cat in the Banana (2016–2020)
An absurd series, which might seem like just a kawaii gimmick, but which hides an uncommon hypnotic force.
Bananya tells the daily life of kittens who live inside bananas.
There is no real plot, there are no structured dialogues: just minimal movements, delicate interactions, childlike voices.
Yet the narrative rhythm is precise, calibrated. Each episode is a behavioral miniature, a lesson on how you can tell (almost) without telling.
Perfect for those who love animation as an exercise in style and synthesis.
The cat's reward (The Cat Returns) – The Mythology of the King Cat (2002)
Yes, it is technically a spin-off of a movie (The sighs of my heart), but from The Cat Returns is born an entire feline narrative universe.
Despite the original film format, this story has spawned a cult following and a series of parallel adaptations.
The Baron, Muta, the King of Cats are characters that They live in the collective memory of the anime even beyond the film itself.
And although The Cat Returns is not a canonical series, it has influenced and generated a serializable imaginary (comics, merchandise, cameos in other works) to the point that they are now an integral part of the Japanese feline animated landscape.
Natsume Yūjinchō – The Guardian Between Spirits and Cats (2008–2017)
It's not a "cat" series, but it would be a mistake to ignore it. Nyanko-sensei, the spirit sealed in the body of a fat and sarcastic cat, is one of the most beloved characters of the last fifteen years.
Natsume's Book of Friends It's a series that talks about bonds, loneliness, ghosts. But it's through the dialogue between Natsume and Nyanko that the emotional heart manifests itself.
Nyanko is never reduced to a comic foil. He is a millenary being, often morally ambiguous, who protects the protagonist but always remains, profoundly, other.
His feline form is just a mask: it is our way of accepting a presence that disturbs and consoles at the same time.
Neko Ramen – The Manager with the Tail (2006)
Imagine a cat that runs a ramen shop. And not an anthropomorphic cat. A real cat, with whiskers, claws, and existential crises.
Neko Ramen It's a short, ironic series, built on surreal sketches. But underneath the absurdity, there is a deep satire of the world of work, social expectations, urban alienation.
Taishō, the protagonist, is a failed dreamer. He wants to run a successful restaurant, but he is also constantly frustrated.
The series doesn't seek realism: it seeks truth. And it finds it in the most unexpected form.
Nyanbo! – When Cats Become Cubes (2016)
Spin-off of the more famous Yotsuba&!, Nyanbo! takes the figure of Danbo (the cardboard robot) and transforms him into a race of mechanical cats.
CGI animation with cardboard-like textures, photographed real environments, minimal movements: Nyanbo! is a a visual experiment much more sophisticated than the childish format suggests.
The characters speak little, but the interactions are precisely constructed. It is a series that plays with the concept of "animated toy", but with an almost poetic delicacy.
Yawaraka Sangokushi Tsukisase!! Ryofuko-chan – The parody in the feline version (2007)
A pearl unknown to most. This series is a surreal parody of Romance of the three kingdoms, with historical figures portrayed as cat girls.
The tone is completely insane, the humor is meta, but that's exactly why it works: takes the most solemn cultural imagery and reworks it in a cat-loving and nonsense way.
It's not a series for everyone. But it's a shining example of how anime knows how to desecrate without destroying, play without infantilizing.
Kuruneko – A life between cats and sake (2009–2011)
Based on an autobiographical manga blog, Kuruneko tells the daily life of a middle-aged woman, alone, with her many cats.
Each episode is a fragment of life, often without dialogue, with a melancholic and affectionate tone.
The protagonist drinks sake, reflects, cuddles her cats and lets herself live.
È one of the purest examples of feline slice of life, and at the same time a delicate portrait of Japanese urban solitude.
Final houghts
In Western cartoons, the cat is rarely spiritual or magical. Instead, it is neurotic, polemical, opportunistic, irresistibly sarcastic. It is the animal that best embodies the urban and modern condition: free only at times, affectionate with reserve, brilliant but unpredictable. The series we have seen never treat it as a simple pet: the animated cat is a character in all respects, often more human than human beings.
This is why cats in cartoons never age. Because, just like great literary characters, they tell us who we are. With irony. With style. With hidden claws.
From Tokyo to Paris, from Hollywood to Berlin, the cat is everywhere in animation. Not for fashion, but for essence. Because no other animal can be so changeable, evocative, cinematic. Cats in animated films are mirrors that reflect our desires, our fears, our irony.
Whether they are heroes, comedians, sages, or simply silent spectators, they remain archetypal figures, capable of speaking to all ages – and, perhaps, even to those we no longer dare to listen to.
