Heroes in animated movies come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes even all types of species. So why not in the form of a cat? Not all cat heroes have the same story, but they do all captivate viewers with their feline ways and irresistible eyes. One of the most loved cats in animation is Puss, who was originally introduced to fans in the popular comedy franchise, Shrek.
He may have been paid to kill Shrek, but he turns out to be a loyal friend and hero. Check out some of these other cats in animation who also played heroes in popular movie roles.
Thomas O'Malley - The Aristocats
The 1970 family musical The Aristocats follows a cast of cats, including Duchess (Eva Gabor), a mother cat, and her three kittens. They must find their way back home after Edgar the butler vindictively tries to get rid of them.
Though the journey is full of eye-openers and unexpected moments for these pampered cats, they never would have made it home without the help of the smooth-talking, brave, and very charming street cat O'Malley (Phil Harris). He may have seemed sketchy at first, but he turns out to be the hero that saves this cat family more than once from the jealous and cruel Edgar.
Mittens - Bolt
Fans of the movie Bolt know that the charismatic Shepherd puppy is the hero in the story. But there is a much more heroic character, Mittens, the weary cat. She is the one who does everything in the story that saves Bolt over and over again, eventually guiding him to find his inner strength.
Mittens takes the journey from New York to Hollywood with Bolt, saves him from his delusions, stays a friend by his side, and finally reveals to him that Penny misses and loves him. Go Mittens!
Puss - Puss In Boots
DreamWorks animation released Shrek in 2001, but it wasn't until the sequel, Shrek 2, in 2004, that the valiant cat Puss was introduced to the audience, along with the rest of the main characters.
He helps the desperate ogre and hilarious donkey overcome a spell and win back the love of Fiona. He continues to be a hero in Puss In Boots, where he decides to make up for his wrong-doings and earn back his honor by saving the people of San Ricardo. He is a transitional character but always remains a brave hero in the end.
Luna - Sailor Moon
The popular animation Sailor Moon is best known for the superhero teen girls who band together to save the world from evil. But how did Sailor Moon get her awesome powers? Luna, a talking black guardian cat, gives a school girl a brooch that activates moon prism powers.
Luna gives Sailor Moon her mission to find the rest of the Sailor Moon team, defeat the dark forces in the world, and win peace for humanity. Though Luna may be in the form of a cat, she actually comes from another world. Still, this cute black cat is the hero in this story.
Cheshire Cat - Alice In Wonderland
The Cheshire Cat is a very deceptive character in Alice in Wonderland and viewers have a hard time figuring out if he is a good guy or a bad guy. His devilish grin and disappearing act also makes him an eerie and unnatural cat that leaves audiences uneasy.
Yet, considering that he saves Alice from the death penalty of decapitation given by the villainous Queen of Hearts, he is also a savior and a big-time hero!
Jaune Tom - Gay Purr-ee
Gay Purr-ee is a 1962 musical film that takes place in France and follows the story of a farm cat named Mewsette who dreams of living a lavish life in Paris. She leaves her love, a cat named Jaune Tom, and takes a train where she encounters a con-cat and is tricked into becoming a mail-order bride.
Lucky for her, Jaune Tom and his loyal sidekick, Robespierre, come to Paris searching for Mewsette. When he finally finds her, he stops at nothing to get her back and save her from a horrible fate. This hero is a romantic!
Cat - Coraline
Coraline (Dakota Fanning) is a young girl who discovers a secret reality similar to her own but with "other" parents. At first, it seems like a perfect dream come true, but Coraline soon realizes something is terribly wrong. Her "other" mother is actually a spider creature called the "Beldam," who traps her and her real parents in this other world.
To help Coraline save her parents, a nameless cat (Keith David) claws out the Beldam's button eyes, blinding her. This is just what Coraline needs to escape. Cat may be a secondary character, but he is definitely the hero!
Oliver - Oliver & Company
Oliver is a small hero with a big heart. He is an orphaned cat who roams the streets before being picked up and recruited into a dog gang that steals to live. After a robbery gone wrong, Oliver is trapped in a car where an 11-year old Penny finds him and adopts him.
Soon Oliver is "saved" by the dog gang and when Penny comes looking for Oliver, the crime boss Sykes kidnaps her for ransom. Oliver must set out with his friends to rescue Jenny and return her home safely to her family.
The Baron - The Cat Returns
The Cat Returns is a Studio Ghibli production released in 2002. Young Haru hides her ability to talk to cats. One day she saves a cat, who happens to be a Prince, from being hit by a car on the street. As a form of gratitude, she is offered to marry him and the cat King forces her into his kingdom, which slowly begins to transform her into a cat.
Luckily, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen finds her and warns her to keep her humanity and find her true self. The Baron and a few friends help Haru find her self-confidence and escape back to the human world.
Tiger - An American Tale: Fievel Goes West
A small and impoverished mouse settlement is constantly attacked by a band of hungry cats. On one particular ambush, the mice are forced to run away and head West by train under the suggestion of a mouse puppet. The cats plan to use them as labor and then eat them. Feivel, a young mousling, finds out about their evil scheme but is thrown off the train.
Meanwhile, Tiger, a large cat, is depressed after losing his girlfriend who headed West for a better life. Fievel and Tiger meet in the desert, and once again in town, where they band together with an old sheriff dog to defeat the evil cats and save the mice.