10 Iconic Animated Disney Movies Featuring Animals

Given that their mascot and most famous character is a talking mouse, it isn’t surprising that Disney has a lotof movies featuring animals, especially talking animals. From talking dogs to singing cats to helpful mice, Disney movies have always had a place for animal characters.

Whether they are main characters, side characters, or comic relief, animals play a big role in classic Disney movies. Though there are many live-action films about animals by Disney, for the sake of brevity, the following list includes 10 of the most iconic animated Disney movies featuring animals.

#10: The Jungle Book (1967)

The Jungle Book was the last film that Walt Disney himself worked on. This Disney animated classic is full of talking animals. Although the main protagonist is a human boy named Mowgli, he is surrounded by animals who wish him both well and ill. Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther serve as Mowgli’s mentors and father figures. The villains of the film are Shere Khan, the man-eating tiger, and his henchman, the python Kaa. Last but not least, King Louie the orangutan just wanted to be like Mowgli, so he could make fire.

#9: The Aristocats (1970)

What’s not to love about singing cats? In The Aristocats, the mother cat, Duchess, lives with her three kittens, Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse in their owner’s mansion in Paris. Duchess is believed to be a purebred Turkish Angora cat. The cats are the primary beneficiaries of their owner’s will. So they are kidnapped by a greedy butler who thinks they will outlive him before he can inherit. The cats are helped along the way by a couple of dogs, some geese, a horse, a mouse, and a number of alley cats before they eventually make their way home. Like the song suggests, this movie makes everybody want to be a cat.

#8: Bambi (1942)

Bambi is nearly 80 years old, but it remains a classic Disney film. The story follows a young male deer named Bambi who is left an orphan. He learns to survive and thrive in the forest with the help of his best friends, Flower, a lovable skunk, and Thumper, a rabbit. Bambi is also guided by the wise and benevolent Friend Owl.

#7: The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King follows a pride of royal lions in Africa. When Simba is born, he is held up as the heir to the throne. However, his uncle Scar murders his father, Mufasa. The tragedy sends the young Simba running away from the pride to hide while Scar takes over. A warthog named Pumbaa and a meerkat named Timon guide Simba as he grows up. With his friends’ support, Simba finally defeats Scar and takes his rightful place as king of the jungle.

#6: 101 Dalmatians (1961)

Although the Dalmatian puppies are the focus of the movie, there is also a handful of supporting players that make 101 Dalmatians such a fun movie. The humans Anita and Roger own the original pair of Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdy, whose puppies are being threatened. Roger sings the iconic song about our villain, Cruella de Vil. Cruella, along with her henchmen Jasper and Horace, attempts to steal all of the Dalmatian puppies in the area to make a fur coat. Other dogs, cats, and horses help reunite the puppies with their parents. Roger and Anita get their puppies back, along with many, many others.

#5: Cinderella (1950)

The talking mice in Cinderella are one of the main reasons why Cinderella got her happily ever after. Cinderella worked like a servant in the house she shared with her stepmother and stepsisters. The Fairy Godmother may have gotten Cinderella to the ball to meet the Prince, but the mice helped her in day-to-day life. Without the mice and the other animals on the farm, there would have been no coachman, footman, or horses for the pumpkin carriage that took her to the ball. The mice also helped her escape to try on the glass slipper after she had been locked in the attic by her wicked stepmother.

#4: The Rescuers

One often overlooked Disney movie is The Rescuers. A young girl, Penny, was kidnapped by the villain Madame Medusa, to make her search the bayou for a diamond. Bernard and Miss Bianca, two mice, ultimately save Penny from the clutches of Madame Medusa and her pet alligators, Brutus and Nero. In addition to the mice, Rufus the cat, Orville the albatross, and a dragonfly named Evinrude help rescue Penny and save the day.

#3: Oliver and Company (1988)

With music and voice work by Billy Joel and a host of other famous voices, Oliver and Company was inspired by the Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. The main protagonist is a homeless orange kitten who joins a gang of dogs in order to survive. The dogs include a lovable gang of street dogs including Fagin, a Jack Russell Terrier, a Saluki named Rita, a Chihuahua named Tito, Einstein the Great Dane, and Francis the bulldog. Two Doberman Pinschers also work for the villain, Sykes.

#2: Dumbo (1941)

Dumbo may be from 1941, but this film about a baby circus elephant who can fly using his giant ears is well-loved to this day. At first, Dumbo’s huge ears cause people to make fun of him and shun him. However, with his mother’s love and the support of his best friend, Timothy the mouse, Dumbo learns to accept himself and the incredible ears that make him unique.

#1: Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Lady and the Tramp is the classic tale of falling for someone from the wrong side of the tracks. However, in this story, both main characters are dogs. With the help of a Scottie named Jock and his bloodhound pal Trusty, the well-born cocker spaniel, Lady, must navigate a new baby in the house, Aunt Sarah’s sneaky Siamese cats, and falling in love with a mutt below her station.