Top 15 Best Anime about Cats [Movies & Shows]

Are you looking for the best anime about cats? 

Then you’ve come to the right place. We’ll be covering TV shows and movies centered around cats.

These shows will make you laugh, feel for the character, and some shows are even dark.

Let’s get straight into it!

1. The Cat Returns

You follow Haru Yoshioka, a quiet and shy girl who isn’t exactly pretty or popular. She doesn’t really have much going for her. A rather bland and average girl.

One day she saves a cat that’s about to get hit by a truck.

The cat turns out to be a prince named Lune. The cats give Haru gifts of catnip and mice. Not exactly what I would like as a gift, but oh well.

Out of gratitude, Lune’s father, the cat King asks Harou to marry his son,

Lune. Of course, Harou is shocked and her confusing reply is taken as a yes. Harou is taken by force into the Cat Kingdom.

She’s treated well by the cats, when suddenly… She finds herself developing paws, cat ears, tail, and whiskers.

Though she’s still the majority human.  The longer she spends in the Cat Kingdom, the more of a cat she’ll become.

So she’s trying to find a way out. But the King is trying to prevent her because he really wants her as his daughter in law.

2. Stand by Me Doraemon!

To summarise this movie, A robotic cat from the future helps a boy in the present tackle life’s various troubles. 

Nobita Nobi is only in fourth grade and he’s constantly getting bad grades because he’s lazy. He’s always getting bullied by his classmates that make his life a nightmare. 

Nobita’s great grandson, Sewashi travels to Nobita’s time while bringing along his robotic cat, Doraemon. 

Sewashi reveals that if Nobita keeps with the way his life is going, he will have a miserable future.

He’ll have an awful marriage and lots of debt because his business would’ve burnt down.  In order to prevent this, the robotic cat, Doraemon is going to help Nobita.

Modifying Doraemon to prevent him from returning to the future unless Nobita has a brighter future.

Nobita asks Doraemon to help him impress his crush, Shizuka. Doraemon reveals that if Nobita’s present goes the right way, he will marry his crush.

Damn! I wish I had a cat that could do that. 

My cat just poops, eats, and leaves a bunch of fur everywhere. 

It’s a great movie that you’ll definitely fall in love with!

3. Natsume’s Book of Friends

This story follows Takashi Natsume, he’s had the ability to see spirits for as long as he can remember. The other kids avoid him as they think he’s a weirdo.

So Takashi lives a lonely life.  He got the power because he inherited it from his grandmother, Reiko Natsume. Takashi has The Book of Friends in his possession.

A book that’s highly valuable in the spirit world. And as a result of this, he’s haunted by both good and bad spirits. 

His grandmother Reiko formed contracts and now Takashi has to fulfill them. Some spirits come to him for help and some try to kill him to get the book.

And this is where the spirit cat Madara comes in…

Madara serves as Natsume’s guardian and spiritual advisor. I won’t say anything more because I don’t want to spoil anything. It’s a great show about cats.

4. Chi’s Sweet Home (2008 Version)

This show has a very simple premise… It’s about a kitten just trying to find her way back to her mom…

One day the kitten gets lost. But is found by a kind mother and young boy who take it in.

They can’t keep the kitten since their housing complex won’t allow them to have animals. So they know they have to find the kitten a safe home quickly.

Chi is trying to find its owners. And along the way, Chi goes on adventures meeting new animals, people, and learning things about the world.

Chi is a curious little kitten who just keeps getting distracted and wandering off. Will Chi ever find its owners?

Overall, it’s a fun, entertaining, and cute show to watch. With 108 episodes, there’s lots of adventure and fun going on. It’s also got that old, rustic art style.

5. Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket is a cool comedy romance that just feels refreshing to watch…

You follow Tohru Honda’s, a high school student whose mother dies in a car accident. She begins living with her grandfather but they’re unwelcoming and unkind.

So Tohru decides to live in a tent in a forest.  Her classmate Yuki Soma and his cousin Shigure open up their home so she can stay with them.

Kyo, an orange haired teenager crashes through the roof and starts fighting with Yuki.

Tohru tries to break up the fighting and Yuki ends up transforming into a cat right in front of her. The family is cursed.

When they are weak, under stress, embarrassed, or when hugged by someone of the opposite gender, they turn into a cat. 

Tohru promises not to tell anyone and continues to live with them. She decides she wants to break this curse and changes the family’s life forever.

It’s a fun, light-hearted romantic comedy. Something you’ll laugh out loud with and maybe even shed a tear.

6. Yo-Kai Watch

Amano Keita is venturing through the forest one day and ends-up finding a strange capsule. Yo-Kai, a type of creature named Whisper emerges.

He’s been trapped for over 100 years and Amano decides to free him.  Whisper then decides to become Keita’s guardian.

Whisper gives Keita a watch which gives him the ability to interact with other Yo-kai. Yo-kai Watch is about befriending Yo-kai that are haunting the city. 

If you befriend a Yo-kai, they get their friendship medal, an object that allows one to summon Yo-kai.

With these, they can summon Yo-kai to either fight other Yo-kai, befriend others, or solve everyday tasks.

It’s kinda like the new Pokemon but with cats!

7. Windy Tales

Nao is part of the digital camera club in her school. An interesting thing about Nao is she has no interest in taking pictures of things except the sky. 

One day, Nao is on the roof and comes across a cat. But this cat is incredibly unique, it knows how to manipulate the wind.

Mr. Taiki is the teacher who’s taught the cat how to manipulate the flow of a wind. Hmmm… that’s strange. Teaching a cat how to manipulate wind.

The club is trying to find more cats that can manipulate wind. A lot goes on in Fuujin Monogatari, the main focus is mainly on the cats! 

On the edge of this big city, a town of the “Wind Handlers,” has been formed and a mysterious Wind Festival is about to commence…

8. Cat Soup

This cat show is NOT for children. It’s bloody, dark, cruel, and cold… 

A kitty’s soul was ripped apart. And the brother and sister of the kitty go on a journey to recover the split soul. 

They go into an alternate universe filled with allergies and weird creatures.  It’s actually pretty damn depressing and not a hippy-dippy show.

And gets very, very gruesome.  Will they be able to revive the kitty?

9. Night on the Galactic Road

This story follows Giovanni, a very lonely boy who has too much responsibility.  His father is away on a long fishing trip whilst his mother is ill at home.

Young Giovanni must take paid jobs before and after school to provide for his poor family. 

These adult responsibilities leave him with no time to study or socialize, and he’s made fun of by his classmates.

Giovanni manages to get his hand on a rare ticket and boards a mysterious train that can fly. He meets all sorts of cat people on different planets.

In search of a cure for his sick mother. Watching this show is like having a really weird dream. Almost like you’re hallucinating.

Especially since it was made in 1985! It’s a show suitable for both adults and children.

10. Poyopoyo

Poyopoyo is a slice of life anime that doesn’t take itself very seriously.

It’s based on a round orange cat named Poyo and the family that adopts him. One day, young Sato Moe comes across a stray cat.

He’s really round and super Kawai, he charms Moe so she ends up adopting him into her home. Each episode can be taken as stand-alone episodes.

Dealing with everyday life and interactions.  As the story progresses, we see the family really warm up to Poyo and get attached to him. 

Poyo gets up to a lot of mischief. It’s a great show if you’re looking for a slice of life anime about cats. Something that’s light-hearted and doesn’t take itself seriously.

It’s great to watch an episode here and there. It has 52 episodes.

11. Nyanpire the Animation

A stray cat named Nyanpire is on its deathbed. It’s dying and doesn’t have much time left.

A vampire is watching and feels pity for the poor cat. The vampire decides to feed it his blood and now Nyanpire has immortality.  But there is one downside to this immortality.

Nyanpire is a vampire and now craves blood. A young cute girl named Misaki takes Nyanpire back home to care for the cat.

However, Nyanpire’s favorite phrase is “Give me blood, Nya!”. Will Nyanpire drink her blood?

If you thought vampires were hot and got you all hot and bothered… then this fuzzy animal is even hotter and far cuter!

You’ll just want to eat him up! Even though this kitty is adorable, he’s not shy when it comes to blood. 

12. Kuruneko

This show is a unique one… the author has based this show on her own life.

Kuruneko is about a woman that loves sake and cats. There’s nothing more pleasurable and important in the world than cats.

Heck, she even goes to the pet store just to watch cats even though she has lots at home. And she’s always willing to give a cat a home.

This show is made up of 50 episodes and each episode is a story of its own. Her cats all have their own personality but she’s always willing to open her heart and accept them. 

You may be thinking this sounds a bit too simple. And it is. But after a few episodes, you’ll be hooked and can’t help but binge watch the series. 

13. She and Her Cat

You follow a cat named Chobi and his owner who’s just referred to as “She”. She met Chobi when She was very young and they’ve grown up together.

Chobi adores her and can’t imagine anything else being as great as her.  She is going through trouble in life and Chobi doesn’t understand what’s happening because he’s just a cat.

You see this through the view of a cat. Chobi gets a girlfriend, Mimi. Mimi loves Chobi and wants to marry him, but he refuses because he is in love with Her.

Don’t worry, it’s nothing dodgy, it just shows how much this cat loves its owner.

Can an owner and pet really be something more?

14. Cyborg Kuro-chan

Kuro is an ordinary house cat for an elder couple. They’re often in danger but can’t defend themselves so they rely on the cat.

Kuro is in love with the neighbourhood dog and as he’s on his way to confess to her, he’s kidnapped by a mad scientist.

This mad scientist wants to create an army of cat robots and turns Kuro into a cyborg. Giving him an incredibly strong body and lots of strength.

He manages to escape and destroy the laboratory…

…he now has different abilities to keep his owners away from danger and can even talk to humans. Kuro decides to act like a normal pet but when there’s danger, he’s ready for it.

The mad scientist believes Kuro is ungrateful to him and decides to create a cat army to kill him. Cyborg Kuro-chan is a quirky and fun show.

If you’re tired of the slice of life type of cat anime and want more action… This is the series for you.

15. My Roommate is a Cat

Subaru Mikazuki is a young 23 year old man. He earns a living by writing mystery novels and is a major introvert.

He likes staying at home far more than interacting with others. To further this introverted nature of Subaru, his parents died in a car accident many years ago.

One day whilst he was visiting his parent’s grave, he found a stray cat named Haru which he ended up taking home with him. 

He’s never taken care of anyone else, will he be able to care for this cat? It’s only a 12 episode show and you’ll be smiling throughout them.

Conclusion

So those were the best anime about cats.

If you have a furry friend, why not watch these shows with your kitty-cat? I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. 🙂