Over the years, Disney has brought us so many iconic characters, and so many of them have been animals. And so many of those animals have been cats. Whether they're adorably scrappy heroes, evil pets, or literal kings (and queens) of the jungle, we love them all — but not necessarily equally.
Here's a definitive ranking of Disney's most iconic cats.
Video of the Day
18. Si and Am from Lady and the Tramp
These two are 1. wildly problematic and 2. the worst.
Video of the Day
17. Sergeant Tibbs from 101 Dalmatians
It takes a lot to stand out as a cat in a movie full (literally so full) of dogs, but Sergeant Tibbs manages to hold his own in 101 Dalmatians.
16. Rufus from The Rescuers
Rufus is a totally nice, old cat. He's great with Penny and doesn't try to eat Bernard and Bianca, which is super chill of him. No complaints about Rufus.
15. Dinah from Alice in Wonderland
We don't get a lot of Alice's pet cat Dinah in Alice in Wonderland, but we know she's our heroine's BFF, and that's enough for us.
14. Pete from the Goofy universe
Pete is basically Goofy's nemesis, from the old school Goofy shorts to A Goofy Movie and beyond. You probably already knew that. What you might not have realized is that he's a cat — but it makes sense since Goofy's a dog.
13. Mochi from Big Hero 6
MOCHIIIIIII. So cute. We were in love from the moment we saw you.
12. Figaro from Pinocchio
Fun fact: Although Figaro was created for Pinocchio, he was Walt Disney's personal favorite character in the film and Walt loved him so much that he gave him to Minnie Mouse herself, replacing her previous cat, Fifi. Proof that if you're great at what you, the boss will notice and promotions are sure to come.
11. PJ from A Goofy Movie
PJ's dad might be arch-enemy material, but PJ is just a guy trying to be a good friend. He's not always brave or even basically competent, but he tries.
10. Mittens from Bolt
Mittens is great. Mittens has a dry sense of humor that will make you jealous and, for an animated cat, she's pretty darn complicated. Go, Mittens!
9. Mr. Whiskers from Frankenweenie
Never has a funnier-looking cat existed in all of animation. Mr. Whiskers can make you laugh without making a sound or moving a centimeter and that is worth a place of HONOR in this list.
8. The whole cat family from The Aristocats
We tried to rank these lovable felines separately, but when it comes down to it, they're a unit and we couldn't split them up. O'Malley, Duchess, Toulouse, Marie, and Berlioz are all equally iconic in the Disney cat canon.
7. Mufasa from The Lion King
Mufasa is the Wise Dad/King/Leader/Helpful Sky Ghost we all want in our lives. We would never deliberately disobey this guy.
6. Lucifer from Cinderella
Lucifer is basically the archetype of the evil pet cat. He lurks around, glaring and generally looking menacing in a nightmare-inducing kind of way. He's also a total jerk to Cinderella and drives home the fact that everyone in her step-fam is pure evil.
5. Yzma as a cat from The Emperor's New Groove
As a cat, Yzma is as adorable as she is evil — and that's saying something.
4. Nala from The Lion King
Two words: Pinned ya.
Three more words: Pinned ya again.
Nala is badass and a hero to cats and non-cats everywhere.
3. Oliver from Oliver & Company
Oliver is inspired by another Oliver — the one in Oliver Twist. He's spunky AF, brave, and kind. Basically everything you want from a scrappy hero.
2. The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland
The Cheshire Cat is a classic trickster, a Wonderland staple, and a total enigma in so many ways. He's like an animated lesson in ambiguity for our child (and adult, TBH) brains.
1. Simba from The Lion King
There's a reason this guy was destined to be king and rule over Pride Rock. Simba is an amazing friend and leader and he knows when to have fun and when to get serious. AKA he's the undisputed No. 1.