The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

The Secret Life of Pets poster

Universal Pictures
Starring:
 Louis C.K., Lake Bell, Steve Coogan
Directed by: Chris Renaud, Yarrow Cheney

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) is a dog who is happy with his life until his owner brings home a stray named Duke (Eric Stonestreet) and turns his life upside down.

Cartoon Cats: The film features several cat characters, but the main cat is Chloe (voiced by Lake Bell), an overweight gray tabby who lives above Max. Chloe raids her owner’s refrigerator and helps herself to a turkey, but not without some initial hesitation.

The Secret Life of Pets - gray tabby Chloe eyeing turkey in refrigerator

Chloe is Max’s friend and confidante and gives him advice about his new roommate, even though she admits she isn’t that invested in his problems.

The Secret Life of Pets - gray tabby Chloe lying on windowsill

Chloe helps rally Max’s friends to help Gidget (voiced by Jenny Slate) to go find him when he and Duke become lost.

The Secret Life of Pets - gray tabby Chloe with dogs

Poor Chloe is humiliated when they reach Pops’ place and she accidentally makes a fool of herself after getting stuck in a mailing tube and spazzing out. The video even ends up on YouTube!

The Secret Life of Pets - gray tabby Chloe covered in Cheetohs with cupcakes on paws

Chloe catches the eye of aging dog Pops (voiced by Dana Carvey), who doesn’t seem to mind that she is a cat.

The Secret Life of Pets - gray tabby Chloe with elderly basset hound Pops

In the end Chloe returns to her owner, who scoops the heavy cat up in her loving arms (and even tolerates a bite!)

The Secret Life of Pets - gray tabby Chloe being hugged by owner

Another major cat character is Ozone (voiced by Steve Coogan), a feral Sphynx cat who leads a gang of alley cats.

The Secret Life of Pets - Sphynx cat Ozone in garbage can with sidekick and Max

Ozone and his black cat sidekick steal the collars from Max and Duke, who happen to wander into their alley.

The Secret Life of Pets - Sphynx cat Ozone with sidekick and collar

Ozone is also confronted by Gidget and her falcon friend Tiberius (Albert Brooks) when they want to know what has happened to Max.

The Secret Life of Pets - Sphynx cat Ozone with Gidget on rooftop

The Secret Life of Pets - Sphynx cat Ozone with Tiberius on rooftop

Other cats in the film include Ozone’s gang, a huge number of alley cats who back up their leader when Duke threatens them.

The Secret Life of Pets - Sphynx cat Ozone's gang of alley cats

The Secret Life of Pets - Sphynx cat Ozone's gang of alley cats on clotheslines

Most notable among the cat gang is a tiny grey kitten who turns into a scary killer whenever needed.

The Secret Life of Pets - killer cute grey kitten with claw out

A snobbish Himalayan cat greets Duke when he returns to his former home, first with a hiss and growl and then with some bad news.

The Secret Life of Pets - Himalayan cat hissing

The Secret Life of Pets - Himalayan cat snobbish

A cat also helps Pops and the others get over the solar panels on their journey to the sewers.

The Secret Life of Pets - tabby and white cat on solar panel

There are also several cats among the Flushed Pets, animals living in the sewer who have been abandoned by their owners.

The Secret Life of Pets - cats sitting among the Flushed Pets

Numerous cats are also present and partying in Pops’ place. One large cat is launching kittens at a bullseye on the wall where they stick with their tiny claws.

The Secret Life of Pets - cats catapulting kittens at party

There is also an elderly woman who lives in Max’s apartment building who owns a large group of cats.

The Secret Life of Pets - multiple cats in apartment

The Secret Life of Pets - multiple cats welcome owner home

Final Mewsings: Do you really want to know what your cat gets up to when you’re not home?

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