What Kind of Animal Are the Animaniacs? Could They Be Dogs, Cats, or Both?

Being a young kid growing up in the late '90s and early 2000s meant that there were quite a few weird shows for us to watch. They didn't always make sense and they probably had some jokes in them that we didn't get until we were older, but we fell in love with them regardless and now they are a wonderfully nostalgic part of our lives as adults.

One of these shows is The Animaniacs. The three siblings, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner were trapped in the Warner Bros. water tower until they escaped and started causing all kinds of problems in the company's production studio. The show first aired from 1993 to 1998 and was brought back as a reboot on Hulu in 2020.

We know the Animaniacs aren't humans, but what kind of animal are they? (If they even are animals in the first place, that is.)

According to The Animaniacs Fandom wiki, they are half dog, half cat. But it's actually not that simple. Although the Warner siblings look like both dogs and cats, they aren't real-life animals at all. Animator Tom Ruegger told Mental Floss that according to the show bible, the Animaniacs are members of the species "Cartoonus characterus." Another interesting fact is that Tom initially meant for the Animaniacs to be ducks, but decided to change that since so many other cartoons at the time featured ducks as their main characters.

Even if the people who make the show know what the Warner siblings are, there's a running joke within the show about how no one else does. In various episodes, the Animaniacs run into various people who ask or make assumptions. Nothing is ever confirmed on the show, though, even if they are asked directly.

Even though they keep parts of their identities a secret, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot do have a very distinct look. That's because the Animaniacs' style is an homage to cartoons of the 1930s. Their look is consistent with the simple-faced black-and-white characters of the time period.

On The Animaniacs, there are humans and other animals seen that clearly look like the species they belong to. Pinky and the Brain, for example, are two lab rats with their own segment on the 1993 show that look exactly like rats (or like cartoon rats, anyway). The people look like people. Pets look like pets. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot's appearance has always been purposeful.

And, as viewers of the show know, each one of the Warner siblings has a unique personality. Yakko tends to take charge as he is the eldest of the group. He calls himself the "smart one." Dot calls herself the "cute one" and is the youngest. Middle sibling Wakko always has the hare-brained plans for the group.

You can watch both the original and reboot versions of The Animaniacs on Hulu now.