According to writing-world.com, writers of animal stories tend to overdo the “cute” aspect of animals. This occurs by giving the animal alliterative names (such as Peter Puppydog) or giving the animals over-the-top mannerisms (such as describing how a rabbit's nose twitches whenever carrots are present).
One of the reasons people turn to animal stories is that they can convey truths and commentary about the human condition by demonstrating humanity’s downfalls and virtues, according to writing-world.com. To strengthen your animal stories, take the time to think out your animal characters and humanize them.
Orwell’s "Animal Farm" is a novel packed with social commentary; younger readers may not understand some of the points Orwell made with his talking animals. Still, the book is sophisticated enough to appeal to educated readers. When writing your animal stories, keep your audience in mind. Tailor the plot and the characters to who will be reading it. According to writing-world.com, the closer animal traits and events are to real life (such as a group of farm animals dealing with the shrinking farmland and the expanding suburban life) the older the intended audience.
Read animal stories and watch animal movies to get an idea about plots and stories and how to develop your characters. Study these stories to ensure that your ideas remain original. By studying what has already been done, you can avoid writing your animal story in a way that feels derivative or cliché.