Actually, I will tolerate quite a lot of this. There are numerous cartoon animals I love, but there's always some kind of animal quality to them. In Bambi, the animals may not behave like real wild animals (an owl being all friendly with a little bunny, etc) but they do have at least some of that animal-ness. Like Bambi's mom alert and watching for danger in the meadow.
I just read the beginning of a book called "The Familiars." It's about a trio of animals that are partnered to some young wizards. But the animals didn't have a trace of animal-ness to them. It was so dull that I didn't get far in that book (it's meant for younger readers, but I never consider that an excuse for a total lack of depth).
Animals are amazing, weird, and confusing. That's great stuff for a story! Learn it! Use it!
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world, and they can kill a lion if they kick it right. But they are extremely shy. They will bolt at the drop of a hat.
Zebras are super cute, and much loved. But they are extreme brats. And for good reason! Everything out on the African savanna wants to eat them. They have to be tough to survive.
When you see lions in nature documentaries, they're hunting or fighting or raising cubs. But in reality, lions sleep most of the day. They don't know when their next meal is going to come so they need to conserve energy to chase down prey next time an opportunity presents itself. If you visit them in a zoo or something, they'll probably be passed out.
They're all different, and a lot of what they do doesn't make sense for a human. But it makes total sense considering where they evolved.
I totally support some types of anthropomorphism. But it should be clear that your characters are animals, not scaly or hairy people.
Animals think and feel, but they do not think and feel the way humans do.
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