You’ve heard the phrase, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”

The animated feature film, “The Secret Life of Pets,” takes that axiom to its extreme ... extreme fun, that is, in what is one of the 2016 summer movie season’s most entertaining animation feature films.

The premise is that dogs and cats and other pet critters do what they want when their owners are away, especially when the adults work at busy jobs in Manhattan, where “The Secret Life of Pets” takes place.

Without supervision, pets, not unlike some persons, do as they please and break the rules, or the crockery, lamps and furniture, which is what happens in the apartment of Katie (voiced by Ellie Kemper) after she brings home a rescue, Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a big dog, and her terrier, Max (Louis C.K.), gets, ahem, territorial.

Max and Duke and the rest of their pet friends, Chloe (Lake Bell), Mel (Bobby Moynihan), Buddy (Hannibal Buress), and Sweet Pea (Tara Strong), team up against Snowball (Kevin Hart), a white rabbit.

In the breezy plot, the only real bad guys seem to be the Animal Control officers.

“The Secret Life of Pets” is directed by Parkland High School and Syracuse University graduate Chris Renaud (director, “Despicable Me,” 2010, and its 2013 sequel, and, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” 2012) and co-directed by Yarrow Cheney, in his animated feature directorial debut.

The screenplay is by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (“Horton Hears a Who!,” 2008; “Despicable Me,” “The Lorax”), Ken Daurio and Brian Lynch (“Minions,” 2015; “Puss in Boots,” 2011) with additional characters by Simon Rich (TV’s “Saturday Night Live,” 2007-2011).

The character animation work in “The Secret Life of Pets” is superb, with each of the distinctive pets having a cute, charming or goofy look.

The animals’ shapes and movements, while exaggerated, of course, stay true to the personalities of real-life dogs and cats and other critters. “The Secret Life of Pets” is a seamless combination of personable animation characters and voices, especially that of Louis C.K. as Max. The previously-mentioned characters are equally-strong and well-voiced, as are Ozone (Steve Coogan), Gidget (Jenny Slate), Pops (Dana Carvey) and Tiberius (Albert Brooks).

While the film was seen in 2D for this review, there are enough “Chutes and Ladders” scenes to merit spending the additional money to see the film in 3D.

What’s perhaps best about “The Secret Life of Pets” is its mostly cheerful storyline and its lack of nasty or distasteful humor, which is often seen and heard in animation feature films in an attempt perhaps to hold parents’ interest. “The Secret Life of Pets” is “Home Alone” meets “Toy Story.” Call it “Pets’ Home Alone Story.”

“The Secret Life of Pets” is a paean to pets and pet-lovers. You may never look at your pet or any pet in quite the same way. And you may wonder what they’re thinking or what they’ve been up to after you close the door.

“The Secret Life of Pets,”MPAA Rated PG (Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children.) for action and some rude humor; Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family; Run time: One hr., 27 min.; Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:At the very end of the end credits for “The Secret Life of Pets,” you hear Pops (Dana Carvy) say, “All right! Party’s over.”

Box Office,July 15: “The Secret Life of Pets” wasn’t “scared of no ghosts,” continuing at No. 1 for the second straight week, and fifth straight week for an animated film at No. 1, with $50.5 million, $203.1 million, two weeks, giving the boot to the reboot of “Ghostbusters,” opening at No. 2 with a solid if disappointing $46 million.

3. “The Legend of Tarzan,” $11.1 million, $103 million, three weeks; 4. “Finding Dory,” $11 million, $445.5 million, five weeks, to become the highest domestic gross for an animated film; 5. “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” $7.5 million, $31.3 million, two weeks; 6. “The Purge: Election Year,” $6 million, $71 million, three weeks; 7. “Central Intelligence,” $5.3 million, $117.5 million, five weeks; 8. “The Infiltrator,” $5.3 million, weekend, $6.7 million, since July 13; 9. “The BFG,” $3.7 million, $47.3 million, three weeks; 10. “Independence Day: Resurgence,” $3.4 million, $98.5 million, four weeks;

Unreel,July 22:

“Star Trek Beyond,”PG-13: Justin Lin directs Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana and Chris Pine in the science-fiction adventure film as The USS Enterprise crew encounters a new enemy that puts the Federation to the test.

“Ice Age: Collision Course,”PG: Mike Thurmeier and Galen T. Chu direct the voice talents of Nick Offerman, Adam Devine, Simon Pegg and Jennifer Lopez in the animation feature comedy as Manny, Diego, Sid and Buck cope with a meteor strike.

“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie,”R: Mandie Fletcher directs Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Jane Horrocks and Gwendoline Christie in the comedy based on the popular BBC TV show.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes