One of my (many) favorite things about book lovers is that they’re more often than not animal lovers as well. So, what better way to celebrate book lovers than with a list of best books for cat lovers?
There’s a wealth of great books and short stories and whatnot across all genres about cats. My person favorite from this list is The Price by Neil Gaiman, which is a short story about a black cat that shows up one day. Here’s an animated version of it, too.
Table of Contents
Short Stories about Cats
Literary Cats
Sci-fi, Fantasy & Cats
Heartwarming Stories about Cats
Illustrated Stories about Cats
Mystery-Solving Cats
Books about Literary Cat-Lovers
Short Stories about Cats
I’ve listed the stories based on the books they appear in, though many of these stories appear in other anthologies such as Cat Stories or the Sophisticated Cat.
The Price from Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
What It's About: The Price is a story with an eerie feel, but a surprising and almost touching ending. As mentioned above, it's one of my favorite short stories, and it's about a black cat that shows up at a family's house one day.Publication Date: January 29, 2008
What It's About: The Price is a story with an eerie feel, but a surprising and almost touching ending. As mentioned above, it's one of my favorite short stories, and it's about a black cat that shows up at a family's house one day.Publication Date: January 29, 2008
Puss-in-Boots from The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
What It's About: The Bloody Chamber is a fantastic collection of fairytale retellings by Angela Carter. Puss-in-Boots is a bawdy retelling of the Italian-French fairy tale story of the loyal, trickster cat, Puss-in-Boots.Publication Date: May 26, 2015
What It's About: The Bloody Chamber is a fantastic collection of fairytale retellings by Angela Carter. Puss-in-Boots is a bawdy retelling of the Italian-French fairy tale story of the loyal, trickster cat, Puss-in-Boots.Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Goodbye to All Cats by P.G. Wodehouse
What It's About: It's humorous, silly story about a guy who tries (and fails) to impress a girl and her animal-loving, cat-owning family.Publication Date: March 27, 2018
What It's About: It's humorous, silly story about a guy who tries (and fails) to impress a girl and her animal-loving, cat-owning family.Publication Date: March 27, 2018
The Story of Webster and Cats will be Cats from Mulliner Nights by P.G. Wodehouse
What It's About: Like the one above, it's an unserious story about nephew who is asked to take care of his uncle's cat, Webster.Publication Date: August 15, 2003
What It's About: Like the one above, it's an unserious story about nephew who is asked to take care of his uncle's cat, Webster.Publication Date: August 15, 2003
The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
What It's About: The Black Cat is more of a story involving a cat than it is a story for cat lovers, per se. But it's well-known enough that it would seem odd to exclude it from this list. It's a dark tale, in the classic Poe style, about a guy wracked with guilt and a cat named Pluto.Publication Date: March 31, 2016
What It's About: The Black Cat is more of a story involving a cat than it is a story for cat lovers, per se. But it's well-known enough that it would seem odd to exclude it from this list. It's a dark tale, in the classic Poe style, about a guy wracked with guilt and a cat named Pluto.Publication Date: March 31, 2016
The Cat that Walked by Himself by Rudyard Kipling
What It's About: It is a story of the beginning of domesticated life: Man meets Woman and they move into a cave and set up the first household. Dog, Horse, and Cow come out of the Wild Woods and become tame. But Cat refuses.Publication Date: Not Available
What It's About: It is a story of the beginning of domesticated life: Man meets Woman and they move into a cave and set up the first household. Dog, Horse, and Cow come out of the Wild Woods and become tame. But Cat refuses.Publication Date: Not Available
The Cat from The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
What It's About: It's about a girl who gets a cute cuddly cat that grows up to be not quite so cuddly. A short, cute story.Publication Date: May 20, 2008
What It's About: It's about a girl who gets a cute cuddly cat that grows up to be not quite so cuddly. A short, cute story.Publication Date: May 20, 2008
Literary Cats
Kafka on the Shore
What It's About: Kafka on the Shore tells two inter-related stories, one of which involves a man named Nakata who is a finder of lost cats.Publication Date: January 3, 2006
What It's About: Kafka on the Shore tells two inter-related stories, one of which involves a man named Nakata who is a finder of lost cats.Publication Date: January 3, 2006
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
What It's About: This book is about a couple and their marriage, with their cat symbolizing the status of the relationship between the two.Publication Date: September 1, 1998
What It's About: This book is about a couple and their marriage, with their cat symbolizing the status of the relationship between the two.Publication Date: September 1, 1998
Breakfast at Tiffany's
What It's About: Holly Golightly's cat is probably the most famous unnamed cat in literature. But for whatever Holly's flaws, you have to admit she does seem to love her cat.Publication Date: February 5, 2013
What It's About: Holly Golightly's cat is probably the most famous unnamed cat in literature. But for whatever Holly's flaws, you have to admit she does seem to love her cat.Publication Date: February 5, 2013
The Familiar, Volume 1
What It's About: In the simplest terms, this is a book about a girl who finds a cat, and this entire series of books (27 volumes planned) are about that cat. Of course, Mark Danielewski likes writing very complicated post-modernist epics, so obviously there's a lot more to the story than that.Publication Date: May 12, 2015
What It's About: In the simplest terms, this is a book about a girl who finds a cat, and this entire series of books (27 volumes planned) are about that cat. Of course, Mark Danielewski likes writing very complicated post-modernist epics, so obviously there's a lot more to the story than that.Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
What It's About: Most people remember the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland who gets some of the most quotable lines of the book, but it's worth taking a moment to remember Alice's own little kitten, Dinah.Publication Date: October 27, 2015
What It's About: Most people remember the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland who gets some of the most quotable lines of the book, but it's worth taking a moment to remember Alice's own little kitten, Dinah.Publication Date: October 27, 2015
Coraline
What It's About: Coraline is a story about a girl who discovers a door into a parallel universe and her journey to try to get back home. She travels with her helpful, loyal black cat.Publication Date: April 24, 2012
What It's About: Coraline is a story about a girl who discovers a door into a parallel universe and her journey to try to get back home. She travels with her helpful, loyal black cat.Publication Date: April 24, 2012
The Master and Margarita
What It's About: Behemoth is the (utterly fantastic) name of the enormous demonic black cat that is a memorable character in this classic Russian novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. It's a humorous tale of the Devil's visit to Soviet Moscow in the 1930s, but be beforewarned that it's not an easy read.Publication Date: May 3, 2016
What It's About: Behemoth is the (utterly fantastic) name of the enormous demonic black cat that is a memorable character in this classic Russian novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. It's a humorous tale of the Devil's visit to Soviet Moscow in the 1930s, but be beforewarned that it's not an easy read.Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
What It's About: T.S. Elliot will forever be associated with cats and Cats! due to this whimsical book of poetry. A must to complete any collection of literary-cat-related books.Publication Date: August 30, 1982
What It's About: T.S. Elliot will forever be associated with cats and Cats! due to this whimsical book of poetry. A must to complete any collection of literary-cat-related books.Publication Date: August 30, 1982
Sci-fi, Fantasy & Cats
Morte (War with No Name #1)
What It's About: If you're in the mood for some cat-themed sci-fi, check out this series of books. The titular Morte is a cat assassin searching for his lost love in this first book.Publication Date: February 9, 2016
What It's About: If you're in the mood for some cat-themed sci-fi, check out this series of books. The titular Morte is a cat assassin searching for his lost love in this first book.Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth
What It's About: This is a beloved children's book about a talking, magical cat named Gareth.Publication Date: February 1, 1996
What It's About: This is a beloved children's book about a talking, magical cat named Gareth.Publication Date: February 1, 1996
Warriors Super Edition: Bluestar's Prophecy
What It's About: A series of children's books about super warrior cats. This installment (Bluestar's Prophecy) is a standalone book in the series, so you can get a sense of whether it's something you'd like!Publication Date: July 28, 2009
What It's About: A series of children's books about super warrior cats. This installment (Bluestar's Prophecy) is a standalone book in the series, so you can get a sense of whether it's something you'd like!Publication Date: July 28, 2009
The Starless Sea
What It's About: The Starless Sea isn't really about cats at all, but it's about an underground labyrinth dedicated to storytelling where there are a bunch of cats wandering around.Publication Date: November 5, 2019
What It's About: The Starless Sea isn't really about cats at all, but it's about an underground labyrinth dedicated to storytelling where there are a bunch of cats wandering around.Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Heartwarming Stories about Cats
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
What It's About: From The San Francisco Chronicle: The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice that shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy—the perfect gift for cat lovers and travelers.Publication Date: October 23, 2018
What It's About: From The San Francisco Chronicle: The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice that shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy—the perfect gift for cat lovers and travelers.Publication Date: October 23, 2018
All Creatures Great and Small
What It's About: The memoirs of this veterinarian deal with a whole range of animals, including cats. This book is considered something of a classic for animal lovers.Publication Date: May 6, 2014
What It's About: The memoirs of this veterinarian deal with a whole range of animals, including cats. This book is considered something of a classic for animal lovers.Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul
What It's About: Leave your cynicism at the door for this one, and get comfy before you dive into this heartwarming collection of stories. Also, get some tissues ready, since if you don't cry, are you even really a cat lover?Publication Date: September 28, 2012
What It's About: Leave your cynicism at the door for this one, and get comfy before you dive into this heartwarming collection of stories. Also, get some tissues ready, since if you don't cry, are you even really a cat lover?Publication Date: September 28, 2012
The Guest Cat
What It's About: A wonderful sui generis novel about a visiting cat who brings joy into a couple’s life in Tokyo.Publication Date: January 28, 2014
What It's About: A wonderful sui generis novel about a visiting cat who brings joy into a couple’s life in Tokyo.Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Illustrated Stories about Cats
Mystery-Solving Cats
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (The Cat Who Series #1
What It's About: Publication Date: August 15, 1986
What It's About: Publication Date: August 15, 1986
By Book or By Crook (A Lighthouse Library Mystery #1)
What It's About: Publication Date: February 3, 2015
What It's About: Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Books about Literary Cat-Lovers
Of Cats and Men: Profiles of History's Great Cat-Loving Artists, Writers, Thinkers, and Statesmen
What It's About: Publication Date: April 18, 2017
What It's About: Publication Date: April 18, 2017
Hope you enjoyed this list as much as I enjoyed putting it together. For one last piece of cat-related writing, check out this poem entitled “To Mrs. Reynold’s Cat” from an OG cat-lover, poet John Keats.
This is so great! I used to love The Cat Who books. Brings me back! The Travelling Cat Chronicles is one of my favourites books.
For sci-fi cats could I also suggest David Weber’s Honor Harrington books and his young adult series that also feature the tree cats.
Excellent list! Some of my all time favourite cat books on there as well.
I loved this list- Owen and Hercules (the Magical Cats series) are currently my favorites, but Elvis from the author’s Second Chance series is great too.