I am a catless cat lady. Cats have been my favorite animal since childhood and there’s no better time to celebrate felines than today, as October 29 is National Cat Day. Even if you’re like me and don’t currently have a cat to call your own, you can sink into the pages of a good novel that features our favorite feline friends.
Cats have so much personality. They can be rambunctious or calming or some combination of the two. You always know where you stand with a cat—they’ve got boundaries for days—and there’s no higher praise than when they allow you into their orbit. In some ways, I’m a cat myself and proud of it.
My paternal grandparents had a cat named Mittens who my grandma would take on a leash outside. I always wanted to help with Mittens or just spend time petting her. My maternal grandparents lived on a farm and there was no better time to visit than spring and summer when I could hold the kittens in the barn. (They were never, ever allowed in the house per Grandma’s decree.) In sixth grade, my family got our first cat, Gracie. Her name inspiration: because she’s gray, see? Gracie was the absolute best and we were heartbroken when she died while I was in college. A couple of years later, we adopted another gray cat and named him Buzz, as he liked to buzz around the house when he wasn’t snuggled with someone.
Bluegrass napping in my weekender bag, Rocky in the middle of surfing, Leo on nurse-guard duty
Unfortunately, I’m not in a place to own a cat but I am a proud auntie to a few different cats who I regularly spend time with, either hanging out or watching them while their parents travel. When I was recovering from surgery two years ago, I stayed at my friend Megan’s house and her cat Leo stood guard near the guest room, keeping an eye on me in the middle of the night and carefully laying in my lap when I was awake and giving me comfort purrs. Several weeks later, I was recovered enough to drive down to Nashville for Christmas with friends and Bluegrass took over Leo’s cat-nurse duties. Rocky likes to go “surfing” whenever I visit, which is basically chasing a peacock feather until he can jump on a cat bed and go flying across the floor. And sweet Jordan is always ready to be brushed and petted.
When I’m not catsitting, I love reading a good novel featuring a cat or two or three. There were so many novels to choose from for today’s list. I had a hard time narrowing it down. Sometimes the best part of a book is the cat! But for our purposes, I went with the tippy top of my favorite novels featuring cats. I hope you’ll share yours in the comments.
12 novels featuring cats in honor of National Cat Day
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The London theatre scene comes alive in this contemporary romance. Grumpy actor Richard Troy’s reputation is in need of help. Who better to rehab his image than his sunshiney co-star Lainie Graham? Foisted together against their will for the good of the show, I absolutely loved watching them fall for one another, especially Lainie's determination to win Richard over and the way he looks after her when she gets sick and calls her the perfect nickname, which I shall not spoil. Then there’s human Richard’s interactions with cat Richard who Lainie watches for her landlord from time to time. An absolute delight! (Closed door.) More info →
We don’t get the “dating lessons” trope nearly often enough! High school basketball coach Julie can’t believe her eyes when her long-time crush-from-afar walks into the gym. Former WNBA player Elle is a foster parent for her cousin’s daughter Vanessa, who has newly joined the team. Julie eventually ropes Elle into becoming her assistant coach. When Julie confesses she’s never dated, Elle suggests they give dating lessons a try. This romance centers the role and importance of friendship when you’re single. It delves into the ways Julie’s friendships have changed and how she’s no one’s first phone call anymore. Luckily, Julie always has her cat Snoozles for comfort or to steal her chicken. But mostly for cuddles and a sounding board, even if Snoozles can’t do more than meow or give judgy eyes. I loved the depression representation, the Nashville setting (I lived there for five years), and all the secondary characters living out their HEAs. This book is going to have a special place in my heart for a long time. (Open door.) More info →
A moving portrait of friendship between two 80-year-old women. Leisurely paced literary fiction, the story focuses on Agnes and Polly’s lifelong friendship and Agnes’s desire to preserve the land at Fellowship Point, Maine so it will be protected once they’re both gone. They have very different lives: Agnes is an author who never married or had children, while Polly’s life is all about her children and husband. It’s a layered, character-driven read, highlighting the effect of the different choices Agnes and Polly have made and where life has taken them. It digs into their secrets, regrets, resentments, and the unsaid things that can accumulate in a relationship. I really appreciated the depiction of an older single woman who has a very fulfilling life, cat Maisie included. As Agnes ages, so does Maisie and they are a comfort to one another as their circumstances change. (Content warnings apply.) More info →
The magic of this YA fantasy world makes for compelling reading. All Yadriel wants is to prove himself to his conservative Latinx family and be accepted as a trans brujo. In his quest to show he belongs, he performs a ritual on his own and it goes awry, summoning the ghost of Julian, a boy from school. Yadriel teams up with Julian to find Julian’s killer and finds there’s more to the “bad boy” than he realized. I didn’t know if there could possibly be a happy ending for these two. Julian is a ghost! I loved seeing how it all played out. The secondary characters make the story, especially Yadriel’s cousin Maritza and his cat Purrcaso. Purrcaso’s limp and crooked spine inspired his Picasso-esque name. Before Yadriel’s family understood he was male and therefore didn’t have the gift of healing, his mom tried to get him to heal their rescue kitten. It did not go as planned but it bonded Yadriel and Purcasso for life. She is a reminder that he’s not alone and that his mother’s magic lives on. The sequel Espíritu is now available. More info →
This second chance contemporary romance exceeded all expectations! Hannah and Levi had an all-consuming relationship despite having very different visions for their lives. Hannah wanted to stay at her family’s Christmas tree farm forever, while Levi couldn’t wait to escape. Four years ago, things came to a head and Levi left. Hannah has been recovering ever since. When Levi returns, her life is upended once again while they try to figure out if their connection is enough and what a healthy relationship might actually look like as people in their mid-30s. Plus, their goals haven’t changed: Hannah loves her job and wants to stay while Levi does not. Rounding out an incredible cast of secondary characters is Kringle the cat, a Norwegian Forest tortoiseshell who lives at the inn. Kringle shows up wherever he’s needed and loves to wrap himself around Levi’s neck like a very heavy scarf. (Closed door.) More info →
If only cat prescriptions were a real thing! People in need magically happen to find Kyoto’s Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul … and wind up getting a cat who helps them in unexpected ways. The "patients" were annoying but all the cats were stars and it was interesting to see how each person's life transformed as a result. I'm not entirely sure about the magic behind the clinic but I enjoyed reading this all the same. Translated from the Japanese by E. Madison Shimoda. More info →
A seasoned contemporary romance for everyone who loves when the man falls first. Salvadoran physics professor Mike has had a crush on Black political science professor Toni for years. All of Mike's pining finally comes to fruition as the semester comes to an end and Toni’s sabbatical begins. And boy did I enjoy watching Toni finally open up her eyes and see who has been in front of her all along! This had so many things I love: home renovating, Mike bonding with Toni's cat Paw Robeson, and union organizing. An absolute treat. You don’t need to read Office Hours first but if you do, you’ll have a better sense of just how long Mike has been into Toni. (Open door.) More info →
Ruby Lang knows what I want: romances about people in their 40s who are just fine about not having kids. This was a fantastic second chance romance! Simon and Lana divorced seventeen years ago and haven’t seen each other since, until they run into each other while viewing an apartment. One thing leads to another and they wind up becoming roommates so they can save money on rent, despite Simon’s reservations. They’ve both changed and grown during their time apart so now they have a chance to reconnect and discover new sides to each other. I loved the way Simon took care of Lana when her endometriosis was especially bad and all of Muffin the cat’s antics. Muffin starts out shy and scared after Lana rescues her and retains a very grumpy personality after she warms up to her humans. This is a grown up romance about grown-ups, lovely and quiet but still chemistry aplenty. (Open door.) More info →
It’s almost unfair to include this fantasy novel but there’s no way I can leave out Fennel the cat. This is the first book in the Tawny Man trilogy but it’s the third series in the larger Realm of the Elderlings cycle. For the best reading experience, go back to the Farseer trilogy first. Only then will you understand why this is my favorite installment of the cycle thus far. Fifteen years have passed since we last saw Fitz and much has changed in the kingdom but he's still very haunted by the traumas of his past, and content in his isolated life with his aging wolf, Nighteyes. But he is still the Catalyst to Fool's White Prophet and when Fool finds him, he can no longer hide from his old life. There are devastating developments but there are also sweet, fun moments, like any time Fitz encounters Jinna's cat Fennel. Fennel always knows what he needs. “Fennel came to greet me. You love me. You know you do. Pick me up. It seemed pointless to disobey. I picked him up.” (Content warnings apply.) More info →
I hope this fantasy novel leads to more people loving cats. It made me love them even more! Agnes needs to find a new location for her cat shelter but has no idea her new place is a front for the dreaded Witch King aka Havelock, who is not that dreadful at all. I adored everything about this! Havelock opining on magic theory. Agnes organizing his Artefacts because she can't handle what a mess his rooms are and how on earth can he ever find anything?! All the cats' personalities and the people who come to adopt them. The way this explored Agnes's grief after the death of her husband Robin. The slow burgeoning romance between Agnes and Havelock. I would read so many more stories about Agnes, Havelock, and crew. More info →
Katie and Wil haven’t seen each other in the thirteen years since they graduated high school. Katie is now a famous actress in LA, while Wil is an insurance adjuster and TikTok star in their hometown of Green Bay, WI. When Katie comes back home for the holidays, they reconnect and things get interesting. The time together gives them the chance to look at their history in a brand new light and then fight for a second chance. I really enjoyed watching them make their way back to one another and figure out how to bridge the gap between LA and Green Bay. Plus, these two are cat lovers. Katie uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication board with her three cats and we get to experience their personalities through the communication buttons they push. Wil’s cat Almond Butter is an elder and I appreciated how this book acknowledged the difficulty of a beloved pet aging. But not to worry: Almond Butter is doing just fine by the book’s end. Heads up: this deals with the emotional abuse Katie experienced with her famous actor ex. (Open door.) More info →
Inheriting a house from the grandfather Rye never met seems like a chance for him to start over, except for the fact that it’s falling down. When Rye comes into the hardware store for tools and supplies, Charlie can’t help but offer his handyman services to him. If you told me Roan Parrish peered inside my heart and brain and then wrote this contemporary romance just for me, I’d believe you. It has characters that made me emotional, laugh out loud moments to balance out the tears, and stellar cat content. Charlie and his cat Jane have a whole morning ritual; Marmot regularly lays on Rye’s shoulders. The cats are stress relievers but also sources of joy and hilarity. Marmot and Jane quickly befriend each other. And to keep this theme going, Rye is basically a feral cat himself since he’s been fending for himself for years. If you want to see what Rye’s inherited house becomes, make sure you read the novella Shelter in Garnet Run. (Open door.) More info →
What are your favorite novels featuring cats? Please share in the comments.
Leigh Kramer is the Editor, Event Project Manager, and Social Media Manager here at MMD. Her go-to genres are romance and fantasy. You can follow Leigh on Goodreads.
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3 comments
The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher – sarcastic talking cat is so much fun!
Salt and Broom is a Jane Eyre magical realism retelling with a delightful cat character.
How could you not mention “Dungeon Crawler Carl”? Princess Donut is my spirit animal!