Famous cats in literature

Fancy getting into a good book over the Christmas break? We’ve got you covered with our roundup of books featuring four-legged characters…

It’s winter time, the evenings are dark, and it looks like we’re all going to be spending even more time indoors than usual, so it feels like the perfect time to get into a good book. And if there’s anything better than a good book, it’s a good book with a cat in it.

We already brought you a guide to our favourite cats from the big screen [link], but this time, we’ve rounded up some famous felines in literature! So whether you’re an avid reader or you’re just looking for a new read over the Christmas break, we’ve got you cat lovers covered. (And for you last-minute shoppers, they’d make a great gift for the book-loving cat parent in your life too!) So settle down and get comfy for our list of…

 

Lewis Carroll - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Maybe the most famous literary cat of all time, the Cheshire Cat might not be like your average pet cat but he definitely shares a few character traits—anybody else’s cat disappear and reappear whenever they feel like it? 

 

T.S. Eliot - Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats

Eliot owned many cats throughout his life, and his cat-lover credentials were definitely sealed by this best-selling book of poems. This collection of cat tales was actually the inspiration behind the musical Cats! It’s the ultimate poetry collection for cat lovers, and you’re sure to recognise some of the feline personalities described in Eliot’s rhymes. 

Truman Capote - Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Okay, so the cat might not be the main character in this classic novella, but Holly Golightly’s cat, called Cat, does have a few starring moments, and if you’ve never read the book behind Audrey Hepburn’s Hollywood character, then it’s definitely worth a read. 

Natsume Sōseki - I Am A Cat

If gentle social satire written from the perspective of a cat is your thing, then you’ll love this novel. Written at the beginning of the 20th century by Japanese author Natsume Sōseki, the entire novel is made up of a series of observations of human life, as told by a cat. This is a novel for anyone who’s ever wondered whether their cat is judging them. 

 

And for younger bookworms there’s a whole host of picture book cats to choose from, but here are a couple of our favourites…

Judith Kerr - Mog

Name a more iconic cat. We’ll wait. First appearing in print way back in 1970, Judith Kerr’s picture book cat character Mog starred in a whole series of illustrated adventures. Starting with Mog the Forgetful Cat in 1970, you can take your pick from the whole Mog library of tales.

Julia Donaldson - Tabby McTat

The story of Tabby, a busker’s cat, and his friend Sock. From Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, who created The Gruffalo, this cat-based tale is great for kids—and we have to admit that this one’s fun for grown ups too.