favorite fictional cats

FOR NEW ADULT/ADULT READERS:

The calico from The Cat and The City by Nick Bradley

In Tokyo – one of the world’s largest megacities – a stray cat is wending her way through the back alleys. And, with each detour, she brushes up against the seemingly disparate lives of the city-dwellers, connecting them in unexpected ways. The cat orbits Tokyo’s denizens, drawing them ever closer.

Nana from The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel

The book is narrated by Nana, who is on a road trip with his human Satoru. His voice is by turns grumpy, haughty, smart, selfish, sweet, loving, affectionate. This is a warm, kind, bittersweet novel with lots to say about friendship.

Tiger from The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa, translated by Louise Heal Kawai

Tiger is a tabby who appears in a second hand bookshop at just the right time. When a human named Rintaro inherits the shop from his grandfather and isn’t sure how to keep it alive, he and Tiger go on a mission to rescue books from people who didn’t appreciate them as much as they should.

Glen in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Contrary to what the title suggest, Eleanor Oliphant is not, in fact, completely fine. She struggles to fit in and she’s deeply lonely. Over the course of the book, she learns to care for and accept the love of others. Along the way, a new friend gives her a cat, who is very much part of that journey.

Chibi from The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide, translated by Eric Selland

The Guardian says about this novel: “It’s the kind of work that makes you ask of its author: ‘”‘How on earth did he do that?’ as you find yourself dabbing your eyes and pausing to look wistfully into the distance…” Here  a cat brings people together, in this case a couple who are growing apart. Thanks to their feline friend, the couple begin to see the world differently.

Puff the Magic Dragon from Night Magic by Karen Robards (also an ebook on Libby)

Author Clara Winston was snuggling in for the night when the strange men burst into her carriage house apartment, demanding the whereabouts of the "real" Magic Dragon -- the one she had dedicated her last romance novel to. "Under the bed," she managed to squeak out, wondering why in the world they wanted her old gray Persian cat, Puff... When they went to look, Clara escaped right into the strong arms of CIA agent Jack McClain, code-named "Magic Dragon," a man running for his life and taking Clara and Puff with him into a wild spill of hair-raising adventure, deadly espionage... and unforgettable love.

Lying Cat from Saga by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Lying Cat is paid assasin The Will's sidekick. She is a large feline, similar in appearance to a Sphynx cat with pale blue-green skin and yellow eyes. Lying Cats have the ability to target lies when they are deliberate and will respond by simply saying "Lying".

Phil from The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

When we meet bookseller Nina Hill, her life is perfectly under control, and that’s exactly the way she likes it: trivia once a week, a job she loves, just the right amount of social interaction. Then she falls in love, discovers a family she never knew, and has to save her beloved bookshop. It’s a lot for anyone to cope with. Thank goodness Nina has the steadying presence of her cat Phil in her life.

All the cats from A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary

What’s better than a cat? Lots of cats. And what’s even better than lots of cats is lots of cats and coffee. And romance. And Christmas.

FOR TEEN READERS:

Mogget from Sabriel by Garth Nix

Mogget, a Free Magic spirit trapped in cat form, is Sabriel's companion for a large part of her adventures. She first meets him at Abhorsen's House, where he shocks her by talking and explains that he's been a servant of the Abhorsen for a long time. A very long time, it turns out—Sabriel notices that the magic on the binding collar keeping Mogget in cat form is over a thousand years old. He may eat, purr, and sleep like a cat, but the spirit inside his body is an unpredictable and unknown force.

Selma, AKA Eartha Kitty from The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

Marva is determined to help Duke exercise his right to vote. Along the way, they fall in love while hunting for Marva’s Instagram-famous cat who’s gone missing.

Buttercup from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Buttercup is a "hideous-looking cat" that belonged to Primrose Everdeen. Prim named him Buttercup because she insisted that his muddy yellow coat matched the bright colors of the flower. Katniss Everdeen and Buttercup mutually despise each other after she attempted to drown him.

Musubi from the manga, Cat + Gamer

Riko, a twenty-nine-year-old office worker with an obsession for video games, finds her quiet life upended when she takes in a stray cat! Having no experience with pets, Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care, while her cute companion tries to understand her behavior through a cat's worldview.

FOR MIDDLE-GRADE READERS:

Elvis from Elvis and the World as it Stands by Lisa Frankel Riddiough and Olivia Chin Mueller

Elvis the kitten has just been adopted and is grumpy about it. All he wants is to go back to the shelter and to his sister. But he finds the humans he’s been placed with fascinating, and he watches them and processes their relationships. 

FOR YOUNGER READERS:

Max from Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall

This gorgeous picture book is about a cat with the best name: Maximilian Augustus Xavier. But Max is sad. No matter that his humans knit him a sweater, tickle him with a feather, or buy him gifts, he can’t seem to cheer up. Until the littlest human starts reading to him and then Max feels a lot better.

https://bookriot.com/a-ranking-of-fictional-cats/