Cats and books. Books and cats. It’s as perfect a combination as a hamburger and fries, as Joe Biden and the authorisation to give Ukraine F-16s, as me and Chris Evans. Perhaps I romanticise cats so much because I haven’t and don’t have them, but if you imagine a picture of true coziness in your head, there’s sure to be a cat’s tail sticking out there somewhere.
Cats do everything better, books included. It’s not for nothing that they are so often used as helpers, friends or just for atmosphere. I am not an expert on cats in literature (what I read is better to discuss with a psychotherapist and show it on dolls), but even my background is enough to form a small selection of books where cats have shown their worth.
Let me say right away – the selection is as subjective as possible and based solely on my literary preferences (at least, those I am not ashamed to show people) and not very good memory. Because I’m sure that when this text is published, I’ll remember 2-3 more variations. By the way, feel free to write in the comments which other cats should make this list.
Every student at Hogwarts can bring, if they wish, an owl, a cat or a frog. How fortunate that Hermione chose Crookshanks cat (or he chose her). Because it was Crookshanks who hinted that Scabbers was the one with the surprise, so to speak, who stole the passwords for Sirius to enter Gryffindor Tower and helped Harry and Hermione get through the Martial Verb.
In short, he’s handsome, not a pussycat. He’s not really a cat, though. J.K. Row said he was half-Кneazle, and magozoologist Newt Skamander described them as intelligent creatures that make beautiful domestic almost-cats if they like a sorcerer or a witch.
Introverted Nina Hill works in a bookshop, loves books and quizzes, her head is full of facts and her life is dominated by a diary. If you think that’s kind of sad, no, she’s happy with everything, because she also has a cat called Phil.
He is handsome, catches worms so that the mistress has something to “eat” after a day’s work, is willing to listen and silently support and is able to give a judgemental look, which not only Nina notices. And he is sure to help his man cope with the changes that are taking place in his life. Even if Nina herself resists them.
This is dark fantasy, so one can hardly expect good and light stories about the cats. For example, the brave little Captain Puddles sacrificed himself at all to save his 10-year-old mistress Mia, so he’s worth mentioning, although he gets a little ‘page time’. Mister Kindly, on the other hand, is a full-fledged character in the form of a cat, who is actually even less of a cat than Crookshanks.
He has a character, which is vividly shown through his speech (for this special thanks not only to the author, but also to the translator), he helps Mia to escape, restrains certain impulses, is always there, talking and joking. And behind these jokes, or even sarcasm, lies his strong nature.
Black Cat Glen appears in the book somewhere nearer to the finale, but she has a very important role to play. With Eleanor Oliphant, despite the title, everything is maximally out of place, which is not surprising in her situation, and the characteristic and even a little wayward Glen has become a woman’s responsibility, a wonderful companion, a creature who needs care, psychological support and a part of her conditional ‘happy place’.
And although she, like every cat, lives sort of on her own, it is still obvious how much Eleanor’s presence helps.
Here, oddly enough, Bob the cat also saves the man’s life. But, unlike Eleanor Olyphant, this man is quite real. “A Street Cat Named Bob” is a biographical tale about a street musician with a drug addiction, James Bowen, who one day can’t get past a stray cat with a wound on his paw. James spends the last of his money on the four-legged man’s treatment and various feline needs, and his life in a way takes on… um… meaning.
Without the cat, James might have remained an addicted street musician, but never mind that – his life is much better now, and he owes that to Bob. Another heroic cat.
The book starts off rather dramatically, but we know there will be a cat next, and it will definitely make the atmosphere a little warmer. And so it does. When Rintaro Natsuki, a high school student, was forced to close his grandfather’s used bookstore, the red-haired cat Tiger came to him.
He can talk and asks Rintaro to help him on an important mission – to save books from people who don’t appreciate them. And to save himself as well. How does he ask – sometimes he leaves little choice and withholds details. So strange adventures, lots of moralizing and even more talk about books lie ahead.
This wonderful science fiction novel has time travel, cheating, intrigue, cryogenic freezing and, of course, a cat. Petronius the Arbiter, or simply Pete, is almost one of the main characters, because to the robot engineer he is a fluffy cat, a friend to whom one can talk, and even a drinking companion (literally).
At a critical moment for Daniel, Pete tries to save him, and the scene looks like it should be an on-screen adaptation. So when Daniel tries to somehow right the wrongs of the past and mend the future, he doesn’t forget about the cat who has always been there for him.
This tale with horror elements tells of Caroline’s adventures in the ‘other world’, where there are other parents, seemingly kinder parents, strange neighbours and various creepy creatures. And in general, there are people with buttons instead of eyes, and it has not made anyone more beautiful. To get out of the “other world” one needs a helper or a guide, and this role is assumed by the black Cat (he himself says that cats don’t have names, because they don’t need them).
He comes to the rescue at key moments, helps Coraline escape, and is generally not a bad partner.
You may not have read the comics where Chewie (yes, he was named after Chewbacca from Star Wars) meets him, but he appears in Miss Marvel under the moniker Goose. This red-haired handsome boy raised the level of cuteness in the frame, and even the stern Nick Fury couldn’t resist him.
But everyone else stayed away from him because they knew he wasn’t just a cat, but a member of the Flerken race, and he was really better treated with respect, in You and a whisper. At a time when Nick wasn’t expecting anything from him, Flerken’s tentacles helped him defeat several enemies. He also retained the Tesseract, and because of it Fury wore a patch over one eye. So the inner content is as different from the outward appearance as possible.
If there’s a comic book, why not remember the manga too. Especially as there is a funny story of Chi the cat who went for a walk and got lost. Even though the boy Yohei rescued him, Chi still wants to find his home. Admittedly, it’s very hard to find when there are bad dogs outside and you’re disgusted by a bowl of milk, shoes that demand to be chewed, paper that rustles, and even ball games in your new home.
But Chi’s thirst for knowledge still can’t be quenched, so there’s 12 volumes of adventure.
Church from Stephen King’s book The Pet Sematary.
What’s he doing here? Because it’s the cat that started it all. Or with a man who, for some reason, decided that burying a cat in an old Indian cemetery, especially when a ghost clearly tells him not to, is a good idea.
P.S. Thanks to the Dnipro Book Club for helping with the photos.
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