10 Books to Help You Celebrate Cat Day

October 29th is National Cat Day, a day to celebrate our purr-fect furry friends and promote adoption and anti-cruelty campaigns.

I’ve got a cat myself and she’s the most adorable critter in my life. Her name is Layla, and here she is in all of her glory:

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To help you celebrate National Cat Day, here are 10 books that feature cats as main characters:

On Cats by Charles Bukowski

This is a book of Bukowski’s musings about cats, including short stories, poetry, and weird little tales. It’s hilarious, caring, and wonderful.

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by Matthew Inman

The creator of this graphic novel, Matthew Inman, is the creator of the very popular webcomic, The Oatmeal. This book would make a perfect gift for the person in your life that has a cat who seems a little too mischievous.

Star Ka’at by Andre Norton & Dorothy Madlee

In all honesty, I had never heard of this book before researching this list, but I immediately added it to my TBR list. It’s about two stray cats who convince a couple of children that they are aliens from another planet. That sounds like a lot of fun to me.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun

It would be incredibly unfair to have a list of cat books without including this series. I read so many of these in high school and adored them. The Cat Who books are mystery novels that feature Koko, a feline that helps detective James Qwilleran solve crimes.

Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World’s Most Spirited Mousers by Brad Thomas Parsons

Throughout history, cats have played an important role in farms, restaurants, and distilleries as pest-control. This non-fiction book examines this role, as well as featuring a few cocktail recipes.

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Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin & S.D. Schindler (illustrator)

I’m a huge fan of Ursula K. Le Guin’s short stories, but I’ve never read any of her children’s books, and this seems like it would be the perfect place to start. It’s about four kittens who are born with wings.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot and Edward Gorey (illustrator)

Edward Gorey is one of my favorite illustrators of all time. This is a book of cat poems by T.S. Eliot and illustrated by Gorey, which obviously makes it a classic that everyone should read.

Metal Cats by Alexandra Crockett

This one is just for fun. It’s a collection of photos of metal musicians with their cats, featuring members of bands like Isis, Gypsyhawk, Napalm Death, Black Goat, and more.

The Cat Inside by William S. Burroughs

William S. Burroughs is best known for books like Naked Lunch and for being one of the most prominent members of the Beat Generation, but he also liked cats. This book focuses on Burroughs’ friendships with cats and the more long-term relationships between cats and humans throughout history.

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide

This book was a bestseller in France and is about a cat that invites itself into a couple’s kitchen. The couple’s relationship is failing, and they barely speak to each other anymore. As the cat starts returning every day, it starts to bring the couple back together.

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What are your favorite books about cats?

Got a cat of your own? Leave their photos in the comments!