Great Writers & the Cats who Owned Them

Throughout history, cats and writers have formed a magical bond in a combination of comfort, companionship, and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half its tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery, and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from a bombed site. Each chapter delves into the relationship between authors and the felines who condescended to share their homes and desks, revealing intriguing aspects of our much-loved writers’ lives and celebrating how cats – pure-bred and moggy, large and small, graceful and eccentric – enriched the world of literature.

Featuring fun additional features about cats in bookshops, libraries, and hotels, and illustrated with charming line drawings, this is a perfect gift for cat lovers everywhere.