What Are Cats Like in Literature?

How are cats portrayed in literature? Writing for Country Life, Emma Hughes introduces some of literature’s most famous cats.

In stories, dogs usually serve as loyal companions who accompany protagonists on their journeys, whereas cats appear as creatures that cause minor mischief or disrupt peace and order. They deceive people and always wear strange, mischievous grins, but that only makes them more intriguing.

The Tale of Tom Kitten is a story about children’s manners. His mother, Tabitha Twitchit, is a refined and well-mannered cat, but her son Tom Kitten is an incorrigible troublemaker. One day, Tom Kitten’s family is invited to a party. His mother dresses the kittens in their best clothes and, expecting them to behave properly, instructs them to “walk on their hind legs and keep away from the other animals.” But mischievous Tom Kitten scratches his mother and ends up tearing not only his own clothes but also his siblings’ best outfits.

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland features the Cheshire Cat. Hughes calls Cheshire the strangest character in the work. The Cheshire Cat is later mentioned again in Thackeray’s The Newcomes, in the description, “The young lady grins like a Cheshire cat.” According to Hughes, the expression originated with cheese shaped like a cat: when it was cut from the tail through the body, only the mischievously grinning head remained.

Finally, it is no exaggeration to call Puss in Boots the most famous cat in literature. Inherited by a miller’s youngest son, Puss strives tirelessly to help the young man gain wealth. Wearing boots, he presents gifts to the king as though they had been provided by the miller’s son. He then arranges a chance meeting between the young man and a princess, leading them to fall in love.

The extraordinary behavior of cats in literature undoubtedly makes these stories far more engaging and entertaining.