MANILA, Philippines — First-time cat parents can read pieces of advice on how they can better understand their feline babies. Why do cats love doing a staring contest with their humans or why do they rub themselves on their human’s legs?
For those who love a bit of feline action to their fiction, there are books that they can read on top of tips to be good cat parents with books on cats and everything feline this International Cat Day.
The International Cat Day is celebrated annually every August 8, a commemoration that was started by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2002.
Today, the annual celebration that aims to spread awareness on the health and protection of cats has been passed to not-for-profit British organization International Cat Care in 2020.
Readers who love to know cat language or who just love to read about their favorite pet in adventure stories can check out these titles curated by Fully Booked. These titles include cat parenting 101, several Japanese novels and even some novels written by Filipino authors.
1. “I Am A Cat” by Sôseki Natsume
Among the must-reads for cat lovers in the fiction category is the classic 1905 satirical piece “I Am A Cat” by Sôseki Natsume.
The novel is a notable Japanese work that pokes fun at the upper middle class of Japanese society during the Meiji era of Japan, which occured from 1868 to 1912.
Sôseki’s novel was written from 1904 to 1906 and features a nameless stray cat’s thoughts on the people he encounters during one of Japan’s crucial time in history.
2. “How to Train Your Human: A Cat’s Guide” by Babas, Translated by Katherine Gregor
Every human cat parent will have those days that they will be left wondering what their feline pet is trying to convey through the cat’s stares, meows or rubs.
Babas’ “How to Train Your Human” is touted as a good read or introduction to first-time cat parents who are still finding their footing in understanding their cats.
The book is uniquely educational as it features a reverse point of view of the cat trying to teach their humans what a cat could mean by a particular gesture or sound. The book has been translated to 14 languages.
3. “How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language” by Aline Alexander Newman, Gary Weitzman, DVM, MPH
This is another helpful title for cat parents who are still confused or are getting mixed signals from their beloved feline pet.
This guidebook targets younger cat lovers to understand their favorite munings through the cat’s body language and behavior.
“How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language” is published by National Geographic and features advice from a veterinarian and cat expert.
4. “We’ll Prescribe You A Cat” by Syou Ishida
Ishida’s award-winning and best-selling Japanese novel features a story on self-discovery and self-healing with the aid of a cat.
5. “Stray Cats” by Irene Sarmiento
Irene Sarmiento’s “Stray Cats” is one of the two Filipino novels on this list.
Sarmiento’s debut fiction novel references Philippine folklore as its 13-year-old heroine Elisa Paz goes on a mission to find her missing best friend Raquel with the help of a talking orange cat with a full name, Oscar Santos.
6. “The Travelling Cat Chronicles” by Hiro Arikawa
Arikawa’s novel also features the adventure of a child and his companion cat. It follows Nana the cat and his owner Satoru as the two go on a journey that will teach them love, courage, loyalty and gratitude.
7. “Calvin and Hobbes” portable compendium
This collection is one of the two included in this list for cat lovers who are avid readers, too.
“Calvin and Hobbes” is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated for a full decade, from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995.
The comic strip does not feature the usual domestic cat, but a tiger instead. The comic strip is still included in this list as it follows the adventures of six-year-old Calvin and his “sardonic” tiger friend Hobbes.
“Calvin and Hobbes” was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide, and reruns of the strip continue to appear in more than 50 countries.
This first set of books comes in a compact, portable format. It features two 144-page paperback books, including nearly 500 comics from the strip’s debut in November 1985 through March 1987. This is the first of seven sets total to be released between 2023 and 2026.
8. “The Sad Cat” by Michelle Sarile Alagao
This is the second Filipino book in this list for cat lovers-readers.
Michelle Sarile Alagao’ “The Sad Cat” teaches readers how to manage emotions through a tale that comes in parallel English and Filipino texts.
As a Hiyas books, “The Sad Cat” helps develop a child’s reading skill and word recognition.
9. “The Full Moon Coffee Shop” by Mai Mochizuki
This upcoming title by Mai Mochizuki set for release on August 20 features cats running a mystrious coffee shop in Kyoto.
Mochizuki’s debut novel is described as “charming and magical” as it is set in a mysterious Kyoto coffee shop that has no location and fixed hours run by talking cats.
10. “Kawaii Kitties: Learn How to Draw 75 Catsin All Their Glory” by Olive Yong
Readers who aspire to draw their cats can take a crash course on how to draw them with this book by Olive Yong.
The book contains tips and tricks in drawing and coloring cats, with some pages featuring drawings of cats that readers can decorate.
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