For me, the fact that a book features cats im some sort of prominent fashion is almost a guarantee that I'll end up loving it.

Among my particular favorites are, however:

* T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (show me the cat lover who doesn't like this one -- and if you've never heard the audio version starring John Gielgud and Irene Worth, you have some catching up to do)
* Henry N. Beard's "Poetry for Cats" (and to a slightly lesser extent, French for Cats) -- laugh-out-loud funny and at the same time a great tribute to some of literary history's greatest poets
* Hans Silvester's simply stunning and gorgeous "Cats in the Sun" series of photo/coffee table books, particularly so, "Asleep in the Sun" and
* Richard Surman's series of cat books, about the cats inhabiting some of Britain's best-known buildings (cathedrals, churches, colleges, etc.) -- more great photography, with interesting notes on the places themselves. (And I can testify from experience -- and can provide photographic evidence, if called upon to do so -- that when visiting the places in question, you actually stand a fair chance of meeting the felines presented in Surman's books, too.)

My favorite is the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

Ps: it's not book but it's comics and my favorite so I will quote it here too: Garfield.

Reply to post #2 (show post):
Oh, yes -- Garfield, of course! Also Tom & Jerry (even if the mouse usually gets to win there), and since tigers (including stuffed house tigers) are cats, too, Calvin and Hobbes!

I just finished a 'cat' book -- Sleeping with Cats by Marge Piercy, a memoir about herself and thee many cats that she has shared her life with. Another one that I like is Cat People by Michael Korda.

Reply to post #4 (show post):
These both sound very interesting! Have you read any of Doris Lessing's cat books?

I think my favorite phrase from French for Cats (or the Advanced one, can't remember) is "May I present you with a partially-dead chipmunk?"

Reply to post #6 (show post):
Hehe. Let me guess how that would have come about ... :) (Yes, I do think it's in "Advanced French." Will have to look it up later!)

I Could Pee On This: and other Poems by Cats

Ursula LeGuin's Catwings books!

Also, already mentioned, Old Possum's and Cathedral Cats. I know someone who has her cat in Country House Cats.

How about the Cat Who books by Lillian Jackson Braun? I adored those when I was growing up.

Themis@1: a cat in a book is automatically +0.5 stars for me - on the other hand, a badly written cat will lose the book a half star...

Sherlock@2: so is mine ;)

I've read one I really liked, whose name I cannot, of course, remember, narrated by the resident cat at a Cambridge college.

Reply to post #10 (show post):
Yes! And the Mrs. Murphy series. And while we're speaking about cat detectives/mysteries, Akif Pirincci's "Felidae"

Susanna, if you ever think of the Cambridge book's title or author, do let me know ... it sounds very interesting!

Btw, looked it up: "J'ai l'honneur de vous offrir ce suisse presque complètement mort" ... in "Advanced French" indeed.

And bagofcats: I agree. A badly written cat is a writerly sin that will invariably cause the book to lose at least a half star rating (or more, depending on the cat's prominence)!

I'm reading I am a Cat by Soseki, narrated by the Cat with no Name. Gentle Japanese social satire with author self-mockery.

Reply to post #14 (show post):
Sounds as if you like it? That's good news, it's on my TBR list as well!