Mobu's Diary: Earning Your Paté

摸布想自己賺罐罐：黑山的烏鴉原創故事集 [Mobus Diary+ #1

by Kathy Lam

Questa è la storia di Mobu, una gatta calico di tre anni, dal musetto carino e deliziosi cuscinetti rosa. Mobu non vuole più essere una micia domestica viziata e mantenuta dagli esseri umani, così decide di lavorare in un cat café per pagarsi i pasti. Introversa e poco incline alle coccole, scrive un curriculum ingannevole, affermando che "ama stare in compagnia". Nonostante la sua paura degli estranei e l'indole un po' pigra, compie coraggiosamente il primo passo verso l'indipendenza.

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Cats, Humor, Comics

160 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 22, 2026

Reviews

[Agathe 🧚🏻‍♀️🍧 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donnez moi du drôle
Donnez moi du chat
Donnez moi du mignon
Et Agathe contente

[Snowdrop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ici on suit Mobu, une chatte tricolore qui veut gagner sa propre pâtée et qui se fait embaucher dans un café à chats, on y suit alors ses jours de travail.

C’est vraiment super relax comme lecture et les dessins sont trop drôles, j’adore comment l’auteure dessine les chats 😭

[Annelies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vaak moeten gniffelen of zelfs explosief uitademen via de neus = goed kattenboek

[Lucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très drôle j’ai adoré !

[Cat]

Two kitties go work in a cat cafe. Took less than an hour to read. Art is cute and the content is light and funny. Definitely a BD I would recommend to French learners since it’s very light on the words and uses rather simple language.

[Boris Nonveiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regarde ben la couverture de ce livre et ose me dire que t'as pas envie de le lire tout de suite

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grande fan de Kathy Lam, je me suis jetée sur sa première BD comme un chat sur une pâtée ! Son trait est simple et efficace, ses histoires drôles et attachantes, tout pour plaire aux fans de chats et de BD ! J’ai adoré !

[Zainab]

Mobu is a happy but somewhat shy cat, who makes a determination to go out and earn her food rather than continue being pampered by her loving owner (most un-cat like!). One job interview later, she begins work at a cat cafe, getting to grips with her feline colleagues and the venn diagram of what people expect of her (abundant petting, cute selfies) and what she feels comfortable doing (sleeping out of reach).

Kathy Lam's wonderful art is the main draw here; her expressive lines and delightful watercolours lend this its personality, teetering between traditional whimsy and something more absurdly rambunctious. Light, cat slice-of-life fare, but the type you could easily devour pages and pages of.

[Feriale Ravenclaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

C’est doux, chill, mignon avec tous ces petits chats qui travaillent pour gagner leur pâtée. Et qu’est ce que ça fait du bien des lectures légères comme ça ! Je l’ai tout juste après l’avoir acheté et c’est un baume au cœur.

Je conseille cette bd si vous cherchez un peu de légèreté, de la mignonnerie et des ronrons !

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’est drôle, les dessins sont beaux, il y a des chats, la recette d’un excellent moment finalement

[Sara]

Thank you to Andrew McMeels Publishing for this E-ARC! Publication date is Sep 22nd, 2026.
Review to come closer to release date.

[Flavescente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plus drôle que de nombreux autres mangas humoristiques avec des chats (je trouve)

Fun fact j'écris ça avec mon chat me défonçant la main

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% true real cat life.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Mobu’s Diary: Earning Your Pâté by Kathy Lam

Mobu’s Diary is a charming and quietly hilarious graphic novel that asks an important question: what if a pampered house cat decided to become financially independent? Mobu, an anxious calico who is tired of simply being fed, gets a job at a cat café and quickly discovers that employment is far less glamorous than it sounded in theory. The premise is playful, but the book uses it to explore insecurity, ambition, and the emotional toll of interacting with others.

Mobu is an instantly lovable lead because she feels so recognizable. She is awkward, overwhelmed, and constantly trying to appear more capable than she feels. She lies on her résumé, overthinks every task, and seems one minor inconvenience away from needing a nap. Anyone who has ever felt underqualified, socially drained, or mildly terrified by responsibility will probably see themselves in her.

The humor lands because it is rooted in truth. Kathy Lam captures the absurdity of workplace life and anxiety with a light touch, letting small moments and expressions do most of the work. The art style is warm and inviting, full of personality, and it gives the story an easy coziness even when Mobu is internally unraveling. It is cute, but never shallow.

By the end, Mobu’s Diary feels like more than a simple cat comedy. It becomes a sweet and relatable story about finding confidence, surviving discomfort, and realizing that nobody really knows what they are doing. I had a great time with it, even if I wanted just a little more depth to push it into five-star territory. A very solid 4.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

[A Dreaming Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an eARC.

This was a super cute graphic novel. I really liked the chill art style, it really gave the informal but meaningful feel to the story. It was nice that Mobu wanted to earn his own food but it was also painful to watch him write a resume and look for job openings. Cats don't need to suffer along with humans in this regard 😭😭. That said, Mobu chose a good one, where he just had to be cute. It was especially nice how he made the school kid's day. I think this was a nice take on cat cafes. I really appreciated the author's interview at the end. It really gave more perspective into the author's motivations. I would definitely recommend this to any cat lovers out there and I'm looking forward to a sequel if there's going to be one.

[Daria (altrimari_archive) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

What an adorable little comic!
This episodic collection follows Mobu, a shy cat on her journey toward independence (she wants to work, you know, as if she were a dog).
Just as Mobu’s presence at the cat café brings unadulterated joy to its patrons, these episodes bring joy to the reader as well. The drawings are quirky, fun, and wholesome — exceptionally expressive and perfectly suited to the comic’s humor.

I really enjoyed my time with this book, and I found this edition especially well curated. One of my favorite parts was the interview with the author at the end: it was fascinating to learn more about her creative process and her inspiration.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC, I’m looking forward to the second volume!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mobu wants to earn her keep. This is a world where cats mew, but humans seem to understand what they mean when they do speak. So, when Mobu explains that she wants to earn three cans a day of food, her owner helps her look for a job. She applies at a cat cafe, and gets the job.


That’s kind of the whole story. A cute story of a cat who doesn’t really like to be touched too much, who spends most of her day sleeping, rather than interacting with humans, and is content, because she is earning a living.


It is silly. It is cute. It is poignant in places. All good fun.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 22nd of September 2026.

[An · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Mobu is an adorable calico cat that is bored of being pampered and just wants to earn her pâté! The art style is really cute and I really enjoyed seeing the different kitties with their varying personalities. All of the animal characters were very human in their actions and emotions. I also loved how this book really felt like Mobu's diary entries with new things occurring every few pages in. Seeing that the kitties also had to experience the same things as us humans when looking for a job was hilarious.

Lighthearted and filled with fun, this was a quick read that really brightened my day. I'm sure it will also brighten up your day.

[ฅ^•⩊•^ฅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for books with cats but even more when the cat is the main protagonist, and we get to read their little thoughts.

Mobu’s Diary was such a comforting read for me. It’s cozy, gentle, and has that soft, warm feeling, with just a sprinkle of cute pink beans that makes everything better.

Today was a hard day because we lost our princess, Tifanny. She reminded me so much of Mobu. A little, cute calico chonker with her own personality and quiet presence.

I like to think that wherever she is now, she’s in a place like this café, full of treats, furry friends, and kind humans who know to pet her only on the head.

[Jade_Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Netgalley arc review.

Mobu’s Diary is a super cute and adorable illustrated graphic novel that gave me nostalgic Garfield energy.

Mobu and Jackie are neighbour cats on a mission to find Mobu a job, and they are such a fun duo.

The little mini comics inside are hilarious (Mobu calculating the sofa‑to‑table jump had me widely smiling), and the communication between Mobu and her human is spot‑on for anyone who’s ever lived with a cat. I also loved the Q&A with Kathy Lam at the end. It’s always fascinating to hear how creators shape their work.

Charming, funny, beautifully drawn. An easy 4‑star read.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

🗓| Publication Date: 22nd September 2026

[Caitlin Teaches · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think you'd like Mobu's Diary based on the adorable grumpy-ish cat on the cover, you are probably right! It's a charming collection of comics centered around Mobu, a cat, who lives in a world with just a hint of magical realism that allows cats to both be cats who are pets and cats who might want to get a job. The illustrations are full of soft lines and ink washes, and the story is cute. Feels like a good gift for a friend who loves cats. There's also a charming interview with the artist/author at the end that gives some perspective on the art and point of view of the comic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the arc of this book.

[Zaidee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and funny! I first encountered Lam's illustrations when a family member shared some with me, and I was immediately taken with these round, grumpy expressions of cats. It's quite fun to get a collection of shorts and a bigger storyline in Lam's distinctive style. The sketchy, loose quality of pencil and watercolor is the perfect accompaniment to the squashy, round, and expressive cats. Humans are more of a caricature here, with the emphasis on differing personalities really seen in the variety of cats working with Mobu at the cafe.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the digital ARC!

[Bookreviewgirl_xo · Rating 4 out of 5]

⫷ The ARC of this book was provided by NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review ⫸

Rating : 4.25/5

Franz definitely stole the show for me 😍 This book is amazing and so full of cats. Adorable! Love the illustrations.


Quotes :

- "Humans have honest feet. When people feel close, their feet will nearly touch."

- "If you don't love someone anymore, just say it."

- "Humans... So concerned with appearances, yet so cowardly."

[Nicole Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga was exactly what I was in the mood for! A day in the life of a calico cat who gets a job at a local cat cafe. What a sweet kitty with such sweet aspirations. I have a calico cat and this is basically how I imagine she would act if she also was looking for a job. As a cat owner I also related to a lot of the funny situations that Mobu kept ending up in. The art was cute, Mobu was very round, and the dialogue made me smile. Very cozy and heartwarming little story that brightened my day. Thank you NetGally for this ARC and Kathy Lam for creating this adorable story.

[Julia Yamamoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and Funny book!
It tells the story of Mobu, a "calico cat, female, three years old" as it lives life and tries new things like earning her own cat food working in a cat café!

The drawings are incredible! Great style with cat poses that you know the author got from her own experience and own cats! (the way Mobu rests her paw is just like mine does. When I saw that there was no way I was not going to love her!)
Another thing I liked: The last pages showing concepts and doodles.

A light and quick read to relax and remember to appreciate the cats around us.

[Lia Dizon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

Mobu’s Diary was such a cozy and comforting read. The art style is absolutely gorgeous — every page felt soft, detailed, and full of charm. I found myself lingering on panels just to take everything in. The story itself is gentle and relaxing, the kind of manga that feels like a warm cup of tea after a long day.

It’s not overly dramatic or fast-paced, but that’s exactly what makes it work so well. The atmosphere, characters, and little everyday moments were all incredibly lovable. Definitely one of those reads that leaves you feeling calm and happy by the end.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mobu’s Diary is a sweet and silly comics collection about a cat with ambition. Mobu doesn’t want to be pampered (or at least not all of the time), they want to work for their food. So Mobu gets a job at a cat café. At the café, Mobu is paid to nap, play and just generally be adorable. This charming, heartwarming book features beautiful pencil and gouache illustrations.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Edelweiss for providing me with an eARC.

[kyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

mobu's diary is about earning your place in the world. a profound idea packed into an endearing and easy to read graphic novel, where we follow mobu's "renewed" life purpose.

story-wise, i liked how each of the cats in the story have their own unique and complex personality (akin to humans), and how they shine within their interactions in the cat cafe.

in terms of the art style, i thought that it matched the vibe of the story.

thank you NetGalley for a copy of the eARC!

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Garfield became manga minus the humor, this would be it. It's a nice read about a cat who wants to have a job (and got one in a cafe). If youre into something cozy to read with a light plot, consider picking this up. The book gets interesting and funny at the latter part with the introduction of the cat named Sempai. That 's enough for me to give 4 stars. The bonus story and gallery are pure fillers.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the arc english version of this Graphic Novel.

This is a cute story of a cat who is bored at home and decides to get a job at a cat cafe even though she is not a big fan of humans but she is a fan of treats.

I thought the drawings were very cute. The other cats and humans in the story are fun. I really enjoyed the story and had a good laugh. Highly recommend for a sweet short read.