CATFOOD

by Sarah R. New

Pina loves Elias, and she’ll do anything to save him. When kitten Pina’s human Elias is hospitalised after a fight with his partner Tommy, Pina and her fellow cats Artichoke and Biscuit decide to scare Tommy away. But something goes horribly wrong…

CATFOOD is a graphic horror-thriller that explores the devotion between a man and his feline family.

Genres: Horror

116 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2026

About the author

As an angsty teenager, Sarah R. New related to monsters, but when she tried to find herself reflected in her favourite genre, she failed. Twenty years later, she is writing her own monstrous, female-led narratives, using her personal experiences and imagination to explore the dark side of existence.
 
London-based Sarah R. New is the author of Amissis Liberis (2024), Hypochondria (2025), and CATFOOD (2026). Her short form work was nominated for Best of the Net 2025, and she currently is a team contributor for Divination Hollow Reviews. Sarah can be found on Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube and Substack under the username aldbera.

Reviews

[Uilleam Whitedale · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to talk about CATFOOD without giving everything away. Firstly, it's not exactly a horror novel in the traditional sense, but a psychological drama with gut-wrenching aspects, told from the perspective of its feline protagonist. Yes, the mind at play is a cat's, putting it somewhere between Charlotte's Web and Good Boy, something surreally but darkly Disneyesque. The author does a great job of depicting human cruelty, Cartesian minds that see pets as objects, but it also successfully portrays the love many owners have for their pets, and vice versa. It also shows how pets can be used as weapons, until they become their own weapons. There were some things that confounded me a bit, surrounding shifting attitudes, etc. that might have benefited from a longer narrative or reworking, but the story is otherwise cohesive and keeps attention. It's very short and well worth a a peek into this Cat's Cradle.

[Basile Lebret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Sarah's second longform fiction after Hypochondria and some themes return as a result

In a CATFOOD, a trio of cats witness their owner entering an abusive relationship and then plot for revenger.

Despite the cuteness all around, Sarah's back at it with her body horror and she def sold me on reading some Andrew Lyall.

I regret some low hanging fruit in the plot building,as I'm not fan of anything Manichean, but if you like cats and revenge, then go for it.

[L.N. Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about New’s work in general, is that she is not afraid to take risks with her writing. Every book that I’ve read by her has been different in some significant way. This remains true with CATFOOD.

CATFOOD was honestly not as extreme as I thought it was going to be, but ultimately that means nothing, as there is still lots of body horror in this novella. The twist is that it’s all told from the perspective of a cat. More specifically, Pina is a rescued kitten, and our protagonist and main POV of the book. Almost all of the tragic circumstances we bear witness to are through her eyes.

I think it’s always extremely risky taking on an animal’s POV, as most humans read to read about the human experience, but it’s honestly interesting in a lot of ways. We see all of the abuse and neglect that is happening from a different angle. It’s a way for us to stop and think about how our non-human friends also suffer in situations like these. That type of empathy fostered toward animals is really important, especially considering our world has tens of thousands of endangered species—and humans are the primary cause.

For me, I really enjoyed the dynamic between the three main cats in the story and how they each dealt with trauma in their own way. Also, Mrs. Jenkins was downright savage. She scares me, but I also kind of like her? It’s complicated.

Long story short: if you can handle body horror, this book may be of interest to you for its risky but intriguing POV and its effect of eliciting empathy for animals. I, personally, can’t wait for New’s next book.

[Saffron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE horror novellas, and this is a unique POV that I really enjoyed.

I had the opportunity to read this in its early stages and it's one of those stories that sticks with you for quite some time afterward.

It's sad, gruesome, funny and a really fun concept.

Smashed it Sarah. Looking forward to what you do next!

[Jan Miklaszewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid take on IPV from an interesting perspective, namely the victim’s pets, that works best when leaning into the horror elements. I would have liked for the animals’ voices and perceptions to be a little less human, I guess, a little weirder, and for more material on the insidious beginnings of the abuse. Then again, everyone’s a critic, eh? Overall, good stuff.

[Already Overbooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm hungry

[Caroline Cuell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this was a little bit nuts in the best way. Highly recommend if you like the thought of your cats claiming revenge on those who’ve wronged you. Although warning, does contain DV.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suggest watching The Sheep Detectives to soothe after reading.