Kitty Pretty Lonely

by John Michael Alaia

In a quiet apartment shared by an aging woman and her two cats, devotion has always come easy— at least for one of them. He has spent eight years perfecting his place at her every habit memorized, every ounce of her affection accounted for and claimed by right. The other cat, a clumsy, hungry rescue named Wally, has never quite measured up.

But something in the house is changing. The mornings are slower and colder and the routines that once anchored every day are slipping out of order. The careful balance between devotion and possession has began to crack.

Kitty Pretty Lonely is a slow-burn psychological horror novelette told entirely from inside the mind of a house cat who loves too completely to see what's really happening around him. Quiet and claustrophobic, this is a story about the line between love and common ritual, leaving us to ask the question "What's really happening here?"

A literary horror novelette. Recommended for mature readers.

46 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2026

About the author

John Michael Alaia is a writer of thrillers and horror fiction whose work explores the darker edges of human nature, where fear, suspense, and moral ambiguity collide. Drawn to stories that linger long after the final page, he blends psychological tension with unsettling characters to create narratives that challenges readers to keep turning the pages late into the night.

These first few stories mark the beginning of a body of work shaped by a lifelong fascination with suspenseful storytelling, classic horror, and modern thrillers. When he’s not writing, he enjoys studying existing works, dissecting films and novels for what makes them frightening, while searching for the quiet, internal moments where the most terrifying ideas are born.

He lives on Long Island, NY and is currently at work on his next two novels.

Reviews

[Tracey]

A lonely old woman lives with her two cats. One of them is absolutely devoted to her, he knows her routines and what certain habits mean. He is always by her side. This story is from his POV. The other cat, Wally, is a rescue cat who just wants to eat and has no place being in this house with them...

This horror novelette explores deeply the love of an animal towards its owner, the confusion when routines start to fracture, and the cats hilarious thoughts about Wally.

When you love this deeply, are you unaware of everything else that is going on around you? Read the triggers.

I loved this story, and it brought so many emotions - heartfelt, sadness, humour, and horror in just a few short pages.

Thanks John, your descriptive prose once again drew me in immediately and had me 'feeling' everything.

Check out his other 3 novellas which I loved -

Withered
Just Below
King Takes Rook

He also has a full length psychological thriller and Part 2 is coming soon. Loved this one too -

The Confession: Justice In Blood

[Cassandra Joy Hoover]

Kitty pretty lonely

I have never read anything quite like this .
A heartfelt , maybe, story told through the mind and thoughts of the cat.
Dominance ,love , gluttony , devotion, and that one part that made me gag.
Really great way to end this one, too.
Take the hour break ... read the book!

[Mandy]

Kitty Pretty Lonely is a quietly unnerving psychological horror that turns an ordinary home into something deeply unsettling. Told through the eyes of an obsessively devoted cat, it’s equal parts eerie, heartbreaking, and haunting. Highly recommend!
Note: if you’re someone who checks trigger warnings, it’s worth taking a peek before diving in.

[Catisha Scavairello]

First of all, the cover, 😍
As a huge animal lover, this one made me really sad. Seriously, I cry almost every time an animal dies on a nature documentary. This turf war gone wrong seriously broke my heart...enough that I would label it as a huge TW
The POV from the cat was perfect. It's exactly how I imagine a cat would think.

[Jenny Coyne]

A short, sad story written from a cat's point of view.

[Belinda Mann]

If you are like me and love a heartbreaking, intensely gory story, then this one is for you. My first time reading this author; just happened to see a review a fellow book lover had written and just immediately had to read this short story. That is just what I did, read the entire story before I could stop.
The story is told by the deeply devoted cat, and I have never read anything like this before. I enjoyed it- the story of a hauntingly, beautiful , unnerving situation that goes horribly wrong-is definitely going to stay with me.
I love and have cats and I give this author 5 stars for capturing the essence of a cat. Spot on and believable. I highly recommend.

[Nicolasa DeSantiago]

At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a book about a "cat," being that I am not a pet person. But I was completely blown away at John's prose.
In the beginning, I knew what was to come but I was so immersed that I continued reading. I think that John captivated the mind of a cat in the best possible way... He might have a been a cat in a previous life! Lol
The details at the end really got ahold of me and I absolutely loved the way he ended it.
If you haven't check this short read, please do so!

[Besh]

A book about cats from a cats pov. I wouldn’t usually read anything like this mainly because I don’t like cats but I do like John Alaia books so I read it & as with all his other work, i really liked it.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but this author has a vibe & he somehow manages to make all his writing unsettling, no matter how long or short the work is, which is right up my street fortunately.
This main character (cat-acter?) is exactly how I imagine all cats think.
John has a way of writing deeply, making a really quite sad situation creepy so when you finish you’re not sure whether to feel a bit emotional or a bit grossed out.
This book only took me about 40 minutes to read so if you’re unsure, give it a go anyway.

[Darian]

I liked this one a lot. It made me laugh, it made me gag, it made me uneasy, and it made me cry. Definitely worth sitting down to give it a read. Exceeded my expectations and I’m so glad I randomly stumbled across it 🫶

[Katlin Stokes]

To see life through a cats eyes. This one was for the books! It was so well written and it made you love the main character. Made me sad at the end for the kitty.

[Crystal O]

This kind of short story was a first for me. An old woman lives alone with 2 cats, one who is completely devoted to her and the other not so much. A tragedy occurs and the real test of loyalty and devotion occur when one is truly hungry and lonely.
A story filled with love, gluttony, hunger, loneliness, and raw emotion!

[Le]

A Short, Terrifying Gem.

I absolutely loved Kitty Pretty Lonely, by John Michael Alaia! Though it's short, it's deeply unsettling—a truly creepy read. The story follows a woman and her two cats, told from the perspective of one of them. This has easily been one of the best books I've read recently. I highly recommend it to fans of psychological horror. An awesome, unforgettable read.

[Uilleam Whitedale]

Cat be jealous,
Cat be quick,
Cat be protective of its human pick.
Cat be angry,
Cat be rash,
Cat pays dearly for a turf clash.

A new take on animal motives that twists a morbid turn. A recommended short read.