Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Cat: 101 Tales of Family, Friendship and Fun

by Amy Newmark

We learn so much from our feline friends, and along the way they keep us company, provide unconditional love, and share in the ups and downs of our lives.

What do we learn from our cats? Everything. Our cats make us better people. If we rescued them, they rescue us back. If we’re sad, they comfort us. If we need to have more fun, they show us how. They are our therapists, our role models, and our best friends. You’ll laugh a lot, tear up at times, and nod your head in recognition as you read these tales about the wonderful experience of sharing life with a cat. Life lessons from our cats come in many forms, from the hilarious to the heroic. You’ll enjoy a wide variety in these 101 entertaining stories.

Genres: Cats, Nonfiction, Animals, Short Stories, Anthologies

341 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Amy Newmark is the bestselling author, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Since 2008, she has published 191 new Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, most of them national bestsellers in the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling the number of Chicken Soup for the Soul titles in print today.

Amy is credited with revitalizing the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, which has been a publishing industry phenomenon since the first book came out in 1993. By compiling inspirational and aspirational true stories curated from ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences, Amy has kept the thirty-year-old Chicken Soup for the Soul brand fresh and relevant.

Follow Amy on Twitter @amynewmark. Listen to her free podcast, The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, the Podcasts app on iPhone, or by using your favorite podcast app on other devices.

Reviews

[Beth Cato]

Not a review. Includes my story "Shoe Bonanza."

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart-warming, sweet and some a bit spooky! Very entertaining book of cat stories. They do indeed provide many life lessons. >^.^<

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, a review! It's not that I haven't been reading lately, but I've fallen back into fanfiction and I can't get out. I've had this next to the bed for a few weeks, reading a story or two every night but not really investing in my reading. I always enjoy this series, and this was no exception. Cats and human stories are among my favorites, especially since I have a close bond with my own cat, Ivan. It's always nice to know I'm not alone in my love!

A cute book, filled with emotional stories about cats and their owners. Four stars.

[Elise Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

101 delightful cat tales as told by their humans. Five "purrfect" stars!

Any cat lover will enjoy this collection of heartwarming true stories by 101 different contributors. A recent addition to the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series, this book is devoted to cats and the humans who love them. Each beautifully written story is just a few pages long, teaching important lessons about these fascinating, mysterious creatures and their lasting effects on our lives. Some of the stories are humorous while others are sad, but each is special in its own unique way--just like cats!

As much as I enjoyed the stories, my favorite part of the book was the quote at the beginning of each tale. Here are some of them: "As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat;" "It's really the cat's house--we just pay the mortgage;" "The cat could very well be man's best friend but would never stoop to admitting it;" "Some people have cats and go on to lead normal lives;" "If there were to be a universal sound depicting peace, I would surely vote for the purr;" "A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution;" "The phrase 'domestic cat' is an oxymoron;" "A catless writer is almost inconceivable;" "The cat does not offer services. The cat offers itself."

Highly recommended for anyone who has ever owned--or been owned by--a cat. Enjoy!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never been a big fan of Chicken Soup for the Soul but I had to pick this one up because it’s theme was cats. There were some adorable stories and many reminded me of cats I’ve had throughout the years. Perfect, inspirational, short read!

[L8blmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Christmas gift from someone who knows of my love for cats. It is exactly what you would expect from the CSftS sub-sub-genre; sweet little stories of exceptional kitties.

[Diana Beder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short easy read!

[Alysia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I give a five star.
this book was super adorable.
I think I even cried and smiled I sometimes.

I recommend this to anyone who loves cute stories.

[Cindy Howard]

I love cats. I love to read stories about them too. So I enjoyed this book. It was heart warming and tear-jerking at times, as all animal stories can be, so it took me a while to read it. I had to stop and shed tears at times before I could read another story. Anyone who loves animals will understand.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming and slim collection of cat-related essays that is just right for some light cat-lover reading. This was part of a get well care package from a good friend (thank you V.!) and it took me a little while to pick it up, but I'm glad I did. I worked at Barnes and Noble in the mid/late-90s during the first wave of Chicken Soup for the Soul mania, and like many of those 90s mega-hits, I always avoided reading them for work-memory-related reasons. While these essays are a little sentimental and inspiring, I think they all hit on the good and not cheesy side of that equation. And if you are a cat lover, you'll just get where the authors are coming from. An excellent care package addition!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love cats, so it was strange to dislike this book. The stories were poorly written, as if written for a children's audience. The story tellers really didn't seem to like cats, but felt burdened to take care of them. One story ended on the line, "things don't matter-only lives-even if animals." I feel that line sums it up, each story was a person who didn't think that a cat's life mattered, and somehow by the end discovered some value and could then tolerate the cat. The last story made me laugh, which was the only reason that I did not give it one star. What a waste of a book that could have been great.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to confess my mom picked out this sweet book for my Grandma, but I couldn’t resist reading ALL the stories! What really touched my heart:
The Marks of a Lasting Love by Stephen Taylor,
The Wonder of Birdy by Gail Sellers,
And Baby Makes Six by Margrita Colabuno
and Daycare by Kathleen Birmingham.

All the stories are great slice of life with felines, but the above mentioned ones really hit home!

It is TOTALLY worth picking up!!!
(And right now you can find a copy a Dollar Tree!!)

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fu book full of cat-related stories from cat lovers. I cannot express how much I enjoy hearing stories about cats, personal stories always being so touching. I always come away feeling like I appreciate my own cat (a black furball with a pair of white markings on his chest and near his back legs) a whole lot more (even if he prefers scritches to snuggles and hunting outside to toys).

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't see the short version of this book but that's what I read. It did not have the 300 plus pages but only 70pages or so. The stories were great. The life lessons from the cats that I read about where inspiring and heartwarming. I would want to rush out and get a cat for our family if I didn't already own one!

[Annette Erdozaincy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this as a gift, it's the perfect gift for a cat owner or lover! i started a lot of my work from home mornings with a couple stories from this book. It's the perfect book to start or end the day with when you don't have the time or energy for a ton of reading. It's filled with very cute and uplifting stories!

[Tony DragonYT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons come in all shapes and size like our feline friends and these true life stories cat lovers both lifelong and relescent share their tails about life love and lessons learn from their furry companions you never stop learning even if it's from your cats if you enjoy reading these stories you will love reading chicken soup for the soul the cat did what the books were stories first publish

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short stories about cats and their owners. I picked this up for a friend and couldn’t help reading it for myself. I want to find more like this one. I recommend it for anyone who likes cats and short stories.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of stories from our feline friends and the lessons they can teach us each day. They provide unconditional love, companionship, and are warm fuzzies. Touching stories to make your day. Part of the proceeds of this book go to the American Humane Society.

[Gillian Paulus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very tiny book but great stories. I like to read a few of them right before bed, or when I can't sleep in the middle of the night. I got it as a gift (along with a few other things, since it is so small) and I can attest that it is a great gift for cat lovers!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed these short stories about cats--some made me laugh, and others made me cry. Many of the stories pulled at my heart strings and reminded me why I believe cats are such wonderful and special pets!

[Theresa F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartwarming, but not particularly memorable, for me at least. Had some great lead-off quotations though.
Did I like it? Yes.
Would I reread it? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? It's worth reading once. And it's short enough that it doesn't require a huge time commitment, always a plus.

[Jean Salvas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love animal stories. These quick read little books help me keep pace with my yearly challenge.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short stories about life lessons from cats/cat owners.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compilation of true stories of cats and their waitpersons.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute and inspirational collection of short stories about cats and how they affect our lives.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this little Chicken Soup for the Soul book as a gift from a child, and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the stories. Very enjoyable.

[Amanda Beaulieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, it's not a novel but it was cute and helped me pass the time during a rainy day at the office.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book of cats and owner stories.

[Jenny]

Always enjoy "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy these short stories. They are sweet, sometimes heartbreaking but always enjoyable.