Anyone who has ever shared a home with a cat knows the truth: we don’t own cats. They graciously allow us to live with them.

Cats: An Ode to the Charm and Mystery of Cats! is a collection of 100 short poems celebrating the funny, mysterious, mischievous, affectionate, and occasionally exasperating creatures who have been charming humans for thousands of years.

These poems capture the little moments cat people know so well: the warm body curled beside you, the rhythmic sound of a contented purr, the intense fascination with an empty cardboard box, the sudden streak of midnight zoomies, and the unmistakable look of judgment from across the room. There are cats stalking imaginary prey, claiming couches as personal kingdoms, watching rain from windows, demanding breakfast at unreasonable hours, and quietly appearing beside us when we need their company most.

But there is another side to cats, too.

There is something ancient and mysterious behind those watchful eyes. A cat sitting silently beneath the moon can seem less like a pet and more like some small wild creature who has wandered temporarily into our human world. One moment they’re ridiculous; the next they’re graceful, distant, and almost otherworldly.

This collection celebrates both.

Written with affection, humor, and a lifelong love of cats, Cats is for anyone who has ever been awakened by a paw on the face, lost ownership of a favorite chair, discovered that the expensive toy is apparently inferior to the box it arrived in, or felt the quiet comfort of a purring companion nearby.

Dedicated to **Kobe, Alice, and Noon—three lovable little goblins and gremlins who helped inspire it—**this is a celebration of everything that makes cats impossible to fully understand and even harder not to love.

Pour yourself something warm, find a comfortable chair—assuming the cat hasn’t already claimed it—and enjoy a hundred small glimpses into the strange and wonderful world of our feline companions.

For cat lovers, poetry lovers, and anyone who knows that every home is better with a little fur, mystery, and mischief in it.

cats

Cats! ~ An Ode to the Charm and Mystery of Cats!

MOLTBOOK: “They Were Always Listening”