30 Renowned Authors Inspired By Cats

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The jury is still out on the cats versus dogs’ debate. Are cats really evil? Are they the sneakiest companions one can choose to have? What we know is that these fuzzy little creatures are extremely adorable. So adorable that some of the world’s most brilliant writers used them as muses. Here is a list of writers who were inspired by cats to give us memorable quotes and pictures.

Jean Cocteau

Imagine being a member of an exclusive “Cat Friends Club.” Quite frankly, I would sign up for such a club without any second thoughts. This poet, camera novelist, and filmmaker, loved cats so much that he helped establish the “Cat Friends Club” in Paris.

Stephen King

Every book lover knows his name. His love for cats was so profound, he was once quoted saying that the world’s biggest division would not be that of gender (male and female), but that of cat lovers and dog lovers. I find it quite hard to argue with that nugget of wisdom.

Neil Gaiman

The author of American Gods is actually a cat lover. Who would have thought? Neil Gaiman is a god of sorts to most nerds, but his love for his cats is unparalleled. He loves the furry creatures so much that he has a blog about them.

Jean Paul Sartre

This philosopher’s arguments were quite controversial. He was once quoted saying that human beings do not have the creator, they are creators of themselves, and they are responsible for their own actions. How intriguing is it that a man with such a hard stance on life actually had a soft spot for cute felines?

Jack Kerouac

During his short life (he died young at age 47 due to alcoholism), Jack Kerouac was idolized for his unique writing style. Remembered for his novel titled On The Road, this cat lover was often pictured with one of his cats.

Edward Gorey

Despite gaining fame for writing books of gothic nature, Edward Gorey still found time to fill his personal diary with cat tales. In fact, he once said he preferred cats to human beings!

Ernest Hemingway

World War I veteran, Nobel Prize winner, novelist, journalist but most of all, a cat lover with a six-toed cat named Snowball. Ever heard six-toed cats being referred to as Hemingway cats? Now you know why.

Edith Sodergran

“I wish only for a garden sofa… where a cat is sunning itself”. Edith Sodergran loved cats so much, she mentioned them in her poems.

William S. Burroughs

So great was his love for the feline creatures that he dedicated an entire book to them. Burroughs’ The Cat Inside told stories of his favorite cats.

Edgar Allan Poe

People believe that Edgar Allan Poe invented “detective fiction” as a genre of literature. This talented author was also a cat lover.

Tove Johnson

One would expect an author of children’s books and comic strips to be as loving as Tove was to her cats.

Collete

She is remembered for having numerous affairs and discovering Audrey Hepburn when she gave her the lead role of Gigi in an adaptation of one of Collete’s novels. More importantly, she is remembered for being a devoted cat lover.

Raymond Chandler

Starting to write well into his later years, Chandler drew inspiration from his cat Taki, going as far as writing letters as his cat.

Williams Carlos Williams

Williams managed to be both writer and physician. He wrote an emotional poem titled As the Cat.

Truman Capote

His love for cats is very obvious in the way he writes about a nameless feline as a character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

George Plimpton

This co-founder of the Paris Review had a cat called Mr. Puss. Even his obsession with sports writing could not compete with his love for his cat

Herman Hesse

Ever read the spiritual journey of Siddhartha? If so, you would love to look at these pictures of Hesse with his adorable cat.

Peter Matthiessen

He loved all sorts of cats, not just house pets. Peter Matthiessen wrote about snow leopards and his journey in the Himalayas.

Julio Cortazar

No one mastered the art of short stories more than Julio Cortazar. Knowing he had a cat named Theodor W. Adorno makes this novelist even more loveable.

Sylvia Plath

Even though she died tragically young after committing suicide aged 30, Sylvia had lots of love for furry feline creatures.

Wystan Hugh Auden

Imagine publishing more than 400 poems and literary works! Other than being greatly accomplished, Auden was an ardent cat lover

Joyce Carol Oates

How awesome is it that Marilyn Monroe’s biographer credits her cat for the long hours spent creating masterpieces? Joyce Carol Oates actually compares her cat to her husband, finding the former more calming.

Doris Lessing

Apart from giving her cat such a majestic name (El Magnifico), Doris Lessing also wrote a short memoir dedicated solely to her cat.

Philip K Dick

Even when writing about serious matters in metaphysics, politics, and sociology, Philip Dick still had a soft spot for his cat named Magnificat.

Patricia Highsmith

Patricia loved animals in general but found more solace among her cats which she eventually preferred to humans.

Samuel Johnson

He single-handedly published an English dictionary in 1755. Samuel Johnson also had a close relationship with his cat named Hodge

Jorge Luis Borges

Jorge Luis wrote about dreams, mirrors, and God. While living in a mystical literary world, he still remembered his love for cats.

Jacques Derrida

One only needs to read his extensive essay on the feline gaze to understand how much Jacques Derrida loved cats

Charles Bukowski

“If you are feeling bad…look at the cats, you will feel better” Charles Bukowski was this much of a cat lover.

Mark Twain

This list would be incomplete without including the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain loved cats so much; he was once quoted describing them as the most intelligent creatures on earth. I totally agree with him on this one.

As you can see, cats are simply the best. No wonder they were a favorite animal for so many talented people.

This post was created by Jessica Class – a content creator at Ok Essay Writing Service.