When I discussed Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism the other day, Donna suggested I read I’m Not God: Cat Chronicles by Stefania Gander. She was right. Anyone who ever lived with a cat will recognize the cat’s thoughts throughout the book. It was charming, until the end. And, the author even tried to alleviate the end by allowing a glimpse over the Rainbow Bridge.
The narrator is an unnamed cat, but according to the author, it’s a male. He thinks he’s been kidnapped when a couple, two-legs, pick him up, put him in a cage, and take him away from his Mom. After he settles in, though, he finds an older cat, and works his way into her attention by cuddling next to Mama Mimi. There’s one other cat in the household, Felix, but he and Felix never become close friends. So, there are three cats in the household when the female two-leg got fat, and they eventually bring home “a pink thing”. But, he worries about the pink thing called Alice when she is alone in a bed. “Starting tonight, I’ve decided to sleep in Alice’s bed at her feet. Don’t worry, Alice. Whatever happens, I’ll protect you.”
The author says she had four cats at the time she wrote this book, and decided to “Recount our world from an entirely different perspective.” It’s a fun viewpoint. Who is this creature the two-legs call “Kitty”? He isn’t sure because the male two-legs sometimes hollers “God” at him, or “Dear God”. Or, even “Stop”, a name he prefers over “Kitty”. And, he’s sure that they leave the house for so long every day because they’re out hunting kibble. What else could they be doing?
Most of the book is just what a cat person imagines the cat thinking. But, this book takes a cat through his entire life, so the end is said, and the “dontcry” comment the two-legs make to each other becomes go ahead and cry to Alice. Only the Rainbow Bridge helps cat lovers get through the sad ending. But, it is a book that allows readers to imagine what their cats are thinking. They are very opinionated.
Maybe I’m Not God: Cat Chronicles by Stefania Gander. Gander Books, 2025. 123p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I bought a copy of the book.
I grew up with a beloved cat, and I can remember often wondering what he was thinking. This book sounds fun.
It is fun, Kim. I had ten cats (not all at once!), from the time I moved to Florida until I moved back to Ohio. I loved every one of them.
They are so lovable, I know. But it’s hard to lose them.
So hard. I don’t know which is harder, Kim. I lost one to kidney failure when she was two. Her brother lived to be 18. Most of my cats lived to 17 or 18, and it’s hard to let go after that long.
Great post! So glad you liked it. I thought it explained how a cat would think perfectly. My Buddy is 12 now and I love him to bits! When I kiss him on the head I then always say “I know its a lot but your very kissable”. My husband passed away a year ago and loved animals dearly and so it is just the two of us now. You have to get another cat!
Donna, I’m glad you have Buddy around to love, and I’m terribly sorry to read about your husband.
Thanks – it is not easy – which is why I am glad that I have my books.
I’ll get one eventually, Donna. Books and your Buddy. They help to get you through. After my husband died, I said my cats gave me a reason to go home. They were waiting for dinner and cuddles. They’re special, aren’t they?