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When the weather outside is frightful, there’s nothing better than curling up with a four-legged friend and a good book—which is why we’ve put together this list of the Rover pets’ all-time favorite books for cat and dog people. (Okay, so their humans helped a bit.)
Whether you’re hunting for a gift for a loved one or looking for something to cozy up with yourself, our editors have you covered with their best-loved dog and cat books for the season. These reads run the gamut from fantasy and YA to architecture, crafting, and poetry, with some nice options for younger readers (or the young at heart).
We wish you and your four-legged friends many wonderful nights by the fire—happy reading from the writers and editors at Rover!
Our Favorite Books for Cat and Dog People
Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner
This picture book about an extremely grouchy cat who encounters aliens won a 2014 Caldecott Honor for children’s literature—and with good reason. While the jaded Mr. Wuffles ignores toy mice offered by his human housemates, he’s fascinated by a spaceship that just happens to be the same size (and shape) as a cat toy.
He pounces, damaging equipment in the ship. The tiny aliens flee, barely escaping the gigantic paws of Mr. Wuffles. Taking shelter beneath a radiator, the aliens find cave drawings that seem to document earlier battles with Mr. Wuffles or his ancestors. Then, the household insects arrive. Can the aliens decipher the drawings, enlist the insects as allies to repair their equipment, and mount an attack to get their little spaceship away from the cat? Meanwhile, the humans wonder why on earth Mr. Wuffles insists on standing guard in front of the radiator.
You can read Mr. Wuffles as a simple picture book, or you can study each colorful page to enjoy the minute details (including the aliens’ almost-comprehensible coded language, which Wiesner developed in collaboration with a linguist). This is a superb book for cat lovers of all ages. (Tip: Do yourself a favor and buy the durable hardcover edition.)
Find on AmazonOnly One Woof by James Herriot
“That’s the odd thing about Gyp,” Mr. Wilkin said. “He’s never barked at all.”
Only One Woof is a favorite in our household. It’s the story of Gyp and Sweep, two Sheepdog brothers, as told by everyone’s favorite country vet, James Herriot. Gyp is a silly pup who has an odd characteristic—he never barks. When his owner sells Sweep to a trainer, the brothers are separated. Later in his life, Gyp sees his brother at the local sheepdog trials, and for the first time, he lets out a gigantic “woof” at the sight of his old friend.
We love this story for a lot of reasons, but most recently because of our dog Ruby. When we first brought her home, she never, ever barked. It reminded all of us of Gyp. But one day, she let out a loud “woof” as she played with us in our field. For us, it was a sign that she finally thought of us as “home.”
All of James Herriot’s books are worth a read for dog people (and animal fans generally)—so if you enjoy this one, consider starting at the beginning with All Creatures Great and Small.
Find on AmazonCrafting With Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya
This delightful book, translated from the Japanese, is a step-by-step how-to guide for transforming your cat from a shedding nuisance into an in-house supplier of materials for your craft projects. It’s so popular that multiple Rover editors insisted it make the list!
With this beautiful guide, you’ll discover how to transform clumps of cat hair into tiny finger puppets and cute cat toys, or use them to add decorative elements to your wool sweaters and hats. One of our favorite projects in the book is the pin cushion, where a piece of an old sweater or other knit is stuffed with cat hair.
Along the way, the book explains quite a bit about cat hair. For instance, the top coat of your cat’s hair has different qualities—and even different colors—than the undercoat. You’ll also learn that different breeds of cats have different types of cat hair. (We discovered that one of our cats has a type of fur that felts easily and can be compressed into ball-shaped cat toys that bounce!) You’ll also get to meet the author’s cat, who likes to camp, and the cats of several other families who contributed time (and cat hair) to the book.
One or two of the projects in this book require a sewing machine, but most can be done by hand. The only special tool you’ll need is a fine-point felting needle with a serrated edge—so if you’re giving this book as a gift, you might want to include a needle.
The easy-to-follow instructions and relatively quick turnaround times (most projects can be made in less than an hour) make this a great book for even busy cat people. There’s no end to the fun that can be had with all that (formerly) spare hair.
Find on AmazonMy Friends Who Don’t Have Dogs by Anna Levin
This title comes from Merlin Unwin Books, a small family-owned publisher in the UK, and it’s my favorite hidden gem of 2021.
It’s journalist and nature writer Anna Levin’s homage to dogs and their people—a book-length poem set to images of pups from all over, submitted by loving (and sometimes exasperated) pet parents.
It’s about all the dog things you’d most like to hide under your couch cushions when guests arrive—the hair, the mud, the uncontrollable barking, the shoe-chewing. It captures (with slightly painful clarity) the feeling of being stone cold and waiting for your dog to do his business at six in the morning while your slippers get wet in the grass. Or the absolute humiliation of explaining to your houseguests that something of theirs has been chewed beyond recognition.
And it’s about how a pup pays you back a hundred fold—so you wouldn’t trade them for the world.
It’s a book by dog people for dog people. I might have sniffled a little bit when reading it. Just a bit.
Find on AmazonCats in Ukiyo-e by Kaneko Nobuhisa
While the cats in this art book appear modern, the artwork is nearly 200 years old, dating from the Ukiyo-e period of Japanese art. Kuniyoshi Utagawa (1797-1861) was a Japanese artist renowned for his woodblock prints, drawings, and paintings of subjects ranging from landscapes to Kabuki theater actors and fantastical creatures. Kaneko Nobuhisa, a curator at a Tokyo art museum, collected hundreds of Kuniyoshi’s works that pertain to cats for this beautifully designed book.
You’ll see cats as demons, cats as beloved pets, and anthropomorphic cats in theater costumes. Quite a few of the prints and paintings in the book are humorous, portraying cats as household pests—sneaking under the edge of someone’s kimono, making off with a fish from the dinner table, or blithely ignoring their owners.
The book includes the text of dozens of traditional cat stories that Kuniyoshi illustrated. Some of them, like “Pale Moon, Cats in Season” are at least PG-rated. Because the text of the book is in both Japanese and English, this is a superb book for the cat-enthusiast who is studying written Japanese.
Cats in Ukiyo-e is a stunning gift book for cat people. It includes a cat-shaped bookmark attached to the spine by a cord and is printed on high-quality paper.
Find on AmazonDog is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You by Clive D. L. Wynne
As a loving parent of two pups, I often wonder if my dogs genuinely love me back, and if so, are there distinct signs? So when I came across the book Dog is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You by canine behaviorist Clive D. L. Wynne at a local bookstore, I knew I had to get it.
Wynne’s book is the answer dog people have been looking for. He uses insights from his own research and data from other scientists worldwide to write a detailed account about how dogs became man’s best friend and how they show us love. For example, did you know that studies show dogs’ heartbeats can synchronize with their owners, similar to human couples’ in a loving relationship? That’s just one of the adorable and heart-melting tidbits you’ll discover in this book.
What’s unique about this book is that it uses both scientific research and personal experiences to explain how dogs show affection to humans in their canine way. Not only will you walk away from this book feeling more assured that your dog does indeed love you, but you’ll also understand your furry friend’s love language even more and be able to better care for them because of it. It’s the perfect book for a devoted dog person.
Find on AmazonThe Cats’ House by Bob Walker
There are moments when all cat owners realize that they live in the cats’ house, but at Bob Walker’s home in California, this was really true. This now-classic book documents the design and construction that Walker and his wife, Frances Mooney, undertook to keep their eight indoor cats entertained.
The colorful house has since changed hands, but the book remains an inspiring guide for cat parents looking to move beyond the basic cat trees and cat beds to create a truly stimulating environment for felines. Walker built 140 feet of tunnels, ramps, cat-sized stairs, cat perches, and scenic outlooks. The setup included a floor-to-ceiling scratching post the more athletic cats used for climbing.
Walker explains how his elaborate design changed over time as the cats tested the systems. Problems occurred when cats chased each other along a high ramp, with one cat finding itself trapped in a corner (Walked added an escape route).
This book for cat people goes beyond inspiration and documentation. It also includes blueprints that show how the cat structures fit into the house plan. (Note that while the book is out of print, Amazon offers used copies.)
Find on AmazonWitches Abroad by Terry Pratchett
This is the twelfth book in Sir Terry Pratchett’s immensely popular Discworld fantasy series (don’t worry—there’s no need to read these in order of publication). In it, Pratchett’s trio of witches leave the Ramtop mountains to visit Genua (a lowland city based loosely on New Orleans) to confront evil. They aim to rescue a Cinderella-like girl from being forced to marry an evil duke, which requires defeating the powerful witch who arranged the marriage.
The witches bring with them on the journey Nanny Ogg’s berserk one-eyed tomcat, Greebo, who escapes their hotel rooms at night and foments mayhem in various villages. Readers who have enjoyed Greebo’s feral antics in previous Discworld books will shiver with anticipation when they hear that in Witches Abroad, the witches are forced to transform the cat into a dashing young man who looks as if he “has raided a leather goods store for the discerning pirate.” Unfortunately, he still behaves like a tomcat. This is the book in which Greebo devours a vampire bat but meets his match in the form of a black rooster.
The paperback version of this book is the ideal stocking stuffer. Older children and YA readers will enjoy the fast-paced adventure tale. Adults will appreciate the socio-political undercurrents involving power struggles among witches. And everyone will love Greebo—the book was made for cat people.
Find on Amazon