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SUPERNATURAL CATS
The Black CatEdgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
A chilling psychological thriller about an animal lover whose severe alcoholism transforms him into a violent madman. Consumed by guilt and “perverseness,” he mutilates and kills his favorite cat, replaces it with an eerie look-alike, and ultimately murders his wife.
The White Cat of DrumgunniolJoseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814–1873)
A mysterious white cat appears as an omen of death, haunting the Donovan family in retribution for an ancestor who betrayed and broke the heart of a young woman named Ellen.
The Three Black CatsThe Rev. A. D. Crake (1836–1890)
A Victorian gothic tale centered on a haunting by three sinister felines. The minions of an evil witch torment the children of the household by “sucking their breath”.
The SquawBram Stoker (1847–1912)
An arrogant American tourist carelessly kills a stray kitten in Nuremberg. The kitten’s vengeful mother cat stalks the tourist into an ancient torture tower, where he is gruesomely executed by the legendary Iron Maiden.
The Street of the Four WindsRobert W. Chambers (1865–1933)
An impoverished artist befriends a stray cat wearing a mysterious rose-colored garter. When he attempts to return the animal, he discovers the tragic fate of its owner, leading to a chilling exploration of loss, isolation, and the uncanny.
The Woman and the CatMarcel Prevost (1862–1941)
A psychological thriller about a doctor who falls in love with a mysterious woman. Suspicious of her feline-like habits, he fears she is a supernatural creature before she ultimately vanishes without a trace.
The Eyes of the PantherAmbrose Bierce (1842–1914)
A young woman rejects her suitor, believing she is insane and cursed. She explains she was born shortly after her mother had a traumatic encounter with a panther, an event that led to the death of Irene’s infant sibling.
The Grey CatBarry Pain (1864–1928)
An explorer returns to London with a sinister gray cat that mirrors the physical proportions of an ancient African jade statuette he bought.
The CatE. F. Benson (1867–1940)
A jilted artist overcomes a deep depression to find sudden phenomenal success. Then after he agrees to paint his ex-fiancée’s portrait, he becomes haunted by a mysterious grey cat that bears an uncanny resemblance to his former lover.
A Psychical InvasionAlgernon Blackwood (1869–1951)
Dr. John Silence investigates a terrifying psychic affliction plaguing a humorist named Felix Pender, whose mind and talent are being consumed by the haunting, lingering presence of a previous malevolent tenant.
Ancient SorceriesAlgernon Blackwood (1869–1951)
A British traveler detours into a remote, cat-worshiping French village. Enchanted by the locals and a beautiful girl, he becomes trapped by ancient pagan magic that slowly transforms him into a cat.
The Empty SleeveAlgernon Blackwood (1869–1951)
Two reclusive violin collectors find their quiet world disturbed by the arrival of a virtuoso violinist whose obsessive desire for a certain instrument leads him down a dark, supernatural path of temptation.
The Stalls of Barchester CathedralM. R. James (1862–1936)
An ambitious archdeacon causes his predecessor’s mysterious death. He is soon tormented by a cursed wooden carving on his choir stall — carved from a sinister “Hanging Oak” — that comes to life to exact murderous revenge.
The Seven Tortoise-shell CatsFrank L. Nelson (1873–1947)
Two private detectives are in the mountains of Tennessee, investigating possible insurance fraud. Six new policy holders have died in a two-week period — “of fright”, according the the doctor. The fright was supposedly caused by the appearance of a large tortoiseshell cat.
The AtticAlgernon Blackwood (1869–1951)
One windy, stormy night on the anniversary of a young boy’s death, the boy’s cat bridges the gap between the living and the dead, ultimately bringing comfort to the family.
The Cats of UltharH. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937)
An old couple enjoys capturing and killing the townspeople’s cats. When his pet kitten disappears, an orphan traveling with a caravan of wanderers invokes a prayer before leaving town that causes the local felines to swarm the cat-killers’ house and devour them.
The Black CatWilliam. J. Wintle (1861–1934)
Despite loving other animals, Sydney is terrified of felines (a dread he attributes to a past-life trauma) — yet he remains a gentle person who would never intentionally harm them. Then he finds himself haunted by a mysterious spectral black cat which gradually becomes more powerful and threatening.
The Yellow CatElinor Mordaunt (1872–1942)
On the foggy, sinister Wapping piers in London, Joseph Yanatoff and Mr. Yen were bound together by their hatred of each other and their passionate desire for Leila Fitch. There were these three, then: Leila herself, Yanatoff, and Mr. Yen. As to the cat — well, count the cat or not, as you please, there were still but three of them.
The Soul of Black TobiasMark Mellen (fl. 1910s–1930s)
While searching his deceased aunt’s uninhabited house to find her will, Higby hears sounds of a cat — apparently one of her beloved pets is still in the house. Then he encounters Tobias — his aunt’s favorite pet cat, stuffed and mounted, and obviously silent…
The Lord of the TarnG. G. Pendarves (1885–1938)
A spectral abbey perched on Monk’s Rock mysteriously appears above the tarn when a member of the Yarl family is destined to die. Horrific supernatural elements surround the diabolical heir to the cursed lineage: monstrous, giant cats and sinister ancient blood rites.
The White CatSir Hugh Walpole (1884–1941)
A down-and-out fellow in Hollywood schemes to marry a wealthy English widow but finds his plan threatened by her cat. It appears to possess an oddly human, sinister intelligence and actively disapproves of the American suitor, sabotaging his attempts to court its owner.
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FAIRYTALE CATS
The Cat Changed into a WomanJean De La Fontaine (1621–1695)
Adaptation of Aesop’s Fable “The Cat and Venus”.
A besotted bachelor convinces Fate to transform his beloved cat into a beautiful woman. They marry, but on their wedding night, she reverts to her feline instincts and leaps out of bed to chase a mouse, proving that inner nature never truly changes.
Puss in BootsCharles Perrault (1628–1703)
The classic European fairy tale.
A clever cat uses trickery and wit to turn his penniless master — the youngest son of a miller — into a wealthy nobleman who marries a princess.
The White CatMadame d’Aulnoy (1650–1705)
Classic French fairy tale.
A feminist retelling of “Puss in Boots.”
An aging king sets three impossible quests for his three sons to determine his successor. While the older brothers search in vain, the youngest stumbles upon an enchanted castle. There, a magical white cat provides required treasures, ultimately breaking a curse to become his queen.
The Poor Miller’s Boy and the CatThe Brothers Grimm (1863 / 1869)
A retiring miller promises his mill to whichever of his three apprentices can bring back the most beautiful horse. The two older, selfish apprentices trick and abandon young Hans. He meets a magical cat in the woods, agrees to serve her for seven years, and is ultimately rewarded with riches and a princess.
The Colony of CatsAndrew Lang (1844–1912)
Italian folktale.
Kindhearted Lizina finds work in an enchanted house of talking cats, earning gold and a magical star on her forehead. Her jealous and greedy sister Peppina tries to replicate her success but fails, leading to a bizarre twist where she is punished with a donkey’s tail.
Kisa the CatAndrew Lang (1844–1912)
Icelandic folktale.
A devoted, smoke-colored cat with china-blue eyes helps a lonely queen conceive a daughter, rescues the grown princess from a giant, and ultimately breaks an enchantment.
The Boy Who Drew CatsLafcadio Hearn (1850–1904)
Japanese fairy tale.
A frail boy obsessed with drawing felines inadvertently spends the night in a haunted monastery, where his painted cats magically come to life to defeat a monstrous rat-goblin.
The Story of the Faithful CatA. B. Mitford (1837–1916)
A poignant Japanese folktale of loyalty and sacrifice.
A devoted pet cat starves itself to death to protect its master from an evil, shape-shifting rodent that had taken over their household
The Vampire Cat of NabéshimaA. B. Mitford (1837–1916)
Japanese folktale.
A bakeneko (demon shape-shifter) kills a prince’s consort and takes her form to drain his life force. A loyal soldier, Ito Soda, exposes the demon, allowing for the creature’s defeat and the prince’s recovery.
The King o’ the CatsJoseph Jacobs (1854–1916)
Classic English folklore.
A man witnesses a bizarre feline funeral. When he shares the strange news with his house cat, the pet astonishingly speaks, declares himself the new monarch, and disappears up the chimney.
The King o’ the CatsStephen Vincent Benét (1898–1943)
A modern, Americanized take on the British folktale. It blends 1920s high society with supernatural elements, featuring a feline-like orchestra conductor who upends the romance of a young Manhattanite.
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COMICAL CATS
A Cargo of CatAmbrose Bierce (1842–1914)
This short, absurd satire details the disastrous maritime voyage of a ship transporting over 100,000 cats from Malta. When waterlogged, the feline cargo swells, bursting up from the hold like a volcano.
The Cat’s RevengeW. L. Alden (1837–1908)
The Colonel spins a tale to demonstrate that he understands cat language.
Incandescent CatsW. L. Alden (1837–1908)
The Professor “calculated that at that rate a cat can furnish enough electricity to run candle-power Edison light for just as long as the cat’s fur is rubbed…” He intends to thus illuminate his house.
The Man at the Next TableRobert W. Chambers (1865–1933)
A bachelor who has fallen in love discovers that his rival (a mysterious, wealthy figure) is actually a reincarnated, cat-shifting sorcerer utilizing telepathy to win the girl.
The Cat-hood of MauriceEdith Nesbit (1858–1924)
A thoughtless boy frequently torments the family cat, and to teach him empathy, magic intervenes. Maurice swaps places with the cat, enduring life as a feline and gaining a profound, permanent appreciation for animal kindness.
TobermorySaki (1870–1916)
A house-party guest succeeds in teaching his host’s cat to speak. Chaos ensues when the cat begins revealing the guests’ private affairs and embarrassing secrets.
A Black Cat for LuckErle Cox (1873–1950)
Mr. Pinceman, in a panic after accidentally killing his wife’s cat, is stunned to find, not the body of said cat, but a beautiful and very much alive young woman.
07-13-2026, 04:20 PM
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