Staff Picks: Cat Manga

A lonely widower finds himself in a pet store one night and ends up taking home the kitten no one wants to adopt. Thus begins the adventures of Mr. Kanda and his new companion, Fukumaru. And as they get to know each other, maybe some of the hurts in Kanda's past will heal as he makes new friends through fellow pet lovers and the magic of Fukumaru's adorable face.

Because the main character is in his late middle life, and most of the characters are also definite adults to elders, this series primarily holds appeal for adult readers. But sometimes the story is from Fukumaru's perspective, and the manga is easy to read, so this could be a series a parent reads together with a child, especially with the picture book that was released earlier this year. Overall, A Man and His Cat is a gentle and sometimes funny, sometimes sad series.

Discussions of grief, death of loved ones

Shannan Prukop

Office worker Riko is one of the most efficient people in her office, so she has as much time as possible to pursue her gaming hobby. When she suddenly takes in a kitten, Riko has a new set of challenges. Can she level up and take care of this adorable new responsibility?

Mixing Riko and the kitten’s perspectives, Cat + Gamer is made up of short, sweet, and low-stakes episodes featuring Riko adjusting to the cat owner's life. With its straightforward, heartwarming plot and adorable illustrations, Cat + Gamer is a great read for teens and adults who are looking for something light and cute.

Megan Rupe

A stressed-out businessman wanders into a massage parlor, desperate to find anything to help him relax, to find out it is run by cats! He is skeptical at first, but after a great massage, is a cat massage convert and starts visiting the massage parlor regularly. He even brings the cat masseuse to his company so that all of his coworkers can relax. With kitten trainees and a street cat acting manager, hijinks abound for this businessman and his stressed-out coworkers.

Anyone able to suspend their disbelief enough to accept that talking cats give great massages will enjoy this zany story.

Tayla Cardillo

An old Louvre watchman asks other staff if they hear the paintings and cares for the cats secretly living there. What does the tiny white cat have to do with the child who went missing years ago?

With beautiful black-and-white illustrations that capture the museum’s grandeur and adorable cats, Cats of the Louvre is a thoughtful, twisty mystery that will draw readers. Readers who enjoyed the contemplative stories and immersive art of stories such as Tillie Walden’s On a Sunbeam will want to pick this up.

Some brief nudity and violence

Megan Rupe

Horror manga artist Junji Ito moves into a new house with his partner A-ko, who immediately brings two cats—Yon and Mu—into the house. A dog lover, Ito must learn to navigate life with cats.

Using his signature horror style to capture his and the cats’ adventures, Junji Ito’s Cat Diary will appeal to readers who are looking for a bit of spooky with their slice-of-life stories.
For libraries considering purchasing this story, Cat Diary was re-released in 2021 in a collector's edition.

Megan Rupe

Have you ever wondered how your pet sees you? In this story, we see the main character, Miyu, through the eyes of her cat, Chobi. Miyu goes through the ups and downs of new adulthood, learning how to live alone and be independent. All the while, the cat thinks that she hung the moon because she feeds him, gives him affection, and does all the things attentive cat owners do. In this poetic story, we learn that the people (and pets) around us frequently see things in us that we struggle to see on our own.

While the cat isn't the star of this story, cat owners will appreciate this take on how their furry friends see them.

Tayla Cardillo

The two main characters of this series are Saku, a young woman who works too much in an office job, and Yukichi, her cat. Yukichi happens to be as tall as Saku and very capable around the house. Where Saku is a bit of a mess, Yukichi is quite tidy and good with a coupon. And so their lives go on, with Saku making messes and Yukichi worrying over his human's habits.

While the main cast is primarily adults, the story has enough high-emotion beats to make it appealing to teen readers looking for something a little different from the usual office drama story. There's not really any romance in the series, but we slowly get introduced to a cast of coworkers, neighbors, and family members that add variety to the story. Yukichi's side of the story is fun, especially if the reader suspends disbelief on this giant cat wandering around town, running errands.

Depictions of alcohol/drinking alcohol

Shannan Prukop

Over a few years, we see a variety of perspectives and points in time, all bound together by a white cat wandering through human survivors' lives. At first, it seems like these humans are all disconnected, but by the end, they've all woven together to create a story of being found and getting lost. Though we see the stories wind together, even at the end, there's not a definite end or resolution, just another moment in time. Important note: the cat lives.

This is a great pick for fans of the zombie apocalypse genre looking for an unusual perspective on the usual stories. It is more poignant overall than an action or thriller in mood, so something to keep in mind. Also, as a hefty 3 in 1 omnibus, while it's shorter than many zombie series out there, it will still take a minute to get through.

Physical violence of various kinds (fights between zombies and humans, as well as humans against humans), death and dead bodies depicted, and discussion of domestic abuse.

Shannan Prukop

This book features a collection of vignettes showing the lives of yokai cats and their owners. The opening of the book describes these creatures as part cat, part yokai (which is a spirit from Japanese folklore), and each type of yokai cat has traits that make it not like other cats. Some types of yokai cats include the long neck yokai cat, which can stretch it's neck long like a giraffe to get food off of the table, and the long cloth yokai cat, which is part cat, part towel and can wrap themselves around their own to keep them warm. These whimsical and mischievous creatures will make even dog lovers go, "Awww."

Fans of Pushseen will enjoy the art style and short-form storytelling of this series.

Tayla Cardillo