While I haven't lived with a cat for many years, I totally warmed up to CAT'S PEOPLE by Tanya Guerrero, the story of a street cat known as Cat. Former strangers break their habitual, polite, neutral distance when Cat falls ill and in the course of loving the animal, they are themselves connected in rich and rewarding ways. I felt hopeful as events unfurled and thoroughly enjoyed this warm and engaging, well-written story. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

always down for a good cat book! this was very cute, I've always wondered what it would be like to be a cat.

🐈‍⬛ For my friends who want a warm and fuzzy cuddle of a story.

CAT’S PEOPLE by Tanya Guerrero

Thanks, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press, for the review copy via #NetGalley. (Available now)

Mom will ask, “What are you reading now?” and 90% of the time, I reply, “You wouldn’t like it.” We’ve gotten to this shorthand after some trial and error (I read some strange stuff–well, strange to a small-town 83-year-old). But today! She asked, and I replied, “Oh, Mom! I need to send you a copy. It’s about a stray cat in Brooklyn and the five random people who help him by bringing him food and water. The story is about how the cat brings the people together to become friends. A couple of the chapters are from the cat’s point of view. You’d love it.”

It’s about found family, the kindness of strangers, and animal lovers, all of which are my (pardon the pun) catnip.

What a heartwarming story about the power of animals (especially cats) and how they can bring us together. I loved snuggling up next to my cat reading this. The way it all came together in the end was beautiful. Definitely recommend checking this book out.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I LOVED Cat. I like how not only do we get the peoples POVs but also a POV from Cat himself. How all the characters connected was interesting as well!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Cat’s people was a fine book. It didn’t really do anything wrong, but it wasn’t especially groundbreaking either. It was perfectly fine. My biggest complaint is that there are too many POVs to follow. This book has six POV characters: the cat lady, the author, the widower, the mail man, the half sister, and the titular cat. I personally feel like if this book had been reworked to completely exclude the half sister and the author characters it would have been a better book. I found that whenever their chapters came up I didn’t particularly want to read them. The other characters were more interesting and likable, and I think the story would’ve been more concise if it shaved off those two POVs. Overall, the story was cute, even if it felt a little long winded at times. I recommend it if you like cats and found family stories.

Absolute 4.5 out of 5 stars for this cat lovers fiction dream!!!

Five strangers in NYC end up connected together because of a stray cat in the neighborhood. As someone who works in cat rescue, many of us cat lovers can and will instantly bond over something as small as a cat in need.

Adding the Cat's perspective was a nice touch.

"Cat’s People" by Tanya Guerrero had potential with its cozy, cat loving premise, but it didn’t quite work for me. The story juggles too many characters, and I found it hard to stay interested or connect with any of them in a meaningful way. The plot moved slowly, and I often felt unmotivated to keep reading, I nearly marked it as a DNF. While I appreciated the message about unexpected connections and community, the story just didn’t hold my attention. A cute idea, but not one that fully delivered for me.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher for the chance to read this book in preview in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cat lovers will enjoy this story through the eyes of a cat. Sweet, heart-warming, easy to read because obviously the story is told in third person, Cat. Wonderful characters who bring kindness to Cat. Recommended.

Thank you Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!

Cat's People was offered to me several months ago and I finally was able to get around to reading it. This was such a feel-good book that was complex and layered, and I was so engaged from start to finish. I enjoyed the cat's perspective on the story, as it gave another dimension to these characters and to the story itself.

I definitely recommend to my audience!

Thank you again for the ARC!

This reminded me of the video game where you thrive and have to survive as a cat, and I loved it.
The pacing was simple and straight to the heart.
The plot was basically the cat distribution system at its peak and made my eyes leak!
The writing reminded of Emily Henry writings with five different people.

Perfect if you love:
MEOW
Own cat(s)
Want a cat(s)
heard of cats

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this arc!

This reminds me a lot of Remarkably Bright Creatures except it’s a cat instead of an octopus. Lovely story with wonderful characters. I enjoyed each and every story.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A truly interesting and enchanting story. An eclectic group of people who are each dealing with some major issues are brought together in a very unconventional manner. They are good, kind people who are all a bit lost, lonely and emotionally shut down. The author created a sweet, lovely, at times emotional story and highlighted the joy that animals can bring into our lives. A feel good gentle story that I am so glad I read.

I have two cats of my own, so when I saw this book, I immediately wanted to pick it up! Following multiple POVs, we get to see these 5 seemingly random strangers go through their daily lives, which can seem a bit daunting, but each character had a defined personality and style of speaking to help differentiate them as you read, one of the POVs being from the cat, which was honestly my favorite. Seeing the world and the characters from cat's perspective was so unique and made me think of how frivolous some of our daily mishaps seem as we tend to overthink, over analyze, and work ourselves up over so many things that can really eat away at us. However, here is cat who is just living his life on the street, lucky enough to have a few humans who want to provide for him and he takes on each day for what it is, despite not knowing for certain what could come his way.
I enjoyed getting to see all of the characters lives intertwine, brought about by cat, each person feeling realistic and tangible as they worked through their own inner turmoil and finding a sense of family in unlikely places where they don't have to do everything alone, just like cat learns from the people who take care of him. I kept finding myself wanting to continue reading at any chance I had, wanting to see how everything turned out, and I also found myself laughing at typical cat behavior that I see in my own everyday. An emotional and heartwarming read for people who understand the ways of cats and how they wiggle their way into your heart and make a home there.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this multi point of view slice of life of a neighborhood in Brooklyn. The cast of characters is great and I love that we get to see things through Cats eyes and mind. Everyone has one thing in common and that thing is Cat even though they don’t all know that at first. Núria, Lily, Collin, Omar and Bong all have their roles, all of them are lonely in one way or another, trying to decide what to do in life, write a best selling novel or grieving and all taking care of Cat in one way or another. This was sweet and I would read more like it.

Cat’s People has a sweet, whimsical tone and a deep affection for its feline characters that shines through every chapter. Tanya Guerrero clearly writes with love—for animals, for connection, for the quiet moments that shape us—and there’s something undeniably comforting about the world she’s built.

The story centers on a young protagonist navigating big emotional changes and the comfort she finds in an unusual bond with a community of cats. The themes of belonging, healing, and empathy are gently woven throughout, and I appreciated the way the book explored these ideas without being heavy-handed.

That said, the plot felt a little underdeveloped to me. While there were touching moments, I kept waiting for a deeper sense of momentum or conflict. Characters sometimes felt more like symbols than people I could fully connect with, and the emotional arc—while present—lacked the punch I was hoping for.

Still, readers who enjoy cozy, character-driven stories with a light magical touch and a strong emotional core may find plenty to love here. It just left me wanting a little more.

I am not a cat person but admittedly this cat was cool. I loved the cat’s perspective and voice. I loved the way he brought people together and connected their lives. On the flip side, I found it to be a bit dull at times. I felt like I didn’t get enough from each of the characters to really connect. But overall it was delightful, easy and fun to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Núria is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of stray cats. One day she starts finding Post-It notes from a secret admirer where a black cat named Cat lives. Núria tries to guess who it might be: Collin, the bestselling author who is a hermit who loves coffee; Lily, searching for her long-lost half-sister; Omar the mailman; Bong, the grieving widower who owns Núria’s favorite bodega. These five strangers bond through chance encounters and their connection with Cat.

We have short chapters from everyone's POV, even the Cat. At first, there's a bit of overlap as the characters see each other in the neighborhood and interact. Cat has a soft spot for certain people and is willing to help these five in particular. We get a chance to see how Núria’s daily life is and what she sees is important as she responds to letters that Collin writes to distract himself from writer's block. Omar, Bong, and Lily gradually get to know each other when small kindnesses and chance comments build on each other.

If anything, this book feels like the best of New York City. The smaller neighborhoods within boroughs are thriving and interconnected communities because of the connections that people have. These five strangers work through their fears and reach out, and are able to create new friendships, and caring for Cat is another link connecting them. Even Cat, an older stray who had seen a lot during his time on the street learns to trust these people and try to help however he can. The end of the book is truly a feel-good moment for everyone involved, a happily ever after, and a great Brooklyn-style slice of life.

This is a very sweet but simple story. There isn’t a ton of depth, it borders on cheesy, and I am expected to believe that a cat is really quite intelligent. As an animal person, I like the idea that these people all end up meeting because of this particular cat and their affection for him. I like that all of them “take in” the stray cat and give him love. It was just a touch too saccharine.

The first thing that caught my attention was the cover. I love all animals but I just find the cat cover with everyone petting them so cute and inviting! this was the perfect light fun read in between my usual thriller stories! I’d recommend for cat lovers and really and animal lovers in general!