For centuries, cats have been worshipped, adored and mistrusted in equal measure. This beautiful gift book contains a selection of essays, stories and poems on cats, by writers from across the centuries.

In these pages, writers reflect on the curious feline qualities that inspire such devotion in their owners, even when it seems one-sided.

Edward Gorey can't turn down a stray despite the trouble they cause him, and admits he has no idea what they're thinking about; Muriel Spark gives practical advice on how to teach a cat to play ping-pong; Nikola Tesla, who helped design the modern electricity supply system, describes a seminal experience with a cat that first sparked his fascination with electricity; and Caitlin Moran considers the unexpected feelings of loss after the death of her family cat.

These writers, and many others (including Mary Gaitskill, Alice Walker, Ursula K. Le Guin, John Keats, James Bowen, Lynne Truss and more), paint a joyful portrait of cats and their mysterious and loveable ways. As Hemingway wrote, 'one cat leads to another'.