Guest Post: 6 Purr-fect Cat Movies Based on Books by Vanessa Morgan

Do you think cats rule the internet? Wait until you see how they dominate the silver screen—especially when their movies are inspired by books. 

To celebrate the release of my book Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies, I'm diving into six unforgettable feline flicks that started as books.

Meow! dives much further into these six films and many others, with many behind-the-scenes insights, fun facts, and plenty of feline flair. It's the ultimate guide to all things cat cinema.

6 Purr-fect Cat Movies Based on Books

By Vanessa Morgan

1) Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Based on the novel by Eiko Kadono, Kiki's Delivery Service is a charming coming-of-age tale about a young witch navigating independence. Kiki’s black cat, Jiji, is her constant companion, offering sarcastic quips, loyal support, and comic relief throughout her delivery adventures. Jiji isn’t just a sidekick; he represents Kiki’s inner voice, grappling with doubts and confidence as she grows. Studio Ghibli’s adaptation perfectly captures the heart of this story, with Jiji stealing the spotlight as one of cinema’s most lovable feline characters.

 2) Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024)

This recent horror film, adapted from the novel by Manel Loureiro, takes the zombie apocalypse genre to a chilling new level—and a cat plays a surprisingly pivotal role. In a world overrun by the undead, the protagonist’s tabby is a loyal companion that offers comfort and a sense of normalcy in a world descending into chaos. The cat’s presence in Apocalypse Z highlights the human need for connection and hope, even in the darkest times.

 3) The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963)

Based on Paul Gallico’s heartwarming novel, this Disney classic tells the story of a little girl, her veterinarian father, and their beloved cat, Thomasina. Narrated by the cat herself, the film explores her three “lives” as she connects the fractured family and helps them rediscover love and compassion. Thomasina’s role is both magical and deeply emotional, embodying themes of forgiveness and healing.

 

4) Morgiana (1972)

Adapted from Alexander Grin’s gothic novel Jessie and Morgiana, this Czech psychological thriller is a tale of envy and deception, where a mysterious feline plays a hauntingly symbolic role. The feline is a representation of guilt and justice (much like in Edgar Allan Poe's short story “The Black Cat”), mirroring the sinister undertones of a sibling rivalry that spirals into murder.

5) Felidae (1994)

Based on Akif Pirinçci’s novel, this German animated neo-noir film is anything but your typical cartoon. Francis, the feline protagonist, is a detective who uncovers a sinister conspiracy while investigating gruesome cat murders. Intelligent, gritty, and surprisingly philosophical, Felidae explores themes of morality, power, and survival, all through the eyes of its feline characters. 

6) The Cat (1992)

This Hong Kong cult classic, adapted from Ni Kuang’s book series, blends sci-fi, horror, and martial arts into a bizarre yet entertaining cinematic experience. The story centers on an alien cat and its human allies as they fight a malevolent extraterrestrial force. The Cat is without a doubt the craziest cat movie ever made.

Final Thoughts

Cats have captured our hearts in books, movies, and just about everything else! Luckily, these six cat movies based on books are just the beginning of what’s out there. Whether you’re a fan of spooky stories, sci-fi escapades, or charming magical journeys, there’s no shortage of feline-inspired entertainment. Plus, you’ll find all of these films—and over 200 other cat-centric tales—in Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies, your ultimate guide to the world of feline cinema.

Now it’s your turn—what’s your favorite cat movie or book? Is there a feline hero or literary kitty with a special place in your heart? Share your pick in the comments!

About Vanessa Morgan

VANESSA MORGAN is the editor of When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampires Movies, Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children, and Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies. She also published one cat memoir (Avalon) and four supernatural thrillers (Drowned Sorrow, The Strangers Outside, A Good Man, and Clowders). Three of her stories became movies. She also introduces movie screenings at several European cinemas and film festivals and is a programmer for the Offscreen Film Festival in Brussels. When she is not writing, you will probably find her eating out or taking photos of felines for her website, Traveling Cats.

 

The Silent Miaow: A Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats by Paul Gallico, Suzanne Szasz

In the spirit of revisiting golden oldies, I tracked down a copy of The Silent Miaow by Paul Gallico and Suzanne Szasz from a library, and oh, what a treat it was. I appreciated the book a lot more now as an adult than when I was a kid, and I think this book says more about us humans than it does about the cats. 

First published in 1964, The Silent Miaow features a whole bunch of photographic studies of one cat, in particular, and her shenanigans with her humans. It's told in a 'mockumentary' style, as the subtitle suggests: A Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats, and it details all the ways a cat can wriggle her way into humans' homes and hearts, and how careful management of their, ahem, human resources, can lead to a long, fulfilling life.

A Silent Miaow is most certainly a book for ailurophiles, and if you don't read it with a knowing smile tugging at the corners of your lips, then you're not the kind of person I'm going to allow to step inside my house ;-)

A word on the author: Paul Gallico is also known for such classics as Thomasina, Jennie, and The Snow Goose, and his writing often features heroic animals. His books numbered among the first I read when I was little, and my mum encouraged me to get into literature. It's with equal parts nostalgia and love that I look back on his writing, and I'm hoping to revisit my old favourites.

Junji Ito's Cat Diary

My beloved husband keeps insisting that I read manga – or more specifically selected works from his extensive (and ever-growing) Junji Ito collection. In *general* I'm not a huge fan of the more commercial manga I've glanced at, but Junji Ito is undoubtedly in a league of his own. And I'll admit that it was easier to twist my arm and get me to read Junji Ito's Cat Diary because, well, cats. We've got the hardcover collector's edition and while the Cat Diary is not in Ito's usual creepy-AF, near-cosmic horror, what he does with the Cat Diary is special. Very special. 

For all his reputation for grim and exceptionally strange horror, what Ito does with this slim volume is tell us about his cats, Yon and Mu, and the (mis)adventures they experience. He fictionalises his life, casting himself as J-kun, and his then-fiancée A-ko in their own manga. The joy comes in with how he portrays life with these felines – darkly humorous takes that flirt with then subvert all the expected horror tropes he's known for. But with cats. And no one dies a grisly death, swallowed by a mountain or menaced by giant floating heads. Let's admit it: cats can be kinda creepy in their own way.

And I laughed. A lot. The little tales are short, so if you need to decompress after a torrid work day, then you'll most certainly gain a few much-needed chuckles that won't tax your concentration. I felt that this was almost a shorter, sweeter answer to Paul Gallico's The Silent Miaow (at least in my mind a vaguely comparable work). Interspersed between the strips we also have short interviews with Ito that offer small glimpses into his world. And he really does seem like a really lovely person (well, duh, he loves cats). Even if he draws his wife with no pupils in her eyes (which apparently made her rather vexed).