How Cats Make Us the Best Versions of Ourselves

COS COB, Conn. – Chicken Soup for the Soul has published their latest book about cats and the myriad ways they change the lives of their humans. The 101 feel-good stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Cat (May 20, 2025, 978-1-611591217, $16.99) were selected from thousands of submissions and cover the gamut, from quirky cats to comedians, from cats with purpose to mischievous ones, from natural therapists to rulers of the house, and from rescued to rescuers.

The stories chosen for the book are not only inspirational and fun, but also feature cats adopted from shelters and from the backyard. These include black cats and senior cats, the types that are often left behind at shelters. It’s part of Chicken Soup for the Soul’s mission to make people think “shelter first” and “not just kitten” when they’re considering adding a new pet to their families.

The contributors to the book did indeed learn from their feline friends. Laurie Cover and her husband discovered that being nice to their rather aloof cat despite her disinterest actually turned her into an affectionate member of the family. So they tried it on their teenagers too. Newly widowed Betsy Franz rescued an abandoned kitten and realized she wasn’t the introvert she had thought she was. And countless “dog people” recount how they surprised themselves by becoming cat people. Judy Kellersberger, for example, couldn’t understand why her sister kept taking in feral cats—until she was moved to tears by a mama cat who spent a whole night in icy rain trying to get inside the house to care for her kittens.

Other contributors describe their cats as role models for expressing gratitude or using the power of forgiveness. Some of these rescues are examples of fortitude and resilience as well. Jon Ketcham watched with admiration as the one-eyed, badly injured stray cat they took in came back from the brink of death. And Roger Wilber and his wife adopted a kitten with a seemingly insurmountable list of diseases, including neurological problems. He not only survived but became the alpha cat lording it over three other much healthier male cats.

“The theme that prevails throughout the book is how embedded these cats are in their families, and how much they enrich the lives of everyone they encounter, from their owners to perfect strangers,” says Amy Newmark, publisher and editor-in-chief of Chicken Soup for the Soul. “Don’t be surprised if you find yourself heading to a shelter to meet your next cat after you read these stories!”

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL

Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. With well over 100 million books sold to date in the U.S. and Canada, 400 titles, and translations into more than 40 languages, the phrase “chicken soup for the soul” is known worldwide and is regularly referenced in pop culture. Today, more than 30 years after it began sharing happiness, inspiration and hope through its books, this socially conscious company continues to publish 10 new titles a year. It has also evolved beyond the bookstore, with a podcast, education programs, dog and cat food, and licensed products.

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 For a review copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Cat or an interview with Amy Newmark or one of the contributors,