Cat’s People : A Novel by Tanya Guerrero
- Cana Clark
- Aug 27
- 4 min read
Cat’s People by Tanya Guerrero is the kind of feel-good, easy read that just makes you smile after you put it down. Five very different people find themselves battling loneliness in the big city, but a very curious stray cat manages to bring them all together and help them find connection.
Guerrero writes short, three to five page chapters that each focus on a different character’s perspective. The quick chapters help move the plot along and make it easy to pick the book up again after putting it down. The characters are distinct — their voices and thoughts are easily distinguishable from one another. My favorite point-of-view was, of course, Cat.
I always love to see how writers interpret animal perspectives (my favorite so far is The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers). We don’t really know how animals think, so inner monologues for animals make for a fascinating read. In Cat’s People, Cat has a casual voice and a lot of self-assurance. He sees himself as wise and capable. He interacts with people and has favorites but keeps them at a distance for safety.
As it turns out, Cat really likes his favorite people; he notes that people are there to serve cats, but “once in a blue moon, if they were so inclined, cats would do something in return.” This tidbit is right before the beginning of the book, in a prologue titled “The World According to Cat,” and serves as a hint towards the coming plot.
Cat interacts with five people — a barista named Núria who spends her free time caring for stray cats, best-selling author Colin Thackeray who can’t seem to start his next novel, Bong the recently-widowed bodega owner, Omar the friendly mailman who can’t understand why everyone wants him to find a different career, and a former cheerleader named Lily who can’t seem to hold down a job or get any respect (from others or herself). Cat weaves in between all of their lives, bringing them together and helping them learn to accept help and find connection.
Omar the mailman is already good at connecting with others, but Colin can barely leave the house or hold a conversation. Núria never gives people the chance to get close, and Bong is steeped in an overwhelming sadness. Single-minded Lily doesn’t seem to view herself as worthy of connection and can only focus on reuniting with a long-lost family member. The characters learn how to connect by learning from each other; Colin watches Núria feed Cat and gets inspired to build a cardboard cat house. He starts writing notes and leaving them for Núria to find, Lily, overwhelmed by her own emotions, sees Bong crying at a cemetery over his wife’s grave and is moved to reach out to him. Moved by Lily’s kindness, Bong listens to her financial woes and gives her a job at his bodega. Meanwhile, Omar offers love to everyone on his route — from the widowed Mrs Lewis to hungry Cat to Bong. (I thoroughly enjoyed Omar taking Bong to Coney Island to cheer him up — what a cute moment)! It takes a gift from Mrs Lewis and a change in her life for Omar to realize he needs change in his life. All the characters learn and grow by watching each other learn and grow... it feels organic and very satisfying to read.
Cat is the real hero in this book. He brings people together, charms everyone, and teaches the human characters how to care for each other. When Cat sees Bong sobbing in the bodega, he brings Omar to visit Bong and stands in the doorway to block Omar from leaving until he’s offered comfort to the grieving bodega owner. When Colin isn’t sure how to show Núria his affection, Cat grabs an acorn to show Colin that he needs to give her a gift. Cat even fights off a man who attacks Núria when she’s too drunk to defend herself, risking his life and taking quite a hit.
Now of course, the big question of this book is... does the cat die at the end? SPOILER! No, Cat does not die at the end. However, Guerrero does tug at your heartstrings in the final third of the book. Cat’s chapters toward the end are filled with musings on how tired he is; how thirsty he feels and how he can’t dredge up the energy to go eat. The reader knows Cat is sick before the other characters do, leading to a heart-tugging climax where Colin discovers a weakened Cat hiding in his cardboard house. Colin races to the cafe where Núria works and the two of them sprint to the closest veterinarian. Along the way, Omar, Bong, and Lily spot a man they don’t know holding a cat that they do — all five of them converge at the vet and finally realize how closely they’re connected. Meanwhile, Cat is treated for severe dehydration and serious kidney disease. The vet warns that a continued life outside will kill him, so OF COURSE, Colin the reluctant writer agrees to adopt him. Feeling better, Cat finally accepts that he wants to live an indoor life and settles into a life of ease. Hurray! The cat lives!
Cat’s People focuses on themes of connection and care in a world where isolation is easy. Have you ever heard the phrase, "inconvenience is the price you pay for community?” I think Cat’s People really embodies that. Traipsing around New York City to care for strays is a real inconvenience for Núria; looking after Cat is a real inconvenience for Colin; Omar talking to every person on his route delays him at his job; Bong hiring a girl he barely knows is a real risk... but all of these inconveniences lead the characters to a place where they finally don’t feel isolated anymore. The risks and time we take to care for each other (and for animals) is worth it; what we invest in each other is returned to us tenfold. Now that is a message I can get behind. For a well-paced, sweet read about connection, people, cats, and New York City, I recommend Cat’s People!
Book Info
Title: Cat’s People : A Novel
Publisher: Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9780593873847
Author: Tanya Guerrero
Illustrator: N/A
Pub date: April 2025
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