A fun, charming romp through the history of seventeen great writers and the cats who captured their hearts. Throughout history, cats and writers have banded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship, and inspiration. Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them features famous authors ranging from Samuel Johnson whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, to Edward Lear whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Dorothy L. Sayers who rescued her kitten Blitz from a bombsite. Each chapter delves into the relationship between authors and the felines who condescended to share their homes and desks, revealing intriguing aspects of the writers' lives and celebrating how cats--pure-bred and mixed-breeds, large and small, graceful and eccentric--enriched the world of literature. Including fun additional features on cats in bookshops, libraries, and hotels, and illustrated with charming line drawings, this book is a perfect gift for cat lovers everywhere.