Just So Stories

Harper Collins Australia

May 2026

• Imprint: ABC Books AU
• ISBN: 9780733343957

This is one I’ve dipped in and out, which was easy to do with distinctly different chapters like a mini-essay and I have to say it’s been just a delight over the past few weeks to do so.

Although I’ve happily owned both dogs and cats (not to mention all the various animals The Kid had as her ‘zoo’!) I am very firmly Team Cat when it comes to the crunch. And reading this, very obviously, puts me in the ranks of the many others who are also of this tribe.

I loved each and every account although they were all so different – different types of owners, different situations, different time periods, different social stations and, as you would expect, very different cats. It’s pretty hard to pick a favourite – just as it is pretty hard to pick my favourite cat** out of the long cat-alogue of those I’ve shared my life with in the past but there are some stand-out chapters for sure.

I loved the early chapter on Maritime Cats which quite naturally kicked off with Trim, the much-loved companion of Matthew Flinders – who I mentioned elsewhere recently. Most of us know the long history of cats on ships [though not everybody apparently – Kirsty!] but I didn’t realise how important they remained into contemporary times and as ex-officio crew members on our naval ships.

There were the newsworthy cats – those who made headlines for their intrepid skills with despatching snakes and vermin on farms, for instance. That was an intriguing chapter because while I know personally of cats who have done similar things [my Burmese, Possum for one – and yes, he was the favourite cat** of my life – but don’t tell the others!], some such as Patch who killed at least 28 snakes and answered to her owner’s whistle were clearly extraordinary!

Military cats, political cats [who knew there were so many strays at Parliament House – and I don’t mean the politicians!], the waifs of the streets and those who devoted their lives to saving them, cats who saved lives and cats who migrated here with their owners seeking a better life.

Perhaps my most enjoyed chapter was Cats on Country – which featured Gary Lonesborough and with Gary Jr being one of my favourite First Nations authors, as well as the Bega connection, this was one which really resonated with me.

Author Jodie Stewart is clearly one who straddles both dog and cat camps like myself, but the overwhelming love for her cats shines through every single word of this fascinating book and it brought me delight from the first page to the last.

We read to know we are not alone, says C. S. Lewis in Shadowlands by William Nicholson (play released in 1989/1990 and film in 1993). We read about cats to know we are not alone in our love of and comfort in our furry, purry companions.

Without a doubt, it’s a 5 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛rating from me and a 5 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾rating from Whiskers aka the Demon Spawn. And I really do have to add that every time I picked the book up, the jingle was playing in my head. For those of you not old enough to remember it, here it is – enjoy!!