On Cats

‘A cat is only ITSELF,’ Bukowski wrote.
‘Representative of the strong forces of life that won’t let go’

A raw and tenderly funny look at the relationship between cats and humans from one of the world’s most treasured and transgressive writers.

‘The cat is the beautiful devil’

For Charles Bukowski there was something majestic and elemental about cats. He considered them to be sentient beings, whose searing gaze could penetrate deep into our being. Cats see into us; they are on to something.

Funny, moving, tough, and caring, On Cats brings together the acclaimed writer’s reflections on these animals he so admired. We also see these creatures at their most ruthless and most resilient: they are fighters, hunters, survivors who command awe and respect as they grip tightly onto the world around them.

On Cats gives an illuminating portrait of one very special writer and a lifelong relationship with the animals he considered his most profound teachers.