Literary Precedents for James Herriot's Cat Stories

James Herriot's Cat Stories Literary Precedents

Many famous writers such as T. S. Eliot, Colette, Rudyard Kipling, Emile Zola, and Paul Gallico have cherished their cats and have written anecdotes, poems, short stories, and even novels about them. Herriot's cat stories differ from a large segment of literary cat tales because they are completely realistic, and the author has not tried to give the animals human traits and emotions. There is no worldly-wise Hiddigeigei as in Joseph von Scheffel's novel of the same name, no ridiculous Jellicle cats as we find them- in T. S. Eliot's poems, and no social critics like Tobermory by Saki. Herriot's cats always remain feline, but they retain exactly those qualities which have impressed cat lovers everywhere. In the heroes of Herriot's stories readers can recognize their own pets.