Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#187: Cat People

I love cats. Independent, sassy, badass, unbothered, adorable, playful, and cuddlier than popular culture makes them out to be, they’re one of life’s everyday miracles. 


They live with us, but they are mysteries to us, and it can be incredibly fun to imagine their secret lives — and all the parts of their realities we aren’t privy to. This week, let’s think about ordinary and unusual cats alike, and take a moment to appreciate the magic they bring to our lives.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a character being led somewhere by a stray cat.

Adventure – 109 stories

Write a story from the point of view of a big cat — whether that’s a lion, cheetah, etc., or just a chunky pet.

Funny – 48 stories

Write about a cat living in an ancient temple, like the Acropolis.

Fiction – 17 stories

Set your story in a cat shelter.

Fiction – 24 stories

Write about a human and a cat that come to some kind of mutual understanding.

Character – 126 stories

Stories

“Queen of Wands” by Kathy Philpott

Submitted to Contest #187

From the Tarot. QUEEN OF WANDS: look at the mysterious cat, the keeper of secrets. You see life through a creative and determined view. The mail truck pulled away, and Penny ran barefoot down the front porch steps of her two-story Victorian home. She didn’t stop to pick up the penny on the top step. Nothing mattered but the letter she had expected and dreaded.  When Penny returned to the house, Stinky was seated on the second-floor stairs waiting to learn what Penny’s property taxes would be. Unfortunately, patience was not Stinky’s...

2 comments 2
Read story

“It's hot in the savannah.” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #187

It's terribly hot on the savannah. Lions like me are having a rough time. I should lose weight as it's getting harder than ever to carry those antelope up the tree. I remember the days where it used to be a walk on the park (no pun intended). And these flies! I don't want to get in a bad mood but where the heck is the wind? My tail hurts since Zoopie, the baboon bit it. It used to work well against the flies on my back. I think i got a tooth abscess, more to contend with. Last time it took three weeks to go away and i had to eat sn...

0 comments 0
Read story

“"The Family Saga"” by Moumita Boral

Submitted to Contest #187

“The Family Saga” Sorry, Dusty; I promise I will give you tuna in the evening. Dusty remarked with a groan and gave a sullen look to "M." "Every time she promises, but she makes excuses, purr purr...." "Now I have to share that horrid Pedigree with that annoying Bruno, who despite my repeated warnings doesn’t stop licking me." Plus, he is a major whiner. Grr Grr. A regular day at the apartment ‘M," as usual, is boggled with work. With the upcoming event, she is always on her toes, unable to give time to her precious kids, a 4 year old La...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Lost King” by Keith Maynard Jr

Submitted to Contest #187

Getting caught was my mistakeTo the land of man I was takenNow I want not for foodNo need to huntJust enjoy the sun.At first it seemed I was freeThat opening is a magic thing indeedAn invisible wall stops meIs it not an openingNo damage it takesOn the other side are men... staringI shout, I clawThey just enjoy the show.Futile my effort seemNo strength have INo point to tryStill I plotThough confinedI will survive.Yawning, soon it will be breakfast - today is spicy lamb, if I remember correctly. The routine is always the same - if it's lamb f...

3 comments 3
Read story

“Simba's Reign” by Mustang Patty

Submitted to Contest #187

My name is Simba, and I’m very upset. For some reason, my humans chose to put me in this jail. It wouldn’t be so bad, except that these people aren’t my humans… they’re nice enough, but they only pay attention to me for a bit, and then they move on to some other poor kitty who’s stuck here. To think that my humans would send me away is something I believed would be unthinkable. They declawed all four of my paws and took me to the Vet when I got sick. I guess when the Vet told them something was wrong with my kidneys, they decided not to ta...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Lucky” by Listy H

Submitted to Contest #187

If I knew what it was, I would say so, and deal with it accordingly, wouldn't I? Tooth and bone, he's stupid. Lovely, but stupid. He asks me if it's an antelope and I tell him with absolute certainty that it is not an antelope.  He is lucky he gives us gorgeous cubs, is all I'm saying. It is finally sunny after days of rain, and the paths are already starting to dry and the sky is clear. It is promising to be a beautiful day, and my little sisters and daughters and I were planning on hunting some actual antelope later on, but now ...

1 comment 1
Read story

“The Book of Cats” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #187

The Book of CatsLet’s count all the “fingers” and toes.Oh dear—is this one… Is there something wrong?One…two…three…four…five. And five on that side.What about…one…two…three…four. And four there. Poor wee scrap! Such a disability. But you can see, now that I’ve dried him off, he’ll have a gorgeous golden coat. Just like his daddy!What about the other two?… Oh, such a relief! They’re fine. Both have my coloring. This young gentleman is everything I could wish for, and this lovely little lady! Perfection in a fur onesie. She takes after me, obv...

10 comments 10
Read story

“Touched by Time and Paws” by L. R. Clocks

Submitted to Contest #187

Passing along these ancient ruins of Ephesus, tourists felt the same nostalgia one experiences when they see an abandoned lot. A sense of human kinship for a time never lived through. A sadness at the remains of what was once a bountiful landmark. The happiness and pride in man-made architecture that has stood the test of time. The immortality of human creation. Travelers could rest easy knowing that one day their descendants would look upon their skyscrapers with the same nostalgia they felt in the crumbling Arcadian Theater. They could alm...

1 comment 1
Read story

“General Sharpless” by Melissa Baird

Submitted to Contest #187

GENERAL SHARPLESS Aged and slightly frayed General Sharpless lounged on a divan pillow embroidered in fine silver and gold. He was cleaning his face with his deeply tufted paws and dreaming of an adventure once upon a time. He had been a protector of King Quonex's tomb hidden in a desert far away. Of all temple guards he was the most feared. Night after night he strutted bravely at the entrance, tasked with keeping the magic safe. He was never sure what harm could come to a dead king's magic but as the outside threats mounted, he remained vi...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Green Eyed” by Marylou Iheme

Submitted to Contest #187

Piercing green eyes. Piercing. Maybe that's what scared them away, she thought to herself as she sat in the lonely shelter waiting for her time to run out. She knew that wasn't it, she was just lying to herself. I'd lie too. She'd rather drift away in denial than accept that it wasn't her eyes, her nose, her whiskers... it was the velvety coat that enveloped her. The black velvety coat that kept her warm at night. The same coat that kept them away. Why me? How could I have done something to deserve this if I couldn't even open my eyes. I was...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Feels Like Home” by Erin Keeney

Submitted to Contest #187

‘Vivian!!’  Le Sigh. ‘Vivian! What on Earth are you eating over there?!’  Vivian rolled her deep, hazel flecked eyes, and lifted her right paw to block  Donald from coming any closer. She curled her other paw on top of her pile of turkey slices Diane the janitor had left her earlier that morning.  ‘Donald, ce n’est pas ton prob´´´leme!!’  She replied flatly, exasperated. The rain hadn’t stopped ticking on the tin roof for days, it seemed. But what were days, anyway? Vivian, like all of her furry roomma...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Cat-astrophe ” by Reem Alomari

Submitted to Contest #187

The alarm didn’t wake me up this time around. The smell did. It was fishy, potently so.  I peel my eyes open, yawning in the process and stretching out my achy muscles.  I’m not in my bed. I clearly slept on the floor. The carpet beige and worn out.  I try to remember how I got here, but nothing’s coming up. It’s completely dark and quiet and the harder I try to remember the more I realise it’s pointless. Did I blackout last night? I’ve never blacked out before. I’ve never been drunk, never did drugs. Could someone hav...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Free Beer” by Jose Nodar

Submitted to Contest #187

‘How about another round, Bill?’ ‘Sure, why not Angus? And this one is on you.’ ‘No argument, there mate,’ as Angus waves to Millicent behind the bar for two more glasses. ‘Listen, this is my last one Angus, the missus is going to kill me. It is after midnight and I got to work in the morning.’ ‘OK, Bill, this is the last one for tonight.’ Bill smiles, knowing the last beer is always the nicest. ‘Great, but I am not leaving here until you tell me the story you told Tony last week. He said to me it was a true story about how you met you...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Pretend Play” by Gabrielle Gerstley

Submitted to Contest #187

‘I just feel bad they don’t have proper hands and fingers, you know?’ ‘Mmm,’ my husband responded.  He and I were lying on our couch watching our six-month old kittens bat around the cap from a carton of milk. All around them was a junkyard of sorts of the toys we had bought them over the past three months since first adopting them—spotted and striped plush mice, multicolored feathers, things that spun, things that spit out water, things that squeaked and rolled and jumped. Instead, they leapt for wrappers. They sprung for ribbons and...

3 comments 3
Read story

“The Cat, the Ring, and the Cookie” by Aaron KC

Submitted to Contest #187

Seventy-four thousand dollars. That was the only thing I could think about as I chased the stray cat down the alley. Mr. De Gondi’s engagement ring was worth seventy-four thousand dollars.Nobody knew how the cat kept getting into the kitchen. Sure, there was a constant flurry of staff and vendors through the back door, but everyone was adamant that le chat had never followed them in or out. The small window far above the dishwashing station was kept open, but surely that was too high for him to jump, and it was screened besides. Maybe he ca...

2 comments 2
Read story

$250

Prize money

324

Contest entries

117

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 03, 2023 EST

Won by Michelle Oliver 🏆

Title: Mitzee’s Moment

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.