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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

“Be a cat ” by Dêsērt Çhìçk

Submitted to Contest #187

Catherine and Rosie, two elderly women, sat on a park bench on a beautiful summer day. Although their hair had turned platinum with age their step, unsteady, they were still friends, and here they were just as they had been during their childhood. This day was the last of many they had spent together, for they were getting quite old and time was nearing lifes end. Life had been a gift to these ladies, and now they are wise beyond their years. Rosie had always had a deep appreciation for Catherine, who was always selfless and willing to help ...

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“Big Wheel” by Luke Jones

Submitted to Contest #187

She was my father’s sister. He had once called her barely domesticated but outside of that I knew nothing at all. It was hardly a teary affair. Besides me there was the mortician wearily glancing at his watch as though no one would notice. “Goodbye Aunt Susie.” I rested my hand on the closed wooden coffin. There were several photos. Not one absent of a kitten or two. Even the flowers seemed quite lonely. I had only attended due to a legal summoning and I was the only one of my family who lived in the area. Any items of value were sold to c...

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“The Grim Feline” by Ashly Dyan

Submitted to Contest #187

For the last five days this stray cat had stared at me from the top of a fence post in the alleyway behind my house. The alley had very tall trees on the other side of the fence that blocked the view of the woods, on the opposite of my fence. This cat appeared out of nowhere and I have never seen a cat like him before. It didn't feel normal, nor did the cat appear like an ordinary everyday feline. He was larger than a house cat and his fur was almost jet black, minus the small patch of gray on his left ear and a small spot towards the end of...

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“Golden Teardrops” by Julie Pruitt

Submitted to Contest #187

[Infanticide]The woman squatted near the small brook as she washed the meagre clothes that belonged to her husband and herself. They both had two changes of garments. As she scrubbed the clothes with her scrubbing stone, tears flowed down her cheeks.For the second time in two years, she had lost a baby in childbirth. Or, that is what the midwife told her. The baby had been another girl. Qiao Hui never had a chance to see either baby. Where their bodies were taken, she was never told. She dared not ask. Her grieving had to be in secret.Her hu...

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“It was all Gravy” by Autumn Logan

Submitted to Contest #187

It was all Gravy The cat squeezed through the opening in the window which was just wide enough for his fluffy gray body to fit through. This was his usual nightly routine after he’d spent the day galivanting around the city, wandering from place to place searching for handouts. But this place was a sure bet. There was always a warm bowl of gourmet cat food waiting on the pristine countertop for him. Just as expected, the bowl sat in its usual spot. The scent of salmon called out to him. He glanced about the room looking for the old woman tha...

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“Curiosity almost killed the cat ” by M Ploupe

Submitted to Contest #187

Chapter I: “The cat’s out of the bag” “You can’t keep doing this to me” A serious atmosphere suddenly could be felt in the room. Both girls looked at each other and one of them mumbled “What happened? Why are you so upset?” “OMG what do you think?! You went missing FOR AN ENTIRE DAY, care to give an explanation for that? …….. For a MONTH now you’ve returned late at night and are gone very early in the morning, did you really expect me not to worry about it? I don’t know what is going on, but I need an explanation." ...

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“Nicks Adventure” by Shelby Kinnison

Submitted to Contest #187

For years Nick had been afraid of cats. He tried to hide it, honestly his fear embarrassed him. Somehow, though, people always managed to find out. And it bothered others that Nick was afraid of cats, they found it pathetic or assumed he was a bad person so cats didn't like him. The truth was that Nick had a very good reason to be afraid of cats, starting in December of 2011. The Holidays are a fun time for creative gifters, especially for people with the love language of gift giving. Nick is one of these people, and he had to find the per...

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“Emery” by Nicole Sipes

Submitted to Contest #187

Of course, a crooked little tail no longer than a forearm would catch the intrigue of a young and empty man. Simply because the weather was much too frigid for anyone, let alone a kitten that could fit in a palm. Much rather than admitting he would love to see the house warm and a little hectic again, the excuse of dropping temperatures could serve enough. The man, trying to be inconspicuous, knew that if anyone were around to see this he would be avoided, or mocked. But kittens were different, and this special one saw him with only the war...

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“The Clumsy Snow Leopard” by Rachel Joyce

Submitted to Contest #187

The snow leopard was the most graceful animal in all of the White Mountains. They were agile, powerful, their tails long and perfectly suited to keeping them balanced on the snowdrifts. They stalked prey along the cliffs and pounced, engaging in chases with leaps and bounds and spins like living flurries. Cekamet, the young prince of the snow leopard kingdom, admired a group of his cousins as they climbed the mountain ahead of him. Their haunches launched them along, and they made it to the top with an effortless spring. He gulped. I can do ...

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“Cat Shelter” by Christine Bialczak

Submitted to Contest #187

Cat Shelter Hank: Bubbles, hey, can you hear me? Bubbles: Yeah, what do ya want? Hank: Well, did you hear da lady say that we are gettin some new inmates? Bubbles: Why you gotta say we’re inmates, like we live in a cage or somethin? Hank: Well, we do! What do ya got in that head a yours besides bubbles? Georgi: Hank, leave the poor kid alone! He aint done nothing to you so you should be compashnit for the poor kid. Hank: Comp-what? Georgi you got about as many bubbles in your head as the little one does. Darlene: Will the three...

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“Alanna and the White Wall Place” by Jennifer Brown

Submitted to Contest #187

It has been 163 days since I have seen outside these walls. The white that surrounds me is something like a jail. It is, however, a contrast to the darkness of Before, when she rarely flipped on the lights, the curtains pulled tight to lock out the sunshine. Food was scattered across countertops on our best days, competing with my brothers on every other one for each morsel that sustained us. Sound had hummed from the box with the moving humans on it, unknown voices filling the space around us. That was where she spent most of her ...

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“Phoebe's World” by Rick Pascal

Submitted to Contest #187

Note: This story contains mild scenes of a sexual nature. It could be rated PG-13Rick Pascal © 2022 About 2800 words38-35 Brookside AvenueFair Lawn, NJ 07410201-791-9526201-208-7191 (cell)rickpas@optonline.netPhoebe’s WorldPhoebe ...

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“A Feline's Story” by Carolyn Carter

Submitted to Contest #187

IMPURRFECT In my eighth life my name was Nikki. I was a solid black, Siamese mix, domestic shorthair female cat with eyes that changed from brown to a shade of green that looked like two jade gemstones. I always knew that I was mixed with Siamese because I talked a lot. One of my masters played this game where she held her palm up and said ‘hi.’ I would meow back which made her think I said ‘hi’ back to her, and she would laugh so hard. Oh well, it made her happy and I learned early on that if I made my masters happy, I got a lot of love, d...

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“The Cat, the Girl and the Puma” by Britt Holland

Submitted to Contest #187

The Cat, the Girl, and the Puma Butterscotch Beaumont was an elegant cat, Not one who dressed up nor wore a hat. Yet he was grand in his own sort of way, He knew his own mind at the end of the day. Butterscotch Beaumont lived in the house on the hill, With velvet curtains and a crystal vase on the sill. For Butterscotch Beaumont, going out in the rain and leaving his warm home was considered a pain. He was well looked after, with the freedom to roam, but Butterscotch Beaumont preferred to stay home. His days were uneventful, as...

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“The New Cat” by Alexander Hanna

Submitted to Contest #187

There were only two men sitting at the bar. They were well-engaged in conversation and did not take any interest in the crowd of people that had come in and sat down since they had first arrived. They were sitting at the end of the bar, admiring the many lit up skyscrapers the view had to offer at night. Enigmatic lines in the floor turned the back-half of the room purple, turning into a bright rust color around the bar. The bartenders were busy pouring and mixing and serving and running around so all the people in the bar could get the conf...

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$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!

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