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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

“Three Miles to Go” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #187

Three Miles to Go “I know you hate being in that damn cage, but I can’t let you out. I really wish you would stop crying; this is hard enough without you making all that racket.” Usually, I’m an aggressive and impatient driver, but today I’m driving slower than usual. I figure if I can stretch out the drive, it will prolong Cheeto’s life by a few more minutes. I wipe away some tears. “This is your last day on this planet, and you’re spending it in a cage. I am so sorry. You should be in my daughter’s arms, purring and rubbing your head...

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“Suki” by Tricia Cundiff

Submitted to Contest #187

The knock at the door woke him. Grumbling under his breath, he rose from the couch and lumbered to the door. Peeping thru the side window's mini-blinds, he recognized the old biddy from across the street. The only one in the neighborhood that hadn't been here yet, he thought to himself. God, let this be the last, he said under his breath as he opened the door. "Marvin! Oh, I'm so, so sorry I haven't been here earlier. You know, my Pookie's been sickly all week, and I saw all the comin's and goin's over here and thought I would just wait to c...

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“I don't need another cat” by Rosemary Brett-Green

Submitted to Contest #187

I don’t need another cat. She was sitting on the windowsill as I walked into the living room, cup of coffee in my hand, to sit with my feet up and do the crossword; a habit I had got into in the last couple of months. Life wasn’t dull, just different, and the midmorning crossword filled a void. She was –yes, there was no doubt, she was a she, a queen among queens - she was quite, quite beautiful. As black as soot. No, as black as velvet; silkily soft. Her eyes shone like...

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“The Understanding” by Charlie Foule

Submitted to Contest #187

Specification of sensitive content (not part of the story): Language (i.e. shit, shitscared, piss) Of course we have an understanding. Same as it ever was. I go outside. That’s it. Simple. I’m a cat dammit. I don’t need you or any other human to watch me piss or bag my shit. Now, when you’re cleaning out my litter box I’ll def watch you — yeah, work that scooper. And then there’s the food, I don’t need you to feed me — I’m a cat dammit, cousin of the king of the jungle. When I’m outside I can grab a rat, a bug, whatever I want — but of cou...

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“"You get me."” by Jamie Harrison

Submitted to Contest #187

Triger warning: Mention of Substance abuse and Physical abuse. I look in the bathroom mirror. God, I look disgusting, something I always told myself. People went in and out the door, and it was a public bathroom. After all, I wonder if people saw a teenage girl crying to herself in the bathroom mirror, saying how disgusting and repulsive she is. Probably not, but if they did, no wonder why it's so easy for them to walk past without saying a word. I digress. This isn't my first rodeo, after all. I grabbed my thanks and left the bathroom, p...

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“The Cat and I Grieve Together” by Hanae Livingston

Submitted to Contest #187

The cat will close her eyes around you only when she trusts you. It means she’s relaxed and happy. I enjoy being part of personal, private moments with her, such as when she grooms herself on my bed, drinks from my glass, or sits with her rear right in my face. As I pluck the fur out of my mouth in the mornings, I remind myself that she does these things around me because she trusts me. There are times when she follows me into the bathroom. There, ,she watches me, in varying states of modesty, as I wash up, brush my hair, of otherwise conduc...

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“Old Cat and Property” by Ur Schnitzel

Submitted to Contest #187

Chen is an ordinary working man with an uneventful life. He lives a routine life every day, feeling that there is no hope in life and not knowing what he is living for every day.Until one day, he accidentally found a stray cat when he was walking. The cat was a bit old and looked very poor, so Chen felt compassion and decided to adopt it. Chen named the cat "Dahuang" and it soon became an important part of his life. He and Rhubarb would walk together every morning and evening, and Rhubarb quickly adapted to this peaceful life. However, he ...

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“Out of this Maze” by Anthony Bartalini

Submitted to Contest #187

The sky was clear, the breeze felt cool for a summer day, and sounds of construction sites and traffic was no bother. Walking away from a Brooklyn cafe with an almond milk latte in one hand and my other sliding along a chain link fence to an abandoned building. Nothing in my head but the present. Two plus months and this would be my last lunch-time-latte from the Seven Sisters Cafe and my last days in this neighborhood. I had accepted life as a freelancer and experienced plenty of last work days. I felt differently about this go-around. Unde...

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“Remembrance of Cedric” by Joseph Epstein

Submitted to Contest #187

I remember Cedric, our first and foremost cat. From the get go a mutual understanding between the cat and we humans was forged, and mostly at the behest of The Cat. We were travelling to Poughkeepsie to pick up one kitten of Tammy’s litter, the spawn of her mating with Smokey Sullivan. On the way we realized that we should have a name ready, an elegant name. Thus, Cedric. The notable British actor Sir Cedric Hardwick had come to mind, and that seemed appropriate. Our friend had chosen a black kit...

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“Heartache” by Lexi Rose

Submitted to Contest #187

Lots of times I think back to when I was a kitten, and it is hard to remember, but there's lots of feelings that still live in my memory. I remember the smell my mother had, the same scent as cuddling in a warm blanket on a rainy day. I remember the different tones of mews each of my five siblings had, and how I loved hearing it because it reminded me I had a family. I may not know what happened every morning or the color of my mom's fur, but I remember what it felt like when I was yanked by the scruff of my neck and thrown into a crate. I r...

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“That Cat” by Bb B

Submitted to Contest #187

I hate cats. There, I said it. It’s okay, because I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual. I don't mean to, they just scare me. Not the 'witch's familiar' black cat scare, but close. I know what you're thinking. Barbara's a vile, mean spirited cat hater, either that or she had the breath sucked out of her when she was a baby. For the record, it’s not the baby thing. It isn’t a deliberate hatred. I don't wear an ‘I hate Cats’ T-shirt. You know, the one with the cute kitty face, behind a dayglow red circle with a line through it, $11.99 online. ...

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“The Black Cat” by Kolton Schrey

Submitted to Contest #187

I was walking down the dark, dirty, and dim streets of Los Angeles, these treacherous and mysterious streets with which I was not familiar in any shape or form. Trash and waste littered the streets as homeless folks walked around with shopping carts filled with their belongings, smelling like rotten death, and the rich Hollywood celebrities drove right by them in their fancy Porsches and Ferraris. It was safe to say I had no direction in my life, and I could not tell you how I ended up here in this dystopian hellscape. Perhaps there were dre...

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“Cat Me If You Can” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #187

“I came as quickly as I could. I’m really sorry.” Cotton Clayborne looks up at Kirk Chapman, his eyes hollow with worry and fear. Clayborne hooks his thumbs in his bib overalls, shifting his oil-stained CAT cap. “You know I want to help, Kirk. I’m a patriot and a veteran like you, and I want to win the war against Zirconia. But she’s a threat to the safety of my family, and that goes beyond the call of duty.” “Where is she?” Clayborne grimaces as if he’s reliving a horrific memory. “In the barn.” “Again, I’m sorry. I know she didn’t mea...

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“The Cat and the King” by Nicholas Andrew Clark

Submitted to Contest #187

The rain was relentless. A thick sheet of it draped the lip of the bridge. Below, the metal boxes containing humans whizzed by, spraying fractals against the concrete slope, leaking fresh puddles out along the sidewalk like blood. The cat licked hard at the scabby head of her youngest, buttermilk like his father but for a diamond of black fur on his scalp, the only evidence he was hers. Something was not right about him—the skin hung loose from his twiggy frame in piles. If she let him wander, he’d rub against the wall and tear his flesh; it...

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“Retirement Cabin” by David Bush

Submitted to Contest #187

He is alone in his cabin and finds the company quite pleasant. He can hear a faint morning wind blow through the trees from the half-open window in the kitchen. His iron skillet lets off crackling noises as it cools from his breakfast preparations. He picks up the last bacon crumb from his plate and savors it. Something about the last few bits of bacon after a good breakfast always makes him feel content. He pushes his plate away and takes another sip of his steaming cup of coffee. He always has it just a bit sweet and with ...

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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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