Alpha Cat

Alphacats are an elite breed: they are cats with a pedigree (well, most of them ) and painted almost hair by hair by scientific illustrator Gabriella Gallerani and here honoured in alphabetical order. Beautifully rendered in full colour, to each, their own letter – around which to climb, hide, stretch, play, yawn or simply show off. Thus, A for Angora, B for Bengal, C for Ceylon, D for Devon Rex – but Alphacats are also the cats that have made history – literature, movies, cartoons, music and the happiness of writers, scientists, kings and politicians. The names of over 300 “alpha” cats, with just as many witty stories and feline anecdotes, creates a repertoire of the unique and memorable characters that make each cat worthy of a name. From Boise, Hemingway’s favourite, to Pulcinella, who inspired Scarlatti’s Cat’s fugue sonata, from Brillant, Louis XV’s beautiful Angora to Socks, the Clintons’ pet during their White House tenure, each letter of the alphabet has many inspiring names.