The Cat Who Came in from the Cold: A Fable

The New York Times bestselling author of The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats and Dogs Never Lie About Love, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson has given cat lovers a wonderful gift: a magical holiday story about a feline named Billi who long ago in ancient India becomes the first cat to choose domestication.

Cats relish independence and Billi is no exception. He wanders through the Indian countryside among other animals, enjoying a sense of freedom, belonging to nobody. The holidays approach, Diwali, the Festival of Lights; the monsoon season, when the skies go pitch dark and the rains come, has arrived. At a time when everyone is eager to be home with family and friends, Billi is alone–and lonely.

Walking into a village, Billi gazes through windows and sees a cozy fire, a content dog, and a happy family with children. Inspired, an untamed soul begins the transformative journey to a new life of warmth and togetherness in a world of interconnectedness. With his inimitable storytelling gifts and his unparalleled ability to penetrate the feline psyche, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson captures Billi’s inner world, his aloofness, mischievousness, and ultimately his new perspective on the deep connection shared by humans and their feline friends.