The first children's book written by a cat

The First-Ever Children’s Book Written by a Cat (Well, a Fish)

For months, everyone kept telling me,“You should write a book about Mouse Toy!”

And they weren’t wrong — Mouse Toy has always been a huge part of our lives. But when I really thought about it, I realized something important: no one knows Mouse Toy better than Flounder herself. She’s the one who has been telling his story all along — in her own words, through her Augmentative Interspecies Communication buttons.

So I decided that she should be the one to write the book.

And that’s how the first-ever children’s book written by a cat (or technically, a cat who calls herself a fish) was born.

Flounder, the Author

Flounder isn’t your average fish. Through years of patient teaching, communication, and a whole lot of love, she learned to use AIC buttons to express herself — and she’s been sharing her thoughts, feelings, and stories with us ever since. One of her favorite subjects? Her beloved companion, Mouse Toy.

Over time, Flounder began weaving a narrative about Mouse Toy — not just as a toy, but as a friend, a confidant, and a source of comfort. Her words painted a picture of friendship, imagination, and deep emotional understanding that most people would never expect from an animal.

When I realized how much she had “written” through her button presses, I knew we had something extraordinary.

Turning Button Presses into a Story

The process of creating this book was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. It started with years of data— countless button presses that Flounder had made about Mouse Toy. I carefully went through all of them, piecing together her thoughts and organizing them into a story that stayed completely true to her words.

Every sentence in the book comes directly from Flounder. My role was simply to honor her voice, to make sure her meaning came through clearly, and to help translate her unique perspective into a form that children (and adults) could understand and enjoy.

Then came the illustrations — my favorite part.

Flounder, the Model

As an artist, I draw all of my illustrations digitally, using photos for reference. That meant Flounder got to model for each and every illustration in the book! She posed, played, and (sometimes reluctantly) sat still long enough for me to capture her personality in every line and color.

Each image was drawn by hand, digitally, with extra detail to make sure Flounder’s true personality — her curiosity, her humor, her intelligence — shone through.

The result is a book that feels alive. You can sense her presence on every page.

More Than a Book — A Mission

What started as a fun idea has become something much bigger: a way to raise awareness about animal intelligence and sentience.

Flounder has taught me (and thousands of others) that animals have inner worlds rich with thought, emotion, and creativity. They communicate, they love, they grieve, they play — and they have stories to tell if we just take the time to listen.

This book is our way of sharing that message with the world — to help people see animals not as “less than,” but as different kinds of minds with their own ways of understanding and expressing life.

A Community Effort

The most magical part of this whole journey has been how many people have come together to make it happen.

From Flounder’s followers cheering her on, to the supporters who believed in her story from day one — this project became a collaboration between species and a community.

We all worked together — humans, cat (fish), and Mouse Toy — to bring this dream to life.

And in doing so, we created something that feels truly magical.

The Beginning of a Bigger Change

My hope is that this book will do more than just make people smile — I hope it changes hearts. I hope children grow up knowing that animals have voices worth hearing. I hope adults start to see the world with more compassion and curiosity.

Because once you start listening, it’s impossible not to see the magic that’s been there all along.

This is just the beginning of a new chapter — one written by a cat, inspired by a toy, and supported by all of you. Together, we’re rewriting what it means to really understand our animal friends.

“Love You, Mouse Toy”— written by Flounder the Talking Cat (Fish), illustrated by Nina Leipold — is more than a children’s book. It’s a love story, a milestone, and a movement.

Because sometimes, the best stories aren’t written about animals — they’re written by them.