5 Underrated/Forgotten Cat Manga

It’s the Thanksgiving long weekend in Canada and I’ve been cat-sitting my brother’s two cats while he and his wife are out of town visiting the in-laws.

Looking after these two needy fur-babies got me thinking about all of the great cat manga I’ve read over the years and I decided to create a list, similar to my 5 Underrated Shojo Manga Series post, to celebrate some of the series which don’t seem to get talked about that much or which I feel are in danger of being forgotten about.

Here are 5 adorable cat manga that I think are worth checking out:

5. Nyankees

I’m surprised that Nyankees hasn’t received more buzz in the manga community, it’s a funny and action-packed series about a clowder of scrappy street cats who spend their days searching for food and fighting over territory. The manga alternates between depicting the cats as they actually are and representing them as human gangsters and the humor in seeing burly street-toughs doing cute, cat-like things never gets old. Switching between scenes of strong, manly men getting in each other’s faces to images of two cats with puffed-up fur hissing at each other makes me laugh every time. This is a fun action series that should please fans of gangster stories and cat fanatics alike.

4. Fuku Fuku Kitten Tales

Konami Kanata, the mangaka of Chi’s Sweet Home, seems to have made a career out of drawing sweet stories about precious kittens and I’m all on board for it. Fuku Fuku Kitten Tales is a slice-of-life series about an elderly woman who adopts a little calico kitten who likes to get into all kinds of mischief. It’s a very wholesome and relaxing series that’s perfect for anyone looking for a heart-warming read.

3. Plum Crazy! Tales of a Tiger-Striped Cat

Plum is an intelligent and well-behaved family cat whose life is turned upside down when her family adopts a temperamental kitten, whom they name Snowball. Despite her best efforts to get along with the new kitten, Snowball’s favourite pass-times seem to be biting Plum and causing trouble. This series has a good mix of humor and cuteness, as poor Plum tries to be a responsible older sibling to the bratty, little kitten.

2. Cat Paradise

It’s been awhile since I read this series, but I remember it as being a fun, shounen battle manga, where teens fight monsters with the aid of their talking, super-powered cats. It’s a short series, at only 5 volumes, and is worth checking out if you prefer your cat manga more exciting and less fluffy.

1. Neko Ramen

I freakin’ love this series! Neko Ramen is a 4-panel gag manga about a talking cat, who runs a ramen shop, and his human friend, who he uses as a sounding board for his increasingly bizarre business schemes. This cat has big dreams and tons of determination, but is, unfortunately, terrible at both business and ramen making! Neko Ramen is a funny and ridiculous manga that is well worth reading, if you’re able to track it down.

So, those are 5 cat manga that I think are worthy of a little more love. What are your favourite cat manga series? Let me know in the comments.

And, if you can’t get enough cat manga, be sure to check out my reviews of some of these other cat/pet themed series:

• What’s Michael? Fatcat Collection Vol 1
• A Man & His Cat Vol 1 Review
• Yuzu the Pet Vet Vol 1 Review
• With a Dog and a Cat, Every Day is Fun Vol 1 Review