Today, we celebrate our furry friends, our cuddly companions, our loyal lads and lassies. To write stories about the pets we keep is to write stories about us all - with some extra cute and fluffy lead characters. We share our everyday lives with animals, who perceive and interact with our surroundings in a myriad of ways. Imagine the adventures! Imagine the possibilities!

These five books are a small collection of the tales we’ve chosen to tell at Pegasus Publishers and Nightingale Books - with the cutest, in our opinion, pets of all.

Hello Mr Bow Tie - Octavius Longcroft-Wheaton

In the depths of the open country, Puss Puss and his wife, Miss Mittens, struggle to survive in the wild after being thrown out of their homes and abandoned by the roadside in a black plastic bin liner. 

They have to cope with the realism of living a hard life in the cold, without the comforts of having an owner to provide for them. Miss Mittens has to not only find enough food for Puss Puss and herself, but attempts to provide for their three growing and increasingly hungry kittens, Bow-Tie, Junior and Scratchy. 

Will they manage to stay safe in a wild and hostile environment filled with badgers and foxes, and will they ever find the warmth and safety of a new home?

The first of two adventures from Octavius Longcroft-Wheaton, join Mr Bow Tie and his family of strays in this scary but caring read about the importance of family and the courage it takes to tackle the trials and tribulations of the world around you.

Available from the Pegasus Website.

Alfie - TL Egan

Alfie is the cutest Puggle around with the world at his feet, but he just doesn't feel like he belongs. Being different means that he just can't feel part of a family, so he sets out on the adventure of a lifetime to find his brother Pie. 

From the familiar surroundings of Hyde Park in London to the unknown hills of Gassin in France, this is a book about friendship, honesty and above all making your own family from the ones around you that really care. 

Join Alfie on his journey to escape the clutches of the Prince of Darkness and find his way back home.

With characters based on the real dogs author TL Egan interacted with in his years of dog walking, Alfie is an adventure across whole countries and the search for his place in the world.

Available from the Pegasus Website.

Panics and Pleasures of a Pet-Sitter - Wal Kiesman

Just how many panics can you have looking after pets while their owners are on holiday?

Plenty it seems!

This entertaining, gentle hearted book written with more than a dash of humour will make you feel good about having chosen to read it. Each chapter reveals various situations the writer and their better half come across as they embark on a new career as house and pet sitters, leading them both to the conclusion that there is more to this job than meets the eye.

Being a pet-sitter can be an arduous task and Wal Keisman’s book is designed to take you through all the highs and lows of the role, before you sign on.

Available from the Pegasus Website.

Tortitude - Crystal Joyce Townsend and Gemini Townsend

This book is both a guide and a celebration of living life a bit differently... with a more sensitive and magical perspective. Through the guides you will be gently led to a Renaissance of your soul. 

The secrets are found in ancient semi-lost magic passed down from Queen cats to their kittens. These secrets are captured here for you, from the invisible realms in the silent creaky places hidden between and beyond the activities of ordinary life. It is a little like entering an enchanted realm. 

Welcome inside! Gemini says you can absorb much of the wisdom just sleeping on the book. Imagine if you read it…

Trying to find comfort and peace in your life? Did you know that cats could hold the key to your success, through the magical aura passed down from generations? This guide is co-written by a cat, so it’s a paw-fect guide.

Available from the Pegasus Website.

The Opal Cat - Raluca Nicolae

Lucien arrived on Greek soil, he felt misplaced and lost - Lucien was completely broken inside because of what he had endured in his life until he meets the person who changes his life completely, his wife, Catherine. Catherine had a huge mishap that left her hospitalized and stuck in a coma, this alone left Lucien broken once again.

As they both left to travel to Africa, as it was Catherine's dream to go to Africa and be in nature, they came across a Zulu tribe that welcomed them.

This is when everything changed, what exactly happened to Catherine? Why does Lucien have a sense of guilt? - Find out as you give this book a read!

Raluca’s third novel is a tale of Lucien and Catherine’s marriage, the twists in their tale, and the challenges of change. But who or what is The Opal Cat?

Available from the Pegasus Website.