Bad Kitty (series) facts for kids

Bad Kitty is a super fun series of American children's books written and drawn by Nick Bruel. It's all about a funny housecat named Kitty who often causes a lot of mischief around her owner's home.

The very first book, also called Bad Kitty, came out in 2005. It was a picture book where Kitty explores different foods and activities, all listed from A to Z! After that came Poor Puppy, which focuses on Kitty's housemate, Puppy. Nick Bruel has also written many longer chapter books in the series, like Bad Kitty Gets a Bath and Bad Kitty for President. These chapter books often include cool tips on how to care for cats. In 2011, a special picture book called A Bad Kitty Christmas was released. The whole series even won an award called the Wyoming Buckaroo Book Award!

Meet the Characters

Main Characters

Nick Bruel draws Bad Kitty at Mazza Museum.

• Kitty – She's the main character of the series, and yes, she's a housecat! Kitty has black fur with a little white patch on her chest. When she's in a bad mood, she can cause a lot of trouble, which is why she's called "Bad Kitty." The author, Nick Bruel, says Kitty looks like a real cat he had when he was a kid.
• Puppy – Puppy joins the series at the end of the first Bad Kitty book. He's the star of his own picture book, Poor Puppy, and a novel called "Puppy's Big Day." He's Kitty's housemate and often tries to play with her.
• The Owner – This is the person who tells the stories in the books. You never see their face, but they're always there trying to manage Kitty and Puppy!
• Uncle Murray – At first, Uncle Murray was just mentioned briefly. But in the chapter books, he becomes a big part of the story! He even has special sections called "Uncle Murray's Fun Facts" where he shares interesting information. He's a major character in Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray: The Uproar at the Front Door. Nick Bruel named him after his own real-life Uncle Murray!

Kitty's Friends

In Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty, you get to meet some of Kitty's feline friends:

• Big Kitty – This cat is a Maine Coon, which means he's the largest cat in the whole series!
• The Twin Kitties – These two are calico American Shorthairs who just love to play games.
• Stinky Kitty – A Persian cat who somehow always manages to get dirty and smelly.
• Chatty Kitty – She's a Siamese cat and the most talkative cat in the neighborhood! When she speaks, her words are translated for you in footnotes.
• Pretty Kitty – A beautiful Turkish Angora who has won many cat shows. All the boy cats seem to have a crush on her!
• Strange Kitty – This is a Sphynx cat, known for not having much fur. He's called "Strange Kitty" because he prefers reading comic books instead of chasing mice like other cats. Unlike most animals in the series, Strange Kitty can actually talk!

Other Fun Characters

• Power Mouse – He's Strange Kitty's best friend and helper. Power Mouse is another animal character who can talk.
• Old Lady – A kind older woman who appears in A Bad Kitty Christmas.
• Old Kitty – She used to be the president of the Neighborhood Cat Club.
• Petunia – A friendly bulldog who is a student in "Bad Kitty: School Daze." She can also talk!
• Dr. Lagomorph – This character is a rabbit and the main enemy of Strange Kitty's superhero alter ego, Captain Fantasticat. He can talk too! Nick Bruel mentioned that "lagomorph" is the scientific name for the group of animals that includes rabbits.

The Books in the Series

Here's a list of the Bad Kitty books, so you can keep track of Kitty's adventures!