Review: Our Cats Are Plotting to Kill Us by Jim Tilberry

Peeking into the wild internal world of house cats, Our Cats Are Plotting to Kill Us by Jim Tilberry is a witty wander to the edge of the absurd.

When Julie signs up for Elon Musk’s new Cat Chat app, she and her doubtful husband find themselves able to spy on the telepathic communications of Oliver and Wendell, their two feline friends. Not only have their pets given them a variety of insulting nicknames, but they also have a laundry list of grievances, from their hatred of closed doors and being picked up to “Blondie’s” awful perfume and “Dagwood’s” tacky taste in art – not to mention his smelly feet. “Shortie” and “Baldy” begin obsessively reading the telepathic transcripts, spying on their cats’ vengeful behavior and constant gossip, even as the couple’s self-esteem takes a daily beating.

Listening in on the private musings of cats is enlightening, but also quite worrying after the couple suspects that their feline companions are planning to kill them. Their cats have watched their fill of gangster movies, and the threat of being whacked by these dissatisfied house pets seems all too real. Hoping to foil the plot and become less despised as owners, the pair must put their perpetually butting heads together if they have any hope of surviving their cats’ wrath.

More pressing than the potential murder, though, Julie and Darryl both have secrets they’ve been keeping from each other, so the cats’ blunt revelations might land them in divorce court, rather than the hospital. Over the top but crafted with care, this whimsical slice of fiction offers a refreshing perspective shift that makes for an entertaining escape, packed as it is with familial misunderstandings and comedic mischief.

Tinged with dark humor and a remarkably deadpan delivery, the prose is a tongue-in-cheek treat for readers who enjoy snark in their storytelling. Cat owners will find endless amusement, along with some common-sense insights about what activities their pets might not actually enjoy. At times, the narrative is reminiscent of Vonnegut, with a strong dose of straight-talking surreality, full of impossible technology, whimsy, and wit. The dialogue is crackling and sharp, particularly between Darryl and Julie, but once Musk’s latest invention enters the narrative, the conversations between Oliver and Wendell are just as hilarious. The occasional messages from the larger-than-life billionaire to his users are sardonic, timely, and oddly fitting for this ridiculous romp.

On the technical side, there are a few scattered typos in the dialogic exchanges, and it can occasionally be hard to keep track of who’s talking in extended conversations, but the manic back-and-forth energy almost makes the individual speakers interchangeable, like a well-timed Abbot and Costello routine. Some chapters do feel redundant, particularly the day-after-day recitation of the transcripts that don’t advance the plot in a noticeable way, but the joke-packed prose keeps the story moving.

An addictive read for cat lovers and haters alike, with some timely themes of transparency, communication, and teamwork between the punchlines, this is a quirky, smart, and unforgettable work of comic fiction.