Do Cats Have Secret Societies? A Look Inside the Cat Realm

Have you ever caught your cat staring off into the distance like it knows something you don’t? Or noticed how it disappears for hours only to return calm, smug, and covered in mysterious twigs and smells? If you’ve ever suspected your feline friend was part of something bigger—something secret—you’re not alone. In A Tale of the Cat Realm: Big Puss’ Run, author Andrew John gives life to this idea in the most thrilling way: by imagining an underground society of cats bound not just by fur and instinct, but by unspoken laws, sacred names, and ancient honor.

But how far-fetched is this really?

Let’s dig into the myth, the mystery, and maybe—just maybe—the truth behind the idea that cats might just be living double lives.

The Cat Realm: A Whiskered World Beyond the Window

In the book, the Cat Realm is not a kingdom, but a realm—a subtle distinction with deep meaning. While “kingdom” suggests hierarchy and thrones, “realm” evokes something more inclusive, egalitarian, and mysterious. The cats in this world are not ruled by monarchs; they are ruled by ancient laws of nature, by instincts that hold them in a quiet pact. They share stories, remember the fallen, and even go on quests when justice is breached.

This imagined society might seem like pure fiction—until you look a little closer at the cats in your own life.

The Strange Ways of Cats: Clues to a Secret World?

Cats are famously independent, but they’re not loners in the way many people think. They form complex social structures, especially when left to their own devices outdoors. Neighborhood cats often seem to “take shifts” in claiming certain spaces. They leave coded messages in their scent trails. They communicate in slow blinks, tail flicks, and sometimes in eerie silence. To a careful observer, it can feel like they’re following some unspoken protocol.

What if these behaviors aren’t just random? What if they’re part of something more?

Names, Laws, and Loyalty

One of the most enchanting elements of Big Puss’ Run is the reverence cats have for names. In the story, each cat has many names, each one reflecting a different aspect of their life. But they also have a true name, a sacred identity they rarely share even with their human companions. This idea is more than whimsical. It mirrors the truth that cats often behave differently with different people and in different places. Who’s to say they don’t carry multiple identities?

And then there are the laws, like the central tenet of the book: cats never kill cats. When this law is broken, it’s not just a crime—it’s a shattering of the very foundation of their society. The idea that cats live by a moral code might sound fanciful, but in real life, cats do often avoid deadly conflict with their own kind. They may hiss and scrap, but true lethality is rare. Could it be that even in the real world, cats understand the value of restraint?

The Cat Republic: A Feline Fantasy or a Forgotten Truth?

The highlight of the book’s mystery is the elusive Cat Republic—an almost mythic place beyond the mountain, where cats live in peace and wisdom. It’s a vision of what feline society could be at its best: wise, balanced, and just. While it’s a fictional invention, it captures a longing many cat lovers feel: that there’s more going on beneath those inscrutable eyes than we’ll ever know.

And maybe that’s part of the magic. Because every once in a while, your cat will do something—sit like a sphinx, gaze into the distance, or touch noses with a stranger—that feels deeply symbolic, almost sacred. In those moments, you can almost hear the whispers of the Cat Realm.

Why We Love These Stories

Whether or not cats truly have secret societies (and who’s to say they don’t?), stories like A Tale of the Cat Realm offer more than just entertainment. They help us see the world through different eyes—or in this case, through slit-pupiled, whiskered ones. They invite us to imagine that even the ordinary can be extraordinary. That the backyard could be a battlefield. That the sleeping cat in the sun might once have been a warrior, a traveler, a legend.

So next time your cat blinks slowly at you, or returns from an unexplained adventure, just smile and whisper: I know about the Cat Realm.

Who knows? They might just blink back.