Let’s be real, reading books and graphic novels as an animal lover can be challenging. While there’s that flash of excitement upon seeing a dog wander through a comic book, what follows is a lingering sense of worry. Will that dog be okay? Or is something deeply traumatic about to happen? We’ve all been burned at least once (more like a hundred times), and that makes us hesitate to dive into pet-centric books. On the bright side, there are dozens of funny and safe comics for animal lovers, from tales of sarcastic cats to comical stories about dogs, and everything in between. These slice-of-life comics are the perfect safe haven.
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Slice-of-life is a comic genre that aims to capture the charm (or chaos) of everyday life. That doesn’t automatically mean the series has to be ultra-realistic, as there are plenty of slice-of-life-style comics full of talking cats, anthropomorphic birds, and whatever else you can think of. This means that the stakes tend to be a bit lower, allowing for a calmer storytelling experience. This style, when combined with adorable or entertaining animals, is perfect for rest and relaxation. Or a few chuckles, depending on what you’re going for. So get ready to add to your To Be Read (TBR) stack!
1) Garfield
Realistically, most people have heard of Garfield. It’d be shocking for that not to be the case, right? Created by Jim Davis, Garfield’s adventures started out in comic strip form. This fat orange cat has a delightful obsession with lasagna, hates Mondays, and is an unwilling friend of Odie. All of this is to say that Garfield‘s story is firmly instilled in most of our childhoods. Going back and reading published collections of Garfield‘s comics is oddly soothing, as the comic is largely slice-of-life style comedy, with quick adventures of relatively low stakes. Just skip reading the last comic, okay? That one hits too close to home.
Readers looking to binge-read Garfield can either read online collections of the comic strip or check out published anthologies. Obviously, there’s also plenty of spin-off material to check out, such as the shows and games.
2) Manfried the Man
Not all slice-of-life comics have to be realistic, and they can even be comically absurd. That explains how Manfried the Man came into being. Created by Caitlin Major and illustrated by Kelly Bastow, this series is a hilarious turn of events. Manfried the Man is about a little pet human named Manfried and his exhausted owner, Steve Catson. To put it in plain terms, the cat and owner relationship has been flipped, with Manfried the human running around in his birthday suit, doing all the stereotypical cat antics cat owners have come to expect. It’s utterly absurd, and that’s why we love it! The jokes inside will tickle the funny bone of any cat-lover, we can promise you that much.
Manfried the Man‘s comical adventures are published by Penguin Random House. The first collection is simply titled Manfried the Man, while the second is Manfried Saves the Day. Both are worth reading.
3) Mutts
Mutts is a daily comic strip that has been running for a shockingly long time. Created by Patrick McDonnell, the strip has been running for decades, and that’s no exaggeration. The slice-of-life comic strip follows two adorable critters, Earl the dog and Mooch the cat. They have had many adventures over the years, dealing with each other, their human companions, and of course, every other creature that enters their domain. The comic portrays the classic cat and dog stereotypes to humorous effect, making it a fun and easy series to dive into.
Mutts comics are available to read online, though there are also over ten annual collections currently available if published media is more your thing. The best part about Mutts, besides the amazing content, is that this comic strip donates to animal welfare organizations and animal shelters, so by supporting the comic, you’re also supporting the animals you love.
4) My Cat Hates Me
Unfortunately, many pet owners, especially cat owners, have worried that their beloved companion doesn’t feel the same way in return. Some people even worry that their pet hates them. That’s what makes Bai Cha’s comic, My Cat Hates Me, so relatable. My Cat Hates Me is technically part of a series (Cat and Dog), but it works in a standalone format. This is the story of Your Highness the cat (really) and Bubba Boo the pug. It’s perfect for readers who love seeing sassy-cat adventures, as it’s safe to say Your Highness has that in spades.
My Cat Hates Me is the first volume in the Cat and Dog series by Bai Cha, published by Brown Books Pub Group.
5) Cat Person
People who love cats are jokingly referred to as “Cat People,” as opposed to “Dog People,” and we probably don’t need to explain how that one works. Enter this comic collection by Seo Kim. Cat Person collects Seo Kim’s adventures with her cat, Jimmy. It’s safe to say that Jimmy is an opinionated cat, leading to many memorable comics and adventures. The cartoonist perfectly captures these moments, creating relatable and laugh-worthy comics.
Cat Person is a published collection of Sunday strips, created by Seo Kim and published in several languages, so it hopefully won’t be hard to find, regardless of where one is.
6) Cat Versus Human
Cat lovers know that these animals can be as frustrating as they are adorable, which is to say, incredibly. Their antics always keep us on our toes, and as it turns out, it also makes for fantastic slice-of-life comic content. Enter Cat Versus Human, created by Yasmine Surovec. The comics range from the everyday chaos of cat ownership to the side effects of spending time around cats, plus pretty much any other cat-themed joke you might be able to think of. It’s a delightful and humorous comic, which explains why it has repeatedly gone viral online.
Cat Versus Human was originally an online comic series, but it has since been published in several volumes and collections. Readers can visit the comics online or dive into the collections.
7) Pixie and Brutus | Pet Foolery
Pet Foolery is another online comic that has a tendency to go viral. Created by Ben Hed, these comics cover a wide array of animal antics. The story starts by following the adventures of Pixie and Brutus, an adorable kitten and her protective canine companion. However, with time, more and more characters have entered the fray, from neighboring pets to wildlife. Those comics eventually split into two distinct comic lines, Pixie & Brutus and Pet Foolery. It’s pretty easy to guess which one covers which, and both are worth reading. Pixie and Brutus‘ comics lean more into pet antics, while Pet Foolery plays around with many themes and concepts.
Pixie & Brutus and Pet Foolery are available to read in many places, including Webtoon, Patreon, and Instagram.
8) Saphie: The One-Eyed Cat
Cat lovers should make note of Saphie: The One-Eyed Cat, as this comic is as adorable as it is entertaining. Created by JOHO, the title of this comic probably gives away the premise. It follows sweet little Saphie, a one-eyed cat, on her adventures around the house. That usually includes a bit of naughty behavior, not all of which can be blamed on her lack of coordination. Saphie is clearly a stereotypical cat, doing what she wants, when she wants. As such, readers will probably find the adventures to be highly relatable, in a “laugh so you don’t cry” sort of way, at times.
Saphie: The One-Eyed Cat was originally a Webtoon comic, but has since been put into published format, so readers can choose which they prefer. Saphie’s adventures are complete, so readers won’t need to wait to see what happens next.
9) Chi’s Sweet Home
Speaking of adorable cat antics, there’s always Chi’s Sweet Home, created by Kanata Konami. This slice-of-life cat comedy follows Chi, an adorable grey kitten. Like any good kitten, Chi has a way of getting into all sorts of trouble and adventures, wandering away from her owners regularly. At least she makes lots of friends while doing so. There is one slightly higher stake in Chi’s story, as she lives in an apartment that doesn’t allow cats. This mostly adds to the humor, so we can’t really complain.
Chi’s Sweet Home was originally published in chapter format, but they have since been collected into 12 easy-to-read volumes.
10) My Dog: The Paradox
Let’s be real, The Oatmeal creates a lot of hilarious content, not all of it pet-themed. Those looking for a cat-themed comic from The Oatmeal should read How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You, while dog lovers should read My Dog: The Paradox. The latter collects a bunch of comics, created by Matthew Inman, about his dog, Rambo. The sardonic humor perfectly captures the loving exasperation many pet parents have experienced, especially while watching their beloved pet do something dumb or messy. (We’ve all been there.)
My Dog: The Paradox is available to read on The Oatmeal‘s site or by reading the published volume.
