Our favorite furry, finned, or feathered friends do a lot more than just provide unconditional love—they also influence our reading choices. If you’ve ever been labeled a “cat person” or a “dog person” (or maybe even a “fish person”—I know you’re out there!), then you’ve likely been cast as a certain character. While stereotypes aren’t always true, we may have more in common with our companions than we think. One thing that’s for sure? We love reading about them.

For National Pet Day, we’re celebrating those little creatures who bring so much joy to our lives with a few book recommendations based on your favorite animal or pet. Animal books aren’t just for kids—these picks are filled with mystery, intrigue, romance, and feature our common pets as main characters or playing a pivotal role in the plot.

So grab your favorite snacks (and maybe a few treats for your sidekick), get cozy, and prepare to enter the animal kingdom through the pages of a great read on the Libby app. Plus, find some film recommendations for animal lovers you can stream on Kanopy!

If you love cats

Fiction
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
🎧 Audiobook

An enthralling tale of books, first love, fantasy, and an unusual friendship with a talking cat—catnip for feline lovers.

Nonfiction
The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World by Abigail Tucker
🎧 Audiobook

Tucker shows how these tiny felines have used their relationship with humans to become one of the most powerful animals on the planet and suggests that we learn that the appropriate reaction to a house cat might not be aww but awe.

If you love dogs

Fiction
Love, Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog by W. Bruce Cameron
🎧 Audiobook

A tremendous cast of wonderful characters find themselves jointly and separately navigating the challenges of life, of love, and... other pets. It's a lot to keep track of, especially when things start to spin hilariously out of control, but fortunately, we've got the observations of Clancy, a very good dog, who shares a valuable perspective on what is really important.

Nonfiction
Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show by Tommy Tomlinson
🎧 Audiobook

Pulitzer-Prize finalist Tommy Tomlinson explores the bond between dogs and their people in this irresistibly appealing, inside account of the Westminster Dog Show that follows one dog on his quest to become a champion.

If you love rabbits

Fiction
The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde
🎧 Audiobook

England is home to 1.2 million human-sized, anthropomorphic rabbits, and when a family of rabbits moves into a small village, tensions rise as the locals, fearing overpopulation and a vegan agenda, push to have them removed. A neighbor named Peter Knox forms an unexpected alliance with the Rabbit family, challenging his views on society, humanity, and his own beliefs.

Nonfiction
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
🎧 Audiobook

A moving and fascinating meditation on freedom, trust, loss, and our relationship with the natural world, explored through the story of one woman’s unlikely friendship with a wild hare.

If you love fish

Fiction
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
🎧 Audiobook

While not specifically about fish, the giant Pacific octopus, Marcellus, at the center of this story does share a home with them in the ocean. Marine lovers will enjoy this compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, centered around a widow's unlikely connection with Marcellus.

Nonfiction
Why Don’t Fish Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
🎧 Audiobook

Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, this story follows David Starr Jordan, a taxonomist who discovered nearly a fifth of the world's fish species, only to have his life’s work destroyed multiple times by disasters. As he rebuilt his collection, Jordan’s determination to catalog the hidden world of fish becomes a powerful metaphor for perseverance in a chaotic world, exploring how his dedication to these creatures offers a surprising lesson on how to face life's challenges.

If you love birds

Fiction
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
🎧 Audiobook

S.T., a domesticated crow, enjoys a simple life with his owner, Big Jim, until Big Jim’s strange illness forces S.T. to venture into a dangerous new world, discovering that humanity is on the brink of extinction. With only his TV knowledge and his dim-witted dog, Dennis, by his side, S.T. sets out to save the day.

Nonfiction
Flight Paths: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration by Rebecca Heisman
🎧 Audiobook

The captivating, little-known true story of a group of scientists and the methods and technology they developed to uncover the secrets of avian migration.

If you love snakes

Fiction
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
🎧 Audiobook

In 1893 London, widow Cora Seaborne moves to coastal Essex with her son and friend, where rumors of a mythical sea creature, the Essex Serpent, spark her curiosity as an amateur naturalist. As she teams up with a skeptical vicar to uncover the truth, their differing views on science and faith lead to an unexpected and transformative relationship.

Nonfiction
The Snake Charmer: A Life and Death in Pursuit of Knowledge by Jamie James
🎧 Audiobook

Dr. Joe Slowinski, a brilliant biologist obsessed with venomous snakes, was bitten by the deadly many-banded krait during a 2001 expedition in Burma. His teammates fought to save him for 30 hours through mouth-to-mouth respiration, making it one of the most remarkable wilderness rescue attempts in modern history.

🍿 Looking for something to watch?

Catch one of these creature-loving films on Kanopy.

Cat Beach (2019)

Teviot Fairservis is the founder of Cat Beach Sanctuary—the coolest animal rescue in Penang, Malaysia where rescued cats receive loving care.

Every Little Thing (2024)

Wildlife rehabber Terry Masear aims to save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles, facing a perilous journey with each bird. This heartfelt documentary by Sally Aitken follows Terry’s compassionate efforts, showcasing the resilience and beauty of these tiny creatures through stunning slow-motion photography and emotional storytelling.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005)

A nomadic Mongolian family find themselves in disagreement when the oldest daughter, Nansaa, finds a small dog and brings it home. Believing that it is responsible for attacking his sheep, her father won’t allow her to keep it. When the family to move on, Nansaa must decide whether to defy her father and take her new friend with them.

The Loneliest Whale (2021)

A cinematic quest to find the “52 Hertz Whale.” As the film embarks on its engrossing journey, we uncover what this whale’s lonely plight teaches us not only about our relationship to the ocean, but to each other.

*Access may vary.

Did you find your paw-fect match? If not, browse the Libby app for more tales that’ll have yours wagging.

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