Spend Some Time AT THE RESCUE CAT CAFÉ with Award-WInning Author Anna Humphrey

Step inside the Rescue Cat Café and you’ll quickly discover it’s no ordinary hangout. This cozy spot is alive with whiskers, purrs, and personalities as varied as the cats themselves. There’s Henry, who stretches lazily in a sunbeam, Ming, who prefers to swirl mysteriously around ankles, and the daring duo ChiChi and Bunnykin, who leap into adventures with both paws. Watching from the shadows is Mouse, a wide-eyed feline who isn’t quite ready to step into the spotlight.

In At the Rescue Cat Café, award-winning author Anna Humphrey brings warmth, humour, and heart to the story of a café where every visitor finds their perfect feline match. Over the course of a week, each cat meets a new forever friend, showing young readers that love comes in many shapes and personalities. By the time Sunday arrives, even the shyest kitty learns that there’s a place, and a person, just right for him.

The story comes to life through the vibrant illustrations of Kari Rust, whose art captures both the bustling café atmosphere and the tender moments of connection between humans and cats. Together, Humphrey and Rust craft a picture book that celebrates adoption, empathy, and the gentle reminder that it’s okay to take your time when the world feels a little overwhelming.

At the Rescue Cat Café is a heartfelt celebration of second chances, community, and the special bonds we form with animals. Whether you’re a lifelong cat lover or just beginning to see the magic of whiskers and paws, this story is a warm invitation to pull up a chair, sip something cozy, and spend some time at the café where every cat’s story matters. We're thrilled to share an interview with the author, right here on Open Book!

Open Book:

Tell us about your new book and how it came to be.

Anna Humprey:

Strangely enough, this book began with a Domino’s Pizza delivery. The top of the box had a flyer on it saying that the proceeds from our pizza were going toward supporting an organization called Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue. When my daughter saw it, she decided to volunteer there as a facility cleaner for her high school community volunteer hours… and when I heard the stories about kittens climbing her pants while she vacuumed, I was so jealous that I started volunteering there as well! 

My daughter has long since moved on to other things, but I’m still there once a week, working with an incredibly dedicated group of volunteers, scritching ears, cleaning litter boxes and helping to match cats with their forever families. Also, incidentally, we ended up adopting one of the cats who was featured on that pizza box flyer. Her name was Squishy. She lived with us for four happy years, but I’m pretty sure she got fed at about three other houses. In any case, the whole neighbourhood loved her. 

The pizza flyer that started it all! 

OB:

Is there a message you hope kids might take away from reading your book? 

AH:

The book goes through the 7 days of the week, and each day a cat finds their perfect person (or people) and gets their happily-ever-after. I hope kids will see that animals can be just as diverse in their personalities as people, and that there’s a place for everyone. 

OB:

Is there a character in your book that you relate to? If so, in what ways are you similar to your character and in what ways are you different?

AH:

The little girl in the green cat ears hoodie is me, through and through. I’ve always been quiet/shy/introverted and, as a kid, I really saw it as a flaw. I know better now. The world needs us quiet observers. Once we’re comfortable, we’ve got a lot to contribute. 

OB:

What was the strangest or most memorable moment or experience during the writing process for you? 

AH:

The book is dedicated to Tammy Tanner (the owner of Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue) and the volunteers there. Most of the names for the cats in the book are borrowed from beloved felines who’ve passed through the shelter over the years. Seeing the other volunteers hold the book in their hands and smile at the memories has been pretty incredible for me. It feels like a special way to give back to a place (and a family) that has given so much to me. 

Sprout—a cat who lost one ear—is featured in the book. He was the first of my many loves at the shelter. 

OB:

How do you cope with setbacks or tough points during the writing process? Do you have any strategies that are your go-to responses to difficult points in the process?

AH:

One of the best strategies I know is to walk away—but to take a notebook with me. I have a little cabin in the backyard that we built during Covid lockdowns. It’s got a napping loft and I often go up there and write questions and answers about the manuscript to myself in a notebook. There’s something about being away from the screen where the story is that takes the pressure off and helps me to see things more clearly.

OB:

What are you working on now?

AH:

I have a graphic novel series called the Fluffle Bunnies about a group of adorably evil bunnies who are slowly but surely taking over the world. Book 3 will be my next thing out. After that, I have a picture book called Bébé Bouffant, about a baby born with a bouffant hairstyle and a taste for the finer things in life. That will be a little foray into writing about humans for me, but after that I’m guessing I’ll go straight back to animals. I’m obsessed with talking birds at the moment. Obsessed! So maybe watch out for something along those lines.

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Anna Humphrey is the author of the Bee & Flea series, the Clara Humble series, the Megabat series, the Fluffle Bunnies graphic novel series, and other novels for middle-grade and young adult readers. Her other books include: Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea and Quack!. Anna lives in Kitchener, Ontario, with her family and four cats (but only because her husband insists that four is enough).

Kari Rust is an author/illustrator with a background in character animation. She is the author and illustrator of The House at the End of the Road and the OLA Blue Spruce Award nominee, Tricky. Kari has also illustrated a number of other children’s books, including the Weird Sisters Detective Agency chapter book series. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her family and a wiggly little dog called Rolo.