If you’ve ever looked at your cat and thought, “I bet they’re judging me right now,” you’re not alone. In fact, Angie Bailey has built an entire career imagining exactly what cats would say if they could text their humans.

As the creator of Texts from Mittens, Angie has spent years making cat lovers laugh through books, calendars, comics, and social media. Longtime Catster readers may even remember Mittens from his original Catster column, where his hilarious text-message conversations became a reader favorite.

We caught up with Angie to talk about where Mittens came from, the real cats behind the characters, and why there’s never a shortage of feline-inspired comedy.

I’ve Always Imagined Cats Doing “People Things”

I grew up in a silly family with lots of cats. We’d make up stories about what our cats did when we weren’t home—have parties, ride around on skateboards, prank-call the neighbors. I’m still that silly girl and love writing about “cats who do people things.”

I’ve been writing cat humor since 2008, beginning with my personal blog, Catladyland, where I shared funny stories and silly photos of my cats and me. In 2013, my first book, Whiskerslist, was published—a parody of Craigslist filled with classified ads written by cats. Imagine cats selling the family dog, searching for used hair ties, or posting wonderfully spammy listings.

Then came Texts from Mittens.

The first Texts from Mittens book was published in 2015, followed by Texts from Mittens: The Friends and Family Edition in 2019. Since 2016, I’ve also written an annual Mittens daily calendar. In fact, I just submitted the 2028 edition while the 2027 calendar is making its way into bookstores.

How Mittens Found His Way to Catster

While writing several humorous articles each week for Catster.com, I wondered whether readers might enjoy seeing a few Texts from Mittens panels every week as well. Thankfully, Catster said yes.

At the time, Texts from Mittens already had its own website and social media pages, so it was exciting to introduce Mitty and the gang to the Catster audience. The comic became part of Catster around 2013 and ran for a couple of years, introducing even more readers to Mittens’ wonderfully dramatic world.

If Cats Had Smartphones…

I love the idea of “cats doing people things,” and much of my writing centered on it. On the heels of Whiskerslist, I especially enjoyed thinking about cats using technology.

Cats can be snarky, manipulative, dramatic, and incredibly sweet, so I wanted to write text conversations that reflected that. I originally created the conversations using screenshots from my phone, but eventually my husband—a fellow cat lover and tech enthusiast—built a custom text-message generator specifically designed for a texting cat’s needs.

It’s a specific skill, folks.

Although Mittens started out texting only his Mom, I quickly realized I could create more colorful storylines by adding characters, and most cats have multiple characters in their lives, so it made sense.

The characters came from the wild corners of my imagination and weren’t really based on anyone real; however, the editor of my first book wanted images for a character guide.

Before long, readers were meeting Grandma, Stumpy, Fiona, Earl, Drunk Patty, Three-legged Stanley, Calico Bernice, and the infamous tabby brothers.

None of them were my pets, but included friends and their pets.

My good friend Katy agreed to “be” Drunk Patty. She was such a good sport and even posed for outlandish pics over the years. She’s really more of a wacky neighbor than a drunk, but she does like her cheap boxed wine.

Stumpy, Mittens’ orange tabby BFF, has a successful catnip enterprise and is quite the ladies’ man.

Mitty’s girlfriend is a gorgeous silver tabby named Fiona, and she keeps Mitty on the straight and narrow, especially when Stumpy tries to lure him into his schemes.

Earl is the “filthy hound” Lab mix that lives with Mittens and Mom.

Mitty constantly documented how Earl makes his life miserable.

And Grandma brings the treats and is always a welcome sight.

The Best Material Is Usually Sleeping Beside Me

People often ask how I keep coming up with new ideas after all these years.

Honestly, my cats make it pretty easy.

When I first created Mittens, I had a tuxie named Cosmo, and he inspired me quite a bit. These days, Janet is my primary muse. I mean, who’s more dramatic than a tortie?

My husband and I both work from home, so the cats are with us all day. Phoebe, our remarkable 22-year-old calico with a tiny body and a big mouth, enjoys walking across my husband’s laptop keyboard and somehow has a knack for changing font sizes, flipping the screen upside down, and, once, printing 10 pages of patio furniture!

Janet has different priorities.

If I’m working on the sofa, she’ll physically try to shove my laptop off my lap so she can claim the spot for herself.

Most of the time, she succeeds.

Of course, cats have impeccable timing. They’ll sleep peacefully for hours while I’m searching for inspiration, only to become absolute comedy gold the moment I’m too busy to write anything down.

The Real Cats Behind the Comedy

People often tell me that Texts from Mittens feels so relatable, and that’s because nearly all of it comes from real life.

Every cat I’ve shared my home with has contributed something to Mittens’ personality or the stories I tell.

Phoebe may be tiny, but she has a huge personality—and a raspy voice that sounds like she’s smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. She’s demanding when it comes to snuggles and is partial to my husband.

Janet is brimming with tortitude and is my girl, through and through. We live on the seventh floor of a downtown high-rise, and she loves stretching her body across the windowsill, showing her “wares” to all passersby. She’s a hoot.

More Than Laughs

One of the biggest surprises over the years has been the incredible community that’s grown around Texts from Mittens.

The readers are loyal, funny, and kind. I learned just how much they cared when my Facebook page was taken down recently in a scam for nearly three weeks. People were worried because they had no idea what had happened, and there was no way to post what was going on! Thankfully, many of them follow my author page, so I posted there during the downtime.

Countless folks who buy the annual calendars are true devotees and never miss a year.

I’ve also received messages from readers who’ve found laughter and joy in the texts during some of the most difficult times imaginable

There was a time when I wondered whether writing humor really mattered because it wasn’t especially serious work, but I’ve learned that bringing smiles and happiness is important. I am exceedingly grateful for the Mittens community!

What Cats Continue to Teach Me

Living with cats has taught me many things—especially how to slow down and relax.

I’m anxious by nature, and they have a way of showing me (sometimes making me) relax. A kitty snuggle is an excellent source of therapy.

I’ve heard people say that all cats are the same and don’t have much individual personality. They couldn’t be more wrong. Take the time to really get to know your cat; each one is a unique gift that brings joy, laughter, and unconditional love into your life.

And if you’re thinking about bringing a cat into your family, take the time to make sure you’re truly ready for the commitment. Learn how to introduce cats properly if you already have pets.

And remember to play with them often.

They have a lot to teach us about relaxing, laughing, and enjoying the moment.

…Although if Mittens had the final word, he’d probably say to Catster readers:

“Your cats just texted me to say they want rotisserie chicken and warm laundry. #pronto #lazyhumans”

Connect With Angie

Readers can follow and keep up with my content on Facebook (which is the most active audience), but you can also connect on textsfrommittens.com, GoComics, and X.