UNCONDITIONAL: Stories of Women and the Animals They Love: EXCERPT

UNCONDITIONAL: Stories of Women and the Animals They Love is a graphic memoir by illustrator and author Cat Willett, telling intimate stories of women and their beloved animals and how those relationships become sources of survival and healing. Told through intimate, visually rich vignettes, Unconditional explores the profound relationships women form with their companion animals.

Cat Willett is known for centering women’s stories with warmth and emotional clarity (Women of Tarot, The Queen of Wands), and Unconditional extends that work into deeply personal territory. 

We are delighted to feature this excerpt! 

INTRODUCTION

When I think of women and animals, I think of the Divine Feminine: the
cross-cultural, non denominational and ancient theory that women have an inherent connection, both mystically and biologically, to the earth. If this is to be believed, that half of the human population is linked to the planet, then one could argue that the sacred attachment between woman and Earth could extend to all living things in the world, including animals.

On the topic of women and animals, stereotypes also come to mind. The concept of the “crazy cat lady,” or the notion of a dog being man’s best friend. I recall my grandmother being criticized for cooking warm breakfasts for her dog, and I’ve witnessed ceaseless scrutiny of the single lady who lives alone with her cat. But perhaps these relationships are more natural than modern society is willing to admit. Recent research suggests that women may have had a stronger role in the domestication of dogs than previously thought, with women inviting dogs into the family, creating a bond of affection with them, and even increasing dogs’ utility to humans.* Perhaps women can truly interact with them on a deeper level, possibly less interested in the idea of “taming” and more focused on coexistence.

Throughout my life, animals have been a steady source of fascination. To make a list of all of the creatures that have touched, comforted, and inspired me, would be a near impossible task; there are just so many. I’m fortunate to have spent my youth with women, relatives and neighbors mostly, whose animals were much more to them than pets; they were their companions, always at their sides.
These women were the first to show me how transcendent the animal-human relationship can be.

Studies suggest that most pet owners are women, and that women often take on more household responsibilities when it comes to caring for family animals. In return, their animals provide protection, support, and camaraderie, the connection a harmonious tie stretching between species. The stories I’ve included in this book reveal that mutuality of the relationships between women, a diverse list of animals, and their unique and touching life experiences together.

The animals I’ve shared my life with have affected me as much as my family and friends have. They’ve pulled me through difficult times, accompanied me through growth and transition, and taught me a great deal about pain and loss. And it has awakened in me a deep curiosity about how other women connect to animals and ultimately leading to the discovery of this collection of individual stories. Some of these stories found me organically, from both strangers and friends, during a walk in the park or an unrelated conversation, while others were sought out, through my desire to understand how someone connects to a more unconventional “pet,” such as a bat or a bird. But all of them are honest, pure retellings of the connection between woman and beast, and the powerful emotions that their natural bond can evoke in all of us.

* Sara Zaske, “Women Influenced Coevolution of Dogs and Humans,“ WSU Insider, January 25, 2021,
https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2021/01/25/women influenced-coevolution-dogs-humans/.

UNCONDITIONAL: Stories of Women and the Animals They Love

An intimate and moving collection of stories about women and their life-changing relationships with animals, told in vivid graphic novel style.

In Unconditional, popular illustrator and writer Cat Willett explores the deep, sometimes transcendent relationship between women and their animal companions. The animals she’s shared her life with have pulled her through difficult times, accompanied her through growth and transition, and taught her a great deal about pain and loss. Using rich, full-color illustrations, she shares illuminating stories of different women and their pets, including:

• Terra and her parrot, Pooja, grieved together when Terra’s mother passed away from pancreatic cancer.
• Tuck and Liza, two cats adopted in Ukraine and Poland, helped Brianne cope with the challenge of waiting for her journalist husband to return from an assignment in a war zone.
• Hyesu adopted her dog, Dutch, from a shelter and found calm and support for her anxiety.
• Finn, Pam’s rabbit, helped her redefine the meaning of family while providing companionship and support living in a big city far from home.

With these honest, pure retellings, as well as her own stories, Willett reveals the mutual bond that grows when animals are invited into our sphere and how meaningful those relationships can be.

ANIMATED HISTORY: Within each profile, captivating facts about the animals’ origins, domestication, and habits add a layer of historical context to the personal tales.

WOMEN AND PETS: This collection shines a loving spotlight on the mutual nature of the relationships between women and a diverse list of animals—including a parrot, guinea pig, rabbit, horse, dogs, and cats—and their unique and touching life experiences together. A foreword by Susan Korn, founder of the Susan Alexandra accessories brand, is included.

TALENTED AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR: Merging Cat Willett’s empathetic voice and signature lush illustrations that have captivated readers of the New York Times and the Washington Post, Unconditional is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever felt transformed by a relationship with their companion animal.

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Cat Willett is an illustrator and author whose work celebrates women and aims to uplift and inspire others through comics and books. She is the author of The Queen of Wands: The Story of Pamela Colman Smith: The Artist Behind the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck (Running Press, September 2022 and a French edition, La Reine de Bâtons, Le Lotus & l’èlèphant, 2024), Women of Tarot, An Illustrated History of Divinators, Cards Readers and Mystics (Running Press, June 2024), and Unconditional, Women and the Animals They Love(Princeton Architectural Press, 2026). Cat lives in Brooklyn with her partner, their two boys, and their dog Bowie.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing