A super-fluffy cat lost in the busy streets of Queens is the unlikely hero of a new children’s book with a bighearted mission.
In “The Adventures of Puffy Cat and the Lost Name,” author Vanessa Benitez introduces young readers to a wide-eyed feline who tumbles out of a garbage truck, alone, nameless and unsure whom to trust.
The lighthearted, rhyming story follows Puffy Cat as she searches for food, friendship and, ultimately, a sense of who she is — all while shining a gentle spotlight on the realities faced by stray animals.
The story is rooted firmly in real life. Benitez, a lifelong Queens resident born and raised in Richmond Hill, drew inspiration from her own rescue cat, Snarf.
“Snarf is my very first cat and it was fate that brought us together,” Benitez told the Chronicle over email.
In March 2022, Benitez heard noise coming from the trash — and out tumbled Snarf.
“She was cute and fluffy, but her fur was matted, and she was meowing a lot,” Benitez said.
At the time, she knew little about cats and was “super allergic and asthmatic,” but she was determined to help. After learning that many shelters struggle to place adult cats, she committed to allergy shots and took Snarf in herself. That experience shaped Puffy Cat’s journey.
“Snarf opened up a whole new world for me,” Benitez said, adding that she began doing TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) work in her neighborhood.
She decided that the stray cat’s story needed to be told.
“And who better to tell this story than my cat Snarf?” Benitez said. “Snarf’s past is a mystery to me. And while I don’t know the backstory of how she came to me, I knew she must have had some rough days and nights on the street.”
While the book is playful, she wanted it to reflect reality “in a kid-friendly way,” adding, “My hope is to have Snarf, a.k.a. Puffy Cat, be a spokescat for the stray cat community.”
Benitez, a bilingual school counselor, wrote the book over the course of about a school year, often during her commute.
“I wrote the entire thing to and from work on a Google document,” she said, noting that the biggest challenge was keeping the story in verse.
Illustrations were created by Romanian artist Mara Gudina, whom Benitez praised for her attention to detail and flexibility during revisions.
The book is available online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, IngramSpark or at puffycatbooks.com.
Snarf — now healthy, happy and spoiled — also can be found on Instagram at @snarf_aka_puffycat.
A portion of the proceeds from each book will be donated to For Animals Inc., a nonprofit rescue organization, helping to fund spay, neuter and adoption efforts.
“So hopefully, buying this book will make you laugh and smile, but also make you feel good that stray kitties will be helped with every purchase,” Benitez said.