This book is as charming and humorous as the cover suggests. When I get my first cat, I'll read this short book again because it actually gives some helpful advice! I will be gifting this manual to many of the cat lovers that I know.

Charmingly silly book. Engaging humor that fully leans into the silly. A good pick for cat lovers. Some felt like low-hanging fruit, but anyone owned by a cat will find something that resonates.

As the title suggests, this is a book about how to "operate" your cat, a.k.a. Cuddle Unit 5. Anyone who's lived with a cat will completely understand every reference, though even those who haven't should still find it amusing. I did think it was pretty hilarious in the first 50 pages or so, though the jokes fell flatter in the latter half of the book. Ironically, my own Cuddle Unit enacted various parts of the manual while I was trying to read.

A super cute, hilarious little manual on how to operate your Cuddle Unit 5! This is a great read for any and all cat lovers!

As the name implies, The Cat Operator’s Manual is a humorous, yet still informative, information manual about your feline companion, otherwise known as the Cuddle Unit 5™. Its format truly gives the feel of an operator’s manual, covering a wide range of topics around your cat’s operating system, behavior, and troubleshooting common problems.

While this book definitely has a broad scope rather than covering any one topic in any real depth, it delivers some great practical advice while also delivering some laughs. In that sense, I think of it as more of a gift book, or leaning more toward a humor book, as opposed to a reference book. While you will see the classic fodder for cat humor in here (the zoomies, knocking stuff off tables, etc.), there are also several fresh jokes in here, too. I’m sure other cat lovers will be delighted.

I also enjoyed the art style. It’s simple, colorful, and bright, and all of the graphics contribute to the feeling of the book being an operator’s manual. There was also a lot of variety in the graphics, which kept everything visually engaging, even when there was a lot of text.

I will say, I know the author noted that they had veterinarians review the text before sending it to the publishers, but I didn’t love the part about offering your cat a morsel of human food while you are cooking. Some foods can be toxic to cats, but the author makes no note or warning to readers to check prior to feeding their pets something outside of their typical diet. (Maybe I missed it?) I would like to see something like that added, perhaps with a bright graphic, or otherwise just to have that subject avoided.

Still, overall this book is a fun gift for cat lovers. I would still probably recommend it, just with that caveat. Like I said before, this definitely leans more toward a coffee table/gift book, and it would be something I would give to someone who perhaps just adopted a new Cuddle Unit 5™.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

The Cat Operator's Manual is a concise, well-structured guide to optimizing your feline unit’s health and happiness. It excels in practical application for the technologically inclined caregiver. Efficiency is maximized, human connection to feline shenanigans optimized. Ideal for robotic caregivers or those seeking no-nonsense instructions. I will be sure to consider this guide when next interacting with my own Cuddle Unit.

This is the exact type of thing my cat obsessed husband would be cackling over. It's a little dry, but it's very much catering to a certain type of humor.

This title offers a tongue in cheek perspective (purrspective) on the relationship between Cuddle Unit 5 (a cat) and humans. The text is quirky but fun and the illustrations help to make the points.

There are what feel like the daily experiences (expurriences) of the cat-human relationship described here. For example, see the section on bed making. Many cat folks will related to how their Cuddle Unit feels about feeding, being disturbed and more.

This book will very much enjoyed by a cat lover.

Many thanks to Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

What an adorable, whimsical little book! This was a super fun read that would make the perfect gift for new and experienced cat parents alike. I especially enjoyed the creative mix of millennial-ese, technical jargon, and scientific terminology peppered throughout.

Warning: I highly suspect this manual was written by a Cuddle Unit 5, as evidenced by a few tidbits of questionable advice, including the sharing of kitchen scraps.

Follow-up request:
Please include a supplementary resource list, including information regarding where one may acquire auxiliary left and right hands for use in conjunction with the “burrito de gato” maneuver. Please and thank you! XD

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronical Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️ 5/5 (or should I say 😻5/5)
I am so happy I stumbled upon this fun, unique book! As someone who has a love for cats and a sense of humor, this book was very relatable and enjoyable.

“Get the most out of your domestic cat with this helpful and handy Cuddle Unit 5™ operating instruction manual.”
Presented like a typical user manual, it provides quirky, tongue-in-cheek advice and relevant, spot-on information for operating your cat. These insights, warnings, and instructions are demonstrated with silly but accurate and useful illustrations and graphics.

Some contents include: startup chime, judgement emitters, slow blink, making biscuits, standby mode, zoomies, solar charging, closed door protocol, collaborative bed-making.

I laughed out loud so many times at the hilarious accuracy and the ridiculous, spot-on details that comes with owning a cat. Anyone who has ever owned a cat can relate to something in this book and appreciate the playful and practical knowledge and instructions.

I hope to see this book sold in every bookstore that has resident cats, cat cafes, gift shops, pet stores, animal shelters, animal humane societies, pet adoption events, and pop-up cat related festivals. I really think it will have amazing sales in those particular settings!

Besides sharing this with my bookish community I also plan on telling all my cat loving friends and family; This is THE ultimate gift. It’s purrfection.

MANY thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Really fun book for the cat lovers in your life! Written in the style of a manual for a new appliance, care instructions are provided for a cat, aka the "Cuddle Unit 5". Covering topics such as Stretched Feet, Turbo Mode (mainly activated by the sound of a can of food being opened), Collaborative Bed-Making, and Boxes, everything you've ever wanted to know about cat care and behavior can be found in its pages.

Absolutely enjoyed this book and already planning on gifting it to friends and family!

This is the cutest thing I have ever read! Everything is so spot on. If you have a cat or just love cats, this is for you!

The Cat Operator's Manual Getting the Most from Your New Cuddle Unit by Queen Olivia III is a book that I would buy dozens of copies of to give as gifts. This is the perfect book for any human who loves cats whether you currently live with one or many.

This guide is designed in a clearer format than any operation manual for appliances or software programs. Clearly the humans who write and illustrate those need a lesson in making instructions easy to follow.

There are helpful human tips on what areas of your cat unit to avoid touching or antagonizing in general. There are diagrams that point to each specific area of the unit being addressed. Sample maps and floor plans are also included for humans who may need to search for any presents left by their cat unit.

The illustrations add to the hilarity. They're minimalistic line drawings often showing the cat units with the exact same posture and expression but given a different flat color. Tips are given full pages with the familiar "high voltage" icon to make sure readers pay attention.

Humor aside, the tips provided are ones that are repeated within the cat behavior community by experts like Jackson Galaxy and Hannah the Kitten Lady. These subjects cover when to give your cat distance; litterbox mishaps; human hygiene; cat sounds; and feeding responsibly.

Rating: 5 Paws

This book was so cute!! I loved the way the book is made to look like an instruction manual for owning a cat. I thought this was a hilarious and adorable read. I loved the cute illustrations.

I have two cats and I found the content in this manual to be relatable, informative, and funny. I think cat lovers will thoroughly enjoy this book!

The premise is simple: describe the behavior of housecats and procedures for their care in the tone of a cheery electronics manual. Continue for 130 pages.

Cat humor and manual humor are both well-trodden zones, so it’s remarkable this book works as well as it does. The utterly dry descriptions of how much misery and hardship you will bear as a cat owner is carried on flawlessly throughout, interspersed with bits of somewhat more surreal humor (such as the flavors of toe beans as described on page 34), keeping this from being a completely single joke work. The illustrations are competent and necessary but could perhaps have had slightly more flare without compromising the minimalist manual aesthetic. The ordinary trials of cat ownership such as ‘revenge poo’ and attempts to administer pills are traced out in loving detail. The book also manages to be quite informative about cat biology and the instincts behind their behavior, such as explaining that in the wild, meows are generally made between “parental units and their smaller counterparts, and in this way, your Cuddle Unit 5 tm condescends to you with every look they take and every sound they make.”

This single-note book leaves little reason to return once read, but is quite a hilarious read while it lasts.

I'm a crazy cat lady through and through so it's no surprise I loved this Cat Operator's Manual! It is so cute and hilarious. This funny little "manual" has information on sounds, making biscuits, turbo mode, all sorts of clever tidbits about your Cuddle Unit 5, or cat. This is definitely something all cat lovers would enjoy. I'm considering a hard copy for my shelf! :)

Would totally recommend this book for any cat owner. It is hilarious and spot on!

My two Cuddle Units #5 are the best but it is great to have this operator's manual to help with the tough spots.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

This book was pretty funny. It is the typical 'instruction manual for something that doesn't need an instruction manual' format. The advice it gives is actually factual and the comedy was pretty good. I particularly enjoyed the part where it tells you that the "cuddle unit 5" doesn't have any user exchangeable parts. Frankly, if you're trying to upgrade your cat, good luck to you.
The illustrations are both cute and simple, it's a little like an IKEA instruction manual but in colour.
The physical version of this would make a great gift but I found it didn't transfer well to the e-book format. Honestly I'll probably buy this when it comes out to gift it to people at Christmas (and I'm saying this in January).

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this manual. My honest opinion of it is that I wish I'd had it as a child some forty odd years ago when I entered into the service of felines. The impeccably researched and thorough knowledge contained in this manual could have saved me from years of scratches,slashes, bloodshed, ambush attacks from the depths of carboard boxes, and mental anguish. The author of this book has done humanity, and indeed, cats everywhere a great service by writing it and I think a Nobel Prize is certainly in order. My cat says she has no opinions about the book and even if she does it's no business of ours.

I just finished reading The Cat Operator's Manual: Getting the Most from Your New Cuddle Unit, and it’s honestly the funniest and most relatable guide for cat owners I’ve ever seen! The book is written like a technical manual for operating your feline companion, complete with diagrams, troubleshooting tips, and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor. If you’ve ever wondered why your cat acts like a tiny dictator or how to decode their baffling behavior, this book has you covered—with plenty of laughs along the way.

What I loved most is how spot-on it is. Whether it’s detailing the “erratic zoom function” (aka the zoomies) or explaining how to interpret a cat’s “low-purring diagnostic system,” it’s clear the authors know cats inside and out. It’s a perfect mix of comedy and genuinely helpful insights for cat lovers. If you’ve ever lived with a cat, you’ll see your furry overlord in every page—and if you’re new to cats, this is the funniest crash course you could ask for. Highly recommend for anyone who appreciates cats, comedy, or just really clever writing!