Honestly, if you grew up in a house with a bookshelf anywhere in the UK or Commonwealth, you’ve met Mog. She’s that slightly plump, incredibly dazed-looking tabby created by the legendary Judith Kerr. But here is the thing: Mog the Forgetful Cat isn't just a story about a pet who can't remember she’s already had her supper. It is actually a masterclass in how we treat the "difficult" members of our families.
When the first book dropped in 1970, it didn't just become a bestseller; it became a permanent fixture of childhood. Most people think of Mog as a simple, funny character for toddlers. She's way more than that. Kerr, who famously escaped Nazi Germany as a child, had this uncanny ability to weave deep, sometimes even dark, emotional threads into what looked like simple picture books.
Why Mog the Forgetful Cat still resonates in 2026
I was looking at a copy the other day and realized why it still feels so fresh. It's the "Bother that cat!" factor. Every cat owner—and basically every parent—has had a "Bother that cat" moment.
Mog is constantly messing up. She sits on Mr. Thomas’s hat. She squashes the prize-winning petunias because she forgot the cat flap existed. She has these "dark thoughts" while sitting in the garden. Most children's books back then were about being good or learning a lesson. Mog doesn't really learn. She just... is.
The Real-Life Inspiration
Judith Kerr didn't just pull Mog out of thin air. She was based on a real-life Mog. The Kerr family’s actual cat was apparently just as "not very clever" as her fictional counterpart. Kerr used to watch her cat do bizarre things, like licking her daughter Tacy’s hair while she slept.
In a weird way, the Thomas family in the books is a mirror of Kerr's own family.
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- Mr. Thomas was based on her husband, Nigel Kneale (the guy who wrote Quatermass).
- Nicky and Debbie were versions of her own kids, Matthew and Tacy.
- Even the house in the illustrations looks remarkably like their home in Barnes, London.
It’s that groundedness that makes it work. It’s not a fantasy world; it’s a drafty 1970s house with a cat that is being a total nuisance.
The Burglars, the Eggs, and the "Wait, What?" Moments
If you haven't read the original Mog the Forgetful Cat in a while, the ending is actually kind of wild. Mog gets locked out (again) and ends up scaring a burglar just by being in the wrong place at the right time.
The family is so happy they give her a medal and a breakfast of eggs.
But have you ever looked closely at that last page? The burglar is sitting at the kitchen table having a cup of tea with the family and the police. It is the most British thing ever captured on paper. Kerr once suggested that maybe after seeing the worst of humanity during the war, she felt even a burglar deserved a spot of tea. That’s the kind of nuance you don't get in modern, hyper-sanitized kids' media.
The Series That Refused to End
Mog didn't stop at one book. There are 17 main titles, covering everything from:
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- Mog's Christmas (where she gets terrified by a walking tree).
- Mog and the V.E.T. (a classic "don't take the cat to the vet" disaster).
- Mog and Bunny (her obsession with a scruffy toy).
The series eventually hit over 10 million copies sold. It's massive. And then, in 2002, Kerr did the unthinkable. She wrote Goodbye Mog.
Dealing with the "Death" of a Legend
Usually, fictional characters live forever. Not Mog. Judith Kerr was 79 when she wrote Goodbye Mog, and she wanted to explain death to her grandchildren.
It is a gut-punch of a book.
Mog decides she is "dead tired" and wants to sleep forever. She dies. But she stays around as a little ghost to help the new kitten, Rumpel, learn the ropes. It’s handled with such lightness that it doesn't traumatize kids, but man, it makes the adults weep. Kerr’s daughter, Tacy Kneale, actually provided the purrs and meows for the 2023 Channel 4 animation of Mog's Christmas, which brought the whole thing full circle.
Cultural Impact and That 2015 Comeback
Remember the Sainsbury's Christmas advert in 2015? Mog’s Christmas Calamity? It was a huge CGI production that brought Mog to a whole new generation. It also raised millions for Save the Children.
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What’s interesting is how the "brand" of Mog has stayed so consistent. Even with a massive voice cast in the recent animations—we’re talking Benedict Cumberbatch as Mr. Thomas and Claire Foy as Mrs. Thomas—the soul of the story is still just a cat being confused by a tree.
Common Misconceptions
Some people think Mog is a boy. Nope. Mog is definitely a "she," though Kerr famously joked that when German translators got the pronouns wrong, she just gave Mog kittens in a later book to "let them sort it out."
Others think Mog is meant to be a "bad" cat. Honestly, she’s just neurodivergent in cat form. She forgets things. She gets overwhelmed. She’s the patron saint of anyone who has ever walked into a room and forgotten why they went there.
How to Introduce Mog to a New Generation
If you're looking to share these books now, don't just stick to the first one.
Mog on Fox Night is strangely atmospheric and beautiful. Mog in the Dark has some of the most surreal illustrations Kerr ever did—full of "mouses" with wings and giant dogs.
Actionable Ways to Enjoy the Mog Universe:
- Check out the 50th Anniversary Editions: They have extra sketches from Kerr’s archives that show how the character evolved from a skinny stray to the plump tabby we know.
- Watch the Channel 4 Animations: They are incredibly faithful to the hand-drawn style. Benedict Cumberbatch saying "Bother that cat" is something you didn't know you needed.
- Visit the "Seven Stories" Archive: If you're ever in Newcastle, the National Centre for Children's Books holds much of Kerr’s original artwork. Seeing the physical brushstrokes on Mog’s fur is a trip.
Mog works because she’s imperfect. In a world of polished, "perfect" influencers and hyper-competent heroes, a cat that forgets her own dinner is exactly the kind of energy we need.
Next Steps for Mog Fans:
Go find a copy of the Mog Treasury. It’s a heavy beast of a book that collects the best stories in one place. It’s better value than buying them individually, and it includes the "V.E.T" story, which is objectively the funniest one. If you're dealing with a grieving child, keep Goodbye Mog on hand, but read it yourself first so you can get your own crying out of the way.