Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is the inspiration for the musical. Most of the songs from the musical can be found in their entirety in the book, with slight changes in tense and pronoun to suit the staging.

Poems Included

 * The Naming of Cats
 * The Old Gumbie Cat
 * Growltiger's Last Stand
 * The Rum Tum Tugger
 * The Song of the Jellicles
 * Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer
 * Old Deuteronomy
 * (Of) The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles (Together with Some Account of the Participation of the Pugs and the Poms and the Intervention of the Great Rumpus Cat)
 * Mr. Mistoffelees
 * Macavity: The Mystery Cat
 * Gus: The Theatre Cat
 * Bustopher Jones: The Cat about Town
 * Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat
 * The Ad-dressing of Cats
 * Cat Morgan Introduces Himself (added in the 1952 edition)

"Grizabella, the Glamour Cat" was not included in the book of whimsical children's poetry, as the author considered it to be too sad.