Introducing Clemmer the Cat

The Adventures of Clemmer the Cat started the way the best stories do—at bedtime, with a child who wanted just one more.

The stories began as simple tales told aloud: a brave orange cat on a farm, five kids who adore her, and adventures invented on the spot. The cat was originally going to be called Clementine—because she's orange, of course. But in the story, the family's youngest, a two-year-old named Eden, couldn't quite get her tongue around 'Clementine.' What came out instead was 'Clemmer.' The name stuck, and it became uniquely hers.

Night after night, the characters grew richer. The farm got a name. The cat got a backstory. The kids in the story got personalities so vivid they started to feel real. Eventually it became clear these weren't just throwaway bedtime tales—they were stories worth sharing with other families. That's how The Adventures of Clemmer the Cat became a kids audiobook series, written and narrated by me (Jon Horton), designed from the ground up for young listeners.

Clemmer is a female long-haired orange cat with bright green eyes that have 'seen too much for such a young thing.' She was born into a family, but they abandoned her when they moved. Left alone as a young kitten, she had to fend for herself—fighting off creatures, scrounging for food, surviving by sheer grit. She wandered for three months before finding a farm where she watched a family from the shadows for two weeks, wanting desperately to belong but too scared to approach.

Then ten-year-old Loïc stumbled across a copperhead snake in the woods. His boot caught the strike, but he froze—his warrior bravado melting into real fear. Clemmer launched from behind a fallen log and fought the snake until it hung limp. That single act of bravery earned her a home. She didn't just get adopted—she chose this family, and they chose her back.

The Anderson family is big, loud, and full of love: Loïc the adventurous oldest, Maëla the mud-tracking warrior-princess, cautious little Eva in her sparkly shoes, two-year-old Eden who gave Clemmer her name, and baby Margaux watching it all with bright, observant eyes. And then there's Paddington—Clemmer's enormous, fluffy orange brother cat who is strictly indoors, terrified of mice, and acts grumpy about everything while secretly having the softest heart on the farm.

Here's what makes Clemmer different from most storybook heroes: she doesn't consider herself brave. She's cautious, a little shy, and often scared. But when someone she loves is in danger, she acts anyway—every single time. That's the kind of bravery these stories celebrate. Not fearlessness, but courage despite fear.

In her first adventure, Clemmer fought a copperhead to save a boy she barely knew. In the second, she took on a red-tailed hawk terrorizing the chicken coop—an aerial battle that left her scraped and exhausted but saved Maëla from the falcon's talons. In the third, she caught the mischievous mouse that had been tormenting the farm, but instead of doing what every cat is supposed to do, she carried him across the creek and let him go—because she remembered what it felt like to be small, alone, and terrified.

Each story runs about 10 to 12 minutes, which is long enough for a complete, satisfying narrative with real stakes and emotional payoff, but short enough for young attention spans. Themes like kindness, mercy, teamwork, and chosen family emerge naturally from the adventures. Nothing is preachy. Nothing is heavy-handed. These are stories where the values are woven into the action, not bolted on at the end.

New Clemmer stories drop every Saturday morning at 8:00 AM. Each episode is a self-contained adventure, so your family can start anywhere—though beginning with 'Clemmer Finds a Family' is a wonderful way to meet everyone and see how Clemmer earned her place on the farm.

The series is built for kids ages 5 to 12, but parents regularly tell us they get just as caught up in the stories. There's humor (usually courtesy of Paddington, who once had a mouse sitting on his belly without noticing), genuine tension (the falcon fight is not for the faint of heart), and quiet emotional moments that land with surprising weight—like Clemmer remembering her empty house while deciding the fate of a mouse.

These are screen-free, audio-first stories. No app to download, no video to stare at. Just press play and let your child's imagination build the world. Whether it's bedtime, a car ride, quiet time, or part of your homeschool morning routine, Clemmer is the kind of story kids ask for by name—and parents are happy to say yes to.