The Cat Who Went to Heaven is a 1930 novel by Elizabeth Coatsworth that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1931.

At breakfast, the painter notices that the cat appears to be paying homage to the image of the Buddha, and he reflects on his own lack of prayer because of the hard times he has lived through.

The story says that the traditional belief in his time was that cats are supposedly cursed, because of their pride and sense of superiority, which apparently caused them to refuse to bow before the Buddha in his lifetime, and that this therefore means they are barred from achieving Nirvana.

[4] Deeply touched by her grief, the artist finally paints a small white cat, aware however that this may displease the priests.

The painting is finally delivered, and is greatly praised by the chief priest until he notices the presence of a cat, at which point he rejects it completely and plans to burn it.