[4] The title track derives from a song Stewart wrote in 1966 called "Foot of the Stage" with prescient lyrics about Tony Hancock, one of Britain's favourite comedians who died by suicide two years later.

[6] The cover design, by Hipgnosis and illustrator Colin Elgie, depicts a woman who has an apparent obsession with cats.

Stewart used the same concept for the cover of his 2004 Greatest Hits album, but with most of the cat items replaced with references to his other singles.

In the United States, Year of the Cat was certified platinum in March 1977, indicating sales of more than one million copies.

Peter Reilly, writing for Stereo Review, found Stewart's "hissing sibilant 's's" unintentionally hilarious, especially when combined with the "gloweringly melodramatic" "On the Border".