I was born in ‘93, and I remember my parents had this book well in advance of me reading actively on my own. The book was beautifully illustrated, and I remember that the lady cat in the book was beautiful, fluffy, and… gentle? I also remember a thin, scruffy and beat-up looking Siamese pirate cat, though I can’t remember if he was the romantic lead, or if he kidnaps our leading lady. I do remember the tall, ribbed, triangular sails of the Chinese-style pirate ships, and lots of rich warm colors.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
One possibility might be Richard Adams: The Ship’s Cat
It sounds like it might be an illustrated version of “Growltiger’s Last Stand” by TS Eliot. There has been an illustrated version:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Growltigers-Last-Stand-Other-Poems/dp/0374428115
I have the Richard Adams book and the opponents there are the Spanish Armada, rather than Chinese pirates – the art is amazing, though!