Whittington, the eponymous protagonist of the novel, is a rough-and-tumble tomcat who seeks shelter in Bernie’s barn. Kicked out of his former home, Whittington grieves his separation from his previous owner, but gradually finds healing by becoming a part of the barn community. Whittington takes pride in his name and the story of Dick, claiming to be descended from Dick’s first cat. Whittington’s journey to find a place of belonging and his role as storyteller facilitate important themes in the novel.

Armstrong suggests the cat’s fraught background in Chapter 1 via physical description: “[Whittington] was the color of old metal […] His coat was rumpled and slack […] He was stiff and walked low to the ground. His left ear hung down like a loose flap. He wasn’t old, but he looked beaten up” (1). He “stinks” and “has opinions” (5), contributing to his characterization as a world-weary tomcat and indicating his assertive and sometimes aggressive personality.

Whittington’s goals throughout the novel suggest deeper needs and vulnerabilities that support the theme of Finding Healing Through Community and Cooperation. He seeks the barn out in Chapter 1 because he “want[s] friends” (6) after losing his previous home.