Cat of the Month vs Lil’ Letter Club

Where they differ

Both are art & prints and letters clubs. Lil’ Letter Club also covers activities and stickers; Cat of the Month stays narrower.

On price there is effectively nothing in it — $10/mo against $10/mo, which works out within a dollar a month of each other. Price is not the deciding factor here.

Shipping is the one that rules a club out rather than in: Cat of the Month ships to Worldwide, Lil’ Letter Club to US.

Lil’ Letter Club addresses the post to the child by name; Cat of the Month does not. That sounds minor and it is the detail people mention most often — the envelope being visibly theirs is most of the appeal for a younger child.

Lil’ Letter Club expects a reply — there is something to write back to. Cat of the Month is one-way. A write-back club is the better one if an adult will actually sit down and help; if not, it turns into a pile of unanswered post.

What each one sends

Cat of the Month

A new illustrated cat character each month with a short story and something collectible, made by illustrator Lisa of Roar Modern. The maker describes it as suitable for any age, "whether you're 8 or 80" — an all-ages club that happens to work well for children rather than a children's club specifically.

Lil’ Letter Club

A monthly envelope built around an original illustrated story, with the child's first name taken at checkout and written into the letter itself. Alongside the story comes an art print of its artwork, stickers, an inspirational trading card and a different small surprise each month. Written and illustrated by Lily, who makes them to be read together rather than handed over.

Which one to pick

We are not going to pretend there is a winner here — they are close enough to be on the same shortlist, which is why this page exists. What we would say is that the choice usually turns on the household rather than the club: how much adult time there is, whether the child reads independently yet, and whether you want post that asks something of them or post that simply arrives.

Read the full listings before deciding, and follow through to each club's own site — prices, terms and gift options are theirs to change and ours only to record.