The Lion’s Daughter takes place in an alternate universe in which cats replace humans as the dominant species on earth, wearing clothes, riding on the backs of dogs, and generally getting into mischief. Despite this change , the story retains the general course of history.

In the small town of Chamberfield, the Brown family maintains a respectable life: Mr. Brown holds a relatively lucrative business position while Mrs. Brown takes care of the home and their two youngest daughters, Audrey and Louise, in addition to her older daughter, Abigail, who has been distant from the family for some time.

Just a train stop away is the neighboring Fuchsford, one of the oldest cities in America. Legends tell of a crying cougar that stalks the city at night, vengeful for the wilderness it lost. Certainly, no cougars remain in the American Northeast, and so the beast is thought to be a wandering spirit. But whether or not it does exist, cats continue to go missing in Fuchsford.

The story centers coming of age alongside the historical pressures of industrialization and women’s suffrage. The art direction was inspired by the stories of Beatrix Potter and Patrick McHale’s Over the Garden Wall, while the story draws influence from Warriors and the Little House books.