The fat cat sat on the mat. Get off said the rat. But the fat cat just sat. Will the rat get the fat cat off the mat? The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat is a 1996 childrens book by Nurit Karlin.1 Published by Harper Collins as part of the reading readiness program, the book stresses the ability to read words of specific structure, such as at. The plot regards a large cat that refuses to get off a mat, despite bribery attempts from a furious rat.2