The Summer cats arrive with the seasonal workers who start to come trickle in at the end of March and are completely gone by the end of October. Some of these cats are on their fourth and fifth season.
They of Summer are the harbingers of the tourist season, a time looked on with relief and trepidation. The arrival of tourists means and end to the lean times. Restaurants open, providing an abundance of food for all the animals of Mackinac Island.
But with so many burdens, the streets, particularly on the south eastern side of the island become packed with bicyclists and hikers. At nights, the careless and inebriated stagger about.
While Summer Cats who abide by the parliament's rules are given the same power and rights as other cats, some cats see them as (in some cases, justifiably) clueless to the ways and dangers of the island. But for those that prove their worth, that reputation is short-lived.
The face of the Summer Cats is Henri, a sophisticated orange tabby whose burden is Greg Murphy, the Head Chef Carriage House. While he would prefer to have his faction meet at the Carriage House, he finds it better to meet at Great Turtle Park, though favored cats are invited to his territory.