SOLVED. Middle Grade Fantasy about boy who talks to cats. [s]

[H]

I read this book around 2016 as a physical book. The cover is an orange closeup of a lion face. It is about a boy who was born with (?) the ability to talk to cats and he has to hide this ability because people are looking for him. He has a companion that is a snarky stray Tabby. I'm pretty sure the boy is an orphan.

Spoiler!


At one point he ends up at the circus as a lion tamer because he can talk to the lions. And it turns out that the lion training teacher knows some words in Cat because the previous lion tamer also was able to speak cat. Eventually the boy escapes with the lions.

[Rainbowheart]

Lionboy

[H]

This is it! Thank you!

[Rainbowheart]

Welcome, glad to help out!