Why Are All The Good Ideas Taken?

Even though I'm committed to working on my YA novel, I'm still lurking about for the next great cat book idea. I kind of don't want to write another cat book, but I'm also realistic enough to recognize that 90% of my platform as an author is based on being a cat writer. So meow-meow I go. 

I've pitched a few ideas to my agent and received the feedback that the ideas I'm generating feel "non-organic."  "It feels like you're a bit panicked and forcing out the ideas," my agent told me back in December. "Just relax. The idea will come."

You know me. I'm all about the relaxing. Yup. Not worried about not having a book idea to pitch to my editor one little bit. 

Then about a week ago someone mentioned Goldilocks and The Three Bears. I don't know who or where or why, but I remember thinking, "Huh. What if I switched "bears" to "cats"? 

I liked the idea. I liked the potential of the idea. There are a bunch of fairy tales out there. What if I did a cat-based fairy tale book, changing out all the main characters in the most well-loved fairy tales for cats, and all the personality quirks that go along with that? C'mon now, that's just fun in a box!

I sat down today to play around with rewriting some fairy tales to see if I could make the idea work. Then it occurred to me to wonder if anyone had done something similar before. (Never mind that this should have been the FIRST thought that occurred to me right after I had the idea.) 

Sure enough, Pussy Cats Gruff: And Other Cat Fairy Tales came out in July 2001. I couldn't find a sample chapter anywhere, but the promo says it contains 19 fairy tales so the author obviously hit all the big ones.

There are 2 tidbits that offer slight hope: 1 - the age range on the book is listed as 9-12. My book would be aimed at an adult market. 2 - the book is self-published. More than likely that means limited distribution. 

So I don't know. Just because I'm semi-invested in the idea, I'm still going to play around with a story or two and see what I think. Not sure a publisher would go for the idea since it's been done, but maybe in playing with the words I'll come up with a new twist. 

Any thoughts or feedback?