It's Like This, Cat takes place in a slightly run-down section of New York City during the late 1950s or early 1960s. Neville captures the bustle of this urban setting as Dave criss-crosses the city to engage in a variety of activities.

Some of these scenes have become dated in the twenty-five years since the book was published—for example, Dave visits Fulton Street Fish Market, a spot that has since been gentrified and incorporated into South Street Seaport, a waterfront tourist attraction—but Neville's descriptions bring a New York of the past to life with vivid clarity.