Gwen Cooper wrote the story of living with a friendly cat who happened to be blind, Homerβs Odyssey. This was popular on social media and attracted mainstream media attention. Now she has followed up with more tales in MY LIFE IN A CAT HOUSE. Iβd never heard of Homer, though I might have if I either lived in America or used social media. So I have to say I kept mixing up the blind cat with the three-legged cat in this book.
Gwen starts by telling us about the first kitten she chose and intended to adore; this was a girl kitten who turned out to be antisocial. If you want the kitten to focus on you, itβs probably a mistake to give it too many toys, feathers, boxes and other playthings. Our kittens have been born here and their mothers have shown them that we are good to be with, for stroking, playing, feeding and generally doing interesting things. Gwenβs girl kitty didnβt know her and decided to occupy herself in other ways. But eventually they did share the home more happily, and then some boy kittens arrived to keep Gwen amused.
All praise to Gwen for taking on cats with injuries or disabilities. A three legged cat can get around quite well and only when old age sets in does infirmity make a marked difference. But the blind cat would be a challenge for most families, although Homerβs senses for hearing, scent, vibration and warmth would stop him bumping into objects or people. Luckily for Homer he found the right household.
Cat lovers may enjoy these tales of adventure and misadventure, but Gwen doesnβt do anything too exotic, like mountaineering with her cat. Some longtime cat owners will find little they havenβt already experienced, but newcomers to the world of cat keeping will find MY LIFE IN A CAT HOUSE packed with information they are going to need to know. Cats can be independent, affectionate, entertaining and annoying. Youβll find all these moods and more in this charming book.
Celebrate the human-feline bond with all its joys, mysteries, and life-changing moments.
Gwen Cooper—author of the blockbuster bestseller Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat—returns with the ongoing adventures of her much-beloved, world-famous fur family. Ideal for new readers and longtime fans alike, this memoir told in eight purr-fect cat stories is filled with all the humor and heart Gwen’s devoted readership has come to know and love.
Raised in a dog-loving family, Gwen never pictured herself as a “cat person.” But from the very first feline she adopted—an adorable five-week-old rescue kitten, slow to learn how to trust after life on the streets—Gwen was smitten. Eventually one rescue kitten became five, and all the ups and downs of a life with cats are lovingly depicted here: From the obsessive cat who teaches himself to play fetch and demands it morning, noon, and night from his hapless human mom; to the crafty white beauty who raises outside-the-litter-box thinking to the level of an art form; to the routine vet trip that turns into a hijinks-filled misadventure on the streets of Manhattan with three (VERY cranky!) felines in tow. And Homer, the Blind Wonder Cat himself, returns triumphant in new tales of life and love after worldwide fame.
Sure to be treasured by cat lovers everywhere, My Life in a Cat House will leave you laughing out loud, shedding an occasional tear, and hugging your own cat a little bit closer. Read and rejoice!
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