Perhaps T.S. Eliot's most neglected work is Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, though the magnificent book of children's verse is not unpopular. As F.B. Pinion writes, "It is worth remembering that most of his [Eliot's] non-academic readers will think of him less as the poet of The Waste Land than as the writer of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (62). The poems appear to be well thought of, but little has been written about them. Ann P. Brady calls the book "the supreme example of Eliot's gift with nonsense verse" (24). A.D. Moody goes as far as to say "they reveal in an accessible, even intimate way, something of the author of Burnt Norton" (182).

Because the poems are less complex than his more discussed pieces, and maybe because they fall into the categories of "light" verse or "children's" poetry, few critics are willing to consider them in depth. However, Practical Cats (as I shall herein refer to the book), contains real poetry, in that the poems transcend the surface enjoyment that has endeared them to youths and adults. In portraying the typical characteristics we associate with cats, Eliot also reveals aspects of human nature and sometimes gives his readers a glimpse of insight into his spiritual concerns.

Cat lovers easily recognize characteristics of their favorite animal in Practical Cats. Fickleness is seen in "The Rum Tum Tugger": "If you set him on a mouse then he only wants a rat,/If you set him on a rat then he'd rather chase a mouse" (13). Even readers who are not partial to cats might smile at the description of Mr. Mistoffelees: "His manner is vague and aloof" (34). "The Old Gumbie Cat" and "Growltiger's Last Stand" are both entertaining portrayals, the former presenting a do-gooding cat who spends her time cooking for and educating mice, the latter an exciting story about the downfall of a bully. "The Rum Tum Tugger" also reveals something about human nature. The central character "is a terrible bore" who is never satisfied. When offered pheasant, he desires grouse; when put in a house, he prefers a flat, and vice versa. Like people who always complain, he makes those around him miserable:

Another cat who has his own way while exposing human follies is Old Deuteronomy. In this poem, the reader encounters a feline whose laziness is indulged on the basis of age and who he supposedly has known: "He was famous in proverb and famous in rhyme/A long while before Queen Victoria's accession" (25). Respect and reverence are paid to this cat no matter how much trouble it causes:

This absurd treatment is furthered when the villagers put up a "Road Closed" sign and when the landlady rushes the patrons out the back door of the Fox and French Horn, threatening to call the police if the cat's sleep is interfered with.

An even more negative picture of humanity is seen in "Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer." In this poem is an illustration of those despicable creatures who are able to captivate their victims before robbing them. The two felines "had an extensive reputation" (21) and "a very unusual gift of the gab" (22). In addition, "They were highly efficient cat-burglars as well, and remarkably smart at a smash-and-grab" (25). That the two are "cat-burglars" may indicate the sneakiness they possess and the trust that they are able to gain before committing their crimes.

In "Gus: The Theatre Cat," Eliot gives his readers a humorous portrait of a braggart. Gus is a cat whose coat is "very shabby, he's as thin as a rake." But the reader has it on Gus' authority that he was once quite a success, and feared by the mice and rats. His greatest conquest in life was when he played "Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell."

The cat who "once understudied Dick Whittington's Cat" will be all too happy to tell any listener about his part in East Lynne - if that listener is willing to buy him "a toothful of gin" (42). Then Gus rambles pathetically about how "the Theatre's certainly not what it was," ending with a note of mock triumph:

A number of Eliot's cats could be considered characters in his spiritual universe. It seems possible that the story of Growltiger is a parable about the wicked man who thinks himself impervious to destruction. "Bustopher Jones" is a charming depiction of a glutton. Also, the reader might ask whether the Gumbie Cat is a symbol of a person who meddles in the business of others or someone who devotes her life to the missionary work of the Gospel.

"The Song of the Jellicles" is reminiscent of Isaiah's vision of the seraphim (Isaiah 6:1-4). Elizabeth Sewell writes that in this poem is "a dance so free and loving and joyful, yet quiet and half-secret, that it is a clear image of heaven, and an invitation thither" (56). The Jellicles, then, might be seen as angels, who "are resting and saving themselves to be right" so that they can spend all their energy in praises to God.

In "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" is a picture of a demon, possibly Satan. He is described as one who can "defy the Law" and has "movements like a snake" (37). Also, "he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity" (38). Every time a crime is committed, Macavity cannot be found though he is suspected. Added to this is the line "He's outwardly respectable" (38), a telling reference to 2 Corinthians: "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (v. 14).

Preceding "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" in the collection is another poem about Satan, "Mr. Mistoffelees." Besides the name, an obvious reference to Goethe's tempter in Faust, is the fact that Mistoffelees is a deceiver. He is no mere magician, he is "The Original Conjuring Cat" (33). One cannot be certain where he is or what he is up to:

Much like Macavity, who "when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake" (37), Mistoffelees "is always deceiving you into believing/That he's only hunting for mice" (34).

If Macavity, the criminal, and Mistoffelees, the magician, are representative of the arch-fiend, then it is not surprising that THE GREAT RUMPUSCAT (Eliot's capitals) might be seen as God, as Elizabeth Sewell suggests. The Rumpuscat intervenes and brings peace when the established form of law and order fails by taking time off to go "into the Bricklayer's Arms for a drink" (29). Eliot's sketch of him is one that commands respect: "His eyes were like fireballs fearfully blazing,/He gave a great yawn, and his jaws were amazing" (31). The coming of the Rumpuscat is the beginning of peace in that all of the dogs "scattered like sheep" (31), perhaps coupling Christ's reference to the lost as sheep (Matthew 9:36) and his quote of Zechariah 13:7: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" (Mark 14:27).

Sewell writes that Eliot "implies that the way for a Nonsense poet to reach heaven is by Nonsense itself; and so we have Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (56). One does not have to draw that conclusion to enjoy the poems. Eliot himself loved to read them to children and left the theological implications alone to be deciphered in good time. His godchildren and young cousins constantly begged for him to read the poems to them after his usual readings of Uncle Remus. Alzina Stone Dale records that Eliot was once found under a kitchen table reciting "The Song of the Jellicles" for his cousin Teddy whom Eliot had discovered hiding from the grownups (25). But while Eliot wrote the poems primarily as entertainment for these children, he could not escape expressing, with his usual canniness, what he saw in the behavior of human beings and what he felt operated in a universe created and governed by God, who has three names, as Sewell points out in a reference to "The Naming of Cats", "one of which is ineffable" (56).

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