Favorite Cat-Related Books
Do cats read? Probably not (but then one never quite knows with a cat), but they sure enjoy the printed word. How often have you caught your furry one sprawled across your newspaper
(especially when you're trying to read it)?
Here's a few of my and my cats' favorite cat books
Fiction
Carole Nelson Douglas - The "Midnight Louie Series": Midnight Louie is a street-savvy jet black feline sleuth (with shades of Sam Spade) working the streets and casinos of Las Vegas with his human partner, Public Relations expert, Ms. Temple Barr (a petite lady with a Carrie Bradshaw penchant for expensive high heels). This mystery series is fun, witty, and the recurring human characters and their relationships are refreshingly unique and complex. It's best to read the books in sequence and watch how the characters (including the irresistible Louie) evolve from one novel to the next.
Lilian Jackson Braun - The "Cat Who" Series: Another feline mystery series featuring ex-newspaperman Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese - Koko - a dignified male with a special talent (and prescience) for crime detection and Yum Yum, a sweet female with a penchant for collecting bright, shiny objects. Naturally, there's a murder or two the cats must help solve in each novel, though for the most part this is a delightful and lighthearted read.
Shirley Rousseau Murphy - The "Joe Grey" Series: Joe Grey, a handsome grey and white tomcat and his lady friend, Dulcie, a spunky tabby, are not your ordinary cat detectives. They have the power of human speech and reading skills - though revealed only to a select, trusted few. Dulcie can activate a computer and both are capable of using a phone (even a cell!) to call in anonymous tips to the police when they find evidence to a crime no human could possibly ever sniff out (literally). The plots are well orchestrated, humorous, and contain just a touch of the mystic - Joe and Dulcie's unique human powers are steeped in ancient Celtic lore and mystique. Reading the books in order is best, but you can still "get it" without doing so.
Non-Fiction
James Herriot - "All Creatures Great and Small" series: These are the memoirs of a Yorkshire, England country veterinarian. Here you'll find heartwarming true stories about many different animals and follow the lives and adventures of Dr. Herriot, his family, and friends. Dr. Herriot has a true story-teller's style and his words will make you smile, gasp, laugh, and cry. Other books in the series include "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "All Things Wise and Wonderful", and "The Good Lord Made Them All"
Cleveland Amory - "The Cat Who Came For Christmas" and "The Cat and the Curmudgeon": These are wonderful, fun stories about Mr. Amory's rescue cat Polar Bear and their life together and the compromises (mostly human) they made as Polar Bear converted this self-proclaimed "dog man" into a cat lover. I couldn't put these books down and read them from start to finish in one sitting!
Alison Daniels - "Feng Shui For You and Your Cat": In the simplest terms, Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") is an ancient art of maximizing the positive energy within your home/space to create an environment of peace and harmony. This beautiful book goes about explaining Feng Shui from a cat's viewpoint. Well written and informative, it also contains a lot of awesome photographs of cats.
You can find most of these books at your public library, or here's two new and used book websites I've had great success with finding the hard-to-find books:
