Favourite Feline Literature...

[Purple Poppy]

:22: :catsick: :011: :018: :002:


Following on from Thomas’s interesting thread, I got to thinking that since so many of us on here are cat lovers, it might be good to have a thread devoted to Feline literature. I was fascinated to know about the cat stories mentioned in the above thread, and will be checking out some of the titles.
Meanwhile, here are some of my favourite feline flavoured offerings. Blitz Cat is about a cat who travels extensively all over England during the Blitz and even takes part in a dog fight (aerial that is!) Along the way she manages to save several human lives until she finally arrives back with her family. I am sorry I can’t remember the author (UK) and looked on Amazon and Greenmetropolis but they didn’t have it, so maybe someone else on here knows.

I also love the trilogy (although she might be working on the next one) by Marilyn Edwards; The Cats of Moon Cottage, More Cat tales of Moon Cottage, and The Cats on Hutton Roof. These little books are about a couple and their cats and the true stories reflect the whole gamut of cat life, including endings, so have a hanky handy. I think every cat lover will like these and the illustrations by Peter Warner are good too. You can look at the website at www.thecatsofmooncottage.co.uk (http://www.thecatsofmooncottage.co.uk/) and you can see Peter Warner’s website at www.peterwarner.com (http://www.peterwarner.com/).
Having just checked the website, Marilyn has indeed written the fourth, The Coach House Cats, so that will go on my Santa’s list.

So now over to you…let us know your recommendations for any kind of feline literature…

Susanna :006:

[pontalba]

I love Shirley Rousseau Murphy's series about Joe Cat and his love Dulcie and other cat pals. They solve murders, and the bad guys better watch out when Joe is around!

The first one, Cat on the Edge shows how Joe comes to be able to actually talk and read and understand humans. It is hilarious in places, it made me laugh out loud, and catches a cat's personality purrfectly. :mrgreen:
Here is her website with all her listings. She writes other cat books too that y'all might be interested in http://www.sylviaengdahl.com/joegrey/mystery.htm
Just scroll down, as they are listed in reverse order of publication.

Then of course there James Herriot's books as well. Cat Stories will certainly have you reaching for the hanky, but are so sweet and uplifting too. And the illustrations are wonderfully done.

What a great idea for a thread! :mrgreen:

[Purple Poppy]

What a fab website and all those books! I will be putting the first one on my Christmas list, although I think I will probably relent and buy it before then. Thank you for sharing that Pontalba.:irked:

Susanna :006:

[Sugar]

Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine. Aimed at younger readers who are just becoming confident, there is lots of humour in the most simple ways!

A colleague would swear by Lillian Brauns The Cat Who detective novels. I must try one - would anyone else recommend them?

[pontalba]

A colleague would swear by Lillian Brauns The Cat Who detective novels. I must try one - would anyone else recommend them?

I like that series, although the last few have not been as good as the first 20 or so.

Glad you like it Purple Poppy! :)

[Acesare*]

When I was younger, I loved a book called The Mouse Butcher by Dick King-Smith (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mouse-Butcher-Puffin-Books/dp/0140314571/sr=1-5/qid=1161727929/ref=sr_1_5/203-9160783-2038306?ie=UTF8&s=books). I seem to remember it was about a colony of feral cats that had overtaken an abandoned town.

I remember also using another cat related book for my GCSE English Lit paper, which I compared to The Plague Dogs. Can't for the life of me remember what it was called, and I can't find it on Amazon.

I'll need to keep an eye on this thread, I've only really read non-fiction about cats, and would love some good cat fiction :)

[Snowflake]

I love cat books!.....

I have a few favourites which are kids books and have lovely illustrations. The Patchwork Cat by N Bayley, William Mayne and Nicola Bayley tells the story of Tabby and her patchwork quilt.

The Church Mice at Christmas by Graham Oakley tells the story of the church mice Arthur and Humprey planning a Christmas party which they need to raise money for. Their entrepreneurial schemes include raffling off Sampson the church cat and, as usual, everything goes haywire. This has great illustrations.

Another I enjoyed when a was a child was Casey by Joyce Stranger...

...and of course one of my other favourites is The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter. :011:

[Purple Poppy]

originally posted by Snowflake.

...and of course one of my other favourites is The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter.


Of course, I'd forgotton Beatrice Potter's Tom Kitten.
And Puss in Boots.
One of my favourite children's books was Mog...no idea who wrote it but you'll all know anyway.

By he way, welcome to the forum, Snowflake

PP

[Michelle]

I love reading the Mog books with my girls. :)

[dogmatix]

First off I think that the popularity of cat literature is such a strange phenomenon. I don't mean that it's unwarranted, it just surprizes me. Somehow cats and books or cats and readers just seem to "fit". Maybe it's because cats love to keep your lap warm while you read. And God knows ya can't read with a cold lap.

Anyways as a child I read Tailchaser's Song by Tad Wiliams.

I also have on my shelf as part of my large Richard Adams collection The Beaurocats (haven't read it)

Someday I'd like to pick up a couple of books in that mystery series The Cat Who.....

[Acesare*]

Somehow cats and books or cats and readers just seem to "fit". Maybe it's because cats love to keep your lap warm while you read. And God knows ya can't read with a cold lap.

The only problem with that is that the cat doesn't much like to be ignored (or they try and sit on the book)

[dogmatix]

Or on the keyboard:irked:

[pontalba]

My computer is on one of those counters with the keyboard underneath on a pull-out, so one of the cats that stays in here all the time will lie on the desktop, and hang over and sniff my hands as I type, or try to touch my fingers....nutty cats.
That's Tuffy. She is 14, and thinks she is a kitten, and acts like it sometimes.
She was found by a friend of ours in a parking lot where he had a shop screaming and trying to pace up and down on hot asphalt. She was only about a week old...eyes not all the way open, but her lungs worked fine. Of course he brought her to us. Her little feet were burned bloody, and the underneath of her tail was blistered. We fed her by hand, and antibiotic was liberally given and 14 years later she thinks she owns the place and us....and in fact she does. :mrgreen:

Anyhow dogmatix.....as far as the Cat Who series...I'd say start with the beginning. It tells how Qwilleran first meets his cat(s) and that is integral to the reasoning of the entire series.

I would also recommend The Cat Who Had 14 Tales by Braun. This was written before the Cat Who series and is a collection of short stories about....cats! :lol: Really good!

[Acesare*]

Poor Tuffy! I'm so glad you found her and gave her the kind of home all little kitties deserve

[pontalba]

Poor Tuffy! I'm so glad you found her and gave her the kind of home all little kitties deserve
:mrgreen: She is a brat, but well loved.

Dogmatix, when I recommended the short story book of Braun's, I pulled it, and had to start reading a bit. :lurker:
Here are the first few lines from the first short story. The cat is a Siamese. Hence the hubris. :roll:
"Phut Phat knew, at an early age, that humans were an inferior breed. They were unable to see in the dark. They ate and drank unthinkable concoctions. And they had only five senses; the pair who lived with Phut Phat could not even transmit their thoughts without resorting to words."

This story goes on to show how the cat thwarts a burgler in true Siamese Style. :mrgreen: I put these lines in this thread, as it was more than one line.....and verra feline.

[Purple Poppy]

You are whetting my apetite Pontalba!

Poor little Puss. Thank goodness she found your friend (or other way round). I've hand reared several teenie weenie kittens and its hard work, but well worth it. You'll have to post a piccie of her...?
Purple Poppy.:006:

[Acesare*]

I'm planning to wander down here (http://www.northlondoncats.org.uk/) during the week to volunteer :D

[pontalba]

Lets see if this works. This a pic of Tuffy and the two dogs Zazu and Little John
http://i14.tinypic.com/2rmnpsw.jpg

[pontalba]

You can see who owns the couches.....:mrgreen:

[Liz]

Well, when it comes to cats, the only books I've read with them in are the Beatrix Potter books and the Enid Blyton collections. I don't think there's anything else I've read.......??

[Purple Poppy]

I have just remembered a couple more feline books.

'Cat Chat' by Helene Thornton. Amazon's synopsis reads...

'Having moved to Provence, Helene Thornton's village was a welcoming place and yet the warmest greetings she received were from the many cats that lived there. This is a story of love between her, a Frenchman and cats, especially one cat, Bebe'.

I loved this book. A lovely gentle read.

Then there's the Cat Karma Sutra, or The karma Sutra for Cats. I can't find my copy but its an absolute gem. It's what every cat should know about lying on the bed whilst the humans are busy...how to interpret positions in time to move etc. Very funny book.

PP
:006:

http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/common/orange-arrow.gif

[Kell]

Although I like cats, they're not really animals I'd consider having as pets, even if I weren't allergic - I have a thing about them climbing on counters etc - LOL! However, I do like the occasional cat book & I thought of a few of them I'd like to mention:

The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett
The Unadulterated Cat is becoming an endangered species as more and more of us settle for those boring mass-produced cats the ad-men sell us - the pussies that purr into their gold-plated food bowls on the telly. But the Campaign for Real Cats sets out to change all that by helping us to recognise a true, unadulterated cat when we see one. For example: real cats have ears that look like they've been trimmed with pinking shears; real cats never wear flea collars ...or appear on Christmas cards ...or chase anything with a bell in it; real cats do eat quiche. And giblets. And butter. And anything else left on the table, if they think they can get away with it. Real cats can hear a fridge door opening two rooms away ...

Devil on the Road by Robert Westall
John Webster should have listened to his instincts: instead, he stays on in the Suffolk village where chance has taken him. Something is wrong here, and he finds himself with unanswered questions. Why is Derek so keen for him to stay on in the barn? Why are the villagers behaving so deferentially? Was it Fate or Chance which brought student and biker John to the deserted barn in rural Suffolk? An abandoned kitten provides the link with the dangerous past.

The Cats of Seroster by Robert Westall
In medieval France, huge, powerful cats and a magic dagger help Cam, a young English jack-of-all-trades, through a series of unusual and dangerous adventures.

[Kell]

Blitz Cat is about a cat who travels extensively all over England during the Blitz ... I am sorry I can’t remember the author (UK)...Robert Westall - he seems to have a bit of a thing about cats! :)

[dogmatix]

Kell my counters are DISGUSTING with litle cat foot prints. Now don't get me wrong they get disinfected thoroughly before every meal but nevertheless, then there's the litter in the bed sheets. Yup ya gotta love em' to tolerate them. Mine have been with me for 15 years.

[poppy]

Cats in the Coffee by Joyce Fussey. A very funny lady.

[pontalba]

Kell my counters are DISGUSTING with litle cat foot prints. Now don't get me wrong they get disinfected thoroughly before every meal but nevertheless, then there's the litter in the bed sheets. Yup ya gotta love em' to tolerate them. Mine have been with me for 15 years.
Yup, a bottle of "bleach-water" at all times available. But for the other I use newspaper. Cheaper, and doesn't get into everything. Plus if the dogs happen to get to it, newspaper won't make em sick.

[Purple Poppy]

Ah Kell...the font of all knowledge.:friends0: Thank you for supplying my lost author. I will put the other one on my wish list.
You mentioned the Terry Pratchett book yesterday, and I have already ordered it from Greenmetropolis!
So, thanks for the recommendations.
:readingtwo:
Susanna

[Kell]

LOL - I thought it sounded familiar, but it wasn't till I realised that Westall wote The Cats of Seroster (I knew about Devil on the Road for sure) that I remembered about him writing Blitzcat too - sheer luck, rather than good memory.:blush: Hope you'll enjoy The Unadulterated Cat - I loved it!

[Sugar]

I've not read them, but there is a series by Erin Hunter called Warriors all about cats. I hadn't realised there were so many in the series until I just googled them. They seem very popular for 8 - 11 year olds.

[lovesreading06]

I hope you don't mind me adding this in here.

pontalba i see you cats and dogs keep the sofa warm for you.

What do you think the best animal book out there is to read?

[Princess Orchid]

I quite enjoyed Nick Smith's "Milk Treading" (about a cat detective), and just discovered he's got another one out with the same protagonist. There's also a Japanese writer who did "I am a cat", which is on my TBR list.

[Purple Poppy]

Thanks PO. That's a few more to add to my list:blush:,
but I have to say that anything about cats is a must!
Laura...I couldn't say. There are so many! Wind in the willows, Watership Down, loads! Why don't you start a thread and get everyone to put in suggestions? I know that there is a group on Shelfari which is about animal books. There are lots of suggestions there too.
Pp

[wrathofkublakhan]

I'd like to add to the thread the author, Diane Duane. She has several "cat wizard" books set in her "So You Want To Be a Wizard" universe, as I recall they live in Grand Central Station.

A wikipedia link to one story can be found here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Night_With_Moon).

I love the philosophy of these cats because they don't really have a spiritual or religious approach but believe in "fighting entropy", the ultimate collapse of the universe simply by doing good - even if it is just picking up a wrapper to toss in the trash can. In fact, I like it very much.

Finally, if you like ... here is a picture of my cat, Emily (http://www.calarts.edu/%7Edk/photo/emily.jpg). She is a one-eyed cat and so must be magical!

[Kylie]

Finally, if you like ... here is a picture of my cat, Emily (http://www.calarts.edu/%7Edk/photo/emily.jpg). She is a one-eyed cat and so must be magical!

Aww, she's so cute, Wrath!

I can't for the life of me think of any feline literature I've read. Wait, does Garfield count? I'm sure I have some lengthy 'graphic novel'-type Garfield stories at home.

[kitty_kitty]

I love Terry Pratchtt - The Amazing Maurice and his educated rodents

[Purple Poppy]

Kitty said

I love Terry Pratchtt - The Amazing Maurice and his educated rodents


Another one for my TBR list! Thanks Kitty ;)
Pp

[Oblomov]

Anyone who likes cats should read Desmond Morris' classic Catwatching.

I also once read a very unusual and fascinating fantasy short story called My Father, the Cat. I cannot recall the author, but the story appears in some old Sci-fi anthologies.

[Merflerher]

Have none of you read Felidae and Felidae on the Road? The author is Pirinnci, I think. About a cat who investigates the murder of another cat.

When I was a child I read the Mr Twinks books, again about a cat detective (can you see a theme here??). I tried tracking them down on Amazon and Abebooks and they are selling at over £100!! Ouch!

[Spooncat]

Have none of you read Felidae and Felidae on the Road? The author is Pirinnci, I think. About a cat who investigates the murder of another cat.

When I was a child I read the Mr Twinks books, again about a cat detective (can you see a theme here??). I tried tracking them down on Amazon and Abebooks and they are selling at over £100!! Ouch!

hiya

I read Felidae some years ago - i thought it was an original and unforgettable book - well worth reading - not read Felidae on the road what is that one about>?

kay

[Oblomov]

There is a book titled Magicats! by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois (editors). It is an anthology with no less tha 18 fantasy cat stories, including My Father, the Cat that I mentioned ealier.

[Purple Poppy]

Wow! these all sound wonderful. I think I will have to go through the whole thread again and make a list, ready to put on my wish list....though I don't think £100 will be available!!
Thanks for all your suggestions everyone. Keep them coming.
Yes, there does seem to be a theme here!And no. its not cats...but detective cats!:lol:
Pp

[Ruth]

I admit I haven't read the entire thread, but if nobody else has mentioned these books, I must...

Deric Longden - The Cat Who Came In From The Cold, and Enough To Make A Cat Laugh (he's written more than this, but these are the best two). Cat lovers everywhere will love these!