Monday, August 6, 2012

Book Review: "Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat" By Cathy Unruh

I was delighted when offered the opportunity to receive an advance copy of the book, "Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat" by Cathy Unruh.
My copy of "Taming Me" by Cathy Unruh

From the moment I started reading, I could NOT put the book down.  It is 224 pages and I finished it in less than 4 hours. It is eloquent, insightful, sensitive, suspenseful, full of love  and will lure you into it's pages as the scent of delicious oily salmon will lead a cat to eat. It's simply superb.

I found myself immediately transported into the mind of a feral kitten whose survival was nothing short of being a "miracle" and led to her appropriate moniker "Lucy Miracle". Lucy was born on the island  of Cat Cay, (think it received it's name because of 100s of cats that live on the island? Think again.)

Lucy introduces us to her world by sharing her thoughts about being  a feral kitten who is terrified and leery of humans,  dependent upon her mother for her sustenance,  she describes her  mother's struggle to find food, shelter,   to merely survive

Many cat lovers are  familiar with TNR (trap-neuter-return) and the various humane ways that this is accomplished. Volunteers work  tirelessly  seeking to help neglected cats by ensuring that they are spayed/neutered, and by educating the public about the  importance of  spaying/neutering cats to keep the numbers of cats without homes under control.

Wouldn't you love to know:


What goes on in the mind of a kitten (cat) when it is trapped?


What about those who loathe cats and find them trespassing on their property?



The  thoughts of a feral kitten surveying the world around it?


What does a feral kitten (cat) think and feel about humans?


 Does a feral kitten (cat)  really WANT to be adopted?


 Does  it long to return to the wild?


 Is a feral cat who becomes a "housecat" truly happy?

 Cathy Unruh does a brilliant job of  answering all of those questions by touchingly sharing with the reader what she thinks is going on in the mind of a feral cat, through the words of HER cat, the endearing Lucy Miracle. Her depiction of those thoughts is so vivid that you will find yourself alternating between gasps, laughs, tears and nods of agreement and recognition.

She  superbly presents what one who adopts a feral kitten (cat) is faced with when trying to introduce it to an indoor environment replete with resident cats. She beautifully conveys the love, patience, understanding, commitment and devotion needed to win their trust and their hearts.

From the Publisher, Collage Books Inc.:

"With an uncanny ability to imagine the thoughts and emotions of a cat, author Cathy Unruh's writing is richly metaphorical, honing every detail to its fullest potential. Ms. Unruh grew up on a hobby farm and is passionate about animal welfare; this story champions her views about the humane treatment of animals." (She is also an Emmy Award-winning television journalist)


This wonderful book will be released in trade paperback, hardcover and e-book formats on October 16, 2012, which just happens to be, National Feral Cat Day.


Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-938728-15-3
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-938728-25-2





23 comments:

  1. OMC, this sounds like an AWESOME book - I am dying to read/ review it!

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  2. Well, finally, a book that I can relate to!! My Human is SOOOO lame about buying the books *I* want to read! Mostly she says, well, MAYBE, Spitty after I finish blahblahblah and then blahblahblah. Sigh.

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  3. This sounds like a great book, mummy is putting it on her birthday list which just happens to be October :)xx

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  4. Great review! Will be looking out for it :)

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  5. How adorable!!! I love the enthusiastic review and intro to this super book!!! Thank you! Take care
    x

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  6. Great review. Hope you had a great weekend. Have a great Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  7. Great review - now I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing this even more than I did when I first received my ARC copy.

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  8. Wonderful review! I too had the pleasure of reading an ARC of this book and found it to be a very well written tale of little Lucy Miracle's view of life on Cat Cay as a feral-housecat "in transition". Hope it's a big seller because it deserves to be.

    Pam (and Sam)

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  9. @Pam and Sam thankyou! It DEFINITELY deserves to be a big seller!

    @Ingrid King you will LOVE IT and thank you!

    @Molly thanks much! I did and hope you did too!

    @Old Kitty thanks so much!!

    @CATachresis you will sooo love it and thank you!

    @Princess Jasmine GREAT IDEA!! When is your Mom's birthday? My mom's is in October also!! It is a WONDERFUL BOOK! xoxoxo

    @Spitty this is a book for YOU (and your Mom) for sure!

    @Sparkle I guarantee you are going to LOVE IT!!

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  10. I like the idea of writing through the eyes of a kitten. Thanks for the review.

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  11. Oh! Wow! We are going to have to read this book!
    Kozmo at the Cat From Hell

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  12. I just wish owners in the UK would be more responsible,but this sounds like a great book

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  13. Great review. I love reading books about animals i think i've just found another to add to my list.

    I've just done a book review on Sheba's life story. It's a true story called a Street cat named Bob. It might be of interest to you.

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  14. @Sheba Hi and thanks!!! I DID see your review and you did a nice job! I just didn't leave a comment when I was there. Sometimes if I am going to be reviewing a book (I receive a TON of them) I don't always read reviews that others have done of a book that I will be reviewing because I don't want their thoughts in my head :)

    @speedy it is a FABULOUS book!

    @Kozmo you will love it!!

    @Sharon you are welcome and it is so touching, one of my favorites, that is for sure!

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  15. Oh gosh, please remind us when this book is published. I really want to read this. You know our person, anything feral, she has to have. It sounds really good. Can we pre-order it?? Thanks for the great review.

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  16. What a brilliant idea! If only we could get average people to read this and learn about outdoor cats. Wouldn't it be great if Pet Stores carried this--at the checkout aisle?!

    @Marg ---if you love feral cats--feel free to follow us at
    www.riverfrontcats.com

    Christine

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  17. This does sound like a good book. Now if only everyone would read it, maybe it could help change people's minds about feral cats.

    Please forgive my absence. I had a modem that died and an internet connection problem for the last couple months. Cable company had to finally replace two broken outside lines that wasn't letting a signal through.

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  18. Hi Caren & Cody, Just dropping by to say I hope efurrybuddy's keeping cool back there! XOXO

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  19. You have me hooked! It sounds like an amazing book and wonderful story telling. We received the book recently and have to make time this weekend to read it. Can't wait!!!
    xo, Glogirly

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  20. It sounds like a great book. I must get it when it is published.

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  21. Nice review Cody!! IT is now on Mom's wish list for Kindle!! paw pats, Savannah

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