Monday, August 17, 2015

Book:Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts: The Joy of Sleeping with Critters by Francine Brevetti

Inspirational Stories Told by Pet Owners

There is nothing I loved more than having a pet who LOVED to share the bed or couch with me when I went to bed at night or took a nap.
My Angel Bobo was a fixture in my bed (or wherever I was for that matter), Cody, not nearly as much.
Cody will lay by my head if I fall asleep on the couch, but he refuses to EVER lay in our bed in the bedroom. It totally baffles me.
Many books and movies have observed our closeness with our domestic animals but Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts  concentrates on one phenomenon only—sharing the bed for sleep.

FROM THE AUTHOR:In 2012 my beloved Lola, a Cockapoo (Cocker-Poodle mix), had to be put down. A horrible decision for anyone and certainly for me who felt that Lola and I were teammates. She was demonstrative and affectionate. She lay by my side at night on the bed. A comforting, reassuring, warm presence that I could reach out to touch during the night. Waking up with Lola beside me was a loving way to start my day. So when I had to relieve Lola of the misery of her disabilities, her absence at night and in the morning grieved me. There was a hole in my heart.
Realizing her nightly nearness meant so much to me, I got the idea that others may feel the same. I started researching to write a book about sleeping with your pets, domestic animals, best friends, whatever-you-call-them. I couldn’t find any other book on the subject at the time. So I’m offering you this gift from Lola. We both hope you enjoy it.
In our industrialized world, human society has become so compartmentalized and individuals so alienated from each other that more and more people are welcoming primates, birds, ungulates and reptiles into their intimate spaces. Humans share DNA with every living creature from primates to yeast. But we don’t have to refer to biology to convince each other of the bond we share with the rest of the animal world, of how precious their presence is to us and vice versa. More people are living singly today. Nuclear families—already diminished from the multi-generational households experienced until the last century—are breaking up. While individualism and independence are the hallmarks of American values, they lead so often to loneliness, depression, frustration and hopelessness.
When you read these sketches of people’s experiences, you may find yourself among them. Please smile. You may even shed a tear occasionally. I hope these stories from real people like you and me lighten your heart.
FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY:
Animal lovers will be able to relate  to many of the "mini-stories" in Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts. Being candid, it made me miss the days of when my beloved Bobo would insist on playing with my toes when I would try and sleep, or when he would swat at imaginary mice while jumping up and down on the bed as if it were a trampoline!!
One darling example that most of us can relate to in reference to a cat waking up her owner: "She is very persistent and taps me with her paw. No matter how many times I shoo her off the bed, she keeps coming back until I'm forced to get up. She's like a little alarm clock," her human remarked."
Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts has 20 Chapters full of snippets from people (and, I noticed a few bloggers who I know!) like you and I that share their heartfelt experiences about sharing a bed with their beloved pet.  You will find excerpts from people who view their pets as children, those who discuss having to banish the pet to another room (often due to the spouse), bedtime rituals and more! It is "Chicken Soup For The Soul, for those who love to sleep with their pets"
Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet---Colette
Probably my favorite quote listed in this book would be:
"Sometimes losing a pet is more painful than losing
a human because, in the case of the pet,
you were not pretending to love it."
-Amy Sedaris, Simple Times:Crafts for Poor People
Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts  reminds us if you are going to lose sleep or if you want to sleep BETTER, there is nothing better than sleeping with a furry, feathery, yappy  (or scaly!!) friend!

Author Bio: 
Francine Brevetti is a San Francisco native who has worked as a business journalist in New York City and Hong Kong. She was also a business reporter for the Oakland Tribune.
She wrote the definitive history of the Italian colony in San Francisco's North Beach with The Fabulous Fior - over 100 Years in an Italian Kitchen.
Journalist and author, she also ghost writes other people's books and coaches aspiring authors to write their own. People come to her for help writhing their memoirs, family histories, or books about their business.
Author Website: Francine Brevetti

In full disclosure: I received no compensation for this book feature. I received a complimentary copy.

37 comments:

  1. Sounds like the perfect book for me! I cannot sleep nearly as well if Lita is not on my bed when I go to sleep. She usually stays there for hours after I've gone to sleep, but sometimes I have to go and find where she went to and bring her back so I can sleep, haha. :)

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  2. Oh that is such a great quote and Oh so true. In colder weather, I have at least six cat bodies on the bed with me. The cats are great company at night. One thing about having so many, is that there is always some cat available. Caren, you and your family have a great day.

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    1. Marg you are truly blessed! I think I know which quote you love and I love it too! When I fall asleep on the couch Cody DOES sleep by my head and I love reaching out and petting him in the night, but when I am in the bed, nope, he doesn't ever go there! You have a great day too! xoxo

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  3. Nice post Caren and deserves an awww! :-)

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  4. Sounds like a lovely book. I have to sleep on my back because Flynn likes to sleep on my tummy and will stretch right out. Eric used to lie across the top of my head with his paw on his dad's head.

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  5. That sounds like a joyful bunch of fun!

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  6. Sounds like a great book. I have a couple that lay with me on the bed and a couple that lay with my son.
    Sue B

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  7. I love that quote! Mister Cat doesn't sleep with us, but he loves to nap with me and sit on my lap in the couch. So, I can still relate to the experiences in this book! Thanks for sharing this great book with us Caren!

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  8. Little Bit used to sleep with us every night, but she's old now and jumping up on the bed is out of the question. Such a precious memory though.

    Have a fabulous day. Scritches to the babies. ♥♥♥

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  9. This definitely sounds like a book fur us, thanks fur sharing! Purrs Basil & Co xox

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  10. Sounds lovely. There is something so soothing about waking up in the middle of a dark, cold night to find a gently purring cat curled up beside you!

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  11. This does sound like a cute read for sure!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  12. That sounds like a sweet book :)

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    1. thank you! 99.9% of them find me! I rarely go after a review :)

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  14. I know what you mean Caren. I miss Abby lying on my top of me at night. Funny, several months before she left for RB, she stopped doing this, so I grew accustomed to it before she left. But I certainly missed it then, and now.

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  15. I enjoyed reading it and I hope I have time to review it.

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  16. Sounds like a good one. We snore so loud at times mom has to wake us or adjust our heads
    Snorts
    Lily & Edward

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  17. That sounds like a great book ! Purrs

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  18. Soounds like a gweat book. Mommy sez she can't even sleep at night lest weezbe there by hers side. And of course when she looks at us in da meownin' smilin' we know how happy she is.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Lexi

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  19. Sounds like a great book! Newton knows the human alarm clock routine really well, especially on weekends!

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  20. Sounds like a cute book. Our Matilda is like your Cody. She loves to snuggle on the couch and occasionally will crawl into the bed to sit on top of me for a minute or two but she won't sleep there unless no one is in it.

    I added the subscribe by email on my side bar for ya :)

    Ginger, Matt & Matilda's Mom

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    1. Awww...Matilda sounds like a sweetie! Thank you for telling me, I am on my way over!

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  21. We enjoyed your review! I sleep near Mommy every night - in the winter I'm on the bed but in the summer I'm in the closet but when she stirs I'm right there tap, tap, tapping on her forehead or licking her eyebrow! If I'm not, she gets up and searches the house for me which is really fun to watch! :) Isabella sleeps on her daddy all night long every night. If she tries to walk over to Mommy's side she pushes her back because she says it's like a bowling ball laying on her!

    Purrs,
    Angel

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  22. My MIL would seriously love this book! Great review!!! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston

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    1. Thank you and thank you for your AMAZING tips on your blog this morning! So happy I found you!

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  23. This sounds like an amazing book, need to put it on my wishlist! Thank you for sharing and have a fantastic day! :)

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  24. That sounds like a great book! I won't sleep with The Staff! Go on asks why? Well, I'll tell you! I don't want to risk life and limb. It's like sleeping in the middle of a tornado!! MOL

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  25. Thanks for your nice comments and suggestion for email link- which I did set up! And I won Puffy and Blue? AWESOME! cool- thanks!
    http://katheworsley.blogspot.com/2015/08/its-tiime-for-awww-monday-august-17-2015.html

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    1. you are welcome and yes you did! Won't be announced til Thurs, but yes you did!!!
      Thank you for adding that, I am following now!

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  26. That was a pawesome review! Paws up!

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  27. In the winter I have all three cats on my bed with me! LadyBird sleeps on a pillow near the bed. Toby and LadyBird both snore so they provide an interesting chorus to sleep by - but I wouldn't have in any other way!!!

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  28. I always sleep on the pillow next to TW’s head cos I know she’s allergic to cats. When she’s sick she always axs if I’m trying to kill her.

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  29. Sounds like such a wonderful book, so sweet!

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