by J. C. Suares

“I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and I wish to come into your Cave.”—–Rudyard Kipling

This is a coffee table book with some substance to it. It examines the domestic cat’s relationship with humans throughout the ages. It features beautiful photos and other portraits by the world’s foremost artists and excerpts from the tributes and writings of famous cat-lovers and authors. The compilation of writings includes those by Mark Twain, Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, William Butler Yeats, and many others. I was disappointed that Thomasina by Paul Gallico or the wonderful movie that was based on that book were not included in the mentions.

They have been loved, hated, revered and feared like no other animal and this book examines why people react so strongly to them. A must-read for Cat-lovers!

July 27, 2020