Cat People

This is a great book for cat lovers. Interesting, humorous and if you are a cat owner, you will appreciate how a cat in your home can change your life.

Sometimes a title will intrigue me . . . that was certainly the case with CAT PEOPLE by Margaret and Michael Korda, in that I wanted to find out what made one a "cat person" . . . and whether I now fit the bill. This short book put a smile on my face . . . it is the account of how the Kordas had cats before they got married, then wound up with even more after their marriage . . . it seems that they are not alone, either; many others apparently go the same route--including yours truly. I had a cat a long time ago when my daughter was young . . . yet when I remarried, I inherited my wife's three cats who have now become "our cats" . . . and it is hard to imagine life without them. The same thing seems to have happened to the Kordas . . . and the other cat owners they describe . . . yet to the cat, it matters little . . . as the authors note, "Generally speaking . . . . cats prefer to observe human activity from the prone position, with a skeptical eye. Either you find that comforting, or you don't. It's all the same to the cat." There were several other wry observations; among them: Perhaps this spirit of independence, and the fact that they remain, even when domesticated, essentially wild, is what gives them their remarkable powers of survival--the proverbial nine lives. When it comes to independence, survival skills, loyalty to your own kind, and unconditional love, we humans have much to learn from cats. This may be another reason that some people dislike cats. Even sitting quietly on your lap, claws sheathed, a part of them is still wild. They may have come indoors, and agreed to accept your caresses, but there's always the sense that one eye is ever so slightly open and wary, just in case the cat changes its mind. If there's one thing you can say about cats, they like to keep their options open--not a bad thing to learn from them. And lastly, as unbelievable as it may sound: It helps to have friends who are as crazy on the subject of cats as oneself (or crazier), and this is, very fortunately, easy enough to achieve. Complete strangers, of course, are very often even crazier. How else to explain the fact that a company called Genetic Savings & Clone, in Sausalito, California, will clone your cat for fifty thousand dollars, and is said to have a long waiting list of customers? I think I'll pass on that cloning option . . . yet that said, don't miss CAT PEOPLE if you're a cat fancier or know of one . . . it will tug at your heartstrings, and an added plus are the many drawings that accompany the many stories.

I absolutely loved the book! Couldn't put it down. Only problem I found was when Mr. Korda stated that there is virtually no account of any peoples eating cats. Dogs, yes. But not cats. Well actually, The Australian Aborigine bush people do indeed eat cats. They will chase them into the bush, easily tiring them out because although cats can run fast, they can't run at any real lenghths. So once they tire them they throw a bag over them, take them back home and well, eat them! But the book is about loving cats, and devotion to cats, which is what I'm about.

For me, this book caught me by the cover art, showing a couple together with their cats on the sofa watching the tv. It usually doesn't take much for me to get sucked in by things that involve cats, and I was pretty much prepared for a so-so read. Instead, I got a love story, of a couple and their ongoing houseful of cats, talking about how they acquired them, their tales and foibles, and the very unique personalities. It's charming, well-written and I was left with the impression that I had been sitting and listening to the Korda's talk about their feline companions. On a personal note, the setting of these stories -- the Dutchess County region of New York, also made the story come alive as I know quite a few of the places that are mentioned. The drawings scattered throughout the book are utterly charming, and will bring a smile to your face. Perfect stocking stuffer for the cat lover that you know.

We read that ancient Egyptians worshiped cats. In fact, if one of the household cats died, the owners were so grief stricken that they shaved their eyebrows as a sign of mourning. Well, I'm not quite sure that Margaret and Michael Korda would go that far, but as revealed in "Cat People" they are inordinately fond of their felines. Michael Korda, a best selling author and editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster, not only has a way with words but also a way with line drawing - his whimsical illustrations accompany a thoroughly enjoyable narrative as the Kordas share anecdotes about cats - his, hers, theirs, plus those of their neighbors and friends. As we discover with sometimes disastrous, frequently funny situations, each of the toms and tabbies has a distinct personality and definite predilections. There is super cat Napoleon who tumbled out of a four story window, "dropped four floors down, landed on top of the building's cloth canopy, thus breaking his fall, bounced on the heavy canvas then took a flying leap to the top of a dividing brick wall." Once they were living in the country the Kordas were visited by any number of cat boarders, all of whom were well loved. There was Mumsie whose favorite meal was breakfast. She liked to take it seated at the table between the marmalade jar and the teapot. And, Chutney with his "Buddha-like wisdom and calm." When he died, the Kordas had him cremated and kept his ashes and bowl in a closet for many years. The reminiscences go on, and one is sorry when they end. Cat lovers will want to invite the Kordas over for an evening and swap cat stories. Others will be entertained by the rich humor expressed. You don't have to be a feline fancier to enjoy "Cat People;" as it is stand alone entertaining. However, if you are a cat lover, you'll find yourself nodding your head in agreement and smiling with every page. - Gail Cooke