We’re fortunate to live in a time with a plethora of fabulous cat books to peruse and purchase for ourselves or to gift to our cat-loving friends. A wealth of riches!
If it seems a tad overwhelming and you need a way to narrow down the field, purchase a cat book that give-back to cats! If you’re not sure which ones do that, here are four suggestions from IHC.
Kip’s literally chomping at the bit and wants me to start reading these awesome books to him asap!
1. LOLA: DIARY OF A RESCUE CAT, by Dawn White
Lola was a very young cat when she was found in a dumpster and taken to the AC&C (New York City’s kill shelter). Once there, she became ill and was put inthe “sick room,” which usually means euthanasia is the next stop. But Lola had luck and a fighting spirit on her side. A woman by the name of Leslie, who I’m proud to say I know because of Lola, happened to be accompanying a friend there to adopt a cat in the very same sick room.
While the atmosphere was grim, and most of the cats had resigned themselves to their fate, Lola wasn’t having it. Upon seeing that Lola still had life in her and desperately wanted out, Leslie knew she had to do something, and ultimately got her out of the shelter and to a vet where she would be cared for until she was health and fit for adoption.
Thanks to Facebook, I learned about Lola and went to visit her on my 40th Birthday. She was the most pathetic looking thing I’d laid eyes on. Full of snot, skinny and unable to even meow. Another Facebook fan – Dawn White, who I’m now also happy to say I know personally because of Lola – had also spotted Lola and knew she could give her a good home with her other rescue cat Lexy.
Lola straight from the shelter (left) and today, totally transformed, living the good life in Queens.
This book tells Lola’s story along with the stories of other rescue cats. I was so honored to be asked to write a blurb on the back of it and stand by what I wrote there: “this book will make your heart both hurt and sing.” It’s nice to read a rescue book with a happy ending.
15% of all sales from this book go to various rescue groups selected by Dawn personally. But thanks to Dawn’s generosity, if you order “Lola: The Rescued Cat” using the code “CityCritters” at check out, you’ll be benefitting the local NYC group that saved all three of my cats.
City Critters is a small group that relies on donations and a network of foster parents – of which I was proud to be one (fostering over 22 cats and kittens) before my “failed foster” Miss Haddie decided she wasn’t have any more cats or kittens in the home she had staked out for herself!
2. OSKAR & KLAUS: THE SEARCH FOR BIGFOOT, by Mick Szydlowski and Travis Bossard
If you’re a fan of internet celebrity cats, then you know Oskar the Blind Cat and his brother Klaus. Oskar was rescued by Mick and his wife Bethany as a wee kitten who was born blind. He became a viral sensation the day he took particular interest in Bethany’s hair dryer (I believe the story goes that she was drying off Klaus for one reason or another).
He was so adorable fighting with the air, Bethany posted the video, “Blind Kitten Versus Hair Dryer,“to share with friends and family. Three years later the video has been viewed well over three million times. The rest as they say, was history.
In real life, just as in their first book, Oskar and Klaus are the best of friends and share many adventures together. Mick describes them as “the feline odd couple” since, “Oskar seeks out new adventures at every turn, while Klaus prefers to play it safe by lounging around the house.”
In case you needed me to tell you, Klaus is on the left, and Oskar on the right. How adorable are these two?!
In this beautifully illustrated book, Oskar and Klaus take a camping trip in the Pacific Northwest (where they live in real life). Somehow Oskar convinces Klaus they must go on a quest to find Bigfoot! Along the way they make new friends and learn more than they could have ever dreamt.
Bethany with Klaus and Mick with Oskar the Blind Cat
The book is appropriate for children ages 4-10 (or so they say, I’d venture a guess there are quite a few teens and adults that would love to have this beautiful book).
Each month, a minimum of 10% of sales will go to a different charity group. In December, $3 per book will be donated to The Paw Project, a group dedicated to educating the public about the cruelty involved in the declawing of cats.
3. THE OREO CAT: BACONS…AND OTHER STUFFS, by Tina Modugno
Oreo and Tina may sound familiar to you if you’re a regular reader of I HAVE CAT – which I hope you all are! Tina Modugno is a talented children’s illustrator was our most recent Cat Woman Wednesday! And as is to be expected with an artist who has cats, she also creates fabulous cat drawings and watercolors.
That’s Oreo in a bacon costume (upper left), and “promoting” his book (lower right.)
If you haven’t read Wednesday’s post, I encourage you to as it will provide you with insight into how one very special cat by the name of Oreo came into her life and pushed her to do things she never imagined doing – like writing this book! (Bonus extra, you’ll see the cutest pics of baby Oreo and his sister ever. Double-squee-worthy!).
The book is a collection of short stories, jokes and poems and even includes a page about why cats need their claws. Tina has even initiated school programs making the book available to children, entertaining them while they learn a very important lesson at the same time.
She’s probably going to kill me for posting this pic (she doesn’t love having her picture taken). But hey, if it’s on Facebook I consider it public domain! Look at the cute drawing she made of my Petie Bear!
The book is based on his supposed fascination with “bacons.” As Tina explains, “The title was sort of a given seeing as Oreo is known on social media for his ‘bacons’ addiction,” Modugno says. “Garfield has his lasagna, Oreo has his bacons!”
Check out Oreo’s Facebook page and you’ll quickly understand the humor and fall in love with Oreo. Plus, you’re sure to get a chuckle or two along the way from reading the comics Tina creates for the page. I love Tina’s Oreo’s sense of humor and wit! And let’s face it cats are obligate carnivores are they not?! Oreo’s just a cat being a cat!
A little fast of Oreo’s FB page (and bacons obsession!).
The book is dedicated to the Paw Project and approximately 20% of proceeds from each sale goes to help them educate the public about the painful and sometimes crippling effects of feline declawing as well as rehabilitating cats who have been declawed.
4. YODA: THE STORY OF A CAT AND HIS KITTENS, by Beth Stern
This book is based on the true story of one of Beth and Howard Stern’s cats Yoda. Beth has been fostering litters of kittens – sometimes with their Mom’s – from North Shore Animal League in Long Island, New York for several years and helps recruit potential homes for them once they’re old enough for the shelter to vet.
When it’s not kitten season, Beth finds adult cats to foster and home that are deemed “less adoptable” by many – disabled, senior etc. This is how Yoda came into their lives.
Yoda had been at the shelter for quite some time and was a very broken down kitty. Not only was he skinny with fur so matted the vet had difficultly hearing his heart, he was so sad he hid at the back of his cage and did not interact with anyone.
So, Beth took him home with her! When she took him to be groomed, the vet was finally able to properly examine Yoda and discovered he was suffering from a severe heart problem and likely only had months to live. Upon hearing the news, Howard and Beth knew they had to keep Yoda with them for as long as he lasted.
But a beautiful and unexpected turn of events took place when Beth began fostering kittens again. Yoda came to life! He was a natural nurturer and immediately put himself in charge of the kittens and would become frantic if he couldn’t locate one of them.
I was fortunate enough to interview Beth for The Cat Channel (take a moment to check out the link when you can – if only for the photos!) where she recounted the first time she saw Yoda chase a foster room escapee down the hall and gave the kitten a big bear hug in order to capture it, waddling all the way back to the foster room that way! She couldn’t believe her eyes!
The next time Yoda went to the vet, he was shocked by how Yoda’s condition had turned around. The kittens had saved his life! They’d literally fixed Yoda’s broken heart by giving him a life purpose.
100% of the process from “Yoda: The Story of a Cat and His Kittens” go to Bianca’s Furry Friends campaign. A fund named after Beth’s former bulldog (who she believes would have adored Yoda), dedicated to creating a state-of-the-art feline center at North Shore Animal League.
I leave you with an adorable video of Yoda with a foster kitten (if it doesn’t show up at first just try refreshing the page).
Enjoy it, and remember, if you’re thinking of purchasing a book for the cat lover on your holiday list. Why not help out the kitties while you’re at it? Do you know of others? If so, leave a comment so everyone can see and check those out as well!
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