So wanted to like this book and its tales. As a cat lover myself, I was looking forward to anecdotes and slice of life moments living with many cats, as the author does. Sadly, the stories themselves dragged a lot, focused very little on the cats themselves and more on the author and tangents about her life. Not the entertaining cat-fest I was expecting, unfortunately

My Life in the Cat House was a fun read but also had its sad moments!!

I listened to the audio at times and I found the book was more enjoyable in the audio format.

I guess at one time I also was a crazy cat lady as I had 3 cats with my first batch of cats haha!!

Cats have such a personality!! If you are a cat lover this book is a must!

I can relate to living with cats. My mother in law had 11 cats so yes. It can get overwhelming. This was adorable little read. Definitely recommend to all the cat lovers out there.

Oh, the joy I felt while reading this book. Was I not prohibited by my boyfriend to have more than one cat in the house (truth be told, it is his), I would definitely be living with a lot more feline friends than would be considered normal. So I lived the dream through Gwen Cooper's memories of her five adorable cats, some of which have hopefully gone to Heaven. The happy moments, the mischief, the pranks her cats did on her ex-boyfriend, and even some of the sad moments were all very amusing to read about. The most memorable was the last peeing accident one of her cats had. It made me laugh while ugly crying about the short, never-enough time these wonderful creatures share with us. And while I could identify a lot of mistakes Gwen did as a cat owner, which got her into situations like cats waking her up at ungodly-hours for food, I put judgement aside and appreciated her actions as what they were - a tremendously big love.

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I am a self proclaimed crazy cat lady. I laughed so hard during this book and so often related to the experience that were described! Everything from Pandy being so overweight she couldn’t clean her bum properly (My first cat Macy had this same problem) to calling Fanny ‘the creature’ (We call our youngest Figgy the beast). Even the story of the tussle between Homer and Scarlett resonated. The author has a true gift for story telling and what better subject that sweet kitties?!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I simply can’t imagine what life is like without cats. Everywhere I’ve gone, there they are, and even if I think they’re following me, I’m actually the one drawn to them. So reading Gwen Cooper’s stories about each of her cats definitely left a feeling of warm and fuzzy as I turned the pages. I felt as though they were my own and by the end of each chapter, I had fallen head over heels for every one. As someone who watches kitty videos all day, I could appreciate reading about Scarlett, Vashti, Homer, Clayton, and Fanny. Some of their feline adventures reminded me of my own kitty, who unfortunately passed recently.

Having already read Love Saves the Day, I knew I had to read this book. Cooper has a way with words, describing moments of hilarity and sadness with equal importance. At the end of the day, your cat is your family, and every moment with them is just as precious as they are.

As an aside, thank you Gwen Cooper for persevering and writing about cats in a world where publishers actually thought people wouldn’t want to read about them!

Would recommend this not just for cat lovers, but for anyone who has a pet or is considering adding one to their household. I’m sure you’ll find a lesson or two in the book as well.


I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is pure "Catnip" for cat lovers ! I loved this adorable book of a group of individual stories about different cats and their owners. I have read the owners previous books about Homer her blind cat who captured our hearts and her following books that are all enjoyable and the "purrfect" reading for cat loves. The owner tells the stories here through each cats voice so deftly and with love that you will cry, laugh and want to start the stories over again when you are done. Its a delightful read by one of our beloved writers of cats.

This is so wonderful. Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity.. I highly recommend this book for all of us that love cats, that are owned by our cats and that are delighted to know the work of such a wonderful author that loves cats as we do. Meowtastic !

The reason why I choose to receive a free digital copy of this book was because I love cats. I could relate to some of Gwen’s cat’s antics, they behaved almost exactly as my cats from my childhood. Cooper invites the reader into her life, including her ex-boyfriends, friends, and her husband. She shares a bit of her everyday life and struggles living with cats, something that every cat owner can relate to. This quickly got to be very repetitive and some chapters seemed to focus more upon Cooper and her relationships and family dynamics as opposed to the cats. My Life in a Cat House is something to be read one chapter at a time in multiple settings instead of a complete read-through all at once.

"My Life in the Cat House" is the purr-fect book for cat lovers! The author shares personal anecdotes about living with a variety of special needs kitties, and the quirks that they each have. I smiled while reading this book, and had to hug my kitty a little tighter!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Excellent, funny, and entertaining. You don't have to love cats to enjoy this. I can't compare this to Homer since it's been so long since I read that, but this is good. Cat lovers will enjoy this the most I'm sure.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed "Homer" so I knew this book would not disappoint. These stories about Gwen Cooper's other cats, as well as a chapter on Homer, will be enjoyed by any animal lover. Each of her cats have such unique and different personalities so no 2 chapters are remotely alike.

A wonderful book full of delightful cat stories. Sometimes cats are adorable and sometimes they are jerks. Anyone who has spent even 5 minutes with a cat knows this. My Life in the Cat House takes us readers through the life and spells of a few cats, their different personalities and their owners. As a cat owner, myself, I could see a lot of all-too-real scenarios.

God bless cat people.

4/5 Stars

My Life in the Cat House by Gwen Cooper is a delightful collection of stories about her life with her cats. As a cat lover (I currently parent seven wonderful cats!) I found myself laughing out loud as I read the stories, often reading selections aloud to my husband for him to enjoy as well. If you are a cat lover, or just enjoy a good animal story, you will absolutely love this book!

<I>I Choo Choo Choose You</I> and <I>Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen </I>

I loved both these stories. It's so cute when the kitten Scarlett in the first story thinks she's being left by her owner, and starts crying like she's getting killed. I have a kitten who cries like that on car rides. In the second story, I love the three legged cat who likes to play fetch. I have a cat who also loves to play fetch - he's the same one who sounds like he's being murdered when we take a car ride.</spoiler>

<i>Picasso of Pee</i> and <I>Cat Lovers Don't Read Books</I>
I loved the story of Vishti who would pee on anything of someone else's that she didn't like or had a grudge against. I know cats do that kind of thing and it cracks me up. I also loved hearing more about Homer and his rise to fame as the cat in <I>Homer's Odyssey</I>. I love that blind little boy!

<I>THEM! A Story in Five Parts</I> and <I>Cat Carrier Tango</I>
I loved the story about the attack of the moths, and could just see Fanny running around with her tail stuck in a moth trap! That was hilarious reading. For the second story in this little block, I myself have taken three kittens to the vet at once, and two cats to the vet at once, but luckily I had my own transportation so didn't have to deal with cabs in an accident, downpours, or gypsy cabs. What a day!

<I>Fanny Trouble</I> and <I>The Worm Has Turned</I>
I loved both these stories. The first story was mostly about her cat Franny and how she discovered the manna of dry cat food (which according to the author is a contributing factor to feline diabetes) and succeeded in then moving her feeding times earlier and earlier. The second story was mostly about Homer and how he lost both his favorite toy and the neutralizing cat (Vashti) between him and Scarlett. The author talks about breaking up a cat fight and getting bitten in the process.

If you like cats, then I really think you'll like this book.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Many of you, like me, are fans of Gwen Cooper’s books. We have laughed and cried as we read the stories of the remarkable blind cat, Homer. He was one of a kind and thanks to him many cats who might have been thought unadoptable found forever homes. He also helped build the juggernaut that is kitties on social media.
You will not be disappointed in this cat-ography of Homer and his three sisters and one brother. From the aloof Scarlet to the ravishing Vashti to the irrepressible Clayton and his super smart sister Fanny, you will enjoy the stories of the trials and their triumphs. They will earn a justified place in your hearts.
Gwen acts as their scribe, not unlike what Momma does for me. She reports their adventures not just from her limited human perspective but from their superior feline one. Each one was unique, as we all are and each one has a lesson to teach.
As we are coming up to the gift giving season, I can think of no better gift than a copy of this book for the cat lover on your list. It is well worth five purrs and two paws up.

I loved her story about her cat Homer and just knew I'd enjoy this one, too! I've only had cats for 19 years and can not imagine life without them. I've never felt like I "owned" them. They were all strays that came to me and I took them in- 4 in all. I lost 3 due to age and illness over time and currently only have one. But never tire of him or of reading about other cats! I enjoyed her book about Homer a bit more than this one, but I did like reading about her cats when my cat was napping and I was just settled in for short read. I think other cat lovers will enjoy this book. Might make a nice gift for one, too!

Frankly, I have not read Gwen Cooper`s bestseller "Homer`s Odyssey" before - I was simply intrigued by the subject. As a cat lover (not owner); I loved the stories about the five cats she has owned in her life. At times things got just a little bit confusing as the stories were not told chronologically so that cats that have already passed on came back to life.
But you got a great grasp about the personalities of her furry pets and how they enriched her life. And - most important - Cooper has a great way with words, some great similes made me smile.
Very much recommended for cat lovers...

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read an Advance Copy of this work.

I should admit, up front, my bias. Like author Gwen Cooper, I, too, live in a cat house – surrounded by, sustained by, enriched by, and in perpetual serfdom to a feline host. In my shopping and reading life I’ve always lamented that there seem to be more “dog people” than “cat people,” so Cooper’s book happily helps tilt the balance a bit. With excellent humor and tone she relates scenes that any cat lover can relate to: how cats know us as individuals, how we experience the joy of spoiling them in their short lives, how they coopt our possessions for their own use and see our sick in bed days as the “first step toward a permanent embrace of their lifestyle.” Twice the work made me cry for days I’ve not yet had to face with my own fur babies – but many times it made me laugh or reach out to a fellow cat lover and say, “Listen to this!” Especially pleasing is Cooper’s pushback against the “crazy cat lady” stereotype. She writes, “In my world—being in daily contact with any number of people who work in animal rescue—it almost isn’t even worth noting how many cats a person has until the number gets into double digits. And even then, so long as that number doesn’t climb much above a baker’s dozen, and you live in a home sufficiently large to give everyone their space, you’re probably okay.” I related to the cunning way her cats had pushed their feeding times back and back and back and her mixed feelings about simultaneously wanting to indulge her cats’ natural hunting instincts – but not wanting to endanger songbirds. Most of all, I wished I had her life as a stay at home cat mom and writer. I suppose I’ll have to settle for sharing this book with all of the cat lovers I know… and giving my cats a few extra treats tonight!

This book is a must read for cat lovers!. You can tell the author loves her cats and they have her well trained to their ways. Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat will love this book! This book would make a wonderful gift for the cat lover on your list. Thank you BenBella Books for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.