My Life in the Cat House

A delightful book for cat lovers. It was great to read about the various cat, Homer included, their antics and their stories.
I loved the style of writing and how each story made the cats come alive.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

A charming collection of short memoirs of Cooper's life with her cats, including Homer, the blind cat and focus of her best-seller. From descriptions of how she got each cat tp delightful sketches of their characters, it's a real treat for cat lovers.

A fun light-hearted read. Each chapter is its own stand-alone story. The author references her previous book often in this book, but it is not necessary to have read it to enjoy this one.
My favourite quote in this book was right in the beginning; "Still, as far as I was concerned, a home wasn't a home at all if there weren't any animals living in it." It very closely echoes how I feel about animals, so I enjoyed this book very much. Its not going to appeal to everyone - animal lovers, especially cat owners (slaves) will enjoy the antics of Gwen Cooper's cats and find themselves recalling a time their cat did something similar. But non-animal people might find the writing a bit strange and not "get" the humour.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, BenBella Books for the opportunity to read this delightful book.

Having been owned by cats my entire life, I love well told stories about wonderful cats. All cats are wonderful in their own ways, but not everyone is a gifted storyteller like the author. I'll admit, I was unfamiliar with Gwen Cooper or her blind cat Homer before reading this book, but I quickly fell in love with Homer and the rest of the feline gang through the touching and funny stories she tells of their antics and quirks.

This book would surely be enjoyed by any cat lover and will make a wonderful gift for a few "crazy cat ladies" in my life!

Thank you to Gwen Cooper, BenBella Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this touching book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

I grew up in a pet free house and one of my goals, when I became an 'adult', was to have a cat. Two things stood in my way: a job involving a lot of travel and the pet adoption shelter applications that made it quite clear that to be deemed worthy, I would need to be home a lot more. So, no cat for you became the standard answer until one day a terribly thin crying kitten ran up to me when I came home. After an exhaustive neighborhood search for an owner proved futile, I finally had my first cat and a love for all things cat related grew.
I guess I don't qualify as a 'crazy cat person' though because I had never heard of Homer the Blind Wonder cat or his human Gwen Cooper before reading My Life in a Cat House. I certainly had missed quite a bit, since Homer's story and social media fame provided numerous links after a quick Google search. Homer's story is but one in this book that I am sure will delight anyone who loves cats. I know from personal experience that I think my cat is the most unique, engaging, and adorable cat that has ever lived. I also know that none of my friends want to hear me tell another story about my fabulous cat!
So I indulge by reading stories other cat lovers have written. I loved the author's writing style and how she makes her cat's antics come to life. Homer touched me the most because I have learned over time, so many kittens and cats will never get adopted because they are overlooked because of a handicap. I didn't race through this book but rather read a chapter a day and enjoyed each story the author shared. This book is going to make a great holiday gift for some of my cat loving friends!
I had a Wish Granted and received an e-ARC from BenBella Books through NetGalley.

Gwen Cooper is a dedicated 'cat mommy' who likes to share stories about her beloved pets. I was introduced to Cooper's writing when I read her book Homer's Odyssey, about an adorable blind kitty who knew no limits. The book made Homer a worldwide celebrity, and fans showered him with letters and gifts....which he generously shared with his siblings.

Cooper's original cat family - adopted when she was in her twenties - consisted of three felines: Scarlet - a tiger-striped tabby who disdained all humans other than 'mommy'; Vashti - a white beauty who seduced every man she met; and Homer - a sightless black fur ball who was never daunted by a challenge.

Now, two decades later, Gwen and her husband Laurence are parents to two black cats: Clayton - a sturdy, three-legged cuddler who loves to play fetch; and Fanny - a muscular huntress who eyes birds and squirrels outside, but makes do with moths and giant roaches inside.

Cooper's stories about her animal family range from heartrending - when a cat gets sick and dies; to laugh out loud funny - when a pet demonstrates its unique intelligence.

*****

One of my favorite anecdotes in the book is about Vashti, "The Picasso of Pee" whose brilliant use of urine is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. One time, when Gwen was in the process of moving, she temporarily housed Vashti with her ex-boyfriend Jorge. Vashti apparently feared she'd be left with Jorge forever, and mounted a 'peemageddon' to get herself evicted from the unwanted abode.

First Vashti urinated on Jorge's favorite spot on the couch, and - when that didn't work - soiled a basket of Jorge's freshly laundered clothes. Gwen still didn't take Vashti home, so the cat peed on the leather jacket Jorge wore every day. Finally - right in front of Jorge's eyes - Vashti let loose on the stove where he made his food. That did it! Jorge ordered Vashti's immediate removal. Gwen was awed by Vashti's strategic plan to escalate her attacks until she got thrown out.

Afterwards, Vashti took to peeing on the possessions of men who visited Gwen, to make sure they didn't overstay their welcome.

*****

The author tells another amusing tale about athletic Fanny enlisting Clayton's help to steal treats from a kitchen cabinet. In the middle of the night - when Gwen and Laurence were asleep - Fanny opened the cabinet, climbed to the top shelf, snagged packets of dry food, and tossed them down to Clayton, who was waiting on the floor below. Three-legged Clayton, who had great front-body strength, mangled the packets open and the cats went to town.....until Gwen caught them.

*****

In other amusing stories:

- Gwen describes the time she hauled three cats to a Manhattan veterinary clinic, by taxi and on foot, in the pouring rain.....when she wasn't even sure where the building was.

- Gwen notes how thrilled she was when Clayton - who seemed to be a slow learner and not quite as bright as he could be - taught himself to play fetch. "See", Gwen wanted to shout, "Clayton is smart. He's VERY smart!"

- Gwen depicts the time Homer was napping through a photo shoot, and Laurence had to rush over with half a pound of sliced deli turkey and a whole bunch of little cans of Bumble Bee tuna to stimulate the little guy.

There are many more anecdotes in the book, which brought me lots of laughs.....and a few tears.

I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to animal lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Gwen Cooper) and the publisher (BenBella Books) for a copy of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

I've always loved Gwen Cooper's writing, and this book just confirmed that. Books about cats are among my favorites, and this is basically a collection of short stories about Gwen's cats over her lifetime. They aren't in chronological order, instead jumping between Scarlett and the siblings Clayton and Fanny and then back to Homer or Vashti. Some of them are funny or sad, but mostly they just show a glimpse into the life of another pet owner. I loved them!

Definitely a great collection if you're a fan of Gwen or her cats. Four stars.

I loved every single word of this book. I am so happy Netgalley gave me the chance to read it, otherwise, I probably wouldn't ever find this book on my own.

This is a compilation of stories about, as it says on the cover, everyday life, and situations that inevitably arise when you have a household of two humans and three cats (five in total to be precise, but not at the same time). These stories weren't only anecdotes, but brave and minute insights into personal lives and frustrations of both the writers (husband is also a writer) and the cats. Without such openness, there wouldn't be such a warm and intimate connection with the readers. Not to mention that her immaculate English was pure joy to read! Each cat has a unique personality, and the authoress managed to make all her cats shine equally. Every single one - from an aloof diva Scarlett to a heroic Homer to an eternal kid Jackson. Every story made me laugh and feel with the authoress and warmed me more to want to continue reading about their adventures. I am going to follow the information at the end of the book on how to do exactly that on her website.

I would highly recommend this book for every cat and animal lover. You are most definitely going to love every single person and cat in every story.

I am what some people call a proper 'crazy catlady' and I've been in love with these feline creatures ever since I was tiny. A bout of fur allergy prevented me from coming close to them between the age of three and twelve (more or less)... But as my allergies mysteriously disappeared after that, I was able to admire them more closely again. I've owned cats during most of my life since, except for a few years when I was traveling. So I definitely know what Gwen Cooper is talking about that every cat is unique and cat owners can create an unique bond with their feline friends. I knew I wanted to read My Life In A Cat House as soon as I saw the gorgeous cat on the cover. A memoir written by a fellow cat admirer? Yes please! I admit I hadn't heard of Gwen Cooper before I started this memoir, but this hasn't prevented me from highly enjoying her different 'tails' about her five cats. We get to know each of them through memories and anecdotes about why each cat is unique in its own way. Funny and heartwarming moments are mixed with a few heartbreaking ones... But the stories stay mostly on the humorous side. Cat owners will be able to relate to the different 'problems' Gwen Cooper has had to face while living with her pets as well as the happy moments and the benefits of being lucky enough to share your life with one or more cats. It also shows the importance of rescue centers and adoption (all of our pets were actually rescued from the streets); it is so much more fulfilling being able to give an animal a home after it having such a rough start in life... My Life In A Cat House will make a great gift for any cat owner or cat lover in general.