My Life in the Cat House

My Life in a Cat House, is a delightful collection of 8 stories about the cats that shared a home with the author, a woman who grew up in a home with dogs.

Although the author never considered herself a "cat person" it just took just one special rescued kitten to change all that. Over the years the author has given a home to 5 cats, some who now have passed on. Her stories about Scarlett, Vashti, Homer (the blind cat who has a whole book dedicated to him), Fanny and Clayton, each with their own personalities and quirks, resonated with me in some way. From the lap cats, a 3-legged cat, a blind cat and the cat that taught himself to fetch like a dog, most stories reminded me of a cat that graced my life over the years.

I found it funny but true, how cat lovers rearrange their homes to accommodate their cats. Shoe boxes become home decor, tissue boxes on night stands, aspirin bottles and heating pads for aches and pains, all become amusement for our furry-feline friends. How it's never too much trouble for a cat-lover to put aside a good book or the laptop when the cat wants to snuggle on your lap. Then, of course, the more trying times like when the dreaded cat-carriers make their appearance for that trips to the vet. I found the stories to be lively and engaging, funny, sweet and sometimes sentimental. Cat-lovers will appreciate this collection of stories and most will be able to relate to their own personal experiences.

This book would make a great "mom's day" book or just a "thinking of you" book for the cat-lover in your life.

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

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.

This book is one that any cat lover will enjoy! I loved the stories, but wish there were more! I have read the author's previous books about her cats and have enjoyed each one! I cannot wait for her next book!

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!

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...

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!

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.

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.

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

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.