Cat Paws

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Enthusiasm for and love of her subject are Bailey’s greatest
strengths. Her writing style is amateurish, the books lack editing, and
most of the illustrations are heavy-handed, but the author’s love of
house cats enables content to outweigh the many weaknesses in
presentation.

Bailey introduces as individuals the various cats that have shared her
home; each has a distinct personality and behavioral characteristics.
Anyone who has lived with a house cat will recognize at least a few of
the behaviors and enjoy the descriptions of familiar antics.

Throughout the course of the two books, the author’s cat collection
grows from three to six: a Himalayan, a Maine coon cat, a pair of
tabbies, a Siamese, and a Persian. Tales of the activities of this cast
are supplemented with stories about cats belonging to other family
members and friends. Most of the material is everyday stuff—feeding,
grooming, flea control, and traveling with cats. Unfortunately, the
books promote letting cats loose in the car. The author seems unaware
that this a very dangerous practice.

Although the flaws are many, who could resist books in which the
author’s love of cats is so clear and strong?