I recently finished reading a review copy of Cathy Unruh's first book, Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat. Unruh, an Emmy Award winning television journalist with a passion for animal advocacy, tells the story of little island kitten Lucy Miracle through Lucy's thoughts.
The tiny kitten and her mother are hungry and in peril, her littermates have gone off on their own to scrape out whatever life they can on the island. Ultimately caught by concerned island homeowners, they are trapped, neutered and released (TNR) but it is here that Lucy and her mother are separated. Lucy is too small and malnourished to be spayed so she goes home with Darcie who has a husband and two male cats at their vacation home on the island.
With some fiction license Unruh's Lucy is in constant search of her mother after her recovery, and Unruh's two housecats share one litter box which is, of course, unrealistic: rule of thumb is one box for each cat plus one. Two cats would mean three boxes, but that wouldn't progress her story when Lucy must learn to use the indoor facilities.
Lucy Miracle's story will give you a new perspective on feral cats and kittens. With patience and love, some can become wonderful housecats
Unruh's Lucy is a wonderful protagonist. Because she tells the story through the kitten's thoughts, there is none of the treacly talking cat in this book. You will be captivated by Lucy and her story which includes the requisite cat-hating villain and a very happy ending.
You'll cry, you'll laugh and you will love Lucy.
Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat is due for release on October 16, 2012 (National Feral Cat Day), by Collage Books.
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