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You are here: Home / Archives for feral cats

Review: Call of the Cats (What I Learned About Life and Love From a Feral Colony)

October 25, 2016 By Joi

Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Life and Love From a Feral Colony by Andrew Bloomfield Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony
Before I tell you more about a book all cat lovers will want in their life asahp (as soon as humanly possible), let me give you a glimpse into my everyday life (it’ll help you understand just how fast I jumped at the opportunity to review this book):

First thing each morning, I feed my inside furry baby, Alexa (the stereotypical long-haired, chubby, spoiled-rotten cat who rules her domain) and provide her with fresh water (yes, from a bottle in the refrigerator). Then I turn my attention immediately to my outside children: Feral cats and “reformed ferals” who are now fat, spoiled housecats who happen to live outdoors. They’re fed and watered, while obscene amounts of attention and love are poured upon them. Those that allow it are held and told how precious they are while those who don’t allow me to even touch them are told the same words from a distance.  This love fest is repeated throughout the day.

I keep both eyes peeled for arrivals throughout the day and, naturally, greet them with treats and salutations. Oh, and photos… so many photos are taken!

Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony has inspired me to write more about my own beloved feral cats (who are, at this point, simply known as family). I’ll be adding more pictures of these special little family members regularly to Cat-Pause, as well as stories from here on out and I have this incredibly beautiful and fun to read book to thank for the inspiration.

{Book review continued below….}

Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Life and Love From a Feral Colony by Andrew Bloomfield

From the Back Cover:
When aspiring screenwriter Andrew Bloomfield moved into a bungalow in Southern California he soon discovered that he shared the property with a large colony of feral cats — untamed, uninterested in human touch, not purring pets in waiting. But after a midnight attack by predators that decimated yet another litter of kittens, Bloomfield decided to intervene. He began to name and nurse, feed and house, rescue and neuter. Drawing on his time living in Asia among spiritual teachers, he takes us on the contemplative, humorous, and poignant journey of saving these cats, only to find it was they who saved him by revealing a world of meaning beyond his unrealized Hollywood dreams.

While Call of the Cats is an especially riveting and heart-touching book for those of us who care for (and love unconditionally) feral cats, the book is a must read for all cat lovers. Even if the only cats in your life are the ones now lying on your bed, you will be touched by, amused by, and affected by this beautiful book and the author, Andrew Bloomfield’s Texas-size heart.

Editorial Reviews

“With humor and wit, Call of the Cats illustrates the perils and rewards of rescuing animals that live at the margins of human society. If you have ever cared for an animal, this book will resonate with you.”
— Marty Becker, DVM, America’s Veterinarian and author of Your Cat: The Owner’s Manual

“Andrew Bloomfield’s heartfelt memoir is not just about his unconditional love for the feral-cat colony that he came to know and adopt. It’s also a much larger portrait of how we can live with, and gently support, animals, who are all at our mercy.”
— Patrick McDonnell, creator of MUTTS and illustrator of Guardians of Being

“Great writing is great storytelling, and Andrew Bloomfield is a great storyteller. This book is, in a word, stunning!… Buy it for every cat lover you know, as well as every ‘not yet’ cat lover. If this book doesn’t win them over, I don’t know what will.”
— Amelia Kinkade, author of Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

“Call of the Cats is like Born Free in an urban backyard, full of remarkable detail about the wild life around us and the extraordinary emotional attachments that can exist between human beings and the untamed animals that occasionally share our lives.”
— Bruce Joel Rubin, Academy Award–winning screenwriter of Ghost

About the Author

Andrew lived the better part of two years in Nepal where he followed a 17th century pilgrim’s guidebook to research spiritual sites around the lower Himalayas. He has worked as assistant manager and book buyer for East West Books in Manhattan, and for Snow Lion Publications in Ithaca, NY. He wrote Learning Practical Tibetan (with MP3s) for Snow Lion. In Seattle, he opened his own bookstore, Infinity Books, in Pioneer Square, where he hosted many public events, including appearances by renowned Tibetan lamas, Hindu saints, and Zen masters. He moved to Los Angeles and wrote How to Practice Vedic Astrology (with CD-ROM) for Harper Collins, subsequently published by Inner Traditions.

When writing book reviews on any of my websites – whether it’s a cookbook review on my food blog or an inspirational book review on my self help blog, I always like to tell why I loved the book, what my first and last reactions were, and (most importantly) what my readers will get from reading the book.  I try to accomplish all of this without giving away anything within the book that I want future readers to discover for themselves. A book reviewer should, in my opinion, set the tone for the book without giving anything away.
When I enjoy a book as much as I did Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony, it’s especially hard. My words get so worked up and excited that they trip all over themselves – like a litter of kittens all trying to get to “milk time” first.
My reactions to this book were the same at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end: I realized that I was in the presence of a kindred spirit. The author’s compassion for cats, love of each one, and overwhelming drive to help make each one safe and protected speaks to every inch of my being. When I saw that he, also, named feral cats, I even said out loud, “My kind of  human.”
Below are a few questions and answers with this Andrew Bloomfield (“My kind of human”)
 Why did you begin feeding these cats when you knew they would become dependent on you?  
Initially the impulse to feed the cats was in response to watching on of the cats die from choking on a bone it had scavenged from a neighbor’s trash. That was the impetus for making sure the cats were well nourished. Imbedded in that was the tacit understanding that we were making a commitment, to always be there for them. Or if not, to find someone to take our place – which is what happened. The thought of their dependence on us was a secondary consideration, and for us not as important as making sure they were getting safe, nourishing food. Dependence has somewhat of a negative connotation, and perhaps having wild cats depend on us was wrong. I have no way of knowing. But from our point of view it would only have been wrong if we were inconsistent with our care-giving.
Why did you spend money on these cats when you could barely support yourself?
None of this was very well thought out ahead of time! But I’ve come to learn that truly helping really has no self-reference. As I mentioned in the book, I once heard a spiritual teacher comment that the mantra of stupidity is “what about me?” It’s been my experience in life that whenever I’ve tried to self-protect or wonder “what’s in it for me,” I end up with less. What I tried to  hold onto for myself slipped through  my fingers like sand. Also, whether I fed the cats or myself with my last dollar didn’t much matter.  Either way I was going to be broke.
How do you know that Trap Neuter Release Really Works?

In my case I can only share my experience from one colony of cats in my back yard. As a result of TNR we went from 50 cats to 6 over time. The colony naturally and organically grew smaller as older cats died off and weren’t replaced by others, as no other litters were possible. So in our case the results were textbook, just as described.

Obviously most won’t be called to care for cats. Can you shed any insight into how others might find their life’s purpose?

I do believe one key in discerning one’s true purpose is simply by doing the thing right in front of your face. The thing closest at hand.

Our civilization is skewed toward unease. An unease born of not looking like, having, or accomplishing whatever an advertiser deems to be indispensable at the time – or what the idol-of-the-day embodies. Thus many strive to look like, or be like, or have the things we’re told will bring us satisfaction. But what is lost in that search is authenticity. Authenticity is being true to oneself – being comfortable in our bodies and content with our skill sets. I’ve met parking garage attendants who take great pride in their work and are more fulfilled in their lives as a result, than some Fortune 500 CEOs.

{Book review concluded below….}

Beautiful Call of the Cats Cover Model!

Beautiful Cover Model of Call of the Cats!

I believe he really nailed it when he used the word fulfillment. The happiness that comes from being fulfilled with what you are doing is unlike happiness that springs from any other source. Caring for cats gives cat lovers a great sense of fulfillment. When the happiness that comes as a result meets the love that flows from cat to human – it’s simply a breathtakingly beautiful thing.

I chose to end this article with the precious picture above – the one that graces the cover.  I don’t think a more apt or perfect picture could have been chosen for this book because this is, quite frankly, the face of the feral cat. You can see pride in the eyes – because no animal is more proud than a cat! – but you can also see a need to be cared for. There’s a hint of vulnerability in every cat, whether she admits it or not.  There are so many things (some with fur, some with not) that have the potential to harm cats and when we take it upon ourselves to help them dodge harm, we do a great, fulfilling, and even beautiful service.

It’s the cat’s pride that is always at the front of my mind when caring for all of my cats (inside, outside, tame, wild, feral… they’re all family!).  My family and I always seek ways to help the cats help themselves by providing food, water, and shelter.  One of my sons-in-law builds “cabins” for them and my husband buys heating pads for the cold months to place inside the cabins.

My youngest daughter and I find blankets, sleeping bags (so thick and comfortable!), and even pillows to make their lives more comfortable.
Caring for cats is an honor and one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever known.
If you love cats, trust me, Call of the Cats is the next book you want to read. It’s inspiring, uplifting, heart-touching, and often downright hilarious.
Cats are such characters!
It’s a highly entertaining read and one I highly recommend.  It would also make an EXCELLENT gift idea for the cat lovers in your life… a gift they won’t soon forget.


Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feral Cats, Gifts for Cat Lovers Tagged With: books about cats, cat books, feral cats, gift ideas for cat lovers

What is My Cat Thinking? Cat Lovers, You’re Going to Love this Book!

April 29, 2010 By Joi

I absolutely love What Is My Cat Thinking?: The Essential Guide to Understanding Pet Behavior, by Gwen Bailey. As the mother of (currently) six cats (and countless cats in the past and future), I can tell you this: Gwen Bailey knows her kitties!

The photography in this wonderful book is gorgeous and the information is priceless. There’s a great deal of humor because, face it, cat’s are – by nature – hilarious little creatures.

Even if you’re as close to and familiar with cats as I am, I guarantee you’ll learn something from this book. It’s chock-full of fascinating insight and explanations for many of the mysteries surrounding the way our cats think and behave. While they revel in being mysterious and quirky, Gwen Bailey lets us in on a few of their secret thoughts and feelings.

It’s just an outstanding book that I turn to again and again.

Below are a few of the excellent and informative Did You Know’s from the pages of What Is My Cat Thinking?

  • A cat that has been to the vet may come back smelling very different and may be treated like a stranger by other cats that once lived in harmony with him.  Separating them and swapping their scents with a cloth may help.
  • Adult cats are more likely to adjust to a new kitten than to a new adult cat that is introduced into the household.
  • By sniffing a male cat’s urine, female cats can tell whether or not he is a suitable mate.  They are able to detect by-products of his food, which tell them how much fresh meat he has eaten, and hence, how good a hunter he is.  This helps determine how suitable he would be as a father for her kittens (Ming Li, apparently never found a scent she didn’t approve of!).
  • The amount of socialization a kitten has with people while he is between two and seven weeks old will determine how well he will interact with people later in life.  Good experiences in early life will produce a friendly, outgoing cat.

The last Did You Know is one that I certainly can attest to.    The friendliest, most outgoing cats we’ve ever had were ones that we had from very, very early on. Alexa and Bo, for example, were born to our beloved Carly – we were there when they were born and every day thereafter.  This produced very friendly, outgoing, and spoiled babies!

We got our precious Prissy when she was only about 6 or 7 weeks old.  She was babied and pampered from the time she was tiny enough to fit in one hand to the day, over 20 years later, when we lost her.  On each of those many, many, many days, Prissy was one of the sweetest, friendliest, most sociable cats I’ve ever loved.  She’d greet strangers at the door, sit in any available lap and insist on being in the middle of everything.

Needless to say, I still miss that little girl something fierce but feel incredibly blessed to have had her in our family for so long.

I’m also incredibly blessed to have the beautiful little babies we have now.  Alexa and Hannah are extremely outgoing and friendly.  Alexa is my constant companion – always within reach for chin scratching, head rubbing, and belly tickling (and what a belly it is!).

Jelly Bean – although he was born to our feral cat Ming Li – is coming around.  I can pet him easily now.  I don’t push things and always allow him to call the shots.  He’s a large beautiful, solid black cat with gorgeous big green eyes.  He feels like absolute silk and the fact that he allows me to rub him now just makes me smile head to toe.

Tristan, Gabriel, Bullet, and Scratch (also Ming Li’s) weren’t around us at all in the first month of their lives.  Ming Li brought them into our yard (and garage!) when they were past 7 weeks old.  They remain very much feral cats but I honestly believe I’m winning one of them (Scratch) over.  Tristan, the only girl, is a very tiny black cat and I don’t think I have any hope of ever petting her.

Bullet shows promise, but not quite as much as Scratch.  Feral cats are so frustrating to people who love cats as much as I do!

Jelly Bean honestly is a reformed feral cat – he sticks close to the house and is becoming downright sociable.  I have a large basket with a blue baby blanket in it for him on a shelf on our carport.  It’s his bed of choice and he can be found in it 85 percent of the time. He even lets me pet him and baby talk him in his bed, something I wouldn’t have ever thought possible a few months ago.

Click the link to learn more about What Is My Cat Thinking?: The Essential Guide to Understanding Pet Behavior, by Gwen Bailey and to order a copy for you and your cat(s)!

Filed Under: Alexa, Hannah, Humor, Jelly Bean, Personal, Prissy Tagged With: cat book, cat lovers book, feral cats

You NEED This Book!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats

Chicken Soup for the Soul’s wonderfully entertaining and inspirational The Magic of Cats. My oldest daughter, Emily, has a story about one of my grandcats (“Eddie”) in this collection!

MinJee

Beautiful “MinJee”
We have inside and outside cats and we love them all like family. The beauty, above, is MinJee and she is as sweet as she is gorgeous.

If the spoiled inside crew would allow it, needless to say they’d ALL be inside. As it is, our outside cats have their own custom-built wooden homes and penthouses and, yes, they are all equipped with heating pads for the cold months.

We also feed and care for feral cats. Some honor us by following us home and allowing us to give them a forever home and to, more importantly, be their forever family.

Welcome to Your Cat’s Favorite Blog!

My name is Joi (“Joy”) and, simply put, cats make my world go round! Please e-mail me with any questions regarding the cat blog.

Disclaimer: As someone who works full-time from home, I use affiliate links when posting about cat furniture, toys, litter boxes, etc. I make a small amount of money each time someone clicks through and purchases a product they see on my blog. This costs you absolutely no extra money whatsoever. It simply allows me to provide my cats with the lifestyle they’ve grown accustomed to!

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