Reviews

Julie T. Brinkworth has written an absorbing chronicle of her heroic efforts to rescue both abandoned and feral cats. The trauma - drama even - is balanced by her successful efforts to introduce them to new homes and comfortable futures. But her book is not a repetitive list of one cat after another, but is replete with descriptions of their personalities (or should that be catonalities), their foibles, shortcomings, or simply their lovable demeanours that captured her heart. Throughout the book her caring personality shines through the struggles against the squalor of the feral cat colonies, the trauma of trapping the cats, the fight against the turgid red tape of the various cat charities, and finally the demands of taming the poor frightened lost souls. And these are souls that she imbues with individual personalities, starting with her unerring ability to give them names that suit their nature and circumstance.

Throughout her book she mixes into this sometimes anguished chronicle a number of light-hearted personal anecdotes and travelogues that just ooze optimism. Optimism that no one will deny is a prerequisite for the perseverance needed to address the sheer scale of the problem of abandoned cats. She does not spare the reader any of the astringent realities of life out on the streets trapping feral cats. Indeed the book does not give due credit to her exceptional dedication and simple kind-heartedness. To brave late night town centres and lonely canal banks takes a rare courage, one that is not often seen in these easy days.

She describes the pleasure of taming each cat in their new temporary home, and the pride she has in her cat caravan is a glow that permeates the whole book. But her chronicle is not all sentiment and emotion. She has developed a truly professional approach to the veterinary care needed by each of her charges, including sterilisation, de-worming, and whatever other treatment they required. And a large proportion of these expenses were borne out of her own pocket. When the happy / sad time came to rehouse the cats she showed an admirable single-mindedness to assess each and every person requesting one of her cats to ensure that they lived up to her demanding standards.

Cat lovers the world over will certainly identify with her love of cats, of whatever stripe, and will truly enjoy reading this book. And I hope they will join with me in applauding her dedication over the years. But, over and above all the enjoyable detail contained in her book, the realisation that one person can make a difference to the lives of lost souls, is the one that I will take away with me. This is a realisation that is much needed in the throwaway society of the twenty-first century.

Purrrrrrrrrfect

Jim Young