Review: `da...da...da, ...Personality...!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 13, 2013
Alex Rosel has created a cat lover's dream book.  There is something addicting to having a cat around the house: once stung by the pleasure of their company most people cannot be without a feline companion. Rosel knows this and has collected stories and photographs of cats from around the world and provides a bit of biography as he introduces us to his cast of characters.In this book we meet Celyn, the author's own cat (living in Monmouthshire, UK) and discover that Celyn is a peripatetic cat whose eating habits and trips to the vet are shared.  Ema from Slovakia was ill-named: Ema was thought to be a female only  to discover she was a male - now with an embarrassing name that stuck. Philip is from the Czech Republic and is a completely indoor cat.  Bert and Ernie from Cardiff, UK  were a adopted from a vet waiting room to replace HenDrix, whom we also meet.  Jess from Sax, Arcante, Spain is a working cat on a spacious ranch.  Fred hails from Chandler, Arizona and can take on the personalities of a cat, a dog or even a raccoon as the need arises.  Sarabie from the French West Indies is a cat who can travel with her master by plane or however.  Molly from Nova Scotia was rescued from a group of feral cats and became completely domesticated.  Sox from Moffat, Dumfriesshire was bought in a garden center, pleased the owners, but since has passed away.  Petrouchka and Raskolnikov are from Leiden, Netherlands.  Maya from Southern Kosovo is another ex-feral cat and we see her two litters. Barry from the UK is a Ginger FEMALE cat (yes that is possible) with attitude.  Tabata live in Veracruz, Mexico and is a stray tabby adopted by an aspiring neurosurgeon who started her relationship attending classes with her mistress. Alfie from Chepstow, South Wales is so famous he is on Facebook. Habacuca is a street cat from Jerusalem, Israel.  Ace was an ill cat adopted by a Chicago family. La Kimba and Friends are from Piedmont, Italy.That is our crew, complete with some of the most endearing pictures of cats ever gathered.  At book's end we are given a significant quiz about kittens - and there is much to learn.  Rosel closes the book with the following conclusions: `Kittens are very cute and most people find them endearing, but th commitment and time needed to care for them is more tan many people realize. Of course, giving a caring home to a kitten is also very rewarding, but they do not remain kittens for long, and they soon become adult cats needing regular feeding, trips to the vet, flea and worm treatments and, last but not least, a lot of attention and love.'This is obviously a `must have book' for cat lovers: no one can appreciate the eccentricities of felines like other owners!  Grady Harp, March 13