REVIEW: Bubbles’ Tale – One Cat’s Story of a Forever Home by Colleen Sheehan
B Reviews / Book Reviewsautobiography / cats / First-Person / non-fiction4 Comments
Life is tough when you are a little stray kitten. Bubbles, a beautiful black and white cat, shares the antics, challenges and fun in her life that make her part of the eternal cat story. After being abandoned as a kitten, this little stray persists until she finds her forever home.
This brave little warrior diligently keeps her chosen helper happy, protects her boundaries, and faces her fears. Ensuring that there are lots of brushes and naps along the way, she never gives up. Her optimistic approach to life and the love in her heart touches all who meet her.
‘Sometimes when I hear her walking to the back of my house, I get on the bed and wait for her on my little books because you can’t miss an opportunity. I slow-blink her and talk nicely to her, so—Yes!—I win again. She really likes the way I don’t eat any treats until she brushes me, and I have worked out that this gets me extra brushes. She mentions the word ‘obsessed’ to me, but I don’t know what she is talking about.’
‘It is raining today so I am playing with my helper in the house. I play hide and seek and I love sliding across the floor to get at the ping pong ball under the door mat. Hang on a minute, who is this good looking creature I see in the door? It is moving just like me. Wow, it is me! I have black and white fur, and look, my eyes are green. My coat is preened to perfection—nice. I must play near this door more often and check that all is in order. I’ll just strut over here and coolly line up that ping pong ball again and pretend to play so I can check my good-looking self out again. I am sure now that everyone is watching me. Yep—I think now I will just take a nap as sleep is good for a girl’s complexion.’
Review
In celebration of US National Cat Day (But really?, Only one day a year? No, humans must mean National Every Day) here is the story of Bubbles a darling little Aussie cat, a shy little warrior, who we follow from birth through finding her human after accidentally being abandoned as a kitten. Bubbles is persistent and firm with her human helper, gently encouraging the behavior she wants and rewarding her helper when it’s just as she wants it. This also includes lots of naps and thinking things over, defending her territory, enjoying her cat run and the many things her helper sets up for Bubbles’ amusement. Yes, helpers can be trained; it just takes patience.
There are lots of pictures of Bubbles scattered through the book which illustrate the efforts her helper goes to in order to entertain her and shows Bubbles enjoying the results. Eventually Bubbles reaches old age and gently passes on into the eternal of felinity. This book is a lovely tribute to her. B
National Cat Day was founded as a way to bring awareness to the number of homeless cats. It is a celebration that takes place on October 29th, every year in the United States. The National Cat Day website states that the holiday was first celebrated in 2005 “to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of cats that need to be rescued each year and also to encourage cat lovers to celebrate the cat(s) in their life for the unconditional love and companionship they bestow upon us.” The day is supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a nonprofit organization which also works to encourage pet adoption.
~Jayne
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How did I not know about National Cat Day?! =^.^=
I suspect this book will make me cry, but I clicked anyway.
@Susan: It’s (obviously) a little sad at the very end but overall, it’s charming. Bubbles isn’t deliberately left as a kitten and she soon finds her human helper who truly goes above and beyond to make Bubbles’ life filled with fun and things to keep her amused.
Thank you so much Jayne for this kind review. She was such a wonderful little cat and I was devastated when l had to say goodbye to her.
@Colleen: Thank you for sharing Bubbles with us.