NO ORDINARY CATS

Erixon chronicles the misadventures of and tender relationships between several generations of cats in this YA novel.

Tabby cats Terrence, aka Riser, and Phyllis, aka Dilly, are about to be rehomed. They have spent their lives as indoor cats, but now they find themselves in a carrier, in a strange car, with two little humans poking at them with their fingers; it’s all very unsettling. Soon, they are deposited on a garage floor, where the small humans gently pet them. Beyond the garage, the great outdoors begs to be explored. Life is good: They are well cared for, free to roam the farm, and, best of all, they have each other. Dilly discovers a stray cat injured by a rat trap in an open field’s tall grass. She begins to bring him food and decides to remain with him and a group of other strays. Riser is bereft without his sister. Enter Angel, a standoffish young calico in need of a new home, adopted to boost Riser’s spirits. When Angel’s brief dalliance in the woods with a stray leaves her pregnant, Riser is enchanted by her two kittens, Moonsie and Bandit: “Her family had become his family. And he promised himself he would do whatever was necessary to protect them.” Best for the younger range of YA readers, Erixon’s collection of cat tales offers an amusing and poignant portrayal of feline antics and diverse personalities, plus a few life lessons for humans. The narrative captures the animals’ devotion to one another through the generations; in one charming episode, the rambunctious Moonsie recklessly climbs a tall tree and Riser must guide him step by terrifying step back to safety. In another sweet moment, after baby kitten Chuck is brought into the fold, a grumpy Angel eventually softens and tenderly teaches him how to properly wash his face and check for debris between his toes. There are also tear-jerking losses, some peaceful and some decidedly less so.

An endearing story with memorable characters who will bring smiles to cat lovers.