Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: February 1, 2023 by Crystal Uys

Taming_Me_Memoir_of_a_Clever_Island_Cat

Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat by Cathy Unruh is the story of Lucy Miracle, a formerly feral kitten who learns to appreciate the joys of becoming a housecat. Narrated by Lucy herself, we first meet the hungry little kitten while she is foraging for food on a private island in the Bahamas, appropriately named Cat Cay.

Based on a true story, the reader gets to follow Lucy from her wild beginnings to the life of a spoiled and much loved housecat. Blending fact with fiction, the author shares Lucy’s journey in the kitten’s own words. But if you expect just a cute talking cat, you’re going to be disappointed. Unruh presents Lucy’s point of view in a sensitive, caring, and imaginative way. The author clearly knows and loves cats.

Through Lucy’s eyes, we learn what goes on in the mind of a feral cat when she is trapped. We get to imagine the internal struggle of a cat who was born free, but comes to appreciate not having to wonder where the next meal is going to come from. I was particularly touched by the passages where Lucy begins to allow herself to trust the humans in the story. And even though the story is told by Lucy, the author shows us how it is possible for a human who has the patience and a true understanding of a cat’s nature, to tame a feral kitten. In the end, love always wins.

This captivating, sometimes sad, sometimes funny book is sure to delight cat lovers.

Cathy Unruh is an Emmy Award-winning television journalist and a longtime animal advocate. She grew up on a hobby farm, where the interaction with cats, dogs, rabits, horses, sheep, and cows taught her that animals are individuals, not commodities. She resides in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and is a part-time resident of Cat Cay in the Bahamas, where she met and adopted Lucy Miracle, the narrator and protagonist of Taming Me. For more information, visit Cathy’s website or Facebook page.

I received an advance reading copy of this book. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

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