When Thea Welsh finds herself catless for the first time in years, she and her partner Michael agree to a plan to share the ownership of two kittens with their friends Ron and Robin.
The idea is to adopt two kittens who will be raised together, moved between houses to fit with Ron and Robin’s regular travels overseas. In theory the plan seems straightforward. The reality is not quite what Thea (or the other humans) expect.
To describe this story is not easy. It is at times like reading a parenting book, or a new mother’s diary, except that the babies are cats, not humans. The kittens, soon joined by a third cat – an irrepressible stray who makes her way into Welsh’s heart and home – have as many differences, foibles and dramas as human children, and seem to demand just as much attention.
Yet there is something endearing about both the tale and the cats. Welsh captures the personalities of Grace the part-Burmese, Fluffer the part-Persian, and Kate the tabby, making them characters rather than images. The reader comes to learn what to expect from each and to enjoy their achievements and escapades.
Definitely not a book for cat-haters, this is, nontheless, an interesting read.
The Cat Who Looked at The Sky, by Thea Welsh
Harper Collins, 2003