Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology

Caroline Paul writes with disarming frankness and spirited humor about the painful experience of having a much loved cat go missing. I chose it for the subject, always seeking insights into this risky business of taking animal companions into our hearts. I fell in love with the writing, with Paul's appealing eccentricities and her inviting inner world. You'd think it would be far from fun to empathize with someone whose cat disappears as she's already beset by painful injuries and arduous recuperation. But it was hysterical in more ways than one. I carried my Kindle with me everywhere, savoring and rereading Paul's prose even as I stood in line at the grocery store or sat in the car waiting for my turn at the the bank's drive-up window. I cherished these down times for minutes immersed in the story of the "Lost Cat." The writing is delightful, but the illustrations -- which genuinely illustrate the moments, human anxieties and cat's instability -- are a thrill. It's hard to choose a single favorite among the (happily) many cleverly tinted models and caricatures in which artist Wendy MacNaughton tells her conception of Tibby's Odysseus. But I am already smiling at two images I wish I could frame, which I'd caption "Tibby's Circles of Fear" and "Things You Think You Know." Don't be frightened by the dire implications of the the title. Yes, there are losses in Paul's story. But this is no heart-wringing lament over doomed pets. I saw myself here -- but much funnier. My cat Philip once went missing, with a nearly identical resolution to that of Tibby. Philip's twin Mink took us on the same journey as Paul's Fibby. The parallels with other animal nuts' angst are reassuring, the wit and self-satire of Pau's account downright healing and refreshing. The sub-title's promises of love, desperation and GPS are delightfully fulfilled. I wish I'd purchased the print copy instead so I could gaze at and stroke the drawings, they show precisely the geographic and emotional worlds of the cat-human web. I think I simply must do so -- in bulk, to have on hand for cat-crazy pals experiencing pet bereavement, ongoing cat-sappiness, recovery from the dents and dings of life, or no special reasons at all. My only disappointment was the book's brevity -- it was the right length, not spare ... But I enjoyed my visit with Tibby and Fibby, Caroline and Wendy, and would happily have lingered.

This charming collaboration of a talented and lovely couple - one who writes and the other who illustrates - just grabbed my heart strings and sweetly plucked away. Anyone who has had or has an outdoor cat will be familiar with the heartbreak brought on by the inexplicable absence of a feline friend. Luckily, most of us know the incredible sense of relief - and exasperation - the sudden and nonchalant reappearance of that cat brings on. When I was in college, both of my cats disappeared at exactly the same time - one minute they were outside, the next they weren't. I suspected that a hostile neighbor, who openly disliked cats, picked up both of them and dumped them a distance away. One cat made it home - the other never did. In recent years, with the other cats I have owned and loved, I have thought about how cool it would be to put a tracking device on one of my cats. After reading this book, I am no longer naive that my cats stay close to home waiting for the saliva-inducing sound of kibble being dumped into their bowl. They may well be out of earshot - and then some! I adore this little this book, and I am tired of passing it around to people and intend it to be my giveaway book for my fellow cat lovers for birthdays and celebrations of all sorts. Caroline and Wendy - thank you. With my one little voice, I nominated your little book as a selection for World Book Night; I wish you success.

Caroline Paul could quite literally be my unknown twin in the universe. Matching my level of cat crazy “Bonkers”, I loved this short read. What I didn’t expect was the tears that accompanied reading it. And the audible laughing that awoke my husband on a Sunday morning when I decided to get up and read it very early. I’ll be giving this book as a gift to anyone I know that’s lost a cat for even a few days. 100% recommend for any extreme cat lover who would go to the ends of the earth for their fur babies (and have a sense of humor about their own level of crazy!) I’ve included a pic of the kitty boy that drives me to this level of crazy :)

This short piece had me laughing out loud, smiling broadly, and wiping away tears. Smiling and laughing were the predominate emotions, and I am sure my blood pressure was decreased, like it is when I am in the presence of these furry creatures!Tibby the Cat, lives with her twin Fibby, and the author and illustrator. Now it just happens that the normally shy and skittish Tibby disappears one day. Despite desperate cries and calls for her & flyers posted all about, Tibby is gone! Until she wanders back in 5 weeks later, looking no worse for wear. Where had she gone? Why didn't she respond to their calls? Who fed her and cared for her? So begins the search for answers, which includes GPS units, KittyCams, psychics, and cat whisperer types. You will laugh till you cry at the antics, which are wonderfully illustrated for your amusement.If you love cats, you will love this book. Get it! You will learn about yourself probably more than you will about cats, but you will feel uplifted by the experience.....which is kind of like living with cats...dumbfounding but with rewards! Oh, and I must mention that this book and its illustrations are wonderful on my Kindle for iPad, so don't let this keep you away!

Beautiful and fun illustrations. I laughed, I cried, I cheered. A story of love, acceptance, patience, technology, and cats!

Nice story. True which is good but very short. Simply written. A bit sad in places so maybe not a good bedtime story for young ones.

One of the best cat books ever written! Must read. Excellently written and with superb art work

Purrfect little book for cat lovers and owners. Bought as a present for my sister and she loved it.

I love this book and found it very refreshing. It's an original take on a string of events. Very highly recommended.