Remember Homer?

Damn, another year gone. I've been very bad. I haven't written in this blog for a year. Our two cats, Tina and Charlie are well, thank you very much, and my partner Orla and I love them to bits and they know it. I will post some photos soon. Anyway, I just got a mail from Gwen Cooper that the sequel to Homer's Odyssey is out and for sale. You can find more information on the Hi Homer website. I have just downloaded the electronic version of the book, which was a breeze,  and I'm looking forward to reading it. The paper version would make a nice stocking filler, hint, hint. Go on....... you know you want to buy it. There are more goodies for sale on her page and buying stuff will help rescue cats. Have a look at the website. And if you haven't read Homer's Odyssey yet, you're missing out. You better get that too. It's a great read.

 

http://www.hihomer.com/

Homer's odyssey by Gwen Cooper.

It was sitting on my virtual bookshelf for a long time but I finally got around to read Homer’s odyssey by Gwen Cooper.

I’m not really a person for real life stories. I read the odd biography and some historical accounts, but most of the time I read fiction. Every now and then I make an exception and this time I’m glad I did.

Homer’s Odyssey is the story of how a blind cat named Homer ends up in the author’s household and how they get on after that. The author has already two cats and is trying to get her life together. Adopting a blind kitten while she already had enough on her plate didn’t seem like a smart decision.

With this book you actually get two stories in one.

It’s as much a book about the author as about her cats. Because you start to identify with the author, who is a likeable person in my opinion, it makes it easier to get stuck into the story. The book reads like fiction and is well written. It has a nice flow to it, which makes it a very pleasant read.

The author tells about her experiences with Homer, how her other cats react to this cat that doesn’t always behave like cats normally do and how other people react to Homer.

The book is very moving in places; it has funny moments and is written in a way that you almost feel you’re there with her and taking part in her life.

Homer’s odyssey shows that you shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover. When cats are blind, it doesn’t mean they can’t lead a full and happy life. When you look at Homer through human eyes you could say that Homer’s will to live and his courage are inspiring. At the same time the author realises that you can’t project like that and that Homer is just a normal cat doing normal cat stuff and doesn’t even realise that he is missing one of his senses.

Even so, Homer is an example to her and his determination helps her to change her life around. I don’t know if everything she writes is a true account of how things went but the book breathes sincerity. The author wants to share parts of her life and that of her extended feline family to give out a message of courage and hope.

Even when things are not always going the way you want them to go, keep your spirits up and, every now and then, be impulsive. Sometimes you just have to take a plunge without being able to see what lies ahead.

I really enjoyed reading Homer’s Odyssey and can recommend it to everyone with an interest in a good, uplifting story. You don’t have to be a cat person to enjoy this book.

Jackson Galaxy.

 “How is it that you know so much about cats”, is a question I get every now and then.

Well, I grew up with a cat in the house and kept an interest in felines ever since, even though I have lived without feline company for many years. On the telly I watch programmes about cats and I read about cats too.

Since Cato came into our lives, I’ve been doing a lot of research into all things feline. Basically I see adopting cats as a big responsibility and want to give them the best care possible. So I started reading up on food, as it is a basic need and very important, but also on other feline related issues.

Jackson Galaxy’s TV programme “My Cat From Hell” really helped me to understand feline behaviour and the holistic approach. Food, play, and environment: they all work together to keep felines happy and healthy.

The first time I saw his programme on Animal Planet, I was surprised. This big bald fella with sideburns, a fashionable beard and tattoos all over his arms, looked more like a rock star. Well, it turned out to be true. He’s a rock musician by night and a cat ambassador by day. I like to call him that: a cat ambassador, because in most cases the so-called troubled cats are fine. They’re just misunderstood by the humans who adopted them.

Jackson Galaxy goes into a house to educate the humans about the cat’s needs. By doing this he’s helping the humans understand that so-called troubled cats are sending out a message: “please provide me with the right living conditions so I can feel safe and secure and can be myself.”  Once that’s done, the cats often don’t seem to be all that much trouble.

The programme is very educational and a pleasure to watch also because of Jackson Galaxy’s personality, his soft spoken, pleasant voice and his determination to make it work. He’s inspiring. He makes you realise that bringing felines into your life is a big responsibility and that you will have to learn their language, rituals and habits to be able to make it work. Again: that’s why I prefer to call him ambassador instead of cat whisperer or therapist.

When I read that Jackson Galaxy had written a book about himself and how he became involved with cats, I was curious to read it. I bought it at bookdepository.com because they don’t charge any postage and they had it in stock.

It is a book about Jackson Galaxy’s struggle with life just as much as about the cats in his life. It is inspiring to read his story about how working with cats also helped him to turn his life around from chaos to a more stable and healthier lifestyle. He throws in some helpful tips about how to handle specific problems with cats and provides insight into feline behaviour in this book as well.

The book is called “Cat Daddy”.

You can also find Jackson Galaxy on his own website, jacksongalaxy.com, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

On YouTube he answers questions and gives helpful information about living with felines.

I would love the chance to meet the man in person and have a drink and a chat with him but until then, his book and the TV programme will do.