Sunny shares "How To Be A Good Cat"If you’ve visited my blog before, you’ve probably noticed that my cat, Vince, periodically shows up to provide his special take on cat-related children’s books.

Vince is hard to impress, but he’s earned a fairly devoted audience and occasionally even gets recognized on trips to the vet.

Well, Vince hasn’t felt up to reviewing books lately. His tummy has been bothering him, and he’s spent more time at the vet than he would prefer. (If you’d like to see Vince’s views on going to the vet, check out his review of The Five Lives of Our Cat, Zook by Joanne Rocklin.) His most recent vet visit was for an ultrasound, which left him — shall we say – less than camera ready.

So Sunny, our household’s second cat, and a relatively recent arrival, has volunteered to fill in for Vince until he’s feeling up to par.

She’s a new book reviewer, so please give her a warm welcome as she shares her thoughts on Gail Page’s How To Be A Good Cat (Bloomsbury, 2011)

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Well, it’s certainly nice to meet you all. And, I must say, I am pleased to be able to fill in for Vince. Although many cats would say I shouldn’t even consider it after the less-than-warm welcome Vince gave me when I joined the house a few months ago.

It was bad enough that he followed me around with his tail twice its normal size for weeks. It was bad enough he pounced at me whenever he could. But he even sniffed me in some very … unmentionable places.

All in all, he wasn’t a very good cat.

Perhaps he should have read this book by Gail Page.

It’s all about a good dog — like there even is such a thing, maybe that’s why the book is fiction – who offers to take care of a kitten while its owners are away.  He thinks the kitten is naughty because it climbs the curtains, unrolls the toilet paper and doesn’t blatantly follow dog commands like “sit” and “fetch.”

But then, the kitten, named Bonkers, shows the dog some things it’s good at that the dog isn’t and the two learn to get along.

And that’s sort of how it worked with Vince and me. He introduced me to the best sleeping spots in the house, and I taught him how to play a game called “chase.”

Of course, we aren’t chasing around as much now that he’s not feeling well. But I’m sure he’ll be back reviewing before long. Personally, I think he could have done it now. He’s just too embarrassed to have his picture taken after he was shaved for his ultrasound. (Can you say, “Cat mohawk”?)

Anyway, if you have a dog and a cat, or just a new cat, you’ll want to read this book to pick up a few pointers. Or leave it around the house and let your new family member read it themselves!

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VinceUmmm … Thank you, Sunny. (And if you were worried that Vince wasn’t getting love while he recuperates, this picture should make you feel better.)

If you’d like to learn more about Gail Page, you can visit her website. Besides her books, it showcases her teapots and floorcloths and other art.

This was Sunny’s first review. But if you’d like to see Vince’s other literary leanings, check out his reviews of: