Cats in the Belfry - Doreen Tovey

...telling the stories of Doreen's cats - I was a confirmed 'moggy' lover and had never even considered having a pedigree cat of any type. Having read this I became determined that one day I too would have Siamese cats. I haven't QUITE got there yet - although one of mine is half Siamese and does show some of the traits described in this book.

Would I recommend this book? Oh certainly - if you are a cat lover definitely - but be prepared ...
...and be prepared to hunt for the other books about the Toveys and their various animals. At present there are a good number available from Amazon as many of them have recently been reprinted in paperback form.

"Cats in the Belfry" is currently £5.59 (Amazon price).

I hope you will have found this interesting and I thank you for reading it.

Hazel
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"Cats in the Belfry" is a book that I first read many years ago and I can honestly say that, for me, it was truly a life changing experience, mainly because it made me determined to own (or be owned by) Siamese cats. It is a delightful book written by Doreen Tovey and will appeal to cat lovers everywhere.

When Doreen and her husband Charles moved to their cottage in the West Country the locals (as is usually the way) were suspicious. They soon got the reputation of being somewhat strange when they adopted a baby squirrel which Doreen carried to London with her to make sure it didn't miss a feed. Unfortunately, the squirrel didn't live more than a few months and their cottage seemed very empty - that is, until the mice arrived! They decided that a cat was needed to keep the mice down.

There followed the arrival of Sugieh, a blue point Siamese kitten who decided that SHE was queen of the cottage - and the surrounding area. The Tovey's reputation locally was not enhanced and the locals started walking past the cottage to see what they were all up to now! We are introduced to various neighbours from the Valley: Father Adams; Miss Wellington and Fred Ferry to name but a few.

Everyday life, when lived with a Siamese cat and described by Doreen Tovey, is hilarious - with Sugieh managing to eat her way through telegrams, carpets and anything containing wool. The impression of various neighbours heads popping over the hedge to see the latest 'goings on' and the comment made - all described in full and complete with local dialect. When Sugieh has kittens the visits and comments (made loud enough to hear from inside the house) increase rapidly.

If life with one Siamese cat had been hectic it was magnified with the addition of her kittens and the stories continue with two of these: Solomon and Sheba.

Before reading this book - one of many telling the stories of Doreen's cats - I was a confirmed 'moggy' lover and had never even considered having a pedigree cat of any type. Having read this I became determined that one day I too would have Siamese cats. I haven't QUITE got there yet - although one of mine is half Siamese and does show some of the traits described in this book.

Would I recommend this book? Oh certainly - if you are a cat lover definitely - but be prepared to laugh (and possibly shed a tear or two) - and be prepared to hunt for the other books about the Toveys and their various animals. At present there are a good number available from Amazon as many of them have recently been reprinted in paperback form.

"Cats in the Belfry" is currently £5.59 (Amazon price).

I hope you will have found this interesting and I thank you for reading it.

Hazel
 

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