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Friday, July 31, 2015

Book Review/Giveaway: Women Who Still Love Cats Too Much by Allia Zobel Nolan


From the publisher: Are you covered in cat hair? Do you reek of Feliway? Is your kitty's happiness your one desire? Millions of women struggle with the same challenge. They feel inadequate when it comes to satisfying their kitties so they wind up on a never-ending quest to do more, be more, give more.

Some say being addicted to cats plays havoc with self-esteem, makes you the brunt of jokes, and interferes with your quality of life, relationships, and careers, but most women feel that's a small price to pay. Still, if you're on the fence about your feline addiction, Zobel Nolan has reprised and updated her book, and Women Who Still Love Cats Too Much can help.

It's been nine years since Allia Zobel Nolan first wrote her popular humor book, Women Who Love Cats Too Much, which is illustrated by noted Sylvia cartoonist Nicole Hollander. Since then the feline craze has exploded! Suzie Becker's All I Need to Know, I Learned from My Cat started the rage, now from Grumpy Cat and cat cafes to cat videos and blogs, anything and everything cat is hot . . . red hot!


I don't think I've ever been told right to my face that I love cats too much, although it's certainly been implied many times. It's an affliction that I freely admit to, it's been with me practically since birth, and I wouldn't have it any other way. My cats have always been my babies who deserve nothing but the best.

I've been looking forward to reading Allia Zobel Nolan's Women Who Still Love Cats Too Much, figuring that it would be hysterically funny and so over-the-top that I could rest easy with the knowledge that I'm not *that bad*.

Well, I was right that it's hysterically funny, but I was quite surprised by how much of the book I could actually identify with!

For example:

* "You won't turn over during the night no matter how uncomfortable you are because you might disturb the cats." Absolutely...who doesn't see themselves in this one? I've even put off going to the bathroom for as long as possible so I wouldn't have to disturb them!

* "Dozens of plain brown paper bags litter your family room and disrupt your color scheme." Tara's favorite sleeping spot was a crumpled up brown paper grocery bag...there was always one on my floor right next to the couch.

* "You close your eyes when you have to give the cat insulin and wind up stabbing yourself." I stabbed myself with Tara's needles many times...not because I had my eyes closed though, just because I had poor aim.

* "Spend your bonus on a compound that makes her thyroid pill taste like caviar." Not the caviar part, but I have spent bucket loads of money at the compounding pharmacy over the years to make meds more pleasant for my cats!

* "Cut your phone calls short because your cat needs attention." I will never forget the day I was on the phone with my ISP and Truffles was in the background screaming for something so loudly that I couldn't stop laughing. Finally I had to tell the lady I was talking to what was going on and she started cracking up too and asked all about my fur baby.

These are just a few examples of situations that I have already found myself in, but there are many others that I can certainly *see* myself doing as well!

Giveaway:

Can you relate? Would you like a copy of your own to see how you rate on the cat addict scale? Allia is generously giving two lucky readers a chance to win a copy of both Women Who Still Love Cats Too Much and Why Cats Make Great Kids. Simply tell us by noon eastern on Friday, August 7th what is the most over-the-top thing you have ever done out of love for your kitty...and don't forget your email address! (US entries only, please.) 

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About the Author: Allia Zobel Nolan is an internationally-published, award-winning author of over 200 children's and adult trade titles with over two million books in print. Her work reflects her two main passions, God and cats, and include such varied titles as Whatever: Livin' the True, Noble, Totally Excellent Life, The Worrywart's Prayer Book, Purr More, Hiss Less: Heavenly Lessons I Learned from My Cat, Cat Confessions: A Kitty-Come-Clean Tell-All Book, and the classic, 101 Reasons Why a Cat Is Better Than a Man, among others. She is a long-time member and past director of the Cat Writers' Association, who has appeared on Good Day New York, CNN, the Fox 5 "Pet Department," CBS News, and other nationally-syndicated television shows. When she's not tending to the every whim of her puddies, she lives and writes in Connecticut, where she loves her fur babies way too much.

About the Illustrator: Nicole Hollander is the creator of Sylvia, an internationally syndicated comic strip that appears in over eighty newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, the Detroit News, the Boston Globe, and the Seattle Times. She has published sixteen collections of Sylvia strips, as well as Female Problems and My Cat's Not Fat, He's Just Big-Boned. She lives in Chicago.

23 comments:

  1. I, too, have postponed going to the bathroom at night because I've had a cat - or two! - sleeping on top of me!!

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  2. Sounds like a great book and one I am sure I can relate to :)

    Purrs xx
    Athena and Marie

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  3. I won't move if a cat is sitting in my lap. :-)
    myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. Nothing I have ever done for this feline love of my life has been over the top or too much—whatever makes him happy makes me happy and it's a privilege to do everything I can to give him a good life (or so he tells me—LOL)!

    skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

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  5. I had a custom made bunk bed made for them that has 2 crib sized mattresses. pilch92@aol.com

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  6. I would love to win a copy of these two books! I can totally relate to all the examples you give. I've spent a fortune at the compounding pharmacy over the years for Carmine and Jewel's pills, haha. I always carried Jewel to the bedroom for story time so she wouldn't have to get out of her cube and walk herself. :)

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  7. I totally admit to loving cats too much, too, Melissa! I'm okay with that! :)

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  8. Driving to Boston for bloodwork so I can have it ten days faster..

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  9. Anything for the cats including waiting until they are ready to move and be comfortable. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. My husband accuses me of loving my cat more than him. So not true, well maybe at times. lol! robeader53@yahoo.com

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  11. These books are treasures. Cats are lovable, loyal and loving. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  12. Oh my do I resemble these remarks! MOL

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  13. Mum needs that book ! But how can you love a cat "too much" ? It's never too much ! Purrs

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  14. I too have put off going to the bathroom, eating, and moving so that I don;t disturb the cat. I have cat beds on my bed, because one of mine likes to sleep in them.

    kaye dot killgore at comcast dot net

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  15. TW loves cats just enough I think. We have tissue paper all over the floor instead of paper bags.

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  16. Gweat weview. Mommy's fur sure a big time cat luvver and she knows it. MOL But she sez she's not cwazy.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Lexi

    lexi.dezi@yahoo.com

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  17. Not quite sure what is 'over the top' for my babies! :-) I do love my young-uns! I guess one thing is that when I met my husband (after a few oops-eee choices) he had to understand that the cats had been there first...so if anyone had to leave....well, you get the picture. Re-hydrating one who was having kidney problems with bags of IV's...yes, I have done the insulin shots and not disturbing the kits when they are asleep. When a stray adopted us and she was late for dinner (refused to be a housecat), I'd wander thru our cul-de-sac calling her in my pajamas...I thought all those things were normal! Hugs to you, and thanks for the chance to win these! jeaniedannheim (at) ymail (dot) com

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  18. Definitely my kind of book! Thanks for the book review ;-)

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  19. Certainly sounds like a book I can relate to! Great review! Purrs from Deb and the Zee/Zoey gang

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  20. Mowzers, over the top? hrm...so many to choose from (MOL!)

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  21. Over the top would have to be going to another state to adopt him. Sometimes, you just know that when you see them on the website that they're the one for you.

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  22. I sleep in one little corner of a Queen sized bed because the cat is sprawled out sideways and leaves me no room -- but I don't move. LOL.

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