Book Review: Felix the Railway Cat by Kate Moore

From the publisher: When Felix arrived at Huddersfield Railway Station as an eight-week-old kitten, no one knew just how important this little ball of fluff would become. Although she has a vital job to do as 'Senior Pest Controller', Felix is much more than just an employee of TransPennine Express. For her colleagues and the station's commuters, Felix has changed their lives in surprising ways.

Felix seems to have a remarkable ability to save the day time and again: from bringing a boy with autism out of his shell to providing comfort to a runaway child shivering on the platform one night. So when tragedy hits the team at Huddersfield, they rely on Felix to pull them together again. But it's a chance friendship with a commuter that she waits for on the platform every morning that finally gives Felix the recognition she deserves, catapulting her to international stardom...

This sweet little "meowmoir" takes readers to Huddersfield Railway Station in England's West Yorkshire where Felix the cat rules the roost. Her arrival came about as the result of a massive campaign by the staff to get a kitten to improve employee and commuter morale, with a little "pest controller" work on the side. When a station employee's cat had a litter of five kittens, Felix was chosen for this very important job and she instantly began stealing hearts.

From fun and games (her human co-workers kick her favorite toy back and forth across a corridor for her to chase) to heartwarming moments when an autistic boy is delighted to meet his furry heroine, this book introduces us to the many lives Felix has touched. A particularly poignant passage takes place when tragedy strikes the railway station's little family and Felix grieves alongside everyone else. And the mischief she finds during the annual two-day Christmas break when she's a guest in someone's home!

Felix is proof of how one little cat can bring joy to a great deal of people. After reading her story I would love to have the chance to meet Felix "in the fur," but since a trip to the UK isn't in my near future I sought out some YouTube videos of her. This is one of our favorites...



For lots more Felix photos and stories visit Felix the Huddersfield Station Cat on Facebook!