Book Review: A Tale of Two Kitties by Nick Harding

They say in life you’re either a cat person or a dog person.

Nick Harding was neither (although if he had to pick a side he would have chosen the canines, on account of his cat allergies). Then he fell in love with a mad cat lady who forced exuberant kitten Alvin on him, and the adventure began.

A Tale of Two Kitties is the story of Nick’s unlikely trajectory from cat hater to reluctant cat owner and finally to cat lover, via a global investigation of the weirdly fascinating domestic cat world. Nick embarks on a journey of discovery on which he investigates how cats came to rule the world. The story surfs the kitty zeitgeist and takes the reader on a global odyssey through cat history and the modern-day cult of the kitty.

From hipsters using cats to take over the internet, to the richest cat in the world, Nick’s personal cat journey explains how felines have risen to replace dogs as man’s best friend. It’s full of fascinating insights about cat behaviour, cat history and cat evolution.

Nick lives and breathes cats, all in an effort to understand the true essence of his own badly-behaved moggies. It’s a memoir, an escapade, an anthology and a social, natural and cultural history that takes the reader on a romp through our cat planet.

As someone who has been fanatical about cats from the crib, it's hard for me to imagine there are people out there who don't worship the furry little gifts from God, but in A Tale of Two Kitties we meet such a man and then follow his progression into a feline devotee. For Nick the journey begins after he falls in love with a cat lady and together they bring a Bengal named Alvin into their lives. Through their adventures with Alvin and then another Bengal named Barry, Nick immerses himself into the "cat world" so many of us are happily a part of, visiting cat cafes, cat shows, and breeders of exotic cats.

I enjoyed his book very much and learned a lot about Bengals in particular. On the other hand, I have serious issues with the author's insistence on allowing his cats outside even after Alvin's disappearance, and his conclusion that the love we have for our cats is a one-sided relationship. In my experience nothing could be further from the truth. And I was horrified at learning the history of what happened to many household pets in the wake of World War 2. Still, I loved meeting Alvin & Barry, and witnessing all their antics. Anyone passionate about cats will get a kick out of Nick's conversion.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. As members of the Amazon Associates affiliate program, if you click on our links and buy something Mudpie gets a little money for her piggy bank!