An Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle by Nina Malkin Paperback Book: 182 pages
Oh how I love this book! I so relate to Nina Malkin’s experiences becoming friendly with all the ferals that wonder through my backyard, at least the ones I see. I’m sure there are loads more that only show up during those dark hours before dawn while I’m sleeping but I have met many a feral friend over the years. Nina and her husband Jason name the ferals they meet and look after (feed, get neutered/spayed, provide shelter for) Axl Rose because of the female’s side to side swagger when she walked and her kittens who would come running out at them hissing and spitting, claws out: Ray Snarls, Sid and Nancy Vicious, Paul Wolke, and the sorry looking male cat that hung around when the females went into heat -Yeff Smeef (they loved the way a Korean friend’s mother used to shout when it was time for her favorite cooking show to come on t.v. – chef, Jeff Smith) and a Nancy Vicious look-alike that happens to be male, they name Nigel Tufnel (see “This Is Spinal Tap” the film). The stories she tells are hilarious and all she and Jason go through to TNR (trap-neuter-release) their crew of feral friends is material for a sit-com. They grow to love them all dearly and mourn when one of them passes. Families come in all kinds, and animal lovers know we love our furry family members just as much as our human ones. This is a love story worthy of a “West Side Story,” score. And hilarious. This dear lady who had never thought much about outside critters until she just happened to look out her back window one day to see a tiny mama cat and 4 teeny fur balls out in her and her neighbors’ backyards foraging for food in the winter in Brooklyn. Her heart melted and she was out on her hands and knees with bits of food getting scratched for her troubles by the cutest little roughians she had ever seen. She was hooked. After that, she made it her mission to be Professor Henry Higgins to these little Eliza Doolittles to try to get them adopted. I laughed out loud reading about how she took photos of them curling up in her hands, snuggling against her neck so that she could post the photos to Craigslist and other pet friendly sites offering free adorable friendly kittens for adoption. Her intentions were good, she wanted the poor things to have a forever home so they wouldn’t have to live the stray life during the brutally cold snowy New York winters. She neglected to disclose at the time that the kittens were actually attached with their claws to her body parts and not the sweet darlings reposed in precious loving positions around her. She would have to run in the house and try not to drip blood everywhere because the little rascals were like Tazmanian devils tearing at her flesh faster than she could see it coming. I laughed so hard reading this book. It is a delight. It is so funny and so real and so genuinely true and sincere. One lady’s quest to save the cat world one kitten at a time. God bless you, Nina Malkin. You deserve a Purple Heart and a Medal of Honor. Cats and Cat Lovers applaud you, thank you for all you have done and continue to do in helping to care for the feral cats in your area and beyond. You have more kindred spirits than you will ever know.
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