Cats in the Belfry

Doreen Tovey lived what many would consider an idyllic life in an English country cottage filled with pets--not just Siamese cats, but squirrels, donkeys and other assorted animals who obviously saw Tovey and her husband coming, figured them for the soft touches they were, and made their home with the Toveys as any smart animal would. But what takes Tovey's books out of the realm of sentimental pet stories is her wickedly hilarious humor. Her love for her animals shines through in every sentence, but far from fawning over them (especially her cats), she saw through their drama queen ploys and "doesn't anyone here understand that we were once WORSHIPPED" airs and graces. The other reviewers are right--don't read these books in public, show more unless you're okay with getting strange looks because you can't stifle your laughter...and at times, a tear or two. I first read these books as a young girl many years ago and they haven't dated at all. I loved them so much that I wrote to Mrs. Tovey, telling her so. Imagine how thrilled an eight-year-old with braces was to get a warm and gracious reply from a real live author a few months later! Doreen Tovey died a few years ago and I believe that wherever she is, she's surrounded by loving animals who still know a good thing when they see it. Thanks, Mrs. Tovey--for the letter so long ago, the laughter your books still create, and the love you wrote about so well. show less

They didn't like cats, but thought "a few short, sharp executions" would rid them of a burgeoning mouse population. Then follows the stories about their Siamese cats Sugieh, Sheba and Solomon. Anyone who knows cats will understand that they can communicate the most complex messages with just a look. Tovey describes this very well. Truly enjoyable.

Tovey's laugh-out-loud misadventures as a first-time slave to Siamese cats are what set me on a decades-long relationship with these charming devils.

Still funny after all these years.

If you've ever been owned by a Siamese, or if you're considering mortgaging your soul to one, or even if you just enjoy reading about the antics of these critters, whose personalities are as big as their voices, you'll enjoy this tale.

Doreen Tovey's Cats in the Belfry is a laugh-out-loud, hilarious representation of conversations with her cats and by her cats. Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat knows what it is like when a cat is really, really, REALLY trying to tell you something. Tovey manages to convey this intensity by capitalizing the words in her cats' sentences. And of course, these are Siamese cats so they are extra chatty and extra opinionated. There are also squirrels and other "family friends" that make their appearance, suggesting a couple in love with animals. Although there is not much of a plot, the British humor and the countryside atmosphere are charming. This is one of these curl-up-in-your-chair with a cup of tea and read-for-fun books.

Hilarious and wonderful. A real comfort read for me, this tale of Siamese cats and their human slaves in England never fails to transport me.

Re-read 2/2010

I still love this book, as anthropomorphic and silly as it is. It's the more-or-less true story of how a nearly textbook dotty English couple who live in a picturesque English cottage in a picturesque English village lose control of their lives to some Siamese cats with personalities as large as the oceans. There are numerous falls down stairs and roofs, tumbles into water butts and bathtubs, and of course there are curtains torn down and food rejected as inferior. If you are a cat lover, I recommend this book to you.

Short, and I did get to p. 64, but I found it just exhausting. I don't understand purebreds in the first place, much less paying good money to get one that will destroy heirlooms and other goods, and be a fussy eater, and provoke risky behaviors like chasing the darn thing down the stairs or whatever, and thus cost lots more money. Masochism? Not my cuppa.

Jan. 2022

One of the funniest books *ever*. First of Tovey's memorable memoirs about life with her eccentric animals--Siamese cats, a squirrl, a donkey, and a host of other odd charactes. Very British, very charming