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WORK TITLE: Call of the Cats
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.newworldlibrary.com/Authors/AuthorDetails/tabid/63/AuthorID/2989#.WOQ7R4jytPY *
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born February 20, 1960; son of Nathaniel and Suzanne Bloomfield.
EDUCATION:University of Arizona, graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. East West Living Bookstore, New York City, worked as assistant manager and book buyer; Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, NY, former assistant manager and book buyer; Infinity Books, Seattle, WA, bookstore owner until 1989; worked as Vedic astrologer, Los Angeles, CA, beginning c. 1989.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Andrew Bloomfield majored in Oriental studies at the University of Arizona, then headed to Nepal to conduct his own research on Himalayan spiritual sites. Upon his return to the United States after nearly two years away, Bloomfield found work with two iconic distributors of books for a new age: the East West Living Bookstore in Manhattan, a hub for books on spirituality, mysticism, and Eastern culture; and Snow Lion Books, established in 1980 to translate and preserve the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. While there he published his Tibetan Phrasebook, written with Yanki Tshering. The book was reworked and substantially expanded ten years later as Learning Practical Tibetan.
Bloomfield moved to Seattle, where he established his own store, Infinity Books, and opened the door to visiting spiritual leaders and mystics. One of them was a Vedic astrologer from India who visited the store in 1988. A year later Bloomfield followed him to Los Angeles to work as his apprentice while pursuing a career as a scriptwriter. The screenwriting effort never bore fruit, but Bloomfield published his second book, How to Practice Vedic Astrology: A Beginner’s Guide to Casting Your Horoscope and Predicting Your Future. Practitioners of Vedic astrology steer clear of personality analysis to focus on practical life issues: work, marriage, creativity, and financial success, to name a few.
The author’s creativity did not lead to financial success. With funds dwindling and no film deal in the works, Bloomfield accepted a friend’s invitation to camp out in her little bungalow. In her backyard he encountered the unique critters who enabled him to weave the disparate elements of his experience into a life of satisfaction and fulfillment.
The Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony is Bloomfield’s memoir of his twenty-year path to enlightenment with the fifty-plus feral cats that he met beyond his back door. The journey was not intentional. Bloomfield observed the skittish cats from a distance for some time. He learned of whole kitten litters carried off by coyotes and raccoons and also learned the value of the trap-neuter-release initiative. Bloomfield saw a starving cat choking on a bone scavenged from a garbage can. He felt compelled to provide safe food, even when he could afford to feed only himself. Bloomfield heard the cries of a newborn kitten nearly tortured to death by a mother who could not or would not nurture her. It was impossible to turn away, despite the cost of veterinary care.
Bloomfield does not claim to be a credentialed expert on cats, but he learned much from the twenty years he spent with his feline colony—about cats, about himself, about the spiritual worth of all living creatures. In an interview posted at the New World Library Website, he said: “One key in discerning one’s true purpose is simply by doing the thing right in front of your face.” Critics enjoyed reading the life lessons that Bloomfield passes along in The Call of the Cats. At Giving Voice to My Astonishment, Cheryl Capaldo Traylor revealed that it is not “just a touchy-feely book about caring for cute kittens.” She found “spiritual, mythological, and religious lore, … fun bits of cat trivia,” and “substantial kernels of wisdom.” “This isn’t a superficial work,” emphasized Edell Marie Schaefer in her Library Journal review, augmented as it is with pages of resources for information and support. A contributor to Internet Bookwatch called the volume “heart-touching, profound, and highly recommended.”
BIOCRIT
BOOKS
Bloomfield, Andrew, Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony, New World Library (Novato, CA), 2016.
PERIODICALS
Internet Bookwatch, November, 2016, review of Call of the Cats, p. 65.
Library Journal, August, 2003, Marija Sanderling, review of How to Practice Vedic Astrology: A Beginner’s Guide to Casting Your Horoscope and Predicting Your Future, p. 106; December 1, 2016, Edell Marie Schaefer, review of Call of the Cats, p. 113.
ONLINE
Allyson Clements Website, https://allysonclements.wordpress.com/ (February 17, 2017), review of Call of the Cats.
Giving Voice to My Astonishment, https://cherylcapaldotraylor.com/ (November 4, 2016), Cheryl Capaldo Traylor, review of Call of the Cats.
New World Library Website, http://www.newworldlibrary.com/ (June 16, 2017), author interview.
Shelter Me, https://shelterme.tv/ (May 30, 2017), review of Call of the Cats.
Found miscellaneous data from author page of old books and from browsing through the cat book: graduated from University of Arizona. Went to Nepal; thence to Seattle, then to Sou Cal; worked as Vedic astrologer; "the sisters" included an old girlfriend (Sophia) who rented him a room at the bungalow where he met the cats. 20 + years later he and Sophia moved to Tucson, where the trail ends!
at bookstore in Seattle, in 1988 an astrologer from India came into the store and predicted that the store would close in a year.
1989 sold the store and moved to LA, to be assistant to the astrologer.
By 2003 he had moved to Tucson Arizona.
Andrew Bloomfield - Shambhala Publications
www.shambhala.com › Authors › A-F
Andrew Bloomfield graduated from the University of Arizona in Oriental Studies and recently spent several years living and studying with Tibetans in Nepal.
Page 37 he refers to his sister Rachel
Rachel Dora Bloomfield
Obituary
BLOOMFIELD, Rachel Dora "Frankie", Dora Bloomfield left this life on July 16, 2009 at H.C. Moffitt Hospital in San Francisco after a brief illness. She leaves behind two children, Rebecca 23 and Aaron 16. She will be very much missed by her siblings, Miriam Bloomfield of Tucson and Andrew Bloomfield of Los Angeles. Her parents, Suzanne and Nathaniel Bloomfield are devastated by this loss, but are grateful for the 47 years that she was their free-spirited, creative, loving daughter. A Memorial Service will be held at Congregation Rodelf Shalom in San Raphael, California.
LC control no.: n 86044793
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n86044793
HEADING: Bloomfield, Andrew, 1960-
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670 __ |a His Tibetan phrasebook, 1987: |b CIP t.p. (Andrew Bloomfield) data sheet (b. 2-20-60)
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Andrew lived the better part of two years in Nepal where he followed a 17th century pilgrim's guidebook to research spiritual sites around the lower Himalayas. He has worked as assistant manager and book buyer for East West Books in Manhattan, and for Snow Lion Publications in Ithaca, NY. He wrote Learning Practical Tibetan (with MP3s) for Snow Lion. In Seattle, he opened his own bookstore, Infinity Books, in Pioneer Square, where he hosted many public events, including appearances by renowned Tibetan lamas, Hindu saints, and Zen masters. He moved to Los Angeles and wrote How to Practice Vedic Astrology (with CD-ROM) for HarperCollins, subsequently published by Inner Traditions.
Q & A with Andrew Bloomfield, author of CALL OF THE CATS
By Andrew Bloomfield
Article Image Andrew Bloomfield is the author of Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony. After running his own bookstore in Seattle, Washington, where he hosted spiritual teachers from all over the world, he caught the film bug and moved to Hollywood. It was there he found his true calling — caring for a colony of feral cats. He lives in Southern California.
Why did you begin feeding these cats when you knew they would become dependent on you?
Initially the impulse to feed the cats was in response to watching one of the cats die from choking on a bone it had scavenged from a neighbor’s trash. That was the impetus for making sure the cats were well nourished. Imbedded in that was the tacit understanding that we were making a commitment, to always be there for them. Or if not, to find someone to take our place — which is what happened. The thought of their dependence on us was a secondary consideration, and for us not as important as making sure they were getting safe, nourishing food. Dependence has somewhat of a negative connotation, and perhaps having wild cats depend on us was wrong. I have no way of knowing. But from our point of view it would only have been wrong if we were inconsistent with our caregiving.
Why did you spend money on these cats when you could barely support yourself?
None of this was very well thought out head of time! But I’ve come to learn that truly helping really has no self-reference. As I mentioned in the book, I once heard a spiritual teacher comment that the mantra of stupidity is “what about me?” It’s been my experience in life that whenever I’ve tried to self-protect or wonder “what’s in it for me,” I end up with less. What I tried to hold onto for myself slipped through my fingers like sand. Also, whether I fed the cats or myself with my last dollar didn’t much matter. Either way I was going to be broke.
How do you know that Trap Neuter Release really works?
I’m really not the right person to answer this question. I’m sure there have been many studies and research projects and there exist experts on this topic with lots of evidence that supports their opinions. In my case I can only share my experience from one colony of cats in my back yard. As a result of TNR we went from 50 cats to 6 over time. The colony naturally and organically grew smaller as older cats died off and weren’t replaced by others, as no other litters were possible. So in our case the results were textbook, just as described.
Weren’t you concerned that some crises would impact the cats you wouldn’t know how to solve?
At first, yes. Perhaps like a new parent who worries about even the smallest issue with their newborn, everything concerned us at first. But over time, even for the most challenging of things, I developed tremendous respect for Nature, and its ability to move toward homeostasis (at times with a little help from the vet!). That made things simple for us, too. Any crises that was above our pay grade we knew we could do very little about. So at those times when nothing could be done, we accepted that.
Did your neighbors dislike having feral cats roaming around?
Not from what I could tell. The landlord in front would get upset on occasion when a few dirty cats would bask on the hood of her newly washed and waxed car, or warm themselves on the cushy seats when she left the windows cracked on cold nights. But the cats were there and well established by the time the sisters moved in. So they had a history there and nobody seemed to have a problem with them. Of course, they stayed hidden most of the time and left very little evidence of their existence.
Did neighbors blame you for keeping the cats in the area?
They did not. First, they didn’t know how much we were involved with the colony. All was done under a cloak of secrecy. Even discussions we had about the cats when we were outside were done in hushed tones. And as I said previously, the cats were here before we arrived. Occasionally before the cats were fixed a stray litter would end up at a neighbor’s home and you could hear the people oohing and aahing and several ended up getting adopted that way, by staying with the neighbors.
How do you know you were truly helping and not actually harming these cats?
I have no way of knowing. From my limited perspective, when I see cats being well nourished and living much longer than the average feral in the wild, I can’t help but think this is a good thing. When I consider short lives and eating rotten food versus full lives and healthy food, it seems a no-brainer. But I could be wrong!
Did you feel it might have been better just for nature to run its course with the kittens you chose to bring inside and save?
I don’t know. Part of the equation is that we were there. So had nature run its course each one of those kittens would’ve been killed in short order. Is death better than life? Even today I can look into the faces of each of those kittens we saved and then imagine them not here. I have to choose life over death.
Why did you put all that energy and expense into saving Tiny, when there were healthier, stronger cats you could’ve more readily saved?
Tiny was a special instance. She was ours, plain and simple. The connection we felt with her was unlike any other. We would’ve moved heaven and earth for her. I can’t rationalize it in any way that’s not emotional. It’s not an intellectual consideration. Anyone who has strongly bonded with a pet understands this.
Where are the cats now, and are you and your housemates still involved with caring for them?
Five of the cats came with us when we moved. We lost one to disease soon after. The rest of the colony has remained where they were, under the care of an elderly neighbor who had cared for them before the sisters even moved in, twenty years earlier. I still supply the food, and vet services for them when needed. I visit them a few times a week and they’re thriving.
Obviously most won’t be called to care for cats. Can you shed any insight into how others might find their life’s purpose?
I do believe<
Our civilization is skewed toward unease. An unease born of not looking like, having, or accomplishing whatever an advertiser deems to be indispensable at the time—or what the idol-of-the-day embodies. Thus many strive to look like, or be like, or have the things we’re told will bring us satisfaction. But what is lost in that search is authenticity. Authenticity is being true to oneself—being comfortable in our bodies and content with our skill sets. I’ve met parking garage attendants who take great pride in their work and are more fulfilled in their lives as a result, than some Fortune 500 CEOs.
Andrew Bloomfield, a longtime student of spiritual practices, has authored books on Tibetan spirituality and Vedic astrology. He opened the Infinity Books bookstore in Seattle’s Pioneer Square and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Bloomfield, Andrew. Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Life and Love from a Feral Colony
Edell Marie Schaefer
141.20 (Dec. 1, 2016): p113.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Bloomfield, Andrew. Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Life and Love from a Feral Colony. New World Library. Nov. 2016. 256p. illus. notes. ISBN 9781608683987. pap. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781608683994. PETS
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
What do Hollywood, Nepal and the Dalai Lama, a less-than-ordinary life, and feral cats have in common? They all come into focus in this engaging memoir of a man who starts out wanting to be a scriptwriter, spends time in a Himalayan monastery, and ends up living a remarkable life tending to a colony of feral cats back in Los Angeles for 20-plus years. This free-flowing reminiscence weaves together events from Bloomfield's life with lessons learned from the Dalai Lama, details about the cats, and, of course, the stories of the people and events surrounding them. Some of the pieces are uplifting, while others are sad or disturbing. Regardless, readers will be engaged throughout. While claiming not to be a "cat person," Bloomfield nevertheless is a deeply compassionate man in his interventions on behalf of the feral felines. VERDICT <
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Schaefer, Edell Marie. "Bloomfield, Andrew. Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Life and Love from a Feral Colony." Library Journal, 1 Dec. 2016, p. 113. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA472371277&it=r&asid=dde041ac5916abf06a7c2c7b6b409acd. Accessed 30 May 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A472371277
Bloomfield, Andrew. How to Practice Vedic Astrology: Everything You Need to Cast Your Horoscope and Predict Your Future
Marija Sanderling
128.13 (Aug. 2003): p106.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2003 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Destiny: Inner Traditions. Aug. 2003. c.288p. illus. index. 0-89281-085-8. pap. $29.95. with CD. PARAPSYCH
Codified by the maharishis, Vedic astrology differs from Western astrology in that instead of personality it focuses on such practical life concerns as work, family, and wealth. It's also very useful in predicting just when to act in the best way to increase success in the different areas of your life. While the charts look similar in both kinds of astrology, reading and interpreting them is quite different, as Bloomfield, a professional Vedic astrologer, shows with thorough, excellent house-by-house instructions. Since each house represents a different part of our lives--marriage, enemies, creativity, and so on--the placement of planets in these houses is explained in very specific terms. Sample charts are scattered throughout to illustrate concepts presented in the text. Recommended for public libraries. (The book comes with a PC- and Mac-compatible CD, but the reviewer did not have access to it.)--Marija Sanderling, Nesmith Lib., Windham, NH
Sanderling, Marija
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Sanderling, Marija. "Bloomfield, Andrew. How to Practice Vedic Astrology: Everything You Need to Cast Your Horoscope and Predict Your Future." Library Journal, Aug. 2003, p. 106. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA107121654&it=r&asid=0020eaeea0ddadfe5f4b696fb655be99. Accessed 30 May 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A107121654
Call of the Cats
(Nov. 2016): p65.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Call of the Cats
Andrew Bloomfield
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608683987 $15.95 pbk / $9.96 Kindle amazon.com
Call of the Cats is the true-life story of author and aspiring screenwriter Andrew Bloomfield, who discovered that a large colony of feral cats lived on the property of his newly acquired home in Southern California. As feral cats, they had essentially reverted to wild behavior, unaccustomed to human touch, and ill-suited as pets. They also suffered a high death toll from harsh conditions and predators. After witnessing the aftermath of a midnight attack that decimated another litter of kittens, Bloomfield decided he would not abandon the cats to suffer the cruelties of nature. Bloomfield began to name, feed, house, rescue, neuter, and even nurse cats as needed, attempting to improve colony's quality of life one cat at a time. The hard work and compassion he put into caring for the cats ultimately rewarded him with a far greater sense of meaning and purpose than he had ever found in pursuit of Hollywood fame and fortune. Call of the Cats is<< heart-touching, profound, and highly recommended.>>
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Call of the Cats." Internet Bookwatch, Nov. 2016, p. 65. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA472679249&it=r&asid=8cf9fa9ced0c6d0e6801ef0246a700ed. Accessed 30 May 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A472679249
Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony
Posted on November 4, 2016 by cherylcapaldotraylor
Call of the Cats: What I learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony by Andrew Bloomfield
(I need to preface this review with an admission: I am a cat lover. I admit it: I love cats. I have four former ferals of my own. Or more accurately, I am owned by four former ferals.)
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I was completely hooked on this book from the very beginning. In a touching scene at the end of chapter one, Andrew Bloomfield finds a lifeless kitty on the lawn. He weeps as members of the feral colony look on from a distance. In that instant, he feels the cats are calling on him to help them. And help them, he does! This scene broke my heart and pulled me right into Bloomfield’s moving story. I knew this was not going to be<< just a touchy-feely book about caring for cute kittens.>> This was going to be an authentic telling of what it is truly like to fall in love, care for, and be responsible for the beings in your life.
I loved getting to know the cast of characters with their unique personalities and various quirks: bowlegged, fearful, seductive, care-taking, one-eyed, and so on. We learn about Tiny, Gumdrop, Snow White, Caliby, Crazy, Beige, and many others, through their adventures and mishaps over a twenty-year period. Cat people will nod in agreement and recognize themselves and their cats in these stories. You don’t have to be a cat person to enjoy this book. Although, by the end, don’t be surprised if you become one.
Woven into the narrative are interesting bits of<< spiritual, mythological, and religious lore,>> certainly gained from Bloomfield’s travels to India, Nepal and his study of various spiritual traditions. He discusses Eastern religions, Islam, Christianity, and Chinese mythology, and how cats played a part in these traditions. There are also significant amounts of information about cats within a historical context. I especially enjoyed the information he provides about changing attitudes toward cats throughout history. I learned about cats’ involvement in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, The Black Plague, and The Witch Hunts; Disneyland’s feral-cat population; and modern day Australia’s plan to exterminate cats due to extinction of many of their other species. Cats have a rich history of either being sacred and worshipped or hated, feared, and slaughtered.
img_1595-1
In addition to the historical and cultural background information, Bloomfield gives us a lot of fascinating, <
I also found <
This is a funny book and in some places I laughed out loud. OK, in many places I laughed out loud. I related wholeheartedly to figuring out payday in terms of getting veterinary care, kitty litter, or food for my cats. Bloomfield writes, “Everything got figured in terms of cats. How much did you make today? Enough for a vet visit? A generalist appointment or a specialist? Did you make enough for a few days in the animal ICU?” Bloomfield has a real talent for making the serious seem amusing. Or at least laughable, after-the-fact.
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The antics involved in getting the colony neutered are humorous, and yet I know it was a great undertaking and probably anything but funny at the time. Bloomfield explains TNR (trap-neuter-release) programs and discusses briefly why some people oppose this method. He is never judgmental and states upfront that he is not an expert. Throughout the book he admits that he and the sisters who help him on this cat-caring journey learned completely from trial and error. For instance, to better understand the dynamics of the colony, he begins sitting outside among them day and night. He does what he thinks is best at the time and learns from experience to be better informed for the next crisis that rolls around. He never insists that “adopting” a feral colony is the right thing to do. However, to him, it felt like it was, and that’s why he did it.
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There were some sad stories in the book, too. The recounting of Princess’ death was a profound moment for me. As anyone who has truly loved and lost a beloved pet knows, time often doesn’t heal those wounds. They are just too deep. The truth is, as Bloomfield wisely concludes, “That everything cherished and loved will be lost, everyone held dear will be taken, sometimes in the most violent, seemingly ruthless manner–there really is no other response than crying until there are no more tears.” How true I know this to be and how validating it is to have another human understand this. So often we are told that it is time to move on, get over it. Especially when it comes to our pets.
Bloomfield is a talented storyteller and I enjoyed the biographical tales he includes throughout the book. The stories from his early life, the short insights into his family, and his world travels all made me feel like I knew him as I was reading his words. I liked him. I trusted him. I thought he was real and refreshing. He shared his failures as well as his successes and when he talked about the Hollywood big-shots that he occasionally found himself around, to me, he remained Andrew, the cat-dad.
I did cringe when he wrote about kicking a hyperaggressive visiting male cat to break up a violent attack on a cat from the colony. What would I do in this situation? He first tried scaring them both, and that didn’t work. It bothered me some, but I understood. And besides he had indubitably proven his love and devotion to these cats, which is why he was protecting them in the first place. This admission, and the sharing of other vulnerable topics, is what makes him believable, authentic, and relatable. He’s not trying to be a saint; he’s a human being trying to do his best, just like me. Which means we can all do good things, just by trying to do our best.
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“One cat just leads to another.”~Ernest Hemingway
At one point, Bloomfield states, “I feel that being with these cats was as close as I’ll ever get to the Source of life.” And that sentence may sum up my whole existence as a cat lover. Laugh if you will, but when I’m holding one or more of my cats, I definitely feel like a small slice of divinity is right here with me, sitting in my lap, purring. I consider it an honor, as well as a huge responsibility. As Bloomfield quotes The Little Prince saying:
“You become responsible forever, for what you have tamed.”
How I wish all pet owners would take this sentiment to heart.
Near the end of the book, Bloomfield writes, “Hope springs eternal.” And so it does. My hope is that you will read this book and love it as much as I do. And then do whatever you can to help these mysterious, wonderful, and often misunderstood animals. Contact cat advocacy organizations, such as Alley Cat Allies, to find out how you can help.
For more information and to read an excerpt from Call of the Cats visit New World Library’s website visit here.
Find Call of the Cats at your local library or bookstore. Or to order from Quail Ridge Books, visit here.
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*I received a galley of this book from New World Library for review. I was not financially compensated for this post. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
*Photos are also mine, as well as the four beautiful feline models.
‘Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony’
Author
by Pamela Kramer
7 months ago
1 min read
Books
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In his memoir “Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony,” Andrew Bloomfield relates the story of his reluctant (at first) relationship with the feral cat colony in his backyard.
Bloomfield’s story is not simple, and the twists and turns his life took from the Himalayan mountains to a bungalow in Southern California are fascinating. He deftly intersperses his past “before cats” with his current “cat” reality.
The narrative is appropriately — and humorously — self-deprecating. But it’s also filled with the reality of cats living on their own without human protection. They are vulnerable to all kinds of predators including raccoons and coyotes. Too many kittens die and too many cats never know a loving touch for this to be a book with a completely happy ending.
Like real life, there are struggles that Bloomfield bested and those that bested him. He had the support of his two roommates and, for a while, a very supportive and generous veterinarian.
The message behind Bloomfield’s story is that often, life gives you choices. One of the choices may be an easy road to follow, but the other is the road that will be uphill, fraught with danger and heartache, but fulfilling and purposeful in the end. Bloomfield chose the right road. And as the poet Frost said, “That has made all the difference.”
This is a perfect choice for any animal lover or even for those who have feral cats in their neighborhood.
For another feral cat story, read “Over 300 Cats in Trailer Park…” or “To Catch a Cat.”
Please note: This review is based on the final book provided by New World Library, the publisher, for review purposes.
My Review on Call of the Cats by Andrew Bloomfield
I was a little (okay, A LOT) biased in choosing this book from the shelf of the Slover Library in Norfolk, VA. The scraggly little grey kitten stared at me from the cover, and the title gave me a giggle. “What I Learned About Life and Love From A Feral Colony”.Come on, I was easily sold. Those of you who don’s particularly consider yourself “cat people”, this is my promise that even YOU will enjoy this read.
He leads you through the circumstances leading up to living next to a feral colony, and then dives right into the cat world. Bloomfield carries you through each experience, both exhausting and elating, with the most detail and undeniable emotion.
Neonatal kittens are abandoned, feral cats have predators, animals get sick, but this man stood in and selflessly took the responsibility of caring, and being prepared for, anything that came his way with his new “family” for 20+ years. The way he correlates his experiences with other cultures and religion, with the colony of wild cats, is breathtaking and insightful.
I am no stranger to animal rescue, in the last five years I have had my share of orphaned neonatal kittens, baby opossums survived by roadkill mothers, squirrels so sprite they hadn’t grown their hair yet, and so much more. Selflessly giving yourselves to something like this requires a ton of time, energy, money, and sleepless nights. (Emphasis on the sleepless nights and money.) But each experience takes you higher than anything. Knowing that you have provided what it took, and more, to something who wouldn’t have survived without you. Its magical. This book is the best insight to these experiences that I have read, to date.
Personal experience, or none, every page is captivating. From one cover to the other.
Enjoy these photos of a few of my rescues, to prepare you for this read.
A litter I received at 6 days old, found under a trailer that had traveled from MS to AL.
A baby I got at 10 days old, found lethargic in a shed and abandoned at the vet.
Opossum, only survivor of roadkill mother. Found in the grass on the side of the highway.
One of the trailer litter.
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Author: allysonclements
I have circled the sun for half a century and am forever finding myself tangled in a new adventure. Be it traveling mile after mile, or lost in the pages of another's story, there is always new territory to discover. I'm here, not just existing, but living to tell about it. View all posts by allysonclements
Author allysonclementsPosted on February 17, 2017Categories Book ReviewsTags abcreads2017, adventure, alabama, animal rescue, book review, books, cat rescue, cats, coffee talk, currently reading, goodreads, inspire, kittens, love, mississippi, opossum, read, readingchallenge, rescue, Travel, virginia
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Exit West
Exit West
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Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences
Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences
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slide:ology
slide:ology
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All the Pretty Horses
All the Pretty Horses
by Cormac McCarthy
Silences, or a Woman's Life
Silences, or a Woman's Life
by Marie Chaix
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