The Lessons of “Nobody’s Cats”

The first time I read “Nobody’s Cats,” it made me cry.

The kitty on the cover looks like my Aine, who began her life as a feral kitten.

The story made me think of Mama Spots, Sneaky, and Tiny, the backyard cats who lived in my yard last year and who were killed at the shelter.

And the boy in the story reminded me of my son, a cat lover who just wants them all to have a home.

This lovely children’s book is written by Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff, and it tells a true story of a community coming together to help its cats. Besides the story it tells about trap-neuter-return (TNR) and caring for community cats, I love this book for a couple of other reasons.

First, the actions taken in the book are spurred by children. They saw animals in need, and the grownups in their lives took them seriously. Instead of putting the kids off and hoping they would forget, the adults helped them come up with a plan and put that plan into action. What an important lesson for a child to learn: That their opinions matter and that speaking up can make a difference.

The other lesson I love in this story is the power of one voice to spark change. With big problems – feral cats, in this case – it can seem impossible for one person to make a difference. But, because these children spoke up, action was taken, and the lives of humans and animals were improved. Imagine the changes we could make if we all used our one voice!

“Nobody’s Cats” is the perfect book for animal-loving kids, and a great story for today, National Feral Cat Day!

UPDATE: You can order physical copies of “Nobody’s Cats” as well as the authors’ other book, “Out of the Cold,” via The Lakes Animal Friendship Society website.

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