THE CAT OPERATOR'S MANUAL by Queen Olivia III — reviewed by Lucy

At first I was concerned about the title of this book, as a cat is not operated by anyone (except themself), but then I realised that this is all part of the project: the clever conceit of the title will make humans get this book, which will then go on to help them to treat cats with the respect and understanding that they deserve, to give cats both the right kinds of attention and sufficient space to exercise their necessary independence. The book is a mixture of good information and ‘relatability’, and its parodic presentation in the form of an appliance manual continues to be amusing and appealing throughout. I read this over Thomas’s shoulder last night. He would recommend it for anyone who likes a cat, and I would too. I even got a few ideas myself. The ‘Precious gifts’ floorplan on page 79 inspired me to leave a nice vomit in the kitchen for Stella to stand in this morning — not something that I do very often. All cats, or anyway all cat ‘operators’, should come with a copy of The Cat Owner’s Manual.