A Cat Named Darwin: Embracing the Bond Between Man and Pet

by William Jordan

A scientist contemplates his bond with a sick stray cat in this “gripping and powerful” memoir (The San Diego Union-Tribune).
 
Bill Jordan’s life changed forever the day a stray cat nesting under his bougainvillea bit him on the hand. Trained in biology, Jordan had no particular love for animals and felt vaguely contemptuous of those who did—until the cat, beckoning with a wink and a yawn, led him on a journey to exotic lands, strange cultures, and fascinating discoveries. As their bond deepened and the cat’s health began to fail, Jordan was forced into a commitment more devoted and sincere than any he had known before.
 
Puzzling through his own feelings, Jordan came to some remarkable that those we love live in the synapses and molecules of memory, and that as long as we exist, they exist as part of our brain. In this recollection of the relationship, he meditates on the nature of humans and animals, and the scientific truths about solitude, communication, and companionship. 
 

Genres: Animals, Cats, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Nature, Autobiography

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Chris Dietzel · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a cat lover, I hated this book. At every point in the story, the author lets the cat down, betraying its trust and causing it undue duress. I appreciate that he wanted to give the cat a home but the lack of ability to responsibly care for the cat is not acceptable, especially as it just wants to die in peace. On a side note, if you drank a shot each time the author noted he is educated as a biologist or is a writer you would die of alcohol poisoning.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a story of a stupid, selfish and cruel man and what he did to a poor dying cat, then wrote a book about it, so you can add an additional dose of stupidity and selfishness. If I ever treated a cat the way this man did, I wouldn't tell a soul, let alone write a book and try to make money from it. I was intending to resell this book but while reading it I reached a frustration point and decided that I did not want anyone else to read this drivel, so I removed it from my inventory and instead placed it into the recycle bin. Maybe it should have gone right into the trash.

The man should never have adopted a cat, let alone one with FeLV. The most humane thing would have been to euthanize the cat, but instead he let the cat live in far from idea settings, complicating the whole situation by bringing another stray cat into the house, who was aggressive and voilent toward the sick one. His solution was to let the sick one live outside the house. If you want to know all the WRONG THINGS to do for your dying animal, read this book.

[Lexie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most empathetic story I've read of how it is to love a cat ... and how it feels to be loved by one ... William Jordan contemplates deeply the joys, responsibilities, and sorrows of loving another creature. A biologist by profession, he finds some of his beliefs and worldviews undone ... while others are infinitely enriched. He's transformed by Darwin ... as he writes, "I became a cat."

The first few sentences are among the most entrancing I've read; one in particular makes me swoon:

"It happens gradually, imperceptibly, like temperature rising or water seeping, and one day you find yourself noticing new lines, say, in his facial markings."

How we fall in love with our felines ... and with perfect sentences.

[Heather Moritz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the WORST books I have ever read. The guy didn't even like cats at first and said stuff like "cats are dumb and useless beasts and humans are the best things ever." Eventually he found out Darwin had leukemia and he kept getting sicker until he couldn't eat anymore and his stomach was tender and the guy was like "well if he can't eat himself, I'm going to MAKE him eat" and force fed him with a dropper. WTF?? Why even keep him alive at that point? He even adopted another cat, which attacked Darwin..he guy was so angry he wanted to pound the other cat into the ground, but instead sprayed his face with a bottle till it was dripping. Then he decided to leave poor Darwin outside. He kept bragging about how he killed/abused animals in the name of science. Ughhh. When he did finally decide to put Darwin to sleep, he didn't even stay with him in the room. I felt so bad for Darwin..he suffered needlessly for months..the guy should never have owned cats. That book made me sad and angry..poor kitty :(

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have now read a good many books with this basic format...human has no interest in having a cat, stray cat meets human, human (almost against own will) gives stray cat a home, and comes to love it deeply and learn much from it.

That said, this book really stands out of the pack. Mr. Jordan tells the story of his short time with Darwin deftly, and with remarkable sensitivity. He also speaks to us of the human soul, the animal soul, and their intertwined destinies with deep compassion. I learned so very much about myself from this book. As I took this journey with Mr. Jordan and Darwin, I plumbed the depths and soared the heights of my own spirit. I have come out on the other side a better person.

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A raw and honest insight into a science writers first journey to a close connected relationship with an animal. Imperfect when compared to the judgement and practices of modern pet owners, but brutally honest about how our larger society treats pets as disposable. This story shows how one deep connection with an animal can transform our views of the world and ourselves, and in that, this book is perfect. The author has some great insights into human mind-body communication and how that can be affected by connections outside the self.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this book off of a used book table because I happen to have a friend who has a cat named Darwin -- also an orange tabby. Parts of it were excellent, but the book was CRYING for a good editor. Way too much verbiage.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t even finish it…this author is a jerk. He’s constantly sharing how cruel he is to animals, and listen, WE KNOW YOU ARE INTELLIGENT. But so are some of your readers, so I could do without the condescending explanations of…literally everything.

[LibraryCin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was not a cat person, but when he came across a stray (at a time when the author was feeling lonely), there seemed to be a connection. He brought the cat he later named Darwin (the author is a biologist) in and gave him food. There was a back and forth between inside and outside, then on or off the bed, etc. Darwin wormed his way into the author’s heart, but it wasn’t long before Darwin was diagnosed with FeLV (feline leukemia). Darwin only lasted another year before he died.

I loved Darwin and enjoyed the parts most that focused on him. The author brought in some philosophy of things he learned from Darwin and, though I’m not usually a fan of philosophy, I actually found this quite interesting. I did disagree with a lot of decisions the author made, especially as Darwin got more and more sick, but I still rated it as high as I did, primarily because of Darwin himself. The book hit close to home, as I have been dealing with a palliative cat for a few years now, myself (he’s now 20 and still mostly doing ok, but it’s tough).

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you know that a book is required reading, and A Cat Named Darwin was perfectly timed as I am in the same unenviable place as the author. I can only describe the book as difficult, enlightening, and painfully raw. I don't remember ever crying as much as I did throughout, partly from the identification and partly from relief, to see my own experience with a chronically ill cat mirrored within. William Jordan presents a balance of the cerebral side, being a biologist and dealing with the facts of feline leukaemia (not the illness I am dealing with, but a chronic illness that cannot be cured, only slowed down), with the vulnerability of loving your pet. The difficult decisions of hospice care, treatment at home, emotional isolation, and knowing when your pet can no longer go on, is laid out in startling clarity. And the days and sometimes weeks of reprieve, when you have time to build sweet memories through the sadness, reminds you of how valuable your time with your fur baby is. The final passage of frequent vet consultations, sleepless nights, cleaning up urine and vomit, and the battle of letting go is heart wrenching. But identifying with the difficult passage takes away some of the power and the mystery. Perhaps the reality of separation and death is a little less painful in that it is a shared experience.

[MBP · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not finishing this because I know the cat's going to die! Some interesting observations, but the author is a bit hard to warm up to, and seems insensitive at times.

[Gaetano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si può considerare questo libro la versione gattofila di Io & Marley. Non essendo io un grande estimatore dei felini, non ha suscitato in me la stessa empatia che ha riscosso Io & Marley, ma ciò non vuol dire che la sofferenza provata per il prosieguo della trama non abbia suscitato in me una grande tristezza.
Il libro è scritto molto bene e la ricerca di una spiegazione scientifica dei comportamenti del gatto coprotagonista del libro è davvero interessante. I sentimenti si intrecciano magnificamente alla razionalità, senza sfociare né nel romanticismo smielato e né nel tecnicismo ingiustificato per l'indirizzo del libro.
Consiglierei questo libro a tutti i gattari, in particolare a chi deve affrontare la scomparsa del proprio amico peloso.

[TheRavenking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a weird read and I can understand both the positive and negative reviews. As a scientist the author comes up with some surprising and very interesting observations about the bonds between humans and cats. He has a very empathetic way of describing his feelings towards his feline companion, but there were also parts which struck me as almost cynical and cruel. However it's worth keeping in mind that the author is not a perfect human being, just like his mentor the great biologist Charles Darwin he is aware of being a deeply flawed individual and therefore there is a refreshing honesty to this memoir. Jordan admits to having committed acts of cruelty against animals as a scientific researcher and struggles with his own shortcomings as a human being. Some of his actions could be called ignorant and egoistic. A large part of this book is also taken up by describing illness and decay, making it a rather donwbeat and depressing read sometimes.

As a cat lover I would obviously much rather like to read books about cats being happy and healthy and living their dreams, but unfortunately for many creatures life is not like that at all. It is full of hardship and suffering, it can be cruel and unfair and often leaves you to wonder whether it was all worth it.

At least William Jordan makes it clear that caring for a cat is definitely worth it, and an enrichment to the life of any Homo Sapiens.

[Okenwillow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnifique et bouleversant !
William Jordan observe d’un œil scientifique sa relation avec le chat. Sa découverte de la gente féline le mène vers la découverte de sa propre humanité. L’émotion et les sentiments prennent le pas sur la pure observation, et il ne peut que se résoudre à cette fatalité que tout amoureux des animaux partage. Une fois qu’on les connaît on ne peut plus s’en passer !
Le plus émouvant c’est le fait de voir un individu pas particulièrement proche des chats, bourré d’a priori et d’idées reçues, se transformer au contact d’un chat errant qui a su s’imposer dans vie.
Je ne le fais pas d’habitude mais voici un extrait très parlant :

“Prise de conscience du lendemain matin. J’ai commis le péché inavouable de dormir avec une bête, et je ne ressens pas la moindre culpabilité. Au contraire, je brûle de la chaleur du jeune mari, car mon âme s’est libérée et je n’ai plus de réserve. J’ai bien l’intention de m’investir dans cette relation. Et même les œufs et les larves de puce qui ont partagé notre lit ne sauraient refroidir mon enthousiasme.
C’est ainsi que Darwin et moi sommes devenus mari et chat.”

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a biologist and writes a bit like one. The text jumps back and forth between scientific analysis and spiritual langauge so the story was a little hard to read at times. However, the story itself was worth the trouble. Jordan had previously had no pets and was raised on a farm, so had a fairly ambivilant view as to the usefulness of cats. Then, he is a adopted by an adult male cat who he quickly and irreversibly falls in love with. Through the book, he questions his own long held beliefs about animals and their treatment in our society.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 3 out of 5]

William Jordan takes in a stray cat after noticing that the cat was hanging around his place more each day and looked unhealthy and unkempt. At first there was not a lot of trust and feeling of appreciation from the cat but over time the two grew on each other. This is a good story about trust building and releasing of control. It is also tearjerker.

[RB · Rating 2 out of 5]

William Jordan seemed to have a poor understanding of cats in general.

[david levine · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book to skip

I love to read, this book almost made me give it up. First the positive, it was nice the author could connect in his own mind with an animal and give it a somewhat humane life was nice. Until for his own gratification he kept the poor thing alive for his own selfish reasons torturing the cat until even he in his arrogance could see it needed to be put down, and then again due to his arrogance, botching that. Now for the rest, he says he is a writer, I hope he is a technical writer because this book was awful. Purchasing it I was hoping for a Marley type read or just a book about coming to love a cat. However it was more of a chore reading this book that comes across a a scientific journal dotted with personal notes than a journey of becoming acquainted with a cat and ownership. I can only say I skimmed much of this book as the author went on esoteric tangents that were incredibly boring. Also during his musings, where he is advanced, or overcoming his own arrogance, all that came across is no, no you weren’t, your stories were average to many children and no you didn’t. Your incredible arrogance were on display to the last word. How an editor and publisher let this continue and publish made me wonder what favors they owed. To say I hated this book would be accurate. I have had many pets and had to put down them all when they reached the end. there was always an honest discussion with the vet, and when the decision was made, it was made for the animals comfort over my own needs. Reading to me is a very personal thing and I have only ever not finished one book in my life. This should have been the second.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 estrelas
O livro conta a história de um homem que não gostava de gatos e passa a amá-los. Tendo se concretizado o resultado final, de que sim, ele se tornou uma 'cat-person' e ganhou mais entendimento sobre esse laço humano-animal, fica a questão se "os fins justificam os meios".
A forma como o autor descreve como passou a amar o gato Darwin tem tons não apenas de ignorância, mas também de crueldade. Apesar de ser fruto de seu tempo e contexto, dado que tudo se passa na década de 90, quando entendimento sobre direitos dos animais era algo que engatinhava, é estarrecedora a forma como o autor coloca a superioridade humana sobre os animais e até mesmo recursos naturais, mencionando questões de caça e experimentos científicos, e ao mesmo tempo sem demonstrar qualquer amor ou carinho pelos bichos/natureza até então. Um cientista que não amava seus objetos de estudos (animais e natureza), mas sim os via como commodities a serem exploradas a serviço do homem.
Como muitas das reviews dizem, o livro às vezes dá raiva, chega a ser esnobe, mas tem também partes lindas, em que ele reconhece que está cedendo a todas as 'bobagens' que julgava das pessoas que amam loucamente seus pets. Apesar de ora revoltante, de certa forma me dá esperança saber que, se Darwin conseguiu mudar uma cabeça dessas, então o poder dos animais -- e dos gatos -- é ainda maior do que sequer podemos imaginar.

[Eleonora Salviato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Che dire, questo deve essere uno dei libri gatti tra i più tristi che ho letto, il che non è per forza una nota negativa, si era molto triste, per tutta la malattia di Darwin, le lotte che ha combattuto, tutto quello che ha subito, dolore, punture, farmaci e altro...Dopo l'abbandono subito, fortuna che Darwin ha trovato la persona giusta, una persona speciale che ha saputo prendersi cura di lui al meglio delle sue possibilità, perchè è proprio così, non sei tu a possedere il gatto ma è lui a possedere te.
Una storia molto commovente, Bill Jordan, ti ammiro molto per come sei cambiato nei confronti degli animali, di come hai accolto Darwin e soprattutto di come ti sei preso cura di lui fino all'ultimo. Sei davvero una persona speciale.

p.s. l'episodio del micio della signora che è stato fatto sopprimere perchè la tipa non voleva spendere soldi...mi ha fatto arrabbiare tantissimo...ma di più il veterinario che l'ha fatto...loro non dovrebbero amare gli animali, prottegerli, non poteva curarlo e dare in adozione...??Forse la tipa l'ha fatto apposta, ha rotto la zampa al micio perchè non lo voleva più, così aveva una causa. Grr, se ci penso ancora mi sale una rabbia. Comunque dovevano salvarlo non si può uccidere un micio per una zampa rotta quando anche il veterinario diceva che sarebbe guarito completamente!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mokihana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and was hopeful when the author rescued Darwin. However, the more I read, the more appalled I felt at the way he was treating "his" cat. He didn't do anything much to prevent fleas other than combing some of Darwin's fur, he brought in a new cat when he knew that Darwin had FeLV, and he let Darwin outside knowing the same thing. Which meant that all the cats in the neighborhood, as well as Hoover (the new cat), were likely to contract the same disease, as it's very contagious.

To keep Hoover away when he first appeared, the author shot him with, in his words, "the Pocket Rocket slingshot with magnum rubber bands. This was not a toy for children; it was a serious weapon that could be used to hunt small game. I aimed for a spinal shot". He hit the cat about an inch from its spine. Then "the cat disappeared from my view, crying as it went." (Page 127). OMG!

As if that weren't enough, he later brought that cat (Hoover) into his flat, and on Page 145 writes: "If the worst happened and the new cat contracted [FeLV]...well, that would be unfortunate. But so it goes. I was doing this for *me*".

Hoover and Darwin got into a fight. The author writes, on page 149, "My rage, however, now mushroomed into a wild urge to hurt, terrify, pound into the ground this monster who had attacked my Darwin. [I] could not stanch the flow of anger and ran to the kitchen for a spray bottle. I opened the nozzle to form a water jet and ran back to the office for the kill.

"Swearing lava, I squirted [Hoover] in the face with the spray bottle. And squirted and squirted and squirted". He squirted that cat until its face was dripping with water; Hoover had absolutely no place he could have gotten away to. Later, the author felt really bad about it and said that he never raised a hand in anger to animal again. But as far as I'm concerned, the damage was already done.

The final straw for me was that he let Darwin suffer far longer than necessary because he couldn't bear to lose him. He elected to do the more painful thing for his cat rather than himself. I think that being a biologist was at odds with compassion at this point.

The book wasn't 100% horrible; there were some good things about it, including the author's willingness to seek medical care for Darwin. But I can't recommend this book because of what I wrote above.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written 20 years ago so I give the author some grace when it comes to his ignorance about FELV and how to properly adopt and care for stray cats. I didn’t agree with him letting Darwin outside after knowing his medical prognosis. Very irresponsible. I also found myself skipping over many paragraphs that seemed to ramble on about all things “not cat related”. I did love that he spent a lot of time and money trying to keep Darwin healthy at the vet. Also that he cared for another stray cat, spending slot of money although he was also ignorant about how to introduce cats to one another. Finally there isn’t a handbook or specific way to know the right time to euthanize sn animal so those critical of him should not be. It’s easy to judge when you’re outside looking in. In the end, he did make a difference in the life of 2 stray cats and that counted for alot.

[Margaret Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a particularly long book, but difficult to rate and review. I enjoy animal tales and Darwin is a kind of tragic hero in this one. Because his caretaker is also a scientist (whose behaviour, at times, I felt was deplorable - teasing, water guns, running away) with a very scientific mind and vocabulary, it was a challenging read. It was well written but not quite what I was expecting and not in keeping with some of the review descriptions - endearing, heart rending - only where Darwin is concerned. I do admire his commitment to Darwin though, even in light of the unexpected health challenges the cat faced. The author's personal journey certainly had some unexpected twists and positive results.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a devoted cat parent and kitten foster parent, I clearly intimately know cats and I like to think that I understand them well. I was looking for a book that celebrated the relationship between cat and hooman. I don’t know if I got that feeling at the end. I certainly did cry more than once and I was glad to find that the author had changed his opinion on cats by the end and actually realized how interesting and engaging they truly are. What made this book three stars and not more was his tendency to lecture on science-y topics. That lost me.

[John Grathwol · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY GOOD STORY!!!!

I greatly enjoyed reading this and would have given it 5 stars but the writer is very long winded and seems to go off on tangents. The story is good, and being a catlover myself I got drawn in quickly. Darwin was exceptionally lucky to have found someone to care for him. A great tragedy is that a lot of people throw their cats out when they move. People need to learn that animals are not disposable.

[Terri Pray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this one not knowing what to expect, but damn. Feels, lots of feels by the end but in a way that made me ask questions, made me think and look at my relationship with animals.

If you've ever been owned by a cat, especially if it's something you never expected to do, this book is for you. It hurts, but there are smiles, knowing nods, and a shiver with the blink of your not crying, it's dust, honest, at the end.

[Kass Demeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becoming cat, becoming human

I loved his descriptions of developing understanding of this cat, along with feelings that clearly made him grow as a human being. His biology background let him explain it in greater detail than most of us could. Yet I have the same feelings. Vividly detailed. A delight to read.

[Michael Mesaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why do we love a pet?

How do we benefit from loving a pet? William Jordan examines this question with a biologist's curiosity and unflinching self examination. His recounting of his companion's end of life struggles, while sad, encouraged me to examine my own relationship with the pets (and humans) in my life.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're like me and the thought of putting down your best 4-legged friend makes you sob like a child, then I recommend not reading this book in public places and to prepare yourself emotionally for a traumatic experience.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a scientist, and he looks at the stray cat in scientific terms. He comes to care very deeply for his cat, and takes extra medical care for his cat. His experiences with his cat, are so different from my own, that it was really hard to read this book.