The Fur Person

by May Sarton

This enchanting story and classic of cat literature is drawn from the true adventures of Tom Jones, May Sarton’s own cat. Prior to making the author’s acquaintance, he is a fiercely independent, nameless Cat About Town. Growing tired of his vagabond lifestyle, however, he concludes that there might be some appeal in giving up his freedom for a home. Finally, a house materializes that does seem acceptable and so do the voices that inhabit it. It is here that he begins his transformation into a genuine Fur Person. Sarton’s book is one of the most beloved stories ever written about the joys and tribulations inherent in sharing one’s life with a cat. It is now reissued in a gorgeous edition featuring David Canright’s beautiful illustrations.

Genres: Fiction, Cats, Animals, Classics, Novella, Poetry, Humor

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

May Sarton was born on May 3, 1912, in Wondelgem, Belgium, and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her first volume of poetry, Encounters in April, was published in 1937 and her first novel, The Single Hound, in 1938. An accomplished memoirist, Sarton boldly came out as a lesbian in her 1965 book Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing. Her later memoir, Journal of a Solitude, was an account of her experiences as a female artist. Sarton died in York, Maine, on July 16, 1995.

Reviews

[Connie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming story about Tom Jones, the Gentleman Cat, who lived with May Sarton and Judy Matlack. Their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts was a delight with a porch, a garden, big windows to watch the world go by, and dishes of warm haddock. A Gentleman Cat becomes a Fur Person when he is truly loved by a human being--and Tom Jones was very much loved. The author is an astute observer of cat behavior. The slender book is nicely illustrated by David Canright.

[Mayk Can Şişman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belçika asıllı ABD’li yazar May Sarton’la tanışma kitabım oldu ‘Kürklü Kişi’. Yazarın kedisi Tom Jones başrolde. May Sarton’ın gözlem yeteneği müthiş. Öyle unutulmaz bir kitap değildi belki ama çok sıcak ve sevimliydi. Özellikle ‘On emir’ ve ‘Beyefendi’den ‘Efendi’liğe geçiş kısımları aşırı tatlıydı. Kendinize bir ‘kedili kitap’ arıyorsanız bu kitap gayet doğru bir tercih olur bence...

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

She knows cats. ;-)

I read this when I was on a May Sarton kick. This was one of the few that was a relief from the emotional pain that’s present in so many of her books. It’s truly delightful and I especially recommend it to those who have known at least one cat well, but even cat neophytes or those who are ignorant about cats can appreciate it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, pleasant read about a cat (Fur Person) who is looking for a Housekeeper or two to share his life with. Any cat lover will fall in love with Tom Jones right away, and the pen and watercolor illustrations in the book are charming.

I'd enjoy reading more books about animals this year, either fiction or nonfiction, and preferably on the short (100-200pp) side, if anyone has any suggestions.

And yes, this author definitely knows cats! 😻

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat lovers rejoice!

This classic book by May Sarton will embrace you in a way that will have you looking suspiciously at your cat, and saying...

"I know what you are thinking NOW."

This beautifully illustrated short novella is delicious and worth reading.

I know you will recognize your cat in this story..... Enjoy!

[Tuna Turan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kedileri seven herkes eminim bu kitabı okurken tebessüm ederek okuyacak.

Bazen kedilerin ne düşündüğünü gerçekten merak ediyorum. Neden şimdi oraya gitti, neden kucağımdan indi, neden şu an bana tepkili? Bu soruların ve birçok soruların cevaplarını bir kedinin ağzından dinlemek oldukça keyiflendirdi beni.

Kedi seven bütün arkadaşlarınıza alıp gönül rahatlığı ile hediye edebilirsiniz.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of May Sarton’s journals – in which various cats play supporting roles – so for a while I’d been hoping to come across a copy of this little novelty book from 1957, a childish fable about a tomcat who transforms from a malnourished Cat-About-Town to a spoiled Gentleman Cat. In a preface to the 1978 edition Sarton reveals that Tom Jones was, indeed, a real cat, a stray she and her partner Judy Matlack adopted when they lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wonderful coincidence: when they were on sabbatical in the early 1950s, they sublet the place to the Nabokovs, who looked after Tom while they were away!

I found this a bit lightweight overall, and the whole idea of a ‘fur person’ is a little strange – don’t we love cats precisely because they’re not people? Still, I enjoyed the proud cat’s Ten Commandments (e.g. “II. A Gentleman Cat allows no constraint of his person … III. A Gentleman Cat does not mew except in extremity”) and spotted my own domestic situation in this description: “while she [‘Gentle Voice’ = Judy] was away the other housekeeper [= Sarton] was sometimes quite absent-minded and even forgot his lunch once or twice because she sat for hours and hours in front of a typewriter, tapping out messages with her fingers.” The black-and-white illustrations by David Canright are a highlight.

Originally published (with images) at my blog, in a post on Five Books about Cats.

[Mariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glossy and glorious,
Lordly and lazy
And catnip crazy,
Yes, glorious Jones
Is me!

The ten commandments of the Gentleman Cat, that cat about town rise up within his heart at wild. Dandy and fancy free. Fancy feast all free, though perhaps something better than that canned stuff. You know what I mean. Deliciousness without consequences. The cat his housekeepers named Tom Jones gets fat (what a great name for a foundling cat). How lovely to be a cat and your dinner is both expected and a surprising treat when it transforms a day into a remarkable one if it is quite good. I was torn between thinking his commandments were rigid and envying his rituals. Watch for when the neighborhood dogs have had their walks. Read the newspaper, yoga positions. Cleaning himself is definitely the most serious business. People probably watch cats taking this stuff oh so seriously and then piss the serious cats off with their mirth. They will talk about them right in front of the serious cats. His housekeepers do this too. Sometimes they flatter him. He likes that. Sometimes they say words like "hospital". May Sarton must have been concerned with this in real life, that she is judged for the right place in her vitals soul functions. I can see her taking care of the foundling, waiting to see if he will choose to stay with them. The Fur Person has curious heart beating in it, like it is afraid to hold on too tight and make it not real. Maybe it was the housekeepers who wanted it to be real more than the cat was conscious about his dignity. And there's a part in the story when the fur person knows he's a real person because he is loved by people. I wasn't too sure about that part but it didn't take away from the book that earned its real relationship with the cat. It isn't about if you're going to ask for faith in the other and be let down. I can feel Sarton being afraid of that. (I worry about that too. I cringed in shame when a rejected housekeeper is too desperate to cling to the cat. Just in case I should ever be that person, not that I have been.) I think that Sarton worried a lot about wanting to please other people too. Watching the border of oneself in case it is neighbors with another and they stick a flag in. It even says it in this book about a cat relinquishing part of its cat self to be a cat with people but I still don't believe it of this cat world.

I read this on a beach for dogs but really for helicoptering dog "parents" so I was already in that frame of mind, I guess (there were signs posted all over that dogs must be "under voice command at all times". I was gratified that none of them were). A man came over to me and said "She dies in the end." I don't think he even saw what I was reading. He just thought he was being funny "spoiling" what I was reading. Of course they all died. But they are still alive when you're reading it and you can choose to keep that part like it is another planet in your mind. Come on, beach dude! So anyway, I loved it when the cat goes on loving himself again after he gets sick. His housekeepers still love him and he didn't have to think about WHY they loved him. That's what's true, to me, and nothing about giving or losing yourself. Never mind he feels the conflicting of Gentleman Cat rules with going on living with yourself anyway. Maybe the days you aren't worried about yourself if you lose it are the good days. It was great that they could make each other happy.

So dignity is the umbrella all the Gentleman Cat commandments fall under. A lazy cat would just say "Dignity". I wonder if I could ask this gentleman cat if his dignity was for his own sake if it was so important what the rest of the world thought. What would he say. I guess it doesn't matter because May Sarton is very good at balancing that the kind of truth that is just what you can live with rather than pleasing outside justice. Written in the stars don't have to mean anything when it is like that. There's a part when the cat sings a song to the world to give himself courage. I thought that was perfect for the cat who has a faith in the world that is his. There are a lot of commandments for a gentleman cat. Maybe on a day when he has nothing better to do he will organize them all straight in his mind (sorry, he's not lazy at all. He just had better things to do). I liked most his poetry. When he wants the other cats to know he can take them down he has a poem. There's a song for when he's done with all of that, the self styled wise uncle of the neighborhood. Gentle Cat. I loved his rigidity of routine expressing itself in inherent cat-likeness this way.

I have never lived with a cat before so I don't know if they all approach their food slowly to decide if it is Good, Fair, Passable or Unworthy. Unworthy receives a pretend earth scratch. I hope it is true that nature pulls felines in this direction. I loved so much his pleased with himself expression. David Canright did the illustrations. Even without them I would have imagined him with that the world is mine little face. But I loved that the drawings had them all the same. (I live with a chihuahua who always looks that way.)

[Kris Sellgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story of how a Gentleman Cat from the rough streets of Boston becomes a Fur Person, living with not one but two spinsters, is utterly charming. One of these spinsters is the poet May Sarton, who infuses the narrative voice of the Fur Person with solemn dignity, feline calculation, and a love of making up songs to suit each situation. I particularly liked his curse of a Siamese cat who has the audacity to drive him away when he tries to beg for food at the Siamese's house: "May your milk turn sour / May your fish taste queer / And your meat look strange / From this very hour / May your blue eyes blear / May you get the mange." Highly recommended to cat lovers.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet book detailing how the author came to know “A Gentleman Cat” she adopted and named Tom Jones. Mary Sarton perfectly describes the personality of a cat, the challenges of adopting a stray off the street, and the joys to be found sharing your life and home with a Fur Person! This is a classic of cat literature first published in 1957 and a new edition in 1978. My edition featured illustrations by Jared William’s and they bring Tom Jones to life. If you’re a cat lover like me you’ll enjoy this book and be tickled at how well the author knows and describes her cat and lets us know just what he is thinking at any given moment. I found this book to be just purrrrfect!

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I will be your cat, he said to himself, sitting on the desk with his paws tucked in and his eyes looking gravely at the two old maids standing in the doorway, if you will be my housekeepers.”

How adorable! I truly loved this book, but I do wish that I had picked it up when I was much younger, like my mother suggested (but who really listens to their mothers at that age?). I highly recommend this book to whomever is interested in what a self-absorbed, street-cat, named Tom Jones, does before and after he realizes that he is not just a Gentleman Cat, but indeed a Cat of Peace who is deeply admired and loved.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most beautiful story! The cutest and most honest account from a cat who became a fur person.
I highly reccomend this little gem and i will keep to read and read again.

His antics and the way this story is written really have you understanding the ways of a cat. Telling us what may or may not be going through their minds. Well it all makes sence really. How could it be anything else ❤.
This very accurate and comical account had me laughing away and wanting the best for this little sweetie.
A pleasure to read!

[Balam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bütün kedilere aşığım ♥️

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many of the books I've recently reviewed, I picked this book at The Book Thing based off the fact it looked and sounded silly rather than any real understanding of what it contained.

The title, the cover, and even the little blurb on the front and back of this book really don't do it much justice.

Rather than being something questionable, this book turned out to be a rather charming romp through the life of a cat. The prose was generally pretty, and the story incredibly sweet. I think the bulk of it would be lost on someone who's never owned a cat or has no love for them, but for someone who grew up with a little tuxedo kitty it was a nice reminder of my cat and the time I've spent with him.

This is a very quick read, but ultimately a decent one. I'll be passing it on to my mother, and I've a feeling she'll be passing it on to a few of her nieces who foster kittens. It definitely deserves a place among the annals of cat literature - which I now understand truly exists.

I appreciate the fact that this book encourages people to view things from their pet's perspective rather than treating them like a plush toy.

[George Ilsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little book, about a cat, as told by a cat. This cat tale represents the evolution of one cat from being a cat about town, to being a cat with staff.

A Gentleman Cat may discover a need for a proper home with a dedicated housekeeper. Auditioning staff and inspecting premises are necessary.

This Fur Person learns that the only thing better than an “old maid” with a garden and sleeping porch—is two old maids. One is brusque and one is gentle but both are adorable and love their Fur Person. Having found catly housekeepers, Tom Jones the Fur Person is free to muse on the meaning of life.

May Sarton casts herself in the role of "brusque" and her lady friend is "gentle voice." Indeed they are not old maids but are partners, although this is understood rather than announced. The Ten Commandments of a Gentleman Cat are provided (When frightened, a Gentleman Cat looks bored) as well as The Reflections of a Window-Box Cat.

So much life wisdom from one very clever cat. Somehow one suspects that Brusque Voice and Gentle Voice may have played a role in making this record of a cat's profound achievements.

[Susan Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This enchanting 1957 cat-memoir by May Sarton may be the grandmother of the current litter of cat-cozies, a fact that may or may not endear it to you, depending on how you feel about cats and cozies. I ran across it on my shelf last week and sat down with it immediately, remembering the great pleasure it has given me over the years.

The Fur Person Illustrated Edition chronicles the adventures of Tom Jones, a Cat About Town who lives wild and free on the streets of Boston until he reaches a certain age and begins to see the virtue in reliable meals, a warm bed, and a comfortable lap. After several abortive attempts to hire a Housekeeper, he finally finds two, Brusque Voice (May Sarton) and Gentle Voice (her companion Judy Matlack), who take him in and provide fresh haddock (his favorite), warm milk, chopped liver, and even (yes!) catnip. Fighting Tom learns that cat-life is calmer and more rewarding after a certain . . . alteration in his tomcat-nature. By the end of the book, he has become a Fur Person, who loves and is loved by a human person.

The delight of this little book is in the telling, in the narrator's distinctive voice. From the first sentence (When he was about two years old, and had been a Cat About Town for some time, glorious in conquests, but rather too thin for comfort, the Fur Person decided that it was time he settled down) to the Eleventh Commandment (A Gentleman Cat becomes a Fur Person when he is truly loved by a human being), the story is as charming and comforting as a warm scone with a spoonful of lemon curd and a cup of hot tea.

And those Commandments (When frightened, a Gentleman Cat looks bored)? I confess to having been under their influence when Bosworth Badger (who lives on Holly How in my series, the The Tale of Hill Top FarmCottage Tales of Beatrix Potter) presented me with the Badger Rules of Thumb:

--Badger First Rule of Thumb: Do not on any account approach a human, for they are not trustworthy.
--Second Rule of Thumb: Beware of all dogs, and especially of terriers, for it is safe to say that they do not have a badger’s best interests at heart.
--Third Rule of Thumb (the Aiding and Abetting Rule): One must be as helpful to other animals as one can, for one never knows when one will require help oneself.
--Fourth Rule of Thumb: Take no notice of friends and colleagues who find they must depart without begging leave, for they may be compelled by urgent circumstance.

As I recall, eighteen of these Rules crop up from time to time in the eight Tales. I very much enjoyed writing about Miss Potter, her farm, her village, and her Little Books. But through the years I spent working on the series, it was the animals who gave me the greatest delight. I've been forever grateful to May Sarton for creating Tom Jones, the Gentleman Cat whose Commandments proved so inspiring.

[erika ☾⋆｡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5★ Why are books about cats more entertaining and enjoyable than books about human beings falling in love, making out, stupidly hurting each other, then making up, making out again and again, getting married, and having a dozen babies in the end?

This cat does yoga exercises (By yoga exercises, I think he’s emphasizing the importance of being present in the moment—mindfulness), and reading about how he does that is so adorable and endearing.

“Now he found himself sometimes considering them when he really should have been doing his yoga exercises, sitting on the cashmere shawl with his paws tucked in and his tail wound round him very carefully, so the white tip (there were certain advantages to such a very long tail) stood straight up beside the curve of his back leg.

[Jann Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the techs at my vet's clinic had this book when I was there on Thursday, and she loaned it to me to read. It is a small book, but much like a cat, small things can have big messages.

It is the story of one cat's journey from kittenhood to realization that he is a Fur Person. Anyone who has lived with and loved a feline will enjoy this story.

My favorite bit: "For a Fur Person is a cat whom human beings love in the right way, allowing him to keep his dignity, his reserve and his freedom. And a Fur Person is a cat who has come to love one or, in very exceptional cases, two human beings and who has decided to stay with them as long as he lives. This can only happen if the human being has imagined part of himself into a cat just as the cat has imagined part of himself into a human being. It is a mutual exchange."

This is a sweet story, a quick read, and a tribute to cats and humans who love them.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un día cualquiera aparece un gato callejero por casa de May Sarton y ella no sólo le acoge y le da un hogar sino que también le crea una biografía completa llena de aventuras en busca de su hogar definitivo. Con muchísima ternura, una buena dosis de humor y complicidad con el lector y un derroche de imaginación impresionante, Sarton escribe sobre su gato el Señor Peludo que evoluciona de gato huesudo y famélico a bola de pelo feliz. Es un libro de apenas 101 páginas y un tamaño de fuente considerable que lo hace ideal para lectores de todas las edades, no sólo adultos. Es un libro precioso para leer en otoño con la mantita y, tal vez, un gato durmiendo en el regazo o a los pies. Y estoy segura de que, si los gatos supieran leer, se verían enormemente reflejados y fielmente representados por el gato de May Sarton.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love cats, then this is the book for you. Even if you don’t love cats, this book gives you insight into their psyche and may help you understand them a bit better. I see aspects of all the cats I’ve been owned by in my life in Tom Jones. A Gentleman Cat indeed.

[Cihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Üzülerek söylüyorum, hayvanseverliğimizin toplumca sorgulandığı şu dönemde, bu ve benzeri kitapların ders olarak hatta bir adım ötesi zorla okutulması gerektiği düşüncesindeyim. Sırf o canlının gözünden bakmak hayata, onların da bir dünyası olduğunu, hisleri beklentileri ve etkileşimleri olduğunu kavrayabilmek adına.

Kedilere günden güne artan ekstra bir sempatim var. Hep de merak ederdim, hangi hareketlerinin ne anlama geldiğini. May Sarton bu bağlamda tatlı anekdotlarla, kedilerin iç dünyasını samimi bir şekilde paylaşmış bizlerle. Yer yer karşılaştığınız kedi görselleri de yerini hoş bir gülümsemeye bırakıyor.

Lütfen hayvanları sevelim. Koruyalım, anlamaya çalışalım. İnsanlara harcadığımız mesainin çok azını onlara ayırsak, gerçekten döngümüz daha sağlıklı ilerleyecek. Kürklü Kişi de bu noktada doğru adres, tavsiyemdir.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming first-purrson account of a tomcat's search for the good life, and his adventures and misadventures along the way, this thinly-veiled account of her own cat's life story comes from a writer who evidently has observed the behavior and sensibilities of cats with a careful and sympathetic eye. Sarton can turn phrases exquisitely, and her high regard for catly dignity shines through even her most humorous passages. Sentimental but not cloying, this story belongs on the insomniac bookshelf - like a soft shirt or hot cocoa it exudes comfort and tranquillity, and is likely to leave the reader purring comfortably while reaching to turn off the bedside light.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend for all crazy cat ladies like myself.

[aslı · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kürklü kişi, insanların doğru tarzda sevdikleri, şerefini, vakarını ve özgürlüğünü korumasına izin verdikleri bir kedidir. Ayrıca bir Kürklü Kişi, bir insana sevgiyle bağlanmış ve yaşadığı sürece onlarla kalmayı kararlaştırmış olan bir kedidir. Bunun olabilmesi için, o insan kendisini kısmen bir kedi olarak hayal etmiş olmalı, kedi de kendisini kısmen bir insan olarak hayal etmiş olmalıdır. Karşılık bir değişimdir bu.....
Bir Beyefendi Kedi, bir insan tarafından sahiden sevildiği zaman bir Kürklü Kişi olur." :)

[B. Han Varli · Rating 4 out of 5]

bir kürklü kişi, bir insana sevgiyle bağlanmış ve yaşadığı sürece onunla kalmayı kararlaştırmış olan bir kedidir. bunun olabilmesi için, o insan kendini kısmen bir kedi olarak hayal etmiş olmalı, kedi de kendini kısmen bir insan olarak hayal etmiş olmalıdır. karşılıklı bir değişimdir bu...

kürklü kişi, may sarton'ın güzel kedisi tom jones'un ufak bir hikayesi. sevginin en saf halini, birini, bir kediyi sadece kendisi olduğu için sevmenin büyüleyici tarafını işleyen bir eser.

hayatın üstüne atlamaktansa genel olarak gözlemlemeyi tercih eden okurların, "içine insan kaçmış gibi kedi" sahiplerinin keyifle okuyacağını düşünüyorum.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting off the year with a gentle purr... This was a favorite from childhood, and when it turned up at the friends of the library bookstore with excellent illustrations, I couldn't pass it up. It's a short, gentle read about the life and times of a cat named Tom Jones looking for his place in the world.

Side note: as a child, I remember noticing that the home Tom finds (spoiler!) is with two ladies, one Brusque Voice and one Gentle Voice. Huh, my childish brain thought. Interesting. (Or maybe I only thought that in retrospect--it's hard to know.) Anyway, it turns out that author May Sarton was a lesbian, bless her heart--and that Brusque Voice and Gentle Voice are thinly-veiled versions of herself and her partner Judy, respectively. Presumably their cat Alexander (on whom Tom Jones is based) had a pretty wonderful life.

Another side note: the preface to this edition mentions that when Sarton and her partner went abroad, they sublet their apartment and cat to a young Russian writer and his wife. Vladimir and Vera Nabokov enjoyed Alexander's company very much, and even invited him back for tea a year later.

[La Repisa de Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

May Sarton, esta figura contemporánea clave en la literatura estadounidense, nos regala un corto y grandioso libro narrado desde la perspectiva de un gato.
Un entrañable desarrollo donde se manifiestan actitudes y pensamientos del propio animal. Lo acompañamos a recorrer calles en búsqueda de su propia supervivencia, pero sobretodo a encontrar un hogar donde pueda ser feliz.
Este clásico está basado en las verdaderas aventuras de Tom Jones, el gato de la autora.

May atrapa en su historia al punto de temer un final triste en sus últimas letras y siendo una de las historias más tiernas que he leído.
¿Te animas a conocer al señor peludo?

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather charming account of a stray cat's quest to find a 'housekeeper'. Dated language and stereotyping (ie the use of the term 'old maid') are entirely congruent with the date of publication :) Very subtle allusion to author's own lesbian status - she was brave enough, in that era, to 'come out'.

[Sarina M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book in about an hour. Really cute story. The author did a great job of writing how cats think and process the world around them.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful cat story about The Fur Person, a stray who eventually finds a good home. Lovely illustrations, very funny and well observed.