What do you think?
Rate this book
Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle
A Brooklyn woman who “has it all” gets a lot more than she bargained for when a family of wild cats moves into her backyard. This hilarious and heartwarming memoir follows author Nina Malkin's obsessive attempts to serve, protect, and befriend the feral colony as she reluctantly comes to terms with being a “crazy cat lady.” Packed with insights and information on feline behavior and the nuts and bolts of cat caretaking, this book brings the feral cat epidemic home in all-too human terms.
- GenresAnimalsNonfictionMemoir
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 23, 2014
My sister gave me this book - At first I was a little skeptical, but after a few pages I began to identify with the author. It is an accurate description of what happens when you choose (intentionally or otherwise) to care for one or more feral cats. There is a strange bonding that occurs when a person cares for ferals. You have to completely abandon all preconceived notions of "pets." These animals are not and will never be "pets." The ferals I care for have taught me as much about myself as they have about feral cats in general, and I'm still learning.
There are some laugh-out-loud moments in the book, as well as incredibly poignant ones.
People who have cats as pets and those who care for ferals are probably the majority of readers of this book, but hopefully others new to T/N/R or only vaguely familiar with it will also read it.
There are some laugh-out-loud moments in the book, as well as incredibly poignant ones.
People who have cats as pets and those who care for ferals are probably the majority of readers of this book, but hopefully others new to T/N/R or only vaguely familiar with it will also read it.
January 31, 2009
I have to admit, I don't normally buy books like this and only bought this one because it was deeply discounted from a bookseller. Surprisingly enough, it was entertaining and very well written and, while it obviously is only going to appeal to a limited readership, I was very glad I read it. Once in awhile we readers find a jewel when we aren't really looking for it.
January 12, 2021
Easy to read, entertaining memoir about a woman living in Brooklyn who finds her back garden playing host to a colony of feral cats. This is not everyone's cup of tea, of course... unless, like the author (and, let's face it, like me) you love cats to an often unreasonable extent.
Look, feral cats are a problem. More so here in New Zealand than in New York, I would imagine, given the different ecologies, but still. These cats - and there are several of them, the colony number varying over time - are feral. They're not going to be turned into house pets. Their lives, sad to say, are likely to be nasty, brutish, and short. If they're female, those lives are also likely to be one of constant kitten-producing. Feral cats have a lot of kittens, which exacerbates the problem. The solution that Malkin plumps for, and that the book is lightly interested in promoting, is called TNR: trap, neuter, release. This not only limits the amount of kittens being born, but it's also healthier for the mother cats, who are often worn out and starving trying to provide for their litters. When you think of a topic for a funny memoir it probably isn't this, but Malkin's focus is as much - if not more - on the personalities living in her garden... personalities which are often vicious and spiteful, which almost makes her attempts to cuddle them even funnier. It also helps that she's so self-deprecating about it, and the often ludicrous attempts she'll go to to trap these moggies. The woman's a crazy cat lady and knows it.
I sympathise.
Look, feral cats are a problem. More so here in New Zealand than in New York, I would imagine, given the different ecologies, but still. These cats - and there are several of them, the colony number varying over time - are feral. They're not going to be turned into house pets. Their lives, sad to say, are likely to be nasty, brutish, and short. If they're female, those lives are also likely to be one of constant kitten-producing. Feral cats have a lot of kittens, which exacerbates the problem. The solution that Malkin plumps for, and that the book is lightly interested in promoting, is called TNR: trap, neuter, release. This not only limits the amount of kittens being born, but it's also healthier for the mother cats, who are often worn out and starving trying to provide for their litters. When you think of a topic for a funny memoir it probably isn't this, but Malkin's focus is as much - if not more - on the personalities living in her garden... personalities which are often vicious and spiteful, which almost makes her attempts to cuddle them even funnier. It also helps that she's so self-deprecating about it, and the often ludicrous attempts she'll go to to trap these moggies. The woman's a crazy cat lady and knows it.
I sympathise.
July 6, 2021
This is Nina’s story of caring for feral cats that set up home in her backyard. Of course, they probably wouldn’t have set up home there if she hadn’t fed them twice a day and befriended them.
Malkin has a way with metaphor and in part the book is mildly entertaining because of this, but it is overly long for the content. Malkin describes the process of befriending the cats, of feeding them and of trapping them, so she can have them neutered, thereby helping to decrease the feral cat problem. The strategy is called trap, neuter, release (TNR). Malkin talks of the importance of the TNR strategy and the problem of feral cats, which was all interesting and it is great to raise the profile of both the issue and the strategy but she failed to win me by showing the type of behaviour that is a big cause of the feral cat problem in the first place; a preference for kittens. She makes a huge effort to befriend a cat and its four kittens and has three of them neutered (one dies before she can do so), but another stray that ventures into her yard is sick and what she describes as ugly. Despite the fact that it is a tom and that it gets caught in the trap, she releases it. Not getting it neutered or seeking treatment for the illness. Obviously a sick tom can have a significant impact on the feral population and the very cats she was trying to care for. I found the double standard a disappointment and for me, it served to diminish her message.
Malkin has a way with metaphor and in part the book is mildly entertaining because of this, but it is overly long for the content. Malkin describes the process of befriending the cats, of feeding them and of trapping them, so she can have them neutered, thereby helping to decrease the feral cat problem. The strategy is called trap, neuter, release (TNR). Malkin talks of the importance of the TNR strategy and the problem of feral cats, which was all interesting and it is great to raise the profile of both the issue and the strategy but she failed to win me by showing the type of behaviour that is a big cause of the feral cat problem in the first place; a preference for kittens. She makes a huge effort to befriend a cat and its four kittens and has three of them neutered (one dies before she can do so), but another stray that ventures into her yard is sick and what she describes as ugly. Despite the fact that it is a tom and that it gets caught in the trap, she releases it. Not getting it neutered or seeking treatment for the illness. Obviously a sick tom can have a significant impact on the feral population and the very cats she was trying to care for. I found the double standard a disappointment and for me, it served to diminish her message.
March 14, 2021
There are SO many pop culture references & language that I already wasn’t sure of all of it; in another 40 years no one will know what she’s talking about. But mostly I lowered my rating because I didn’t like her reaction to the sickly cat she named Yeff Smeef (an inside joke explained in the book); instead of seeing him as an object of sympathy in desperate need of some care, she regards him with revulsion because he’s ugly, & chases him off the first time, & later when she accidentally traps him while trying for 2 others—& thus has the chance to get him the care he needs—she opens the trap & lets him go!
January 2, 2018
To be fair- you will probably only enjoy this book if you like cats.
February 27, 2007
Publisher’s Weekly
October 30, 2006
An Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle
Nina Malkin. Lyons, $14.95 paper (192p) ISBN
978-1-59228-972-1
In a tone that's delightfully sassy, Malkin, a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., describes her escapades with feral cats beginning when Flaca wanders into her backyard. After Flaca leaves for parts unknown, a hungry mother cat with four kittens arrives. Malkin, already an owner of two cats, and her not-so-cat-friendly husband, Jason, do not attempt to domesticate the strays, but find themselves naming, feeding and bonding with them. This leads to several unavailing attempts to find new owners for the kittens. She and Jason then employ the TNR (trap, neuter, return) strategy, which aims to control the feral population in the immediate area. The strategy not only aids the cat population, but protects Malkin's reputation as the "crazy cat lady." Malkin's background as a magazine journalist serves her well as she relates humorous anecdotes: building the cat shelter in their basement, watching the kittens' antics during a snowstorm and surviving a raccoon invader. Malkin interjects useful information on cat care and cat behavior along with her story, and only occasionally does she show her "crazy cat lady" side with overly feline-infatuated prose. This sprightly tale will please cat lovers everywhere, and maybe even convert a few dog lovers along the way. (Jan.)
October 30, 2006
An Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle
Nina Malkin. Lyons, $14.95 paper (192p) ISBN
978-1-59228-972-1
In a tone that's delightfully sassy, Malkin, a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., describes her escapades with feral cats beginning when Flaca wanders into her backyard. After Flaca leaves for parts unknown, a hungry mother cat with four kittens arrives. Malkin, already an owner of two cats, and her not-so-cat-friendly husband, Jason, do not attempt to domesticate the strays, but find themselves naming, feeding and bonding with them. This leads to several unavailing attempts to find new owners for the kittens. She and Jason then employ the TNR (trap, neuter, return) strategy, which aims to control the feral population in the immediate area. The strategy not only aids the cat population, but protects Malkin's reputation as the "crazy cat lady." Malkin's background as a magazine journalist serves her well as she relates humorous anecdotes: building the cat shelter in their basement, watching the kittens' antics during a snowstorm and surviving a raccoon invader. Malkin interjects useful information on cat care and cat behavior along with her story, and only occasionally does she show her "crazy cat lady" side with overly feline-infatuated prose. This sprightly tale will please cat lovers everywhere, and maybe even convert a few dog lovers along the way. (Jan.)
October 13, 2013
An Unlikely Cat Lady works because Nina Malkin has an unapologetic and unblinkered view of herself; her honesty is refreshing and entertaining as she teeters between hipster and hang-around-home cat nerd. Her denial of her 'crazy cat lady' status is all tongue-in-cheek. There is no lecturing, moralizing or grandstanding cluttering a close-in biographical view of a Brooklynite's backyard 'urban jungle' and the feral cats prowling in it. That said, Malkin is focused on cat-human interaction, and the joys people can get from cats; she spends less time on observation of natural cat behavior. Casual cat fanciers will probably enjoy her story more than already committed feral cat rescuers and animal rights activists.
October 30, 2010
Don't read this if you've got poor bladder control.
There is no such thing as an unlikely cat lady, unless that person is afraid of cats or would rather buy new shoes than, say, take Scruffy to the vet. The self-effacing author and her kind husband open their hearts and wallets to the scraggly cats who "adopt" their backyard.
What started with one bowl of kibble becomes a rescue mission engaging the author (and her friends) in ways she could not have anticipated. Cats are pound for pound tougher and cleverer than we (humans). They will always prevail if we let them in our minds or hearts.
There is no such thing as an unlikely cat lady, unless that person is afraid of cats or would rather buy new shoes than, say, take Scruffy to the vet. The self-effacing author and her kind husband open their hearts and wallets to the scraggly cats who "adopt" their backyard.
What started with one bowl of kibble becomes a rescue mission engaging the author (and her friends) in ways she could not have anticipated. Cats are pound for pound tougher and cleverer than we (humans). They will always prevail if we let them in our minds or hearts.
June 17, 2014
Book #55 Read in 2014
An Unlikely Cat Lady by Nina Malkin
This book details the author's journey from cat admirer to feral cat caregiver. Living in Brooklyn, it was a bit surprising for her to realize how many feral cats there were in her neighborhood. She connects with local rescue organizations and begins to trap/neuter/release her outside crew. Of course, along the way she falls for almost all of the ferals, naming them and recognizing their unique personalities. I enjoyed Malkin's writing style and her reference to musicians and writers. I enjoyed this book.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
An Unlikely Cat Lady by Nina Malkin
This book details the author's journey from cat admirer to feral cat caregiver. Living in Brooklyn, it was a bit surprising for her to realize how many feral cats there were in her neighborhood. She connects with local rescue organizations and begins to trap/neuter/release her outside crew. Of course, along the way she falls for almost all of the ferals, naming them and recognizing their unique personalities. I enjoyed Malkin's writing style and her reference to musicians and writers. I enjoyed this book.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
January 6, 2011
Ms. Malkin gets cat, and cat people. She offers a real look into the stray cat/feral cat "problem", who causes it, and also how to solve it. Her book is informative and easy to read. She gives solutions and suggestions as to where to go for help.
But what really makes her book wonderful is that she offers her own experiences as proof of not just the feral experience, but the human connection. She tells us her story, along with the cats she came to love, help, and often ultimately lose.
I love this book...and Ms. Malkin for sharing it.
But what really makes her book wonderful is that she offers her own experiences as proof of not just the feral experience, but the human connection. She tells us her story, along with the cats she came to love, help, and often ultimately lose.
I love this book...and Ms. Malkin for sharing it.
October 2, 2011
I am so grateful to the gift this book brought after finding & reading it. An absolute must for furry caretakers (such as myself). Whether in your own backyard, in your own house, at a shelter or at a friend's kitty condo, this book speaks to the heart and soul of caretakers everywhere. I felt so much better for being a guardian of our furry backyard felines after finishing this funny, sassy, sweet, and honest memoir. Yay TNR, yay kibble queen, thank you Ms. Malkin for your perseverance and powerful pen.
March 23, 2010
My dad gave me this book for christmas a couple years ago and I finally got around to reading it. Nina has a great sense of humor and as a fellow cat person, I completely related to a lot of the situations she describes. A fun read and well worth it.
June 19, 2007
Took a little time to get into, but I love how honest she is. Doesn't make the feral cat saving pretty, but she does put into an honorable light. Plus I got some laughs from it.
July 30, 2008
For anyone who finds an unexpected feral cat colony in their yard, this book is a real treat. Purrs.
August 7, 2008
When she does the "Yeff Smiff" bit I almost died...it was hilarious
January 22, 2009
Very entertaining story about a woman's first experiences in feral cat rescue.
November 13, 2012
Too self-consciously hip & slick, some interesting language choices. she was naive about cats.
January 12, 2013
Although I don't love her writing style, I enjoyed this story about feral backyard cats.
Read
January 24, 2016I enjoyed what I read of this book, but got distracted and had to turn it in to the library again before I was quite finished....
March 14, 2017
This book was ok.
May 2, 2017
Nina Malkin and her husband own a house in Brooklyn with two cats. They start to provide food and shelter for a mom cat and her litter of kittens. Nina discovers TNR--trap, neuter, return programs for feral cats. This is the story of the feral cats: Ari Rose, Yeff Smeef, Paul Wolke, Sid Vicious, Nancy, and Ray Snarls.
Nina has worked as a writer and editor for Elle, Teen People, and Vogue. It's a hilarious story, and the info on feral cats is interesting to folks who are concerned about the cat population.
Nina has worked as a writer and editor for Elle, Teen People, and Vogue. It's a hilarious story, and the info on feral cats is interesting to folks who are concerned about the cat population.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews