Cats at Work

by Rhonda Gray, Stephen T. Robinson

Cats have been earning their living since ancient times, from the banks of the Nile to medieval Europe. And the cat is still hard at work today. The Working Cat presents 85 full-color, on-the-job portraits of New York's most industrious cats, giving the name, age, breed, and place of business, as well as comments from the owners.

Genres: Cats, Nonfiction, Animals, Photography

96 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1991

Reviews

[Caitlin Vaille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable

[Jeremy Nicolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could it not be 5 stars, c'mon

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the introduction by Roger Caras, which gives the history of cats and their working relationship with humans, we are treated to lots of color photos of a wide variety of cats in an even wider variety of settings. Shoe repair shop, hat shop, pet store, laundromat, wine store, cafe, pizzeria, record company, public relations firm, fire department, police department, and so many more. I think my favorite is Jesse, the tuxedo cat in the cat specialty store. He's surrounded by various cat depictions, both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional.
Each cat is listed by name, age, and sex, and the type of store or business, with a comment from the owner.
"If Minnie is not around when we're closing up, no one is permitted to leave until we find her."
"Amber is the perfect hostess. She's very attentive -- especially if you order crab or shrimp!"
"Samantha is a real perfectionist. In the morning we find all her mice lined up neatly in a row."
"There might be a dozen people waiting for a chair, but if Mr. Bigelow is sleeping in it, they all know they'll have to stand."
"Blax is constantly trying to improve our window displays."
"Pancho is such a neighborhood celebrity that he actually lures customers into the store. He's been very good for business."
"Though he's not generally allowed inside the grand pianos, Flex sometimes sneaks in while I'm playing. He loves to chase the hammers as they hit the strings."

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I love how it started with the very brief history of cats. Filled with funny pictures of cats in their natural environments, and it was great. I want to read more books like this.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

More cat photos. Would have liked the photos to be a bit less posed, and more cats in their natural work settings, but still, a fun cat photo book.

[Annburnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives a brief history of cats and where they rate according to economic value, which was low. Then it introduces you to many different cats and where they reside.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about the 'workplaces' of cats. From antique shops to factories, all of these cats serve a purpose, whether as a simple mouser or as a greeter. The book really helps to bring across the message that cats, while often weighed economically as having little contribution, are one of the biggest contributors to the economy, in ways that cannot be calculated. Great book.

[Jobiska (Cindy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your usual cute-cats-and-poems cat photo book, this work shows cats in their store or office settings and includes a little text profile of each cat.

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cats working hard. Right!

[Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

So surprised to see so many cats in food environments. Usually such a big no-no. Very sweet book.