The Cat Who Loved Christmas and other purr-r-fect wintry tales

by Caren Schnur Neile

Every cat lover will enjoy this delightful collection of warm and charming stories. It's the perfect companion for a long, winter night. And makes a perfect gift!
(back cover)

Contents:

The Cat Who Loved Christmas by Paul Christensen
Pumpkin's Gift by Patricia Chapin
The Cat Who Went North by Neil Plakcy
A Collar for Chocolate by Katherine Mosher
A Buddy for Christmas by Roberta Sandler
One of Our Pussycats Is Missing by Sam and Karol Ewing

Genres: Christmas, Animals, Childrens, Cats, Fiction

97 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Leeanne G · Rating 3 out of 5]

These all have sweet endings but I found the setting and storylines of each short story rather dreary. Christmas is supposed to be a happy, joyous time but it wasn’t really feeling like it in these. The last one wasn’t even a set at Christmas yet I enjoyed it the most as pets and wild animals alike worked together to find and rescue a cat friend. I will say again, that they do have sweet endings but only after mostly unpleasant starts. These just weren’t my kind of Christmas stories.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really sweet book, especially for cat lovers like me! It's short stories about cats, it's a quick read and has stories that will bring tears but mostly laughter. I really enjoyed reading about the all the cats.

[Rose Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cutesy. Light reading. These stories make me feel like I’m in my 30s and I’m not mad about it either.

[Nikky3 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book came with my husband when we got married and has been sitting on the shelf for 7 years. I read it tonight and was not a fan. Nooow part of that might be because for 7 years I thought it was a kids book. I think the second last story was the best and I kinda wish that one was the whole book.

[Lynnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute little book of short stories, a couple of which are told from the point of view of the cat. A couple of the stories are rushed romances (can't do a proper relationship development within the confines of a few pages). Overall it's a light read for a busy time of year.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter found this book buried in her closet. I assumed it was a children's book and thought I would donate it to the school library. It is, however, a collection of short stories for adults. I only read three of the stories and skimmed the other two.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is pretty saccharine but I had a good time with it.

Warmed my cold dead heart for the Christmas season.

[Jeanette Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book and I enjoyed all the cat stories, the first one was about cat who put up with lot then out on own how he wished backed. the stories all so different I enjoyed all. the last one was A pussy cat when missing his name was Orange thing. I like how all animal helped fine orange thing.

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our family cherishes cats. Caren Schnur Neile's 2000 collection looked like it would make a nice suite. I was stunned the first story was about an ambivalent cat languishing on streets. This male author lacked the insight that cats and animals are aware of everything. He portrayed two dimensional comprehension: “people who feed us”. This detached perception mismatched the book’s promised Christmas tone. This book is not warm and fuzzy. All the stories had positive endings but some only emerged at the tail end of unpleasantness.

I hoped the second would yield much nicer material, a lady author's story about kittens enhancing an uncertain woman's life. However it was not to my liking either. It is a shame some of these tales leaned towards stressful and depressing situations. Those did not reflect what readers anticipate, in a collection associated with Christmas and the word love! Thankfully the remainder of "The Cat Who Loved Christmas" has pleasant stories, without the need for dourness to contrast and only eventually convey happiness.

Although containing some strife for characters and anxiety for readers, there was a nice story about properly sentient neighbourhood animals, banding together with a boy to release a cat who got trapped in a shed. A co-worker who appears to dislike cats had a sad personal memory she shared and it is heartening, when her new boyfriend’s previously indignant cat claims her with affection. I liked the story of a lady who always wanted a cat and shelters one in winter. I would have no fiancé who didn’t permit cats in his buildings but it is nice that she convinces him to do so. My favourite is about a woman whose cat saves her from a snakebite. She falls in love with the veterinarian who saves her cat from those injuries.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cat Who Loved Christmas:There was a who liked Christmas but only at his house.This cat was half Persian.He ran away because they said they were going to get a dog.When he found his mother he couldn't go with her then someone chased them away.Then they found him and brought him home.He liked it because they didn't get a dog.I learned that I should never run away.

Pumpkins gift:Jen was having a baby and it wasn't until Jan.that she was supposed to have it.When a storm came she found a kitten and she kept it. At Christmas is when she had it.It was her present.

The Cat Who Went North:Someone was taking there cat to a north place and it got really cold really fast.the cat was a little scared of the new place but then he got used to it.I learned that the further north I go the colder it gets.

A Collar For Chocolate:Heather found a chocolate colored cat and named him Chocolate.The cat was about to leave when Christmas came but she was kept because her husband gave her a collar and said she could keep her.I learned that you should not take a very scared cat.

A Buddy For Christmas:Buddy was bitten by a rattlesnake one night and his owner was very sad and though he would die.Then someone said that his eye was very better again.they thought it was magic.I learned that rattlesnake bites are very bad for ay animal or human that gets bitten.

1 Of Our Pussycats is Missing:

[JD Waggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is essentially a cat person's Hallmark channel, except written down. I'm sorry, but for the most part of the book (even though this meme absolutely hadn't been invented when this book was published--nor, for that matter, had most of the Internet) all I could think of was this:
I think I picked this up back in middle school or something, maybe in my Chicken Soup for the Soul phase of wanting to read warm fuzzy things. This is indeed warm and fuzzy, and also very simplistic and romantic to a degree that would make even 90s romcoms furrow their brows in frustration.
Also, there's a story *just for kids!* which translates to *shorter words and very repetitive action.* It's cute, as all the stories are cute, but I may have just lost brain cells in reading this. It's good for a doctor's office or other waiting room, but it won't be staying on my shelves.

[Theresa F. · Rating 2 out of 5]

While a couple of the stories in this volume were genuinely touching, the writing was rather hit or miss. The ending of The Cat Who Loved Christmas strained my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point, while the ending of A Buddy For Christmas came across as too contrived, in my opinion. And the writing style of the last story, One Of Our Pussycats Is Missing, seemed too juvenile to fit in with the rest of the collection.
Did I like it? It was ok.
Would I reread it? Maybe one or two of the stories, but not the whole book.
Would I recommend it? Probably not.

[Elise Ravenclaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories regarding cats. Very simple and with happy endings.

[Tkulvete · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cute short stories

[Cobygirl517 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. The first story was my favorite. The rest were just okay.