Scruffy

by Peggy Parish, Kelly Oechsli (Illustrator)

There are lots of different cats for Todd to choose from at the animal shelter. But there's only one Scruffy.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Cats, Family, Fiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Peggy Parish was the author of the children's story series Amelia Bedelia. The series was continued, after her sudden death from an aneurysm, by her nephew Herman Parish. Peggy attended the University of South Carolina and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Herman honored Peggy's life in his book, Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia, by writing in its dedication: "For Peggy Parish, the real Amelia Bedelia."

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book over 30 years old, I was pleasantly surprised by the knowledge and values of animal welfare expressed in SCRUFFY.

It's Todd's birthday, and his parents have promised that his family will get a cat. They start out by gifting Todd essentials like a litter pan, a scratching post, and cat bowls, and then drive him to the animal shelter--another pleasant surprise in an era which most books would have referenced a pet shop or a neighbor's "giveaway" litter.

Todd visits the animal shelter and learns a little about how animals in a community need protecting and how a shelter works. Todd gets a first-hand lesson about pets in need when a man brings in a litter of puppies he discovered that had been abandoned. (The shelter accepts them immediately, which is how a shelter should work.)

Todd then proceeds to the cat room and looks carefully before selecting the just-right kitty. While this is going on, we get another wonderfully welcome message. A little girl wants to adopt a female kitten, but her mother--reflecting the mindset of an era before spay/neuter was widely practiced--initially nixes the idea, saying that female cats have too many kittens. But then the shelter employee enlightens them both that cats can be fixed so they won't have kittens, and they are very happy to learn this. Todd's family is also quickly disabused of the "not my problem, I've got a male," attitude and also vow to have Scruffy neutered. (The word "neuter" is used for both males and females in this book, which does reflect normal nomenclature of an earlier era.) All of this information is presented in an age-appropriate way and fits in well with the spirit of the story.

It's thanks to pet owner education such as this that the United States went from euthanizing 20 million cats and dogs per year in shelters around the time SCRUFFY was published to under 4 million per year in the new millennium. As the review of this book attacking spay/neuter as "torture" attests, we still have a way to go before that four million falls even more. Anyone with even basic knowledge of dog and cat welfare can think up a million objections to that line of thinking, so I won't even go into all of that here.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excited at the prospect of getting his own cat as a birthday present, Todd can barely manage to eat his breakfast on the all-important day. When he and his parents finally arrive at the shelter, he waits impatiently for the door to be opened. Once in the cat room, he looks at and holds a variety of winsome kittens, but one little scruffy feline wins his heart, first through seeming indifference, and then through judicious use of affection.

Recommended to me by a co-worker, who considers it her favorite early-reader, Scruffy is a delightful little book, one which teaches a number of important lessons about humane interaction with animals - the importance of getting pets from the shelter, and of neutering them as well - while also presenting an entertaining tale of a goodhearted boy searching for the perfect cat for him. As a cat-lover I had to chuckle at Scruffy's use of his feline wiles to win Todd over. Recommended to young cat lovers who are just getting going with their reading!

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good level 2 reader (more for the merging into level 3 reader if a child is to do it on their own) But I read it out loud to my toddler granddaughter and we both enjoyed it. The little boy in the book is having a birthday and he's wished for a pet so for his gifts he gets a litter pan, food, etc all the things he needs for a cat. His parents take him to the animal shelter (which I was so glad Ms Parish influenced the importance of animal shelters versus pet stores) so he can pick out the right cat for him.

This book not only stresses the importance of responsibilities of having a pet but also the importance of picking out the right one for the family that pet is going into. Also teaches the importance of 'neutering' so there won't be any more babies that need adoption. (Although she refers to neutering for a female when that is called being spayed, but teaching toddlers-young children just getting the message through is the most important thing.)

The end the shelter worker has the little boy sign a form saying he will care for the cat, love him, give him shelter, etc. All the responsibility that comes with having a pet. A good book to get for your child if you are planning on getting them a pet.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually debate if I should include a children’s book like this on my list of “read” books. I wanted to review this one though, so I’m adding it.

I run a cat rescue and have a bookshelf with a bunch of random cat books on it for people to browse through if they’re interested. I created this bookshelf from visiting thrift stores and buying any books, of any reading level, about cats. My goal is to have a huge collection of cat books - fiction and nonfiction - on this shelf.

I picked up Scruffy several months ago, and just decided to take 5 minutes to read it today, and I’m glad I did. It’s an “I can read book” and I’m not sure what age range it’s for. Maybe 5ish? When I saw this book in a pile at a thrift store it caught my attention because one of the cats in my rescue is a special needs cat named Scruffy.

So today I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this is one of the best children’s books I’ve read about a cat.

Usually this level of book is just a a cutesy book about fluffy kittens, and maybe there’s a lesson thrown in about “always feed your cat” or something along those lines. But Scruffy does a wonderful job explaining the problems that shelters and rescues face on a daily basis.

The main character in the book is a boy who is taken to a shelter to pick out his very own cat for his birthday. By doing this he learns a lot. He learns that shelters are overcrowded and often animals need to be put to sleep to create space. He learns about the importance of spaying and neutering. He realizes on his own that older cats need love and a home too, not just the small kittens. He even learns that sometimes people literally throw animals away when a man shows up with a box of puppies he found at the dump.

None of the negative things are presented in a way that would be too disturbing to small children. It’s all presented in a way that simply, but effectively, educates young children about animal shelters. Now that I’ve read this book, I’ll be recommending it to anyone who wants to teach their children about animal rescue. I’m really glad that I decided to take a few minutes to read this book today.

[Cydney Daemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a kid. It's such a special book, especially for children who love animals (cats especially.) It helped me understand at a very early age how important it was to adopt from shelters. I

I've been missing my copy dearly. I had an original hardcover edition, but I gave it to a friend when she had children. Her and I are no longer friends, and I really miss this book, so I'm going to try to track down an old hardcover in good condition.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy reader.

Not just a subject matter that children are interested in but also a great way to promote responsible pet ownership and animal shelters. This book stands the test of time and is a great read for kids who love animals and families that are thinking of adding one to their home.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story is about a boy who, on his birthday, goes to the shelter to pick out a cat for a pet. He sees dogs that have been abandoned in a dumpster, and new kittens that are wild and fun, and why we neuter animals, and then he picks a cat that's been at the shelter for over a month. My edition was signed by Peggy Parish herself which I thought was cool. My rating - 3/5

[Chrysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable.

[Troy Zaher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and surprisingly educational book. I read it with my friend as he nostalgically revisited it.

Taught about animal shelters, neutering, pet care, and awareness of neglect

[Reve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked how it helped me learned about animal shelters. Didn't like what he named the cat.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about selecting a pet, cat lovers will like this one.

[Edward Creter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I once read a book called Scruffy...not this one, but a different one with the same title, about a stray dog and her adventures in the all-too human world. Sadly, this one is less humane than that one, and this from the woman who gave us the nicer Amelia Bedelia series. This book has a small boy hoping to get a kitty cat from the local shelter. A girl near him finds one and asks if she's female. Her mom says she can only have a male kitty, since females give birth to kitties by the ten dozen. (see where this is headed? Then check this out.) The shelter owner, a female, no less, says in a nice, calming voice, that a female can be spayed or neutered. I think abortion rights activists and animal haters are taking note of this! I love animals of all sorts, even tho' I tend to eat my share of burgers, chicken and pepperoni pizza (may PETA forgive me!) but to promote the torture of neutering pets in a way that sounds humane feels wrong. I think I'll buy a cat or puppy and let them breed AND I'll happily feed all 100 of the squirmy little critters and see how the late MIZZ Parish likes THAT shit!

[Caitlyn VanWinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised when I learned this book was written by the author of the Amelia Bedelia series, of which I am also familiar with. There are plenty of pictures, and the words are easy to read due to their spaced out and enlarged text- Overall, I think this book would be perfect to read along with a young child. In the book, it is the main character Todd’s birthday, and he gets to pick out a cat from a shelter to adopt. While at the shelter, Todd learns about how animals in the community typically end up there, and how big of a responsibility owning an animal is. The book promotes the essentials of animal education and relays them in an appropriate way for young readers. Overall, I believe this could be a good book to introduce to a child when the family is about to get a new pet, or the child has expressed wanting a new pet.

[Reepacheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a young boy who is given the opportunity to pick out a cat from an animal shelter for his birthday. The story itself is well written and well illustrated. Older children will likely ask questions about the various topics this story will easily lead to, including deciding which pet is the right one, consideration for getting pets neutered, and promising to care for pets.

Personally, I don't much care for cats. Other people's cats are fine, but I'd never want one. Putting that aside, this is an enjoyable book to read with the kids and teaches or introduces good general principles about pets and pet ownership.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. I was never really a cat person, but I always enjoyed this story for whatever reason - probably because of the animal shelter. Anyway, I have the original book I had when I was young, and now I read it to my little boy.
It's a wonderful story of a boy learning responsibility and getting his wish for his birthday of having his very own cat. His parents do the right thing by taking him to an animal shelter to find his first kitten and in the process, he saves a life - little Scruffy's.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has a little more propaganda then you might wish (getting your pets neutered and picking an older-ish cat), but it's still a cute story. And your child will love preparing for and picking out a kitten vicariously too.

Reading Level: K - 3rd grades

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, entertaining story about a boy named Todd who gets a kitten for his birthday. I love that the family goes to an animal shelter to adopt the kitten and they explain how they take in unwanted animals. I also love that the story emphasizes spaying and neutering our pets to help control the number of strays.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet book about a boy who wanted a cat for his birthday. Instead of buying the boy a cat, his parents took him to the animal shelter so that he could pick out a pet. Yes, there was an agenda to this book, but there was also a very good story, and there were explanations for the messages that were delivered.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being the animal lover that I am, I really enjoyed this book. I think that it gives children a better understanding of what goes on at an animal shelter, and may give them more of a reason to want to adopt instead of buy a dog from a breeder or pet store.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Books agenda: Getting pets from the animal shelter and neutering.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartwarming story of a child who is given the birthday gift of selecting a kitten from the local animal shelter. Old fashioned illustrations lend a charm of their own.

[Arwen Telian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for my young ESL class...teared up at the end. Let that be a lesson to me, proof read anything you read to youngsters!

[WSL Library]

x3

[Judy Hunsaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for teaching kids about choosing a pet and being responsible to prevent unwanted pets.