The Litter Box of Life

Wow! And my sis thinks I'm crazy! I'm just lucky I end up with mostly boy cats instead of pregnant felines like this guy. I'm glad I chose to get a pet door so I don't have to clean so many litter boxes, though this led to a tom inviting himself in at night. It can wear out my back just putting food down for 11 cats, 3 times a day. I keep 2 litter boxes for snow days and emergencies but my house is barely big enough for their cat beds, hammocks, cat chairs and cardboard boxes. Some of them prefer to sleep with me and I've had to sleep fully clothed for my protection too, especially when I've had young ones chasing each other at 3 AM. I had to laugh when his cat peed on his space heater and fried it. My boys have a pissing contest every time another cat moves in and they do like to hit those heater vents for maximum perfume. I liked his idea of reincarnating as a cat and looking for a crazy cat guy to take him in and spoil him. I'd like that too! This was a fun read by a clever and caring cat lover. I loved the names he and his cat lady mom came up with. There is an index at the end if you are at a loss as to what to call your next cat, and 12 cat commandments.

We all have heard of "crazy cat ladies". Well, this book describes the adventures, loves and heartbreaks of the "Crazy Cat Guy" - all the cats he has cared for over the years and how he managed to do so with some help from the "Cat Lady", his Mom. I laughed out loud at his physical fitness routine of doing lunges with various weights of kitty litter, and also his defensive sleeping routine of wearing a hat and denim. His musings on ways to find "Mrs. Cat Guy" were also very funny. You don't have to be a "crazy cat lady" or a "crazy cat guy" to enjoy this book. If you live life with a cat or cats you probably will be able to identify with some of his adventures and some of the cat antics in his "12 Commandments of Cathood". Throughout the book the author's love and compassion for the animals shines through. A great book!

This is a heartwarming collection of cat rescues and the havoc they cause in the lives of a Mother and Son (grown) duo over the years. Easy to read. Lots of chuckles and feel goods at the happy endings for the kitties Mr. Underwood takes under his wing. I liked that I could pick the book up and put it down and read in between appointments, flights and at the local café. If you love cats, you'll love this book. If you don't, you'll be glad Mr. Underwood is there to take them off your hands.

This is a bittersweet story of a man who dedicates his life to care for felines in need. If you are an animal lover, you will finish this book thinking of this man as a hero for animals, especially cats. His mom was known as the crazy cat lady b/c of her care & devotion to taking in every stray that showed up needing love & compassion. Obviously that trait was handed down to her son. You will get to experience the ups & downs of trying to keep up with the many cats & assorted other critters that he & his mom take in over the years. I found it an inspiring read to know that there are still some good folks out there who do more than talk when it comes to caring for homeless animals.

I guess we all like to find someone out there who is crazier than we are. With 14 cats in my home and 17 more I help care for in a feral colony, I knew I was nuts. But Charles Underwood gives me hope that I'm not the one fartherest from dead center. I note he is a fellow Virginian. Have you also noticed how many cat mysteries are set in Virginia? Is it the water? The climate? Do we have superior cats? I like to think we Virgbinians are simply more caring of cats and animals in general. Whatever. For cat lovers who may doubt our sanity from time to time, Mr. Underwood tells us all a lot about what makes us tick and lets us know why we should never apologize for our relationship with cats. This is an enjoyable and very revealing book for any "cat person."

First, my kudos to Underwood and his parents for taking on the often thankless job of caring for stray and deserted cats. It's definitely a job, but the payback from knowing that you've not only saved a life (or several), but given them much deserved love and a taste of what all cats ideally should have. As the willing slave to multiple cats (but nowhere near the numbers involved in this story) I can appreciate all the ups and downs involved in caring so much. Heck, if I wasn't happily married and on the opposite coast, I'd be willing to apply as partner to such a loving, caring person - no matter how many litter boxes are involved! :)

I purchased this book shortly after my nineteen year-old cat Henry died. I wanted to read other people's experience's with their cats. I have never read anything like this before. I kept trying to imagine how this all worked even though the author does a very good job explaining it. I enjoyed how he describes himself throughout the book, although I began to root for a crazy cat lady to appear somewhere. He and his mother obviously do a job no one else wants to do. Take mostly feral cats and love them till the end of their days, I wanted to send a check when I was done reading!

At first I thought the book was going to have a lot of unnecessary detail but as I continued to read realized that without the background it would not have been nearly as entertaining. Charles Underwood and his mother are very remarkable people in their rescuing of cats and in the care of them. I rescue and have a multi cat family so it gave me some ideas on things I can do so it was not only entertaining but informative and educational. I think he is a good writer and look forward to reading some of his other books. I think this is a must read for those who have multi-cat families especially those involved in rescuing them.

I must give this 5 stars although i havent finished the book yet,as I too feed the strays and ferals in my neighbourhood, although not on the scale that Charles does, everything in that book is true , it was like reading about my own experiences, i was laughing out loud at some bits, although helping ferals and strays does have its sad side, you have to look at the funny side of it all too to keep going.Charles's mum is a legend, sitting out in the rain in her dressing gown comforting these wee souls, well she's an angel.