Kitty Cornered

January 2, 2012
Journalist Tarte (Enslaved by Ducks) and his wife, Linda, already live with a menagerie of cats, rabbits, and birds. When new cat Frannie—a “wild child from the woods”—arrives, things are taken to a “whole new level of catdom.” Loosely arranged according to the chronology of Frannie’s entry into the family, the chapters in this loving but tedious book are essentially a series of vignettes about several of the household’s most prominent animals: Moobie, a sweet, aging cat who has a cancer scare; Lucy, a cat so grumpy that she “was a strong argument against ever taking in another living creature”; a group of unpleasant chickens; and an affectionate duck named Victor. The narrator is chatty and affable, up early in the morning to chop fruit for the birds, attentively holding one cat’s water bowl “like a sommelier with a dish for her to sample.” Nevertheless, the lack of tension causes the story to drag. Though the circumstances of this household are unique and offer opportunities for chagrin and slapstick, the book’s narrow scope will appeal only to the most devoted readers of pet narratives. Agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management.