Seven Cats and the Art of Living

Jo Coudert did not start out with seven cats. She began with just one, Kate, a gorgeous tortoiseshell Persian who knew exactly who she was - the apple of her mistress's eye. But as Jo a New Yorker, began spending weekends, and eventually all her time, at GoWell, a small house in rural New Jersey, she began to acquire cats - or, more accurately, they acquired her: strays, waifs, orphaned kittens, homeless toms, and cats who came to dinner and never left. Seven Cats and the Art of Living tells about the cats - Kate, Poppy, Chester, Socksie, Trot, Bitty, and Sweet William - who shared GoWell with Jo and her dog Freebie. Their stories are instructive, quietly inspiring, written with simplicity, and a joy to read. From Poppy, whose early mistreatment gave her a mistrust of the world and all creatures in it, to abandoned Bitty, whose innate cheerfulness made every day an adventure and every human a friend, these are cats that will capture our hearts. But more important, through the lessons they teach about forming character, choosing attitudes, daring to love, taking risks, feeling fear or acting with courage, and living in the past or living in the moment, these are cats that can enrich our lives.

Jo Coudert didn't start out with seven cats. She began with just one, Kate, a gorgeous tortoiseshell Persian who knew exactly who she was - the apple of her mistress' eye. But as Jo, a New Yorker, began spending weekends and eventually all her time at GoWell, a small house in rural New Jersey, she began to acquire cats - or more accurately, they acquired her: strays, waifs, orphaned kittens, homeless toms, and cats who came to dinner and never left. Seven Cats and the Art of Living tells about the cats - Kate, Poppy, Chester, Socksie, Trot, Bitty and Sweet William - who share GoWell with Jo and her dog, Freebie. Their stories are instructive, quietly inspiring and written with simplicity. Through dramatic anecdotes, Coudert shares the moral lessons each cat taught her including knowing oneself, governing oneself, valuing oneself and interacting with others with warmth and friendliness.