The Cats On My Block

by Valerie Sicignano, Jane Sayre Denny (Illustrator)

The Cats On My Block, is a delightful new children’s book written by animal welfare veteran Valerie Sicignano and illustrated by Jayne Sayre Denny, teaches children about feral and stray cats, often referred to as “community cats”. Through conversation among the story’s characters, readers of all ages gain insight into a basic misconception about feral cats. When Luke asks Willow if the cats are homeless, she replies, “No, the outdoors is their home.” The book features an introduction to the cats on Willow’s block with illustrations, names, and descriptions, allowing young readers to get to know them as more than nameless strangers. Willow introduces Luke to a neighbor, Keith, who cares for the cats through daily feeding and monitoring, and by providing shelters to offer protection against the elements. Keith explains how he carries out “trap-neuter-return” (TNR) in the neighborhood to have the cats spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and left-eartipped to identify them as having been “fixed,” and then returns them to their outdoor home. A glossary of feral catology offers readers a vocabulary to broaden their understanding of the cats. The Cats On My Block is published by The Humane Society of New York (HSNY), and all profits from the sale of the book will be donated to fund HSNY’s Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Program.

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2014

Reviews

[MaryEllen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book about the plight and care of feral cats.