Casper the Commuting Cat: The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts

by Susan Finden

Casper became a national celebrity when newspapers ran the story of the amazing cat that regularly took the No. 3 bus on 11-mile journeys around his home town, Plymouth, in Devon. While his devoted owner, Susan Finden, had wondered where her elusive pet was disappearing to each day, Casper was brightening the lives of countless commuters as they went about their business. Bus drivers, too, were getting well-acquainted with Casper, and notices went up in their depot alerting staff that a very special passenger might board their vehicle. In fact, he became a mascot for the bus company, and pictures of him and Susan adorned No. 3 buses.

When Casper was sadly killed by a car in early 2010 messages of sympathy flooded in from places as far a field as Australia and Argentina. It quickly became clear that Casper and his remarkable story had touched the lives of so many people around the world.
Movingly told by the owner who loved him dearly, Casper the Commuting Cat is the touching story of a very special black-and-white cat who rode the bus and stole our hearts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Cats, Biography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Travel

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Kelly Mander · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of Casper is indeed very sweet, especially if you're a cat lover. But it's clear from the outset that Sue Finden is not a writer. She takes the reader round and round in circles trying to explain a point and much of the book seems like filler. Caspers part of the story could have been told in about 50 pages. However instead we have a book that is over 200 pages in very large font size. At one point we hear about the history of Plymouth and what it's like as a town. I'm not interested in Plymouth! I'm interested in the cat! In summary: nice story but needed to be a leaflet, not a book.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my "I can't believe we actually voted to leave the EU I need a book about a cat right now so help me god" read.
When you want to pretend that people in your country haven't made a stupid decision, reading a book about a cat that goes on bus rides is a pretty good way of escaping reality.
It's a bit twee in places. The chapters from the cat's POV were just a bit weird (and don't get me started on the cat heaven rainbow bridge stuff). But, overall, it's a book about a cat who goes on li'l adventures and that was just what I needed.
Plus, as well as there being several photos of Casper, there are also many photos of Sue Finden's other cats. So that's always great.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sou um coração mole que adora gatos! Tenho quase todos os livros publicados em Portugal sobre estes simpáticos animais que preenchem a vida de tantas pessoas.
À semelhança de outras histórias, descobrimos a vida de um gatinho muito peculiar que não só mudou a vida da sua família, mas também de uma cidade inteira, pois gostava de viajar de autocarro e passear por vários lugares onde normalmente não esperamos encontrar um gato.
Gostei muito de conhecer o Casper e os seus amigos e de mais uma vez confirmar que há pessoas muito sortudas por terem encontrado as suas almas gémeas felinas e por sua vez por estes felinos terem tido uma vida cheia de amor e felicidade com estas pessoas.

[Noctvrnal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll preface this by saying that at the time I'm writing this I have an elderly cat who's starting to face some health issues.
That being mentioned - Susan's story hit close to home and it hit hard. So hard in fact that for most of the book I was sobbing. Susan loved cats so much (as she herself passed in 2017) and Casper affected her life in so many ways that her devastation and grief over his death felt so close to my own heart too. I too worry about my cat, I too dread the day she leaves me.
But Susan wasn't just an owner to Casper, she had more cats, all that she took elderly or in need of extra care and loved them all deeply. So this book is not just about Casper, but also about all the companions that he had in Susan's home. And this book is a tribute to all of them.
But mainly this book is about our love for cats, because while this was an extremely difficult read for me - I learned something too. Because I was (and still am) so scared of my cat passing I had no idea how I will cope once the inevitable happens. Thanks to Susan though - I at least see the beginning of the path there. After all, as we are alive we always lose someone, or they lose us, but all we can do is to remember that we loved them and cherished them. And that's what matters, that we cherish the moments we spend together with our loved ones and that we are kind to them. In this case - our beloved cats that are part of our families and our hearts.
Thank you Susan and thank you Casper, even years down the road the story of both of you still teaches a random person (me) something profound.

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! I was glad to know poor Casper died before reading the whole thing, because nothing is worse than not knowing. I liked the author's writing style too, there was plenty of information about Plymouth and her other cats too. Of course there was plenty about Casper too. What a little character! A cat who caught the bus and regularly spent time in doctor's surgeries and chemists, just to be around people. A great example of cat memoir, I was glad to finally track down a copy!

[Floor tussendeboeken · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was like I was sitting next to Susan whilst she was telling her story about Casper and all those other cats. I liked it!

[Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had heard about this story and loved the book I got from the thrifstore. It took me a while to finish it because I forgot reading it. I still loved the story of Casper.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beautiful true story of Casper's journey on public transport made me laugh and cry!
It is a heartfelt tale of his life and the lives of those he touched. I particularly liked some of letters from those who felt a connection with Casper even after his passing.
If you love animals and have experienced a special bond with them, this is a wonderful story that is easily relatable.

[Barry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmm. I usually like these sorts of books. You know - the ones that tend to follow the Marley & Me formula of "my pet was something special and meant a lot to me and then it died." I like them because it tends to really express a deep fondness for the pet, recounting stories of the pets' adventures and escapades and having had pets who've died it simply resonates.

This book is padded out by brief history lessons, transcripts of fawning letters to the author and the odd chapter supposedly written by the cat.

A running thread through the book is the author being concerned that her cat keeps running across the road with no regard to its safety. I can't help but feel unsurprised when the cat gets run over. Another running thread is the author's tendency to move house regularly. Why she doesn't move away from a main road is baffling.

Also the (thankfully brief) mentions about pet heaven where they wait for their owners on a rainbow bridge is just weird.

[Blutriskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gatti sono spiriti liberi, è cosa risaputa. C'è chi riesce a trattenerli dentro casa e chi, pur di lasciare che vivano la loro vita da gatto accetta il rischio che la libertà comporta (come Susan e me). L'autrice ci racconta la storia di Casper, il gatto che viaggiava liberamente sugli autobus di Plymouth.
Gli amanti dei gatti adoreranno questo libro e lo leggeranno tutto di un fiato.
Un libro per ricordare con tenerezza ogni gatto della propria vita, un libro per superare il dolore della perdita che ci ha colpito, un libro per riconciliarci con il mondo dimostrandoci che esistono persone gentili nei confronti degli animali; un libro per sperare che questo possa avvenire anche in Italia e non solo in Inghilterra.
Una bella storia che raccomando a tutti gli ailurofili. E adesso, vado a guardare ilvideo di Casper ;)
http://video.repubblica.it/mondo/il-g...

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am I heartless if I criticise this? I hope not. This is a hugely enjoyable, touching story. I loved reading about Casper and his family, and, as a cat-lover, could relate to Casper's story. At one stage, I was in tears, or close to, before my own cat came over for a pat and cheered me up.

However, I had a few little niggles. I didn't feel the need for the chapters from Casper's point-of-view, because they often repeated what was said in the previous chapters and felt, to me, like they were trying too hard to be funny or cute. There are a lot of transcripts of articles, or transcripts of articles, about Casper, and at times it felt very unnecessary.

That said, it's still a book that made me laugh and cry and I would happily recommend to any cat lover. 3.5 stars.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

the story started in Weymouth, before moving down to Devon, and maybe it was because of the local links in the book (the bus company in Bournemouth is the same, for example) but i felt a real connection. it wasn't written by a professional author, but by a lady who cares for cats, rescues them, writes about their personalities and different characters, and the title cat is truly wonderful ... if you like cats, this book will def make you smile :)

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has had me in tears. I've had a lot of tuxedo cats over the years and they all have had big personalities. Casper is another tuxedo with a big personality.
His love of being on the buses is adorable. Pictures of Casper are on the bus, are included in the book.
My only complaint is that the author did have a habit of going off at a tangent.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penso non ci sia periodo migliore di quello natalizio per leggere una storia del genere, semplice ma che ti regala un sorriso e riesce a scaldarti il cuore, che tu sia un gattofilo o meno. Irresistibili i capitoli dal pov di Casper, non riuscivo a smettere di ridere!

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing story really enjoyed reading it i would've loved to have known Casper such a gorgeous natured cat, RIP Casper

[Annenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Casper is a wonderful little cat and this book made me both laugh and cry.

[Meghan Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet little story that had this cat lover crying her eyes out 😭

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione http://ilibrisonounantidotoallatriste...

Susan ha conosciuto e condiviso la sua vita con tantissimi felini, prendendosi cura di loro con incredibile amore. E' già l'orgogliosa 'mamma' di svariati gatti quando un giorno decide che è ora di ampliare le famiglia. Arrivano così a casa Tuppence e Casper, due inseparabili mici scelti tra i tanti di un rifugio. Non sapeva ancora che proprio Casper, un gattino come molti altri, senza pedigree e non più giovanissimo, avrebbe lasciato un segno indelebile nella sua vita e in quella di molti altri. Casper si dimostra fin da subito un gatto testardo, con un bel caratterino, un esploratore pieno di iniziativa, ma mai Susan si sarebbe aspettata di scoprire che il suo micio tutti i giorni prende l'autobus, sedendo educatamente su uno dei seggiolini per tutto il viaggio, fino a tornare al punto di partenza e trotterellare a casa come se nulla fosse. Fa compagnia a chi è solo, rallegra chi è triste, da a chi non ha nulla in comune un pretesto per avvicinarsi e distrae la gente dei cupi pensieri della vita quotidiana, anche solo per un attimo. In poco tempo la sua storia fa il giro del mondo. Tutti conoscono Casper

Oltre all'amore per i gatti io e Susan Finden abbiamo in comune un'altra cosa: l'ansia. Credo che gatti e ansia siano un pacchetto unico e indivisibile, ma mai in nessun libro avevo trovato sottolineato quest'aspetto tanto quanto lo sento io. Mentre i cani in linea di massima sono animali molto casalinghi che amano stare sempre appicciati al padrone (il mio ci segue ad ogni passo), i gatti sono animali indipendenti, che vogliono uscire all'avventura, correndo inevitabilmente un sacco di rischi e facendo preoccupare a morte le loro povere 'mamme' umane. L'autrice questo lo sa bene, visto che il suo gatto prende addirittura l'autobus e si fa dei viaggietti mica da poco, per questo mi sono sentita subito sulla sua stessa lunghezza d'onda e molto vicina a lei, perchè non solo ho capito l'amore che viene dall'avere un gatto, ma anche la paura, dato che le mie belle nottate/giornate in ansia le faccio regolarmente anche io, soprattutto quando i più avventurieri spariscono per giorni (sta succedendo anche ora mentre scrivo, che ansia!). In questo libro ho trovato situazioni a me molto familiari e sensazioni che conosco bene, che mi hanno fatto sentire meno 'pazza mamma apprensiva' (lo sono, lo so) e ho scoperto una storia davvero adorabile, che ha lasciato il segno in tantissimi cuori, vicini e lontani. Casper era un gatto avventuroso e sensibile, che amava molto la gente e la sua storia è diventata molto famosa, tanto che lui e la sua padrona sono perfino finiti sulla fiancata di un autobus. La sua mamma ha scritto per lui un libro davvero bello, dolce e commovente, dandogli anche voce, con capitoli intermediari narrati dal suo punto di vista, con i suoi consigli di vita, divertentissimi e molto saggi :P Una particolarità di questo libro che ho molto apprezzato è l'inserto fotografico al centro con tante foto di Casper e degli altri gatti di casa. Io quando vedo foto di gatti vado in brodo di giuggiole, che ci volete fare lol La cosa divertente è che ora più di prima mi chiedo dove vadano i miei gatti quando non sono qui e immagino per loro incredibili avventure, come quelle di Casper. Chi può mai sapere quale sia la vita segreta in un gatto!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Finden's cat Casper became famous world-wide when stories of his daily jaunts on the local bus were published in the media. In this book, Susan tells Casper's story, not just his travelling ways, but also his impact on her life and the lives of other people in the local community.

Casper was a rescue cat, Susan and her husband Chris had no idea where he came from. They knew that he was chipped and that the Cat Shelter owners were determined that he would never go back to his original home, but they did not know the details. Susan and Chris already had cats and offered Casper a loving home. Casper was never frightened of vehicles, or the road, or people and gave Susan many worrying hours when he would disappear for hours on end, only to return unharmed to devour some of his favourite turkey roll.

Susan began to suspect that Casper was a little bit different from other cats when she came across him curled up on a chair in the local doctor's waiting room. When, a few days later, she boarded the local bus only to find Casper already on board did she begin to learn the full story of just what Casper was getting up to. And so the story unfolds.

Susan writes this story with warmth, love and humour. It is clear that all of her cats, not just Casper are very dear to here. She tells how she has always kept cats, since she was a small child and how they have helped her through many events in her life. Susan also talks about other famous wandering cats in the world and some of these stories are pretty heartbreaking.

Dotted throughout the book are chapters narrated by Casper. These are great and I especially liked Casper's advice to other cats on how to get out of the house without their 'person' noticing. He advises that they should do this whilst their person is tending to their 'head fur' or 'drawing on their face'.

Any cat lover, indeed any animal lover or person with a heart will enjoy this gorgeous book, although have a full box of tissues to hand by the end.

Casper has lots of presence on YouTube, one example is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEv032...

He also has a Facebook Tribute page : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heartwarming and tearjerking tale of a fluffy black and white rescue cat called Casper and his many adventures after being given a forever home by the lovely Susan. He hit the headlines in the UK and across the world when it was found he was going for trips out on the bus, but his story starts long before then when Susan took him into her home to join the rest of her furry family. I'd liken this book to Dewey: The Library Cat because of the many lives Casper touched and the joy he brought to many people in the different places he lived. This book will make you smile and make you cry and if you own a cat or cats of your own will make you think twice about what they might be getting up to when they do a disappearing act. I loved it.

[Masha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It reminded me of my own dear cat that passed away some time ago and was also a personality. She'd been living with us for 17 years and used to be always around when I needed her. She was such a loving cat. I've also remembered her mom, that was one we'd picked from the street as a kitten. She had such a stong and independent character and often went out for several days. Once we've found her dead. There were no signes and we don't really know what had happened to her.
I remembered another my cat too, who was hit by a car like Casper from the book.
Whatever you story might be, you will revive it during the reading and will see what incredible creatures are cats. They are always with us to support us when we need it most.

[Lazy Cornish Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book that I have finally got round to reading.

I liked the chapters from Casper's point of view. They sum up perfectly what our furry friends must think of us!

I live near Plymouth so was rather intrigued when Casper made the headlines and although I sometimes got the First number 3 bus, I never got to meet him.

It was nice to read and learn more about Casper and I really felt for Sue when she wrote about the knock on the door that morning.

It was more sad than I was expecting. Not the best book to read in a public place!

Overall though, a sweet easy read although make sure you have a box of tissues handy. The tit-bits about Plymouth were a nice addition.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre of this book is non-fiction. This book is about her cat who has attracted worldwide medias attention when he became a regular bus commuter. I rated the book star because I love reading about cats and all types of animals but I feel that children love when I read them books about different types of animals and they are always interested in real life animals as well. The plot and the characters give this book life and it makes the reader more interested. If the book was just about a person commuting places it would not be that interesting to read.

[Noella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Casper is een kat die bijna elke dag met de bus van lijn 3 in Plymouth meereist, en daardoor wordt hij een beroemdheid.
Eigenlijk is er niet veel over te vertellen. Casper neemt de bus, gaat op een stoel liggen slapen, en stapt terug uit als hij bij de halte vlak bij zijn huis is. De buschauffeurs vinden dit leuk, en ook de passagiers. En dat is het dan. Er wordt niets verteld over avonturen van Casper, enkel de ongerustheid van zijn bazinnetje die niet weet waar hij uithangt, wordt nogal uitgesmeerd.
Eerlijk gezegd vond ik er niets aan.

[Kirstina Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful and heart-warming tale of Casper the cat who loved to travel daily on a bus in Plymouth, UK. Reading about his travels put a smile on my face, and although there were sad times in the book, primarily the loss of Casper, it gave me a deeper insight into the mind of a cat. Highly recommended read for any animal lover.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casper the commuting cat was a lovely book. I loved the way the author included a few chapters written by Casper. As a fellow cat lover I could imagine my cat, Zoey,thinking the same things as Casper. I can just imagine the joy that Casper bought to the other commuters, drivers and of course everyone who has got to know him through his "five minutes of fame." What a delight.

[Beachcomber]

Nice enough, but felt full of filler. Stories about other cats she and her husband had owned, how she came to have cats, lots of transcripts of letters received, chapters "from the cat", etc. A short tale padded into a longer one (still only maybe 230ish pages) - the publishers probably wanted to cash in on the whole "special pet" thing since Marley & Me.

[Riem · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I was expecting is not what I got. I suppose the story of a cat that rides the bus, politely queueing up with other travellers, is cutesy-pie, but how to cobble some ideas together into some sort of literature-now that is the thing.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching yet heart warming read, I had never heard of Casper's tales before but thanks to a friend who reviewed the book sometime ago I bought it and was not disappointed. Did make me think of our family pet Spot the cat I had as a teenager. Tissues at the ready if you are going to read this!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book! There are five (5) cats in our home and three (3) of them are rescue cats. I can relate to the joy and sadness that the author feels about her cats, and especially Casper. It is an honor when cats select us as their companions.