No Cats Allowed

Mister Got to Go #1

by Lois Simmie, Cynthia Nugent (Illustrator)

The hotel manager tells the cat that he must leave the hotel lobby once the rain stops, but the cat has other plans as he puts on the charm for the guests and staff in an attempt to remain in his new and comfortable environment.

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Canada, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 1995

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about a month ago in preparation for our stay at the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver, BC. I wanted to hold off on writing my review until I visited the actual hotel so I could see how well the book represented things. I must say that my initial impression of an absolutely charming and heartwarming story were only confirmed when I walked into the hotel lobby. The book does a wonderful job of portraying the hotel and surrounding area--even though the style of illustrations are not exactly my cup of tea sometimes, I do appreciate them for the added humor they infuse into the story. For indeed, when the sweet stray gray cat first comes into the warm lobby of the Sylvia Hotel, the manager decides the cat can stay through the rainstorm--but after that, the cat has GOT TO GO! Well, as you may well know, it rains quite a bit in Vancouver. Yet time does nothing to dampen the love that the hotel staff (and guests) begin to feel for the hotel's newest resident. And the manager, despite arming himself for the offense, cannot help but be won over himself. I had to laugh, and even get a bit misty-eyed, as something similar happened with my mom and the stray cat that adopted us some twenty years ago. At first, the cat just had to go--but soon enough, she was sleeping on my sisters bed ;-> Never underestimate the purr of a cat!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I couldn't stop the tears at the end (happy tears though). What a sweet, true, story of a stray cat who decides one rainy night, to take up residence in a Canadian hotel. Of course, Mr. Foster decideds that the cat can come in out of the rain, but that once it stops raining, the cat's Got To Go. Well, of course, the cat knows that he's found his permenant home, and just smiles inside despite Mr. Foster's words. And, it's pretty clear from the start, that the cat would be right.

This is such a nice, heartwarming tale, with wonderful illustrations and text. Both illustrator and author have a fantastic way of capturing the cat's thoughts and emotions.

Not only is this a true story, but one that I can relate to quite well, as we had a similar (though not exactly the same) situation with my mom when we first invited cats into our homes... over twenty years ago :-)

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adorable and heartwarming (mostly true) story, and I’d have given it 5 stars except for: 1. just a tad too much assuming exactly and in detail what the cat is saying and 2. oh, the poor dog, sort of. I’d now love to go to the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver; I love resident cats, and dogs too, at hotels & inns. This is a wonderful story about a real hotel cat. I love that the formerly stray cat is let in out of the rain, that it rains so often in Vancouver, and especially like the last line. that the cat is continually told he has to go when the rain stops, eventually sometimes when the sun is out This cat is very endearing and wily and cute, and irresistible, and I had to smile on many of the pages’ contents, and came close to a couple of laugh out loud chuckles.

The watercolor illustrations are gorgeous and wonderfully complement the story.

Much thanks to Abigail who alerted me that this book is identical, with just a title change from Canada’s Mister Got to Go: The Cat That Wouldn’t Leave, a book I couldn’t get. This U.S. edition, I was able to borrow from my library’s LINK+ sister library system, and I’m so grateful I got the chance to read it.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in Canada as Mister Got to Go: The Cat That Wouldn't Leave, this adorable picture-book features one of the most winsome feline heroes it has been my pleasure to meet in some time! When Mr. Foster, the somewhat gruff manager of the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver, discovers a wet cat on his windowsill, he lets the poor creature in, but insists that, when the weather clears up, he's got to go. Mister Got to Go knows better of course - he's decided he's had enough of being a stray - and so do the staff. It just takes Mr. Foster a while to discover that this new resident is here to stay...

Apparently based upon a true story - the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver does indeed have a resident cat! - No Cats Allowed reminded me of other tales of hotel animals, from Catie Copley to John Philip Duck . As a confirmed cat-lover, I knew which way the wind was blowing, and was just waiting to see how our feline hero managed to get his way. The delightful story is accompanied by appealing watercolor artwork that accentuates the fun and humor of various scenes - the battle between Mr. Got to Go and the racoon! Haha! - making this an all around winner!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately charmed by this 1995 tale set at the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver's West End. On a rainy night a stray cat is admitted by a manager whose heart is softer than his countenance, and the cat immediately decides that hotel living is for him.

The watercolor illustrations by Cynthia Nugent are richly evocative of Vancouver and of the Sylvia, and show a tremendous eye for authentic detail (check out the stained-glass windows over the entrance!).

A winner.

[Pauline Van]

The 'Mister Got to Go' books gave my mother hours of calm and delight as she battled the end stages of alzheimers. When I read to her, other alzheimer residents would sit on the chairs outside the door to her room to listen. My mother would take the book from me and read words she recognized, filling in gaps with her own words. I would love people to know that these beautiful books are not only for children. They did not demean my mother as you might expect a children's book to do, nor did they upset her with sadness or violence, instead the stories of an animal she loved relaxed her ever troubled mind that struggled with confusion. One night when the nurse forgot to give her a medication, my mother read the story to me in a way that told me she understood far more than I realized.

Thank you so much for these wonderful books. I encourage volunteers to read them to those forgotten souls whose tears of loneliness and abandonment haunt me.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a stray gray cat who's determined to live in the Sylvia Hotel, despite the fact that cats aren't allowed. No matter how many times he's put out, he always finds a way back in, charming people along the way. I loved the picture of Mr. Foster trying to put the cat out while the cat is clinging to the doorpost for all he's worth. Now, I knew this cat was going to get his way somehow, and he does. Typical cat! The story is based on a real cat who lives at a hotel near the author. Nice story!

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming children’s book about a cat named “Got To Go” that used to live at the Sylvia Hotel. This book and the other two in the series are ideal for children and parents who live in Vancouver or the West End. It’s also a great book for cat lovers. The illustrations are detailed and the story is heart warming. I love the Sylvia Hotel and restaurant and purchasing this book was a must. The story is a longer one, so parents should keep that in mind if they’re wanting a short bedtime read.

[Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo good!!!
I requested both "Mister Got To Go: The Cat That Wouldn't Leave" AND "Mister Got To Go and Arnie". Loved the stories and loved the illustrations.
Friends and I spend time at The Sylvia..and these children stories took me right into the hotel..sitting and looking out the windows to the bay..ahhhhhhh....

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this wonderful book at a Used Book shop in Vancouver, Canada. It is based on a true story about the Sylvia Hotel in that city. I still remember my daughter and best friend sitting patiently outside of the bookshop while I indulged!

[zunggg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you live in, or stayed in, Vancouver, you'll sympathise with the cat who came in from the rain. Stylish art and a yarny tale make this a great book for a rainy evening, i.e. any evening in the city where it's set.

[Mikaela Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I cry?

Would I have brought it up if I hadn't?

[Jere. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qué bonito.

[Valeria☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute history<3

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book. Can't wait to read the others in this series.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A favorite childhood book.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a stray cat, who decides he does not want to be a stray anymore, "No Cats Allowed" is a sweetly told tale of adopting an animal...somewhat against one's will. The manager of a hotel lets the cat inside one rainy night, and after a series of adventures where the cat proves himself to be particularly useful in his new home, the manager begrudgingly accepts that he (and the hotel) have been adopted by a cat.

[Javier Galíndez · Rating 4 out of 5]

En una noche lluviosa un gato se cansa de ser callejero, y decide acercarse a una ventana de un lindo hotel. El gerente del hotel lo deja entrar con la condición de que cuando dejara de llover, se tendría que marchar. Aunque el cariño que se puede ganar una mascota, será el enemigo del gerente, de la recepcionista, del chef, del botones y de los que lleguen a hospedarse en el hotel.

Una historia con hermosas ilustraciones.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stray cat decides he has found his home in a Vancouver hotel one rainy night, but the manager says he has got to go when the rain stops. Will the cat be doomed to the stray life forever?

I love books where cats seem to adopt buildings for their homes. They really do have minds of their own.

[Maddy Lederman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming story in a charming hotel! Anyone who has visited Vancouver and The Sylvia will be especially enchanted.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a cat that comes to live in our favorite Vancouver hotel, the Sylvia Hotel. 3.5 stars.

[Scupper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet book that my daughter and I read. Here in the drought-ravaged West, we would welcome all that rain but cats everywhere appreciate an open window.

[Lorraine Setter]

What a cute little story about a stray cat that loved the Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver...almost as much as I do!!

[Janderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites, but too long for story time.