Lucy Hoile on celebrating cats, seeing them as part of the family, and the role of to-do lists in the writing process.
By Zazie Todd PhD
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In the book your cat wishes you would read, Lucy Hoile teaches us where cats came from, how to choose a kitten or cat, and what they need in order to be happy in our homes. From what you should know about interactions with children and dogs to finding a pet sitter, your cat will be very glad you read this book. This easy-to-read guide is full of useful tips and fun stories that will help you to better understand your cat.
You can hear Lucy Hoile talk about the book at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers. She’s on a panel called Caring for Cats with Lili Chin, Mikel Delgado PhD, and Lucy Hoile.
The Book Your Cat Wishes You Would Read is available from all good bookstores, including via Bookshop (and Bookshop UK) which support independent bookstores, as well as my Amazon store. It is already out in the UK, and will be published in North American on October 1st.
Below, Lucy Hoile answers my questions about the book.
Why did you write this book?
The publisher approached me after the success of the The Book Your Dog Wishes You Would Read written by Louise Glazebrook. I was so thrilled to be asked and was excited for an opportunity to pour out anything and everything about cats in one place. It was fun to include stories, both personal and professional about the cats I have lived and worked with along the way.
What are the main themes of your book?
It’s a celebration of cats! It starts with understanding the cat as an entire species – how they were domesticated and how this has shaped their behaviour and what they need from us. Another big theme is then what shapes the individual cat – how they were socialised, what their personality is like and how we need to adapt our homes and how we interact with them to meet their individual needs. Lastly the book provides advice on specific situations such as taking your cat to the vet, managing multi cat households and life with both cats and dogs. It’s all encompassing!
What surprised you while you were writing the book?
What did surprise me was how much there was to say! This is my first book and at first I did wonder if I could fill an entire book, but very quickly I was WAY over the word count and having to find bits to cut! I also loved writing it way more than I thought I would. It was a really fun experience.
Tell me something about your writing process and how it shaped this book.
I am sure I live my entire life through to-do lists and bullet points! And writing was just the same. I bullet pointed the main themes, the chapters, the sections within them and finally the content. Once I had that clear in my head, it was just a case of writing around them and making them read well.
Who will especially enjoy this book?
It’s for anyone who is looking to understand the world from their cat’s point of view and create a home that works for you both. It’s for people that want to understand what makes them do the funny things they do, empathise with them when they’re not happy and that see their cat as part of the family, rather than just an animal living in their house.
What are you working on right now?
I am busy working with difficult cats and creating as much content on cat behaviour as I can manage! When I’m not working, my young family keep me even busier and of course I love hanging out with my two cats, Fig and Sparx.
“It’s for anyone who is looking to understand the world from their cat’s point of view and create a home that works for you both.”
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