I hate reviews that offer mashups to describe a book, but there is no better way to describe this book: A Street Cat Named Bob + Wild + 1/32 Walking to Listen.

This is a story of love, redemption and, ultimately, sacrifice. The author was a homeless alcoholic who rescues a cat in Portland. Though the two become well-known in their community, winter forces them to travel south. Along the way they'll take care of each other as they face perilous situations. The author even stops drinking as he strives to become a better caregiver. Readers are heartbroken to discover, during a visit to the vet, that the cat has a microchip and owners waiting for it back in Portland. Read the book to ind out what happened then.

This is a true story of a compelling heartwarming love between a man and a cat. Michael is a homeless man who is having a very difficult frightening life. One night he finds a stray cat who stays with him. The two travel together and build a special relationship that offers companionship to both of them. This will tear at your heart but also as a animal lover give great joy reading this. The book has all the right elements for every animal lover. its heartbreaking at times to read but it truly is a must read for each and every cat parent. I loved it and read it cover to cover. Thank you to the publisher for this ARC which did not influence my review. .i will be buying hardback copies for gifts .

TOTALLY ENJOYED THE JOURNEY!

Ok, I admit it, I'm a sucker for animal stories....especially those about cats! But what actually drew me to STRAYS (besides being non-fiction) was finding out how in the world a cat travelled across the country sitting atop the shoulder and/or backpack of a distraught homeless man who likes his drink.

With strangers about....while panhandling....with cars and semi's zooming by, Tabor the cat bears it all...and speaking of bears...yep! there's a couple close encounters, but no worries:

"The homeless had a code of ethics.....they always took care of their animals first."

I'm not saying there aren't a few scary moments here and there...like surviving a blizzard or the extreme heat; but animal lovers, do not shy away from STRAYS because there are two fully grown men here who would lay down their lives for one remarkable and unforgettable feline companion who brings hope and healing to lost and lonely souls.

While I commend Ron for taking in abandoned cats, feeding them, loving them, and caring for them medically, allowing them to roam free outdoors is cause for concern as he learned the hard way.....twice.

PLEASE......"RESCUE AN ANIMAL....DON'T BUY."

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Michael King finds a starving cat on the streets of Portland. Michael left his home years before, after the death of his partner, and had been on the streets ever since. He knew that his life was less than optimal for taking care of another living being, but he can't leave the small cat behind. He nurses the cat back to health, and they soon embark for a hitchhiking journey across the West Coast. Michael has someone to live for again, and his cat makes the world both beautiful and scarier.

In the meantime, Ron Buss is terrified that his racist, homophobic drug dealing neighbor has done something to his cat. He spends the next handful of months calling shelters, consulting with pet psychics, and spiraling deeper and deeper into depression.

In this feel-good book about tough subjects (homelessness, alcoholism, depression, mental illness), there can only be a bittersweet ending when one mischievous cat captures the hearts of two very different men. I kind of wished for that truly happy ending, but I was glad that this nonfiction book remained realistic. Cats are wonderful pets and a great comfort, but they aren't magical band-aids for the issues mentioned above.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Strays is an American version of a Cat Named Bob. Mata Hairi is a well loved cat but somehow ends up on the streets of Portland in the pouring rain. She stumbles across a homeless alcholic named Michael and he becomes her rescuer at the same time she rescues him. I wish I could say by the end MIchael's life had been made right like James Bowen but this story has a much more ambiguous ending. MIchael is still living on the streets and drinking. But the ten months the two spent together has changed him for the better. He has had to take care of someone to keep her safe on their sometimes harrowing road trip.
The two are such a team that when he visits his step-father and after taking the cat to the vet, learns she has a microchip and someone who has been missing her terribly back in Portland, he is crushed.
As a reader, one hopes that somehow the two "daddies" can find a way to share her. In fiction, it would have worked out. But this is real life and sometimes real life hurts. MIchael does the noble thing and returns her to Ron, her owner. Initially he spirals out of control after saying goodbye but starts to heal by helping streetkids. While he is still bereft at losing Tabor, as he calls Mata Hairi, their time together has a lasting.impact and a positive one at that.
Tabor/Mata Hairi and MIchael became celebrities when their story was told. That is how the author became involved. Their story is told with compassion and love- as is fitting a relationship that was filled with compassion and love.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

I love reading stories about animals so that's why this one caught my eye ... I couldn't resist the picture of the kitty on the cover!

Mata and Creto were kitty siblings living with their owner, Ron, in Portland. Mata disappeared one day and Ron and Creto were devastated when she didn't return. Creto became depressed and Ron never gave up hope that Mata would come back home.

Michael was homeless and an alcoholic and running from his past. When he found a hurt starving cat, he took care of her but hoped she would find her way home and posted finding her in various online sites. But she never left and no one claimed her so Michael kept taking care of her and named her Tabor. Michael's friends came to love her and she became part of their circle.

When winter came, it was time to head south to warmer temperatures so Michael and Tabor hitchhiked to California and then to Montana to visit with Michael's foster father, Walt. At Walt's suggestion, Michael took Tabor to see a vet to get checked out and it was there that they found she had a chip and an owner back in Portland. Michael was heartbroken but knew the right thing to do is to return the cat back to her rightful owner. They spent their last time together hitchhiking back to Portland.

Though this is a true story, I hadn't heard about it before I read the book. The author had read about it as it was happening and then contacted Michael, Ron and others to write the book and tell the story. I liked this book. Not only because it was about a kitty but it also gave me some insights into what it's like being homeless.

I found Michael and Tabor's story more interesting and compelling than Ron's. Michael had his demons and taking care of Tabor gave him someone/thing else to think about. Mata had gotten lost in the past so I didn't understand why Ron allowed her to roam freely around again. He should have never let her outside again without being on a leash or supervised (same goes for his other cats). While I applaud Ron for being caring and taking in homeless kitties, I think he needs to be more responsible and realistic about the ones he has. Despite being homeless, I think Michael took better care of her.