I worked at a local cat rescue for about six months. I wanted a volunteer job, and this cute spot called Community Cats was right around the corner from me, so I signed up. My limited schedule meant I could only take a mid-Sunday shift, which meant less quality cat time and more laundry and mopping. Still, it was nice to give back to my favorite felines and get to know the quirky ladies who cared for them. As time went on, I realized I might be best suited where I was at rather than the more hands-on work. My heart couldn’t take a cat’s terrified face, a cloth over a cage for the grievously injured, and the endless parade of abandoned or feral kitties that came and went. I stressed about their welfare and averted my eyes from the injuries (and judged a lot of the names people gave them – Fluffy and Patches are the Emma and Olivia of the cat world). I was raising two senior cats of my own at the time, who despite their active and social nature, came with a myriad of conditions – asthma, diabetes, a tumor, thyroid issues. I kinda figured I was tough enough for the work. But it wore on me.
I probably wouldn’t have picked up Poets Square if I hadn’t been such an avid follower of its author Courtney Gustafson, and her work as a full-time cat rescuer and feral cat caretaker. While I’ve never been a person who had to check the “did the dog die” website, my heart grows softer with every passing year, especially when it comes to true animal stories. I’ve followed @Poetssquarecats on TikTok from her early days, as she became popular not long before I did on the same platform. I’ve felt personally vested in my fellow TikTokkers’ literary careers since launching my own, so I was very excited at the announcement of Courtney’s book. Sensitive heart be damned! I bought and read it. It’s great!
The book lives up to its subtitle, “a memoir in thirty cats.” Courtney recounts her career, which began when she and her partner moved into a Tucson apartment, not realizing it came with a colony of thirty feral kitties. Over the years, Courtney became their primary caretaker, learning how to be a cat rescuer from practice, eventually connecting with other area volunteers. Eventually, she was laid off from her day job at a local food shelter, and luckily, the small Instagram account she’d started for the stray kitties she loved had grown into a budding career. She gave over her life to it, and in her short and sweet memoir, compares what she’s learned from the cats with the life she’s lived. She shares how hunger affects cats and people in similar ways. She sees men refer to female strays with similar misogyny she herself experiences. She sees a lot of hurt, and a lot of death, and despite learning to cope, certain cats’ stories still affect her in unexpected ways. She wants better for the cats, and for us.
This is a quick but powerful book, perfect for James Herriot fans, cat ladies, and people who like unique memoirs. Gustafson had been a literary hopeful before her cat career, and it shows in her moving storytelling (both online an in print).
