The Good, the Bad, and the Furry: Life with the World's Most Melancholy Cat

By: Tom Cox
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Publication Date: April 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-06324-3
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: April 2, 2015

Anyone who has ever had a cat knows that they are a unique animal that add a whole other element of fun to your life. The quirky, crazy, and unexpected adventures that come with sharing a life with cats are never dull and in this book The Good, the Bad and the Furry by Tom Cox this relationship is presented in a wonderfully humorous way.

Having one cat in your house is exciting enough but for Tom Cox he just can’t say no and now has four cats who share his life. His most beloved cat is named The Bear, who seems to be the most distinguished of the group. Bear is always quietly observing the people around him as if making notes for the cat species to eventually take over the earth, or it seems that way to his human companion. Unfortunately, The Bear is forced to live with three other cats who do not share his same intellectual views and he seems to be disappointed every day by this. There is Ralph who enjoys waking everyone in the household up at all hours of the night with his terrible sounding meow that has never seemed to get any better, then Shipley who just seems happy to be here, and a new addition, Roscoe, who has a strange addiction to towels.

Needless to say, Tom’s life with his four cats is always interesting and his relationship with them is consistently intertwined with all of his other relationships. With the happiness that cats have brought him he is always on the lookout for a perfect cat for his parents to enjoy but many times a cat finds them before he can find the right one. Then every time he goes on a date there is usually the worry that this new woman in his life may not have the love for cats that he does. However, it all seems to work out well as his loyal companions never cease to supply him with writing material as he uses their crazy stories in his career as an author.

The undeniable humor in this book did have me laughing out loud with nearly every single page as Tom Cox has without a doubt captured the essence of a cat owner’s experience. For the last two years I have worked as a veterinary technician and have had the opportunity to work with so many cats and their personalities never cease to amaze me. So, it was easy for me to relate to some of Tom’s dilemmas and experiences as I have come face to face with some of them myself. Even though I did enjoy the writing in this book, there were times when I got lost as this book, while humorous, was at times a little difficult to follow.

Quill says: A book full of humorous, crazy, entertaining, and intriguing stories of a devoted cat lover that will have the reader smiling.