Library Cats Hit the Big Time?

Some years ago, at Best Video in Hamden Connecticut, the Most Ethical Man in the World and I stumbled on a video called Puss in Books. It was about cats who live in libraries. We could not resist renting this, and we did rent it, and we watched it I think five times before returning it. We showed it to cat-owning friends. We told everyone we knew about it. We considered buying a copy from the guy who put it together, at Iron Frog Productions, though we never did. From time to time, we talk about Puss in Books. Not every day or anything, but let’s just say that it’s never left our minds fully.

Reading this morning’s New York Times, I saw an article about Dewey, a library cat in Iowa. Apparently the head librarian in this Iowa library, Vicki Myron, and Bret Witter (identified as a former editorial director at Health Communications, the outfit that put together all those painful Chicken Soup for the [fill-in-the-blank] books), have sold a book they’re going to write about Dewey. Normally I don’t think I’d give a crap about something like this. I sold dozens of copies of that Marley and Me book back in the day but I’ll be honest: I never thought to read the book myself, not seriously. At least, I never considered buying it. Even with my employee discount. (Though maybe I’ll look for it at the library today.) But a book about a library cat, I might have to look into.

The Times article notes that Dewey was one of the featured stars in Puss in Books. I have to wonder how many people have ever seen this documentary. I don’t know what kind of distribution the video had – and it was, last I heard, only available on VHS, not on DVD – but surely Ethical Man and I are among an elite group of people who’ve seen this thing. Which means that most of you have missed the joy of seeing images of the wondrous Scottish Fold cats, Baker and Taylor, who resemble nothing so much as furry footballs. And you’ve missed seeing a bunch of elementary school kids “singing” their tribute to Baker and Taylor at deafening volume. (Why is it that when kids sing, it means they yell? What’s up with that?) I highly recommend this doofy documentary, if you can get your hands on a copy…the book about Dewey, I’ll wait and see…