Nine 1/2 Lives: Heartwarming Tales of Life with Senior Cats
True stories collected by The Tuxedo Party of Canada
I’m definitely a cat person. I like dogs, but cats resonate more with me and suit my introverted personality more so than a dog. Owning a dog is like having a child: they always need something, it seems. Cats let you be yourself while they be themselves. It’s a darn good arrangement!
My Cat Story
A number of years before I came along, my two sisters were given a kitten when they were young and home sick from school. “Missy” was a female tabby that lived for about 20 years, so she was a household member ever since mother brought me home from the hospital in 1961. Sadly, Missy had to be euthanized some two decades later, after I had left home, a piece of my childhood gone forever.
In our married life, Diane and I had “Sabby” whom we adopted from a family that had an asthmatic child and hence was told to get rid of the cat(!), so we took her in. She was fairly old at the time, an indoor cat as well, which was fine since we were apartment dwellers then. When we moved out of Toronto, we left her with her long-time cat-sitters, who cared for her in her most senior years.
Fast-forward to 2008 when we moved to New Brunswick, along with Ginger, our Dachshund. We were cat-less for a number of years until Diane encountered a stray that appeared to be without a home, and none of the local Facebook groups were looking for this particular Tabby. So, Diane brought him home, called him Oliver (or Ollie), and we now had a cat in the house.
Later, a kitten called KC came into our life after Ollie went out one night (as was his routine) and never came back. Predators abound here in semi-rural Miramichi. Sadly, a couple of years later, KC would come to the same eventuality.
We now have Eddie (who appeared to have been abandoned) who is a happy indoor cat, and who makes a regular “Caturday” appearance on my Facebook page. We estimate that he’s only about 5 years old, far from being a senior.
The Book
Which brings me to Nine ½ Lives: Heartwarming Tales of Life With Senior Cats, a collection of true stories collected by the Tuxedo Party of Canada. Proceeds from the sale of this book goes to Spay Day HRM (Facebook page here), a cat welfare registered charity based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It first came to my attention via the Facebook pages of author Ian Colford and his wife, Colette Saunders, both of whom have stories in this volume.
“...a home without a cat lacks warmth and a truly lived-in feel, I’ve carried that with me to this day.” – Ian Colford
There are 24 stories in all (one is in French and English) and there is an introduction by Hugh Chisholm DVM (Retired) the President of The Tuxedo Party of Canada Cat Welfare Society, as well as notes from Joe Pops (Popovich), the editor of this book.
As the subtitle mentions, these are stories about senior cats, some of whom are still with us, living their best lives while others are fond memories of days gone by. The captivating cover image is that of “Queen Thelma” who recently passed away and who tells her story (through her human) in “The Boss” the first entry in this collection.
There are many heartwarming (and a few tear-shedding) stories of cat owners caring for their senior cats through vet visits, insulin injections, tooth extractions, even one instance of an owner feeding her cat through a feeding tube in its final years. There are strays and ferals who are adopted into their forever home, and some, like Ian Colford’s family cat, go missing and yet find their way back. And there are strays who seem to “find" the right human to adoot them.
All the stories are accompanied by a colour or black and white photo of the cat (and maybe a human or two).
The book’s purpose can be best summed up in Misou’s story in “Meow to All!” (Miaou à Tous!):
A cat, like any other animal, is not a gift to be given on a whim. Too often, animals are treated as consumer goods. A cat is a living, sentient being - a responsibility for many years (food, well-being, veterinary costs, care during holidays, and so on). There are plenty of cats like me out there. Do not hesitate to open your heart and your home to a cat in distress, in poor condition, elderly or ill –trust me, they will repay you a hundredfold, filling your life with happiness every day. Age is just a number, and as you will have seen, even older cats still have plenty of life in them! (page 201)
Please consider purchasing this book for the cat lover in your life. They are sure to enjoy it, and proceeds from sales go to a worthy cat cause.
For those outside the Halifax area, the book is available for online ordering through Amazon, Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo.
Official book trailer: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1694971251613652
About the Author
Tuxedo Party of Canada Cat Welfare Society
In June 2012, at a breakfast meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a cat advocacy and fundraising group was formed. Because our local government was ignoring our increasing homeless cat problem, we decided to bring attention to the problem by running a cat in the upcoming mayoral race.
We picked a tuxedo cat named Stan to be our candidate. The campaign focused on raising awareness of the issue of homeless cats. Our success surprised everyone. The campaign became an international news story.
We guessed that if we could run a cat for mayor then we could publish a book. Nine ½ Lives has two purposes, to advocate for adopting homeless senior cats and to raise funds for cat rescue.
About the Reviewer
James M. Fisher is the Editor-in-Chief of The Seaboard Review of Books and the founding editor of The Miramichi Reader. He resides in Miramichi, New Brunswick, with his wife, Diane, their tabby cat, Eddie, and Buster, their Border Collie. Although retired, James still works as a “casual” MRI technologist at the Miramichi Hospital.
Book Details
Publisher : Joe Popovitch
Publication date : July 13 2026
Language : English
Print length : 241 pages
ISBN-10 : 1069083429
ISBN-13 : 978-1069083425