I have mixed feelings about this book. While I am sure the author did love his six cats and I enjoyed reading about them, my own indoor only attitude contradicts the author's free roaming cat approach. I was upset by the injuries and ailments the cats incurred due to this free roaming lifestyle. ( )

I could identify with a lot of what's in this book. It's nice to know there are other people out there that relate to their cats (and cats in general) the same way I do. It's also always nice to see a man declaring himself to be a true cat person. A great book that sums up how special life is with a cat, or more than one cat. ( )

Now, it is no secret that I love cats. Lovelovelove cats. I always have. Cats have been my "thing" since I was a little kid, and if you spend more than half an hour with me, you will probably hear some adorable story about the amazing Fern and Loretta. Even with all that, though, I've never really gotten into people writing about cats. But this book is about as far from a traditional "cat book" as you can get. First of all, Tom Cox is a man. He's also a former music critic and a great writer. While the book follows the journey of him, his girlfriend, and their many cats, it also covers issues like: buying a first house, dealing with eccentric parents, London vs. the countryside, getting along with your neighbors, earning a living, real estate nightmares, and just keeping on keeping on. And it's great! Cox has a natural writing style and a keen sense of humor, particularly in cat-related anecdotes. If you like cats, are in your late 30s/early 40s, or just enjoy good writing, this is a good one to check out. Men who love cats should particularly pick this one up.

[full review here: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2016/05/under-paw-confessions-of-cat-man-by-tom.ht... ] ( )

What can I say about this one...? Well, if the title appeals to you, then the book probably will too, because it pretty much does what it says on the tin. In a nutshell, Cox discusses the perils of being one of the minority breed of Cat Men, and covers the span of his time as a cat lover, right from his earliest, little-mentioned childhood friends Puss and Felix. Most of the book, however, is dedicated to the cats gracing the prime of his life - beginning when he first meets Dee, his future wife and an unashamedly enthusiastic cat woman. And so The Bear comes into his life: a temperamental black cat who may or may not be concocting evil plots, and who has a liking for Indian food and defecating in Dee's dressing gown pocket. Add to that Janet, a huge black hairball with the IQ of a teaspoon and a startling talent for creative vomiting, and you have the start of something huge.

From there it's a rocky roller-coaster of cattishness. Into their newly-married life tumble three kittens: Brewer the adventurer, Ralph (previously Prudence - bit of a shock when that one came out) and Shipley (the Obnoxious Yappy Black Cat). Throw in a couple of house moves, a turtle, and a brief dalliance with a 'cat' the size of a puma, then add two more cats to the mix: Pablo (Overexcitable Retarded Ginger Cat, previously a feral tearaway) and Bootsy (Grey Dwarf Cat, finally a clever girl to keep Dee company!).

Throw in a dash of tragedy and a whole lot of humour, and there you have it. A book that made me giggle out loud and cry a little bit as well. I have to admit, it did get a bit MUCH at times, and I was ready for the end when it came, but if I started to drift off there was always another cracking 'my cat does that!' moment to chuckle over and jerk me back into the book. In between the (long) chapters there are little humorous interludes which also helped, from a dictionary of cattish terms (do you know what a mousetache is? No?) to a definitive guide to successfully feeding six demanding characters at the same time.

Would I read it again? Maybe, maybe not. Cox doesn't quite have that far-reaching humour that Deric Longden, for example, possesses in such wonderful quantities and which makes him so re-readable. I love cats, but I did feel that sometimes the book could have benefited from slightly less felines, slightly more rest of life, only with the spot-on humour staying intact instead of dying away on non-cat-related pages. Would I recommend it? Definitely... ( )

This is a very funny book that will have you laugh out loud from time to time.
It helps to be a cat lover, of course.
Tom Cox really is a very funny writer and I am glad I came across this book. ( )