Cat Tales The Meaning of Cats in Women's Lives

by Fook, Jan; Hawthorne, Susan; Klein, Renate

• ISBN13: 9781876756376
• ISBN10: 1876756373
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-01
• Publisher: Spinifex Press

Summary

This celebration of the enduring relationship between a woman and her feline includes more than 80 stories, poems, and reflections by women from around the world. Writings from such American authors as Marge Piercy, Dahlia Levy, and Terry Wolverton shed light on the historical tradition of the cat goddess as well as real-life encounters with heroic and troublesome cats. A cat who walked through plaster on shore clomps on board a sailing ship for three weeks; a cat who protected a family travels 100 miles to find her owners; and the cats who survive 9/11 are among the felines profiled in this amusing and enjoyable collection.

Author Biography

Jan Fook is a professor of social work at La Trobe University–Bendigo and the author of Breakthroughs in Practice, The Reflective Researcher, and Transforming Social Work Practice. Susan Hawthorne is the coauthor of After Shock: September 11, 2001 and Wild Politics and the author of Bird, The Falling Woman, and The Spinifex Quiz Book. She is a research associate at Victoria University–Melbourne. Renate Klein is an associate professor of women's studies at Deakin University–Melbourne. She is the coauthor of Radically Speaking and Theories of Women's Studies and author of CyberFeminism, Infertility, Man-Made Women, Radical Voices, and Test Tube Women. Jan Fook and Renate Klein are also the editors of A Girl's Best Friend.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Preface	viii
Section One CATachievers	1	(30)
Mrs Black: A True Cat Story	2	(4)
Lin Van Hek
Window Cats	6	(2)
Diane Fahey
Climbing Roofs	8	(2)
Lorraine Williams
Burmese Days	10	(2)
Suzanne Bellamy
The Mother Cats	12	(4)
Melinda Tankard Reist
Castaway	16	(2)
June Kant
Daffodil Goes to the Gym	18	(2)
Annabel Fagan
Two and Two	20	(2)
Helen Litchfield
Pele Aloha	22	(2)
Cathie Dunsford
Tiki: The Tale of a Truly Amazing Cat	24	(2)
Caroline Taylor
Hecate the Horrible: The Thirteenth Cat	26	(5)
Beryl Fletcher
Section Two CATalogues	31	(36)
Thelma's Cats	32	(4)
Thelma Solomon
Losing Familiars	36	(2)
Susan Wiseheart
Eccentrics	38	(2)
Bronwyn Whitlocke
Enlightment from a Cat Born at the Lighthouse	40	(4)
Caz Brown
In the Year of the Cat	44	(4)
Susan Hawthorne
Feline Friends	48	(2)
Kate Munro
Christie Our Black (and White) Cat	50	(4)
Emma Inturatana Rice
Pranee Liamputtong
Cats in Drag and Other Felines	54	(4)
Bronwyn Winter
My Life, My Love, My Art, My Cats	58	(2)
Cheryl Osborne
The Family Kittens and Cats	60	(2)
Alexandra Rees
From Eric	62	(5)
Barbara Becker
Jan Weate
Sal Hampson
Section Three CATastrophes	67	(40)
The Life of Brian and Badger	68	(4)
Sandy Jeffs
Ralphie Boy	72	(2)
Jan Thorburn
Angel, Maybe	74	(2)
Heather McPherson
A Cat's Best Friend	76	(2)
Dahlia Levy
Gestures	78	(2)
Beth Burrows
k.d.---The Cat Who Knew Her Place	80	(4)
Margaret Young
Yoshi	84	(2)
Janine Le Couteur
Cat Burglar	86	(4)
Jill Wilson
The Feral Cats	90	(2)
Coral Hull
The End of the Cat Door	92	(4)
Dawn Osborne
Attacked Cat---9/11/01	96	(2)
Ellen Redding Kaler
And So Do Cats	98	(4)
Lyn McConchie
Fussl: A Very Special Cat	102	(2)
Sandra Schurle
Paris...	104	(3)
Sheryl Topperwien
Section Four CATalysts	107	(52)
Gryphon	108	(2)
Evelyn Moseley
The Boys	110	(4)
Lesley Higgs
Jenny Kelly
Cats Leaving Paw Prints on My Heart	114	(4)
Liselotte Lassig
Giving Life Purr-Puss	118	(2)
Marilyn Mitchell
Allergy	120	(2)
Claire Pickard
Orange Biscuit	122	(4)
Conchita Fonseca
Little Cat's Melody---Kucuk Kedilerin Melodisi	126	(2)
Fide Erken
Monkey	128	(2)
Lucy Sussex
Gypsy	130	(4)
Anne Quain
Milk	134	(2)
Alison Ritter
Anna	136	(2)
Jacqueline Crompton Ottaway
Myfanwy	138	(4)
Karen Atkinson
The Departure	142	(2)
Patricia Best
Home is Where My Cat Lives---Or Tabby Consistency	144	(2)
Lavender
Minnie and Me	146	(2)
Deb Doyle
A Cat by Any Other Name	148	(2)
Susan Wills
Go On Mom---You Can Do It!	150	(2)
Finola Geraghty
Serendipity	152	(4)
Diane Helliker
Mother-Cat	156	(3)
Heather Cameron
Section Five CATacombs	159	(28)
Familiar	160	(2)
Bridget Musters
Cats Do Go to Heaven	162	(2)
Cath McNaughton
After	164	(4)
Maika Greene
Artistry	168	(2)
Terry Wolverton
Pusscat Darling	170	(2)
Jo Stavros
Deaf Eurydice	172	(2)
Suniti Namjoshi
Kari	174	(4)
Kerry Greenwood
Misty-eyed	178	(2)
Margaret Fearn
Annapurna's Absence	180	(4)
Martha Davidson
Casting Spells For Cats	184	(3)
Lesley Fowler
Section Six AristoCATs	187	(31)
Velvet Prince	188	(2)
Marge Piercy
The Luxury of Cats	190	(4)
Cathy Saba
Cat, cat and cat	194	(2)
Patricia Sykes
The Master of the House	196	(2)
Di Brown
Paean for Psyche	198	(2)
Elizabeth Dias
Says Woman to Cat	200	(2)
Koa Whittingham
Olivia	202	(2)
Kim Mann
Zen and the Art of Human Resource Management...	204	(2)
Ruth Blaikie
Aubade	206	(2)
Aileen Kelly
Koci Mama (Cat's Mother)	208	(2)
Rose Kizinska
What's in a Name?	210	(4)
Coralie McLean
familiar	214	(2)
rebecca anderson
Ned	216	(2)
Nancy Winters
Permissions	218	(1)
Photographic Credits	218