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Delightful 🐱

Thanks for the reminder of this great tribute to our feline friends. I was lucky to see the musical based on this book on the London stage and enjoyed the musical rendition even more.
BTW. Have you read Harold Monroe's 'Milk for the Cat'? I don't think I am allowed to quote it all, but here's a snippet: -
"She nestles over the shining rim; /Buries her chin in the creamy sea; /Her tail hangs loose; each drowsy paw/ Is doubled under each bending knee."
You can get the full version on Google.

Whoops, I spelt Monro's name wrongly - no 'e' required!

Thanks, ladies! It’s such a nice thing to see the punctiliously correct Eliot loosening up, and nowhere does he do it to such advantage as in Old Possum. And Monro is indeed a worthy complement to Eliot, the crafty but felicitously feline Master!

We read this to our kids when they were young. They can still quote whole passages aloud. Fun.

Elliott let his finely-tuned ear for poetic metre take a busman’s holiday in this happy lark of a book! So wonderful, and glad your kids like it, Michael.

Delightful!!!

I didn’t know about this one, Fergus! Thanks for putting it on my radar!

Glad to see you share my enthusiasm for this dour poet’s lighter side & his feline predilections, ladies!

Love it!

I think I have this book somewhere in my stacks of boxes with still unread books. Have to go look for it.

And when I came across this old ‘review�� of mine recently, I turned to my Kindle and chuckled again, uproariously, at Eliot’s cornucopia of Feline Funnies. It’s GREAT!

My husband and I saw "Cats" on Broadway 3 weeks after it opened, 4 weeks after we got married. I have been an Eliot fan ever since.

I just ordered a hardcover copy for both my son, "Ridley" and my daughter, "Lambie" for Christmas. Thanks for the idea, Fergus.

What golden memories, Ann-Marie! And you’re so right - a sure-fire pleaser for cat lovers! And, since I have no gift yet for my sister, that’ll be PURR-FECT!

Found a recording of the London stage performance from 1981(?), tried to get the offspring to watch it. They were not impressed. I guess you had to be there...40 years ago.

Well, Fergus, let me elucidate here.
Everybody wants to be a cat
Because a cat's the only cat
Who knows where it's at
When playin' jazz you always has a welcome mat
'Cause everybody digs a swinging cat.

I LIKE it. Always can count on you to LIGHTEN UP MY DAY, Theodore!

The same, Fergus.

Ann-Marie, many kids seem more alienated than we were - isolated and INsulated from traditional human emotion. We older folks are lucky! It was not so bad for us.

Never heard of this before but that was a wonderful excerpt!!

It was out of character for my fellow dour old sourpuss, T.S. Eliot!

We went to see the play long ago and enjoyed it very much.

I never saw it, but like everyone, I know so many of the songs! T.S.Eliot must be grinning down from heaven - he sure spoiled his cats.

It's such a wonderful read.

Thanks to both of you! Eliot was always publicly perceived as being a bit of a sourpuss, but you can bet your bottom dollar he was sweet as pie to his feline friends.

I just bought the 2022 version of Cats. Such a delight. So glad I did, as I know my better half will watch it several times! (Sshhh! Don't tell her...):-)

Love this book because I love cats!

Love that logic, Patricia!😍

This book is so sweet!

Agreed. As a Canadian writer of zany cozy mysteries once called such things, it’s like The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie!

Fergus, I love cats and I love this poem too. Must read.