The Cat Who Went to Heaven

The Cat Who Went to Heaven
By Elisabeth Coatsworth

Judging from the other book my human recently picked up, she seems to have gone off on a dead cat tangent, as far as reading material goes. (Have we cats really been that bad lately?) Anyhow, this children’s book is apparently a classic and was originally written sometime in the 1930s. It’s all about Buddhism, but I’m not sure what to think about this Buddha guy. Apparently he blessed all the animals except us cats! Kinda nervy, if you ask me. Anyhow, the book is the story of this starving artist who gets a job painting a scene of the Buddha on his deathbed, with all the animals coming around to be blessed. Right before he got the assignment, his housekeeper brought home a cat (a Japanese bobtail—they didn’t even have Somali cats in those days, so I’ll be forgiving). Well, the cat is rather chagrined that the artist is painting this big elaborate thing and there’s no cat in it. I certainly can’t blame her! Anyhow, along the way we all learn about Buddhism and that Buddha guy learns that cats are okay after all. At least I think that’s how the book goes. I took a nap in the middle of it.