I'm looking for the title and author of a specific novel about cats.
It is juvenile fiction (upper elementary).
The novel is an adventure about cats (realistic fiction -- not sci-fi or fantasy).
The story goes into great detail about the habits of cats and cat
society -- (ie The rules of cat etiquette)
It was published before 1983.

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Request for Question Clarification by hummer-ga on 06 May 2004 17:10 PDT

Hi beniy,

Here are a few ideas. If none of them are a match, could you please
tell us anything else you remember about the book? For example, any of
the cat's names? What kind of adventures did they go on? Were there
any humans in the book? Where did it take place? etc.

A TOMCAT'S TALE by Hanna Johansen.
"Felis, a cat, tries to educate the humans who house and feed him,
while seeking adventure with other cats in the neighborhood."
http://www.cityoforange.org/Kidzone/cats.htm

CATWINGS by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Mrs. Jane Tabby's kittens (Thelma, Harriet, Roger, and James) had
wings, but otherwise they have normal cat adventures. This is a
series.

ISLAND OF CATS by Anne Fremantle.
I can't seem to find a storyline on this one, but it just sounded hopeful to me.

Regards,
hummer

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Clarification of Question by beniy-ga on 07 May 2004 08:56 PDT

Unfortunately, I don't remember any names.
The story was focused on the cats, not humans.
I recall a few specific elements.
There was a younger less experienced cat being taught by an older more
experienced cat.
There was a scene that described very specifically how cats don't lick
milk, but rather catch it on their rough tongues.
There was a scene that described "the leg of lamb" position.
There was a scene where the ettiquette of cat fights was described. If
a cat started licking itself (bathing) that was like a "safe" zone,
and cats wouldn't violate it.

This book was read to me by my teacher in fifth grade, but I changed
schools halfway through and missed the last half of the book.  It's
been bugging me ever since.

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Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 07 May 2004 09:21 PDT

beniy --

Was the story told from the cats' point of view?

markj-ga

Paul Gallico wrote several cats novels in the 1970s, maybe it could be him.

Who knew I am not the only Gallico fan? 
There is a homepage: www.paulgallico.com

And here are several cat books: 
Jennie - "This is the story of a young boy called Peter, who is
knocked down by a car. To his considerable astonishment, when he
recovers, he is not a young boy, but a cat! Fortunately, he meets
Jennie, a cat who had been abandoned by her family when they moved
away (hence the US title), who educates him in the wiles of the feline
world."

Thomasina - "A young girl, Mary Ruadh, owns a cat called Thomasina.
When the cat falls ill, her father, the village vet, decides that the
cat must be put to sleep. This is the story of the events that unfold
as a result of this rather unsympathetic act. It is a touching story
of a sad and bitter man, his daughter, the village priest, and a
slightly fey woman called Lori, who lives in a cottage in the woods."

He also wrote "a cat manual" and a book with poems about cats. 

The descriptions are from the Paul Gallico site, 
<http://www.paulgallico.info/notitle.html> , which is a gerat site anyways.

That's it! "Jennie". I'm sure of it. 
Thanks!