Rating: 
Summary: Aprecious classic
Review: THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS is a reprint of one year in the life of Polar Bear the cat who adopted his biographer as his human pet. It was the night before Christmas when "Sergeant" reluctantly drafted Cleveland Amory (everyone else went home for the holidays so she was stuck with Cleveland as her assistant) to rescue a New York alley cat. They succeed, but Cleveland is forced to take the mangy creature into his Manhattan residence for the Yuletide season. Though an animal lover and activist, Cleveland hopes to quickly find a home for his temporary lodger, but soon Snow Bear's lure hooks Cleveland into keeping the feline as his roommate. This book tells their first year adventures in living together.
Though over fifteen year old and reprinted after the death of Mr. Amory, this nonfiction novel remains one of the best Christmas stories around. The book is clearly for feline lovers, but other pet owners and even the bah humbug I hate cat lovers will relish this delightful ageless story of the love and bond between a cat and his Homo sapiens significant other. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Christmas Book
Review: The story The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory is a story about a man and stray cat found in an alley. Both the man and the cat try to get used to each other but start off not getting along. The cat did many delightful things to the man. For example, he would give hints to the man about what he liked. Mr.Amory is a worker at an animal shelter. He finds the cat in an alley next to a hospital. Mr.Amory decides he wants to keep the cat and takes it with him. This is how a man and a stray cat become best of friends but they do slow slowly. During the storyline you learn about the man's background of his family. You also learn that the cat is very fickle about how he gets his name. Without giving away the story, it is hard for me to give the plot of the story away. Overall the book is best for someone who likes animals or is a fan of cats. Maybe if you have free time you can read this book for fun. Although it is over 200 hundred pages long, it does have a nice plot to the story. It was an entertaining story.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for all cat lovers
Review: This book is for two different audiences: those of you who are
owned by a cat and those of you who have wondered what such
slavery is like. In The Cat Who Came for Christma, Cleveland Amory tells of the
Christmas many years ago when a small cat first entered his
apartment - and his heart. His story began about 7:00 on
Christmas Eve at a time when he was not particularly merry. For
one thing, Amory prides himself on being a curmudgeon, so "Bah,
humbug" is his favorite expression. For another, he had recently
divorced and was alone in an apartment far from his family. He was not excited, therefore, when a volunteer in the Fund for
Animals which he had founded came by and asked his help in
rescuing a stray cat that was about to be killed by the tenants
of the apartment building whose basement he had chosen for his
temporary resident. He was even less happy after the battle was
over. He might have captured the cat, but Amory's battle scars
showed he was the worse for wear. He agreed to keep the cat in his apartment for a couple of days
until someone could be found to adopt him. Even though Amory
loved animals, he felt there was no room in his life for one at
this time. Soon, however, Polar Bear proved him wrong, for when
he finally surveyed the apartment and this funny human, he
decided it met his approval. The decision, you see, was not
Amory's, but the cat's! Of course Amory didn't immediately recognize the relationship. When he decided this new cat needed a bath, the battle was on.
Polar Bear knew what this man was trying to do, but he just
couldn't believe it. "Wash a cat!" he exclaimed, "Boy, have I got
my work cut out for me with this one!" Amory decided a change of
tactics was in order, but, he insists, it had nothing to do with
Polar Bear's arched back and laid-back ears! They reached a
compromise. Amory put the water in the sink, and Polar Bear got
in on his own. Compromises, in fact, proved to be the order of the day. After
trying to teach his cat to play games or do tricks, Amory
resorted to a simply request: "Come here." He soon learned what
every cat roommate knows: Cats do not come when they are called.
Polar Bear finally agreed that if his human would inquire of the
room, "Where is Polar Bear?" he, in his own good time, would
with great dignity appear. And so the two learned to adapt. Or rather, Amory did. He learned
that (1)cats do not travel, (2)cats do not take pills, (3)cats do
not walk on a leash, (4)cats do not go on diets, and (5) cats
will chose their own friends. He was a slow learner, but Polar
Bear was a patient teacher! This is a book every cat lover should read. It might even convert
those of you who own dogs. Amory has given us a great Christmas
present.
Rating:
Summary: A DEFINITE Must Read!
Review: This is definitely one of my favorite books! I first read "The Cat Who Came for Christmas" when I was eight, and now that I'm in my twenties, I like it all the more! The Cat Who Came for Christmas is about Polar Bear, a scrawny cat found and adopted from the streets of New York by a self-professed "dog man". Cleveland Amory's tales about his cat, Polar Bear, are both witty and touching, and the struggles/arguments he has with Polar Bear will remind you of every cat you've ever known or had (they battle over, among other things, whether Polar Bear should come when called, take a pill, or walk on a leash - and I don't think it'll surprise any cat lover to find out who wins those battles!). I highly recommend this book, along with its sequels "The Cat and the Curmudgeon" and "The Best Cat Ever" to everyone who has ever had a pet they've loved.
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