Cats of the World by Hannah Shaw and Andrew Marttila

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

“The Kitten Lady” and “The Cat Photographer” (aka Hannah Shaw and Andrew Marttila) are two well-known personalities who both have large social media followings and who have written books about cats. They are also a married couple who love to travel, so they teamed up to produce the lovely book Cats of the World with Hannah supplying the text and Andrew the photographs.

I’ll admit when I first heard about this book I was a bit skeptical.  I have a number of books with cat photos and really wasn’t sure I wanted to add another to the collection.  However, once I picked this book up I was hooked.  It’s divided up by country, many of which are not your usual touristy stops:  Croatia, Finland, Montenegro, Uruguay, and Oman are right there with Spain, Australia, France, India, Greece, and the United States.

At the start of each section, there is a wonderful two-page photo spread that captures a sense of the place and, naturally, features a cat.  The official language of the country is listed along with the name for cat.  The text has information about the place, the way cats are regarded, any rescues, and interactions with natives.  It gives the reader a nice feel for the place, accentuated by the marvelous photos that capture both cats and ambiance.  There are cats in cities, cats in busy markets, cats at glorious sunset over ancient ruins and modern statues, cats in shops, and cats in loving homes.  I can’t say enough about the photos: the colors and focus are mesmerizing. 

One of my favorite sections was on London, where there were cats in pubs, cathedrals, and in front of the iconic red telephone box.  They met up with Travis Nelson and his cat, Sigrid, who are a familiar sight online.  Sigrid, a white deaf cat, rides with Travis on a bicycle around London and elsewhere. They actually have a book of their own, Sigrid Rides, written by Travis and, yes, the library has a copy.

As an armchair traveler and a cat lover, I found a lot to love in this book.  I may have to break down and get my own copy.