“The Cat Operator’s Manual: Getting the Most from Your New Cuddle Unit” by Queen Olivia III (4 stars)

*I received an e-book copy of this book from Edelweiss Plus in exchange for review.*

I really only downloaded this book because I immediately went ‘CAT’ in my brain! It’s a problem that I’m working on…okay, not really. I’m one of those crazy cat people and it’s best you know that now before reading any further. We’ll only go further down the rabbit-hole. I have two cuddle companions currently, named Boots and Pia who are my everything, even though to them I am often simply a way to get more food or a clean litter box. Which I realize is completely normal after reading this, so I don’t feel so bad about it now…

And I also have to mention the author: Queen Olivia III. If you’re uninitiated (as I was before reading this, so no shame), Queen Olivia III is a writer and model from New Zealand who was “Named one of New Zealand's 10 most Iconic Drag Queens” and is “A regular at Rainbow Story Times (known as drag queen story time internationally) in libraries across the Wellington region” (Queen Olivia III). They have also “built a dedicated Twitter (now X) following of over 23,000 cat lovers in the course of sharing a whimsical narrative about living with late cat Sophie on a space station” (Amazon.com). So I’d say they know what they’re talking about when writing an operating manual for cats.

Now to the book: It was hilariously truthful! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when downloading the book originally. Will it be a cheeky look at cat ownership? An insultingly bad look at the ‘craziness’ of cats? Or just another gimmick book trying to sell just because it has ‘cat’ in the title? Thankfully, it was none of these. It was an insightful, humorous, and caring look into all the ways cats and those ‘operating’ (owning) them interact with each other.

My immediate reaction after reading it was to do it again with my cats in mind. Are they telling me something when they run into an empty room and meow aggressively? Am I correctly understanding their various meows? Thanks to The Cat Operator’s Manual, I can now find out exactly what setting my cats are on when they start running in circles around the house. Or when they decide to poop outside the perfectly clean litter box. I’ll never understand that one!

The book isn’t meant to be serious, but fun. So don’t go into this thinking you’ll understand everything it takes to be a cat parent. Just like any type of parenting, you learn on the job. But this book will give you an idea of what kind of silly antics you might get up to with your new companion(s). Cats are a unique breed and each cat is their own insanity waiting to happen as well. Ultimately, “With tongue-in-cheek advice and spot-on illustrations that feel just like browsing a real user manual, this book gets two opposable thumbs up.We hope you enjoy your Cuddle Unit 5™ and wish you safe and pleasant petting” (Chronicle Books).

So, what am I saying? I’m admitting that I’m a crazy cat lady and that this book made me laugh out loud in the middle of reading. I’m saying it’s a funny, interesting idea for a book and that if you want to enjoy some cat antics, give it a try. It’s not going to miraculously change the way you see cats, but it might give you some insight into yourself and how you interact with cats. Thus, five stars from me simply because I enjoyed it!