The Duties of a Cat by Jenny Blackford

Ill. by Michael Robson. Pitt Street Poetry, 2014. ISBN 9781922080240
(Ages 10+) Poetry. Jenny Blackford's poems capture the quintessential feline nature, the sensory overload, the joy of ownership that is a cat's life. She has an almost secret understanding, eloquently portrayed through her carefully chosen stanzas. In The duties of a cat Jenny draws the audience in, as they identify with the contrary nature of the beast.
A cat's furry belly is irresistible.
Demand a tummy-tickle,
then claw them when they dare.
Michael Robson's soft sketches echo the poet's thoughts. In Forests of Fur Jenny portrays the seasonal changes of the long haired cat's coat - the thin silk suit of summer and the forests of fur that spring long and lovely and lush over the cat in Autumn.
Read these poems aloud and the ailurophiles will smile.
Rhyllis Bignell