~The Bachelor's Cat~

by L. F. Huffman

      Heroine:  plump

   The bachelor, who is starving for his art, has a devastating opening exhibit at which he loses both money and his on-again-off-again girlfriend.  He returns to his apartment to wallow in self-pity, but soon hears the cries of something even more pitiful than himself: a tiny drenched kitten who is wobbling around on his doorstep.  The bachelor takes the kitten in thinking only to keep an eye on it til someone responds to his "for adoption" ad.  But he soon learns that cats adopt people, not the other way around, and he is very clearly now a new member of a family.  Resigned to his fate, he keeps the cat.

   Since his girlfriend is once again MIA, he goes to a bar and looks for someone else to keep him company for a night.  He finds himself intrigued by a woman who isn't the least bit his physical type.  All of his women have been sleek and chic. This woman was soft and round.  But he liked her smile and her sense of humor, and so took her home with him. Like the cat, she decides he is worthy of adoption and soon spends more time at his place than hers, eventually telling him that she'd like to move in.  But his slender ex re-enters the picture and soon he is forced to choose between the two very different women: one who hurts him even as she inflames him, the other who comforts and sustains him.

What worked for me:

  Despite being such a short story, the characters are well-defined enough for the reader to sympathize with, and the plot interesting enough to keep them turning the pages.

What didn't work for me:

  There was one passage I could have done without, but aside from that the book was superb.

    Overall:

   This witty book is written almost as a parable or a morality play, which is quite original for so romantic and sweet a story.  There is minimal dialogue and no names used save for the cat's.  Had it been longer the format would have lost its charm, but as it turns out it was just the right length.  

   While not everyone would want it on their "keeper" shelf, it is certainly worth searching out at the library.  Especially if you are a cat person. :^)

If you liked "The Bachelor's Cat" you might also enjoy the "Love at Large" or "At Long Last, Love!" anthologies.

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