Rescued – The Stories of 12 Cats Through Their Eyes edited by Janiss Garza is the kind of heartfelt and inspiring book that offers hope and humanity in a world where far too many cats are living in the streets and shelters, without the benefit of a warm, loving, and safe furever home. For those cats that are lucky enough to be rescued, they each have a unique story to share and often the road from rescue to residency is a long and difficult journey filled with trepidation, mistrust, and reservations.

But then, the wonderfully magical moment when the pieces fit into place and the bond between cat and rescuer (although for those of us that love cats, we might argue that it is the cats who rescue us) happens and that is what Rescued is – 12 individually unique stories shared by 12 different authors, as told in the introspective voice of the cats they rescued.

Easy to pick up and read at any point, Rescued is a book that will soon become a cat-library favorite. Each of the 12 stories has a fresh point of view – some cats write with a bold confidence, others with humor, and some with quiet humility. But all will grab your attention and all will steal your heart.

While each story was a joy to read and I applaud all the authors behind the cats, I do have to admit that one in particular really stood out for me – “Rama: Sideways.” Rama’s guardian – Catherine Holm is someone I know personally (as I do several of the cat authors) and the voice she used as she imagined Rama to be was brilliantly mesmerizing. Catherine writes with descriptive authority, delving deep in the primal soul of Rama (a black cat with a panther heart as he describes himself) with cutting beauty that ranges from raw pain, bitterness, and indignant anger of the circumstances of his abandonment and subsequent rescue, to quiet acceptance and a sweetly awkward and guarded acceptance of love.

Catherine currently resides in the serene and humbling landscape of Vermont. Her writing mirrors the simple and raw beauty of the state she lives in. Photo credit of Catherine Holm

I think what drew me the most to Rama was that he reminded me of days gone by when I felt my most vulnerable. The days back when I was bullied in school and picked on for no real good reason, other than that  my shyness made me an easy victim. As I got older, I developed a protective wall around myself, and that is what Rama did upon his initial adoption with Catherine and her husband. He had no trust in them and his story of how he finally, but still with cautious reservation, came to accept his humans was beautifully haunting.

Rama in his full, glorious panther heart beauty. Photo credit: Catherine Holm

I also could relate to Rama’s “Sideways” aspect, which means, according to what his cat-birth mother told him, that he would never come at anything straight on. In other words, if you want Rama’s love and trust, it would need to be done on his terms and on his timeframe. He ends his story with what is his way of coming to peaceful terms with his new life:

“It is a cold winter day when the light is still low, and snow is falling softly outside. I have met my humans on the road of love. Over time, I have come closer and closer to them – always sideways.

We are sitting on the futon – a man, a woman, and a black cat with a panther heart. I am between them. I sidled up to the man, sat down and pressed against his leg, looking away. The man knew to stay still. Don’t make me vulnerable, I told him. Maybe he could hear my mind. These humans might be a bit special. I can feel greatness growing in my panther heart.”

The progression of Rama – this is basically a “Yeah, I’m happy and comfortable in my new life, but you don’t need to go and get all mushy and sentimental about it. Now please stop gawking at my beauty and feed me, foolish humans.” Photo credit: Catherine Holm

A rare snuggling moment captured between Rama and fellow catmates, Norton and Chester. Photo credit: Catherine Holm

I also chose to review “Rama: Sideways” because June is Adopt a Shelter/Rescue Cat Month and the entire premise behind the Rescued anthology is helping raise funding and awareness for rescue organizations and shelters. Rama happens to be the feature story for June, so the good news is that for any sales of Rescued this month, a third of the profits will go to Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter in Orleans, Vermont, the rescue Catherine is promoting.

Pope Memorial is a fantastic organization that Catherine volunteers at. She does it, because cats like Rama who aren’t friendly on the surface, really need help with socializing to better their chances of being adopted – especially black cats, which are almost always the last cats to be adopted. If you would like to help contribute to Pope Memorial, please click here to purchase a copy of Rescued. Not only will you be helping cats in need, but you will also be adding a cherished cat book to your collection.

These are currently some of the sweet cats available for adoption at Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter, with the exception of Pingu, who I have been informed will be in his new furever home this weekend!