Book review: ‘Cooper the Crafty Cat’

Cooper the Crafty Cat by Anita Comisky. B&N Publications, 2025. Hardcover, 158 pages.

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Cat lovers, can we talk? If we are honest, we know who rules the household — and it isn’t the humans or family dog. In case you weren’t aware of the fact of feline superiority, pick up a copy of Cooper the Crafty Cat and discover the truth from The Cat Himself.

In Anita Comisky’s really, really funny book, her gray rescued cat, Cooper, tells all. When Anita and her husband — committed dog people — adopted Cooper from a shelter when he was about 2 years old, they were just hoping for a little feline help with a pest problem. They had no idea they had just relinquished control of their lives and household to Cooper.

Fortunately for the couple, Cooper proved to be a benign sovereign and was cute and, on his own terms, cuddly. Told entirely from Cooper’s point of view, this “memoir” relates his hard work and ingenuity as pool protector, manager of household routines, and keeper of the property. Yes, it’s a lot of work. But Cooper has a cadre of helpers, including the neighbors’ golden retriever, some quirky squirrels, and even a heron.

In my many years of reviewing animal-related books, I have come across a plethora of those told in the animal’s voice. Because it is difficult to sustain this point of view over the course of a book, many stories fall flat early on. Anita, however, is a deft and perceptive writer who avoids falling into that trap. Cooper the Crafty Cat kept me believing that Cooper was indeed telling his own tale — one that, at times, had me laughing out loud.

Are you the author or publisher of a book about animals that you would like considered for review? Please send the details to editor@bestfriends.org.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.