This is a review of the 2010 true story book 'Casper the Commuting Cat' by his owner Susan Finden.

I don't buy these books as a rule but...
I firstly need to point out that I am a cat lover but I don't like to read books about cats, especially true stories as the star of the story tends to have died by the time the book is written and printed and I get upset about any cats that die, even when I didn't know them. However, as friends know I am a cat lover they tend to buy me cat related gifts and so this book was given to me by a friend whilst I had a stay in hospital (my daughter was ill so I spent many hours in a chair by her cot) and she thought I could read it whilst she was sleeping.

Crying game
I kept the book to one side for a bit as I knew it would upset me. In fact the owner breaks the news that Casper is dead and on not good terms in the foreword so it's not a shocker in the book when it happens. That in mind, my life's in a right pickle at the moment (work related) and the slightest thing makes me cry so I thought I might as well get it out my system and read the book then let the floodgates open.

Casper the black and white cat
Enough about me. This book is all about the beautiful black and white cat Casper who is a rescue cat (yay!) and is loved so much by his owner. But as all cats he chooses what life he wants to live and this one just likes travelling!

Casper's rules
In the book, the chapters are mainly written by Susan but this is interspersed with Casper chapters where he gives a few rules and pointers to help in life generally.

Love cats?
The owner Susan is a dedicated cat owner and has had many treasured moggies throughout her life. Her husband is also supportive of her love of cats. Although she is worried about Casper's love of riding the buses there's not a lot she can do about it. Casper prefers a certain brand of bus - First - which operate in his home town of Plymouth. Susan manages to make contact with some of the staff who work there and they are all very kindly about Casper. They even run a campaign on the buses using Susan and Casper's image!

True story
This book is a true account of Casper's exploits and these are written to the best of Susan's knowledge. I am sure there are some adventures that she doesn't even know about. This cat even used to leave the bus and get on another connection too and somehow made it home every time! A bit of a miracle really.

Conclusion
I know not everyone loves cats and if you don't like them then this book's probably not for you. I sped through the book in one evening and yes I did cry at the end. This book would make a nice gift to a cat loving friend I think.