Reading: Cathouse

 I've been carrying around far too many science fiction and fantasy paperbacks for decades and that's a problem I'm not aiming to change any time soon. As usual, I'm also a sucker for talking animal fiction, especially when it's aimed at adult audiences. Not too long ago I learned about the novel Cat House (1989) from a friend, who mentioned the plot and it sounded weird enough to compel me to dig up a copy for myself. I also grabbed its sequel Catamount. More about that later.

My copy of Cat House. Beautiful cover by illustrator Dan Craig

    The hook of Cat House is a plot about bored spayed house-cats starting a cat brothel so they can mate with tomcats who aren't interested in having kittens. The females take prey animals as payment but that's more for fun than anything else, since they're all well-fed house-cats. This ends up angering some of the unfixed cats, who consider the whole thing unnatural. The broader story is about the conflict of human developments encroaching on nature- in this case, it's the wild canyon country around San Diego that puts humans and their pets into conflict with coyotes, pumas and rattlesnakes. The book is perhaps a good argument for keeping your pets indoors and a reminder to be respectful of the wild animals who unwittingly become our neighbors.

    The cat brothel thing sounds a lot skeevier than it actually is. It's ultimately about the friendship and bond between these female cats and their desire to have fulfilling lives. I'd read a review (contains spoilers) about the book that mostly missed the mark in that 00's snark review writing style and it made me want to discuss the book in a little more depth beyond their "zomg so weird" and funnily enough "not enough good sex on the page" (so is the cat sex weird or do you actually want it?) and dismissing it as bad for delving into darker themes. The book certainly isn't perfect and I'd say it isn't amazing, but it's still a fun read with some interesting ideas. You can certainly tell this is a first novel- a bit stilted and clumsy and with characters that read a bit flat- but it is an ambitious novel that builds a compelling world. My nutshell review: give it a read, it's fun even if it can be a little cheesy.

    The author jumps between three main perspectives- that of the cats, their humans, and a pack of coyotes living in the canyon. The animal world has a common shared language and a collective belief in a creator mythos where each animal group has a guardian deity that The Creator put forth into the world. The story is likely taking cues from Watership Down, but it adds some interesting elements to the story- mainly the idea of demons as the angry spirits of extinct species' deities who seek to end all animal life. The author never lets us forget about the ecological concerns of the story.

    The main cats in the book are Mahri, one of the den (brothel) cats, and Halina, the cat organizing the den. Halina is actually a Scottish wild cat who was raised in captivity but stayed sweet to her owner and has an uncanny connection to the wilderness. She ends up befriending wild animals- including a hawk, an owl, and a female puma- in her quest to protect her den from both coyotes and the enemy puritanical house-cats. Mahri is her friend and accomplice who braves the canyon wilds to meet the wild animals. 

    While some of the character writing is a bit clumsy, I will say that the cat characters are very sweet. The den shares a strong bond where the animals care for each other deeply. There is much nose-touching, grooming, and affectionate talk between the cats and that is very cute.

    The humans of the book present a bit of a contrast to the animal protagonists. They are clueless about what their animals are up to, but fit together in the overarching plot all the same. Roger- the owner of the brothel mistress Halina (who is named Delilah by the man)- and his friend Laura Kay work for the same newspaper and end up investigating a crooked DEA agent in their neighborhood who shot a mountain lion that attacked a child. Ultimately their meddling has a connection and affect on the outcome of our animal heroes too. 

    I will say that Roger feels a bit like the author's self insert insofar as the author also worked as a journalist and had a pet cat, but as they say, write what you know. Roger provides us with some specific moments that definitely feel like the author's real experiences with cats- the specific way Halina loves to be brushed, and how she enjoys having her loose fur vacuumed off of her. In the 1990s my family had a tabby that also loved to be vacuumed. Halina also jumps on the bed when Roger and a girlfriend are trying to be intimate. I feel like most cat owners can relate to the curiosity or perhaps obliviousness of their pets in moments like that.

    The coyotes are one of the antagonists of the book but they are not unsympathetic. Dahrkron is the new leader of his pack of coyotes and his aim is to improve the lives of his followers. He leads them out of starvation to better hunting grounds, changes old traditions, and empowers female coyotes to speak up with their ideas. However, he is driven with a terrible hatred for cats that is partially born out of humiliation- he was beaten up by Halina when he wandered into the human neighborhood looking for easy prey. This hatred drives him and his pack to harass lynxes and upset the natural balance. It also culminates in an attack on the house-cats that is both unnecessary and leads to the destruction of himself, his partner, and a large part of his pack.

The bigger villain of the book is a stinky stray cat named Coron, who is banned from the den because he is cruel and frightening to the female cats. As vengeance he convinces other house-cats that it is unnatural for spayed cats to mate- since they erroneously believe the "changing scar" is heaven ordained instead of something arbitrary that the humans are responsible for. Coron later rapes Mahri as revenge too, a scene that is probably a bit too graphic. I don't quite buy that this book has a sexist intent, but I do think it's a bit clumsy in how sensitive matters are handled. It's fitting, however, that a moral crusade against consensual sex is led by a cruel sex pest. 

    I would not say that Cat House is a progressive book, but I would not call it particularly offensive or regressive either. It's most forward-thinking stance is undeniably ecological. The book certainly has us examine what is natural vs unnatural- ie: man-made- where domestic animals are caught in a strange middle ground having their natural instincts but no longer belonging in the wild outdoors.

    One thing I like about Cat House is that no animal is really inherently evil. Nature is just nature, animals kill and eat each other to survive. How the animals perceive each other is a different story, but as readers we do not have the author's voice really telling us that any animal is somehow villainous. I very much dislike the Redwall approach where animal species are by nature The Bad Guys, nor am I particularly fond of the similar devices from authors like Rudyard Kipling. The animals of this story are not allegorical, they're not stand-ins for different races or cultures, they are animals.

    The book resolves in a pretty satisfying way with a big climactic battle between den cats, puritan cats, and coyotes. I won't spoil the ending but there's a lot of different elements at play for a pretty dramatic end. While some story beats are perhaps predictable, I'm averse to the notion that knowing where a story will go is inherently "bad" writing. Not every story needs a gimmicky twist and often what is more important is how the characters respond. There are surprises for the character which the reader has already anticipated, but it is the emotional impact on the characters that is compelling.

    As for cat sex? Well, this book isn't particularly graphic on sex between cats or between humans. There are certainly sensual and romantic scenes, but nothing explicit. As for romance there's a cute relationship with a show cat named Sharlo and the protag Mahri. Sharlo comes to the den just hoping to see Mahri and also stands with the den when they are attacked by the puritan cats. The cats are better at keeping relationships than our human characters, who are somewhat of a funny contrast. Roger wishes his life were as simple as his cat Delilah. If only he knew.