Customer Reviews

All My Patients are Under the Bed

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not only is the book entertaining, the man was too. He was a great story teller, and a great patriot. I remember the time he told me about treating a dancing bear in a cage at a bar somewhere in NYC (1930's). He couldn't figure how to get into the cage, administer to bear, and not be mauled. His big idea was to call the zoo and stand by to assist. The zoo sent over a young, slight of build, female veterinarian. She step into the cage, gave the bear a shot you-know-where, and promptly left. He was so entertained by this event. Here he was, a big tough NYC NG Captain/ experienced Vet, and this competent young vet just handed him his hat. Female doctors of any kind where so rare in the 30's, that this young lady from the Bronx Zoo made the moment that much more memorable.

I would go on calls with him, sometimes. One client would be a primadonna in a triplex overlooking Central Park, and the next would be to a waitress living in a one room apartment over a bar working three jobs to feed her 27 cats.

Today he is taking care of heaven's cats.

The late and dearly missed Dr. Camuti talks about his veterinarian practice in the big city, which concentrates on cats but which includes all sorts of other fauna. His stories are as much about the animals' kooky owners as the animals themselves, showing a touching side of wackiness. There are some famous people in here, but plenty of nearly-anonymous commoners as well.

His writing style is approachable and easily read, and the stories are unique -- you won't have seen anything like these elsewhere. This is not your typical "cat stories" book, all treacley and preachy and maudlin. This is a straightforward guy telling straightforward "no [kidding], there I was"-style war stories, and sounding just like a prototypical NYC veterinarian should.

Do be careful about adopting his advice, of course. Nowadays, we know feeding cats only ground beef is Very Bad For Them, and certainly we have no need of quarterly vitamin shots. This is 1950s medicine, with all that entails.

And so are the many cats that populate his memoir. Written in a down-to-earth, practical manner without any of the gushiness that seems to plague most animal-themed stories lately, Dr. Camuti's love and dedication to animals really shines through in this book. His cat stories are colorful and amusing but also very real- not all owners pay attention to his advice or to their cats, not all cats get well- but that realism makes his stories that much more touching. Also worth reading for the glimpse into New York City life at that time period- Dr. Camuti worked with lots of the celebrities of that era (or, should I say, he worked with their cats). I'd buy copies of this book for all my cat-appreciative friends if I could- it's just that good.

Not only does this chronicle the life of an unorthodox vet from an immigrant to America in the late nineteenth century, but also goes to the latter twentieth century and his practice as a house-calling cat vet.

There are early stories of his brother and him rescuing a cat from some street thugs, and how the cat returned the favor... Louis as a horse doctor during WWI, how he met his wife, and how he gradually changed to become one of the first vets to specialize in cats, AND make house calls.

A fascinating no-nonsense, matter-of-fact account, replete with details. The "cat stories" are always fascinating and often funny, as are the stories of the people he met. I still remember the tale of the spoiled cat whose owner had to walk to the store every day to buy a special japanese fish product... during World War II!

The book has a very "New York" feel to it, and the narrative voice is fascinating and fun. An often funny, always interesting read. You'll be glad to have met Camuti.

Dr. Louis Camuti, a New York City vet who specialized in making house calls to sick cats, wrote this delightful memoir about his years in practice. Anyone who has ever had a cat or even a pet will appreciate these tales of quirky cats and their even quirkier owners. From celebrity clients to the cat who liked to be vacuumed, every anecdote is laugh-out-loud funny and told with such dry wit you can only think what a shame it is Camuti never wrote more books.

Dr. Louis Camuti was a New York City veterinarian. So what? He also made housecalls---at night! Dr. Camuti's tales of treating his patients and dealing with a menagerie of interesting and varied clients are a treasury of wit, wisdom, and compassion. If you love cats, the people who love cats, or just people in general, you are going to enjoy this book.

I just love this book. It was given to me as a gift years ago and I STILL enjoy the adventures of this wonderful, caring human being. I highly recommend this book to any pet lover. I always chuckle when I recall his first house call. Tiny Hats off to you, Louis Camuti! And to the Frankels!

This is one book I will never forget. I still laugh at loud when I suddenly am reminded of one of his tales. I actually laugh more now than I did whilst reading. A must for cat lovers and bookworms.

I had many bouts of laughter while reading this book. Delightful reading, I highly recommend it. Many thanks to Dr. Louis J. Camuti for sharing his stories.

...and have lost count of the number of times I've read it. I still have my original hard-cover copy (or rather my daughter has it; somehow it wound up in HER bookcase!).

If you enjoy animals of any kind, and cats in particular, this book is for you. Dr. Camuti was a character, even a bit of a curmudgeon, and I take exception with the reviewer who called him "cruel" because he didn't want them to leave a toxic plant in the cage with the cat (!!??!!)....he said that animals feel pain just as acutely as people do, perhaps even more because they cannot take care of themselves.

I laugh and I cry every time I read this book. He may have been unsentimental, but he was all heart when it came to his patients. He had only 3 rules for his clients: 1) They had to love their pets and care for them, 2) They had to follow his instructions and 3) They had to pay their bills on time. The world needs more Camutis.