Buckley's Story [Paperback]

Ingrid King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2009

Buckley's Story is the story of how one small cat changed the author's life in ways she never could have imagined. In this warm-hearted memoir, Ingrid King shares the story of Buckley, a joyful, enthusiastic and affectionate tortoiseshell cat she meets while managing a veterinary hospital. When Ingrid leaves her job at the veterinary hospital to start her own business, Buckley comes home to live with her and Amber, another tortoiseshell cat who had adopted the author several years earlier. Buckley is diagnosed with heart disease after only two years of living with Ingrid, and caring for Buckley through her illness only deepens the bond between cat and human. Interspersed with well-researched information about cat health in general, and heart disease in particular, the author describes the challenges and rewards of managing illness in a feline companion, and ultimately helping her through the final transition. Ingrid shares both the day-to-day joys of living with a special cat as well as the profound grief that comes with losing a beloved animal companion. Buckley's Story is a celebration of the soul connection between animals and humans, a connection that is eternal and transcends the physical dimension. Praise For Buckley's Story Buckley's Story is a true celebration of the bond between pets and their humans. This story of a "gimpy" little tortoiseshell cat with a huge heart who changed her human's life in unexpected ways shows us how pets teach us universal lessons about living a joyful life, how caring for a terminally ill pet can deepen this special bond, and how to navigate the devastating grief that comes with losing a beloved animal companion. Dr. Marty Becker, "America's Veterinarian" and author of The Healing Power of Pets: Harnessing the Amazing Ability of Pets To Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy *** Ingrid King loves animals, and in Buckley's Story she leads us through how these precious creatures -

Editorial Reviews

Review

At first glance, this account isn't very different from thousands of other stories...but King has transformed the personal into the universal, making Buckley's tale one all readers will mirror in their hearts.
--Best Friends Magazine

Informative, revealing and moving, Buckley's Story will touch a chord with anyone who has ever shared a special relationship with a kitty.
--Feline Wellness Magazine

In Buckley's Story, Ingrid King leads us through the joys and sorrows of her life with Buckley. 
--CatFancy Magazine --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

I met Buckley that spring of 2005.  I had been managing the Middleburg Animal Hospital for seven years at that point.  For the first four of those seven years, I had shared my office with Virginia, a beautiful tortoiseshell cat who had adopted me as her person and loved me utterly and completely. After she died in 2002, the office felt empty, but the right cat to take over this important position had not come along--until that spring day, when I walked into the kennel area of the hospital. Liz, our groomer, was brushing out a scruffy looking mixed breed dog, and we chatted for a while.
 
"Have you seen the cute little tortie in the back?" Liz asked. Everybody at the animal hospital knew I was partial to tortoiseshell cats. There was something about the beautiful coloring and the distinct personality that is typical for these cats that appealed to me.

"No, I haven't," I responded. "Where is she?"

Liz pointed to the bank of cages at the very back of the kennel, and I went to see Buckley for the first time. And I fell in love. Hard. And fast. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse Publishing (September 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440166242
• ISBN-13: 978-1440166242
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Pet Loss

More About the Author

Ingrid King is the award winning author of "Buckley's Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher." She is a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer. Her online magazine News for You and Your Pet goes out to subscribers around the world. Her blog, The Conscious Cat, has been called "educational cat nip for the cat lover" and is a comprehensive resource for conscious living, health and happiness for cats and their humans.

Ingrid lives in Northern Virginia with her tortoiseshell cats Allegra and Ruby. For more information about Ingrid and Buckley's Story, please visit www.ingridking.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings out every emotion inside you and will make you look at your cat in a whole new light!, December 9, 2009

By 

KauaiKat "Linda" (Brookfield, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buckley's Story (Hardcover)

I just finished reading Buckley's Story. Wow! I must say that it made me feel things inside my soul that were waiting to come out. My emotions went from joy to love to pride to understanding to sorrow to spiritual acceptance. The way that Ingrid King describes and paints her picture of the story of this beautiful, lucky little cat is inspirational. I could feel her emotions as I read on. It certainly is a page turner, I read it on a flight from Florida to New York. I could not put it down. She made me appreciate the things that I have in my life and even though she says that Buckley taught her things about life, Buckley taught me things about life too and I've never met her, just by reading her story.
I anguished with Ingrid as she tried to have Buckley fit into her life. I swelled with pride as she described how her cats waited for her at the top of the stairs when she came home. I read with joy as she described her life with her two adoring cats. I cried when Buckley got sick. I was happy when she got better. I don't want to give away too much so I will stop there. This is a wonderful book for any cat lover. They will truly understand and appreciate Buckely as I do. I would have loved to have known Buckley but by reading this wonderful book, I feel as if I do know Buckley. I certainly would like to thank her for the things that she taught me, but somehow, I think she knows!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for everyone who has ever loved a pet..., January 17, 2010

By 

Jane Eyre "Mom in Virginia" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Buckley's Story (Paperback)

Buckley's Story is an intensely personal journey through a series of life lessons gifted to a deeply caring woman by the life and death of her beloved cat. Fortunately for the reader, Ms. King found relief from her grief in the chronicling of these lessons. The story is spellbinding, by turns uplifting, sorrowful, funny, and profound. It is also absolutely accurate; I can attest to that, because I am the veterinarian who was privileged to care for Buckley.

I love this book, for reasons that go far beyond simply having lived the story along with Ms. King. In the time I spent being Buckley's vet, Ingrid challenged my thought processes in very important ways. Her approach to medicine was very much focused on the quality of life to be gained; a goal we veterinarians all too often unintentionally misplace in our zeal to diagnose and treat. Working with Ingrid deepened and changed my view of what defines compassionate care.

Her experiences were common to many a pet owner with a terminally ill pet. Health care decisions, which many mistakenly believe are simple and straightforward, were often fraught with uncertainty. Guilt over causing stress by the act of treatment struggled with guilt over not treating. Ingrid had to learn to listen to her instincts, and to trust them; and to stand up against those who would judge her without understanding, who would try to convince her to subject Buckley to treatments that they thought were right even when she disagreed. Most of all, she needed to learn how to shed the heavy coat of dread and fear, in order to be able to share the joy of each new day with Buckley.

Buckley's Story will speak to every pet owner who has ever asked themselves, "Is it time yet?" or struggled to find the courage to do what they feel is right for their pet, even if it goes against established norms. For me, though, the most valuable lesson I learned from Buckley and Ingrid was to let go of useless energy spent worrying about what the future holds; to live in and cherish the moment; to realize that all we have is the Now, and that this is not merely enough, it is truly an abundance of riches.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Read!, October 9, 2009

By 

N. Slakoff "SamadhiBliss" (Ft Lauderdale,, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buckley's Story (Hardcover)

Buckley's Story is not only the tale of a little cat who changed her human mommy's life forever, but is also a book loaded with information about cat health and heart disease. The narrative envelops the reader as they journey with Ingrid through the many medical decisions that have to be made while her heart is breaking over the possibility of losing her beloved little girl forever. However, Buckley proves to be so very much more than that frail little feline in a diseased and failing body. Little did Ingrid know that Buckley had much bigger plans in store for her -- an amazing future beyond her wildest dreams. And all this came about because of this amazing little tortie who stole Ingrid's heart the first moment they met. She had so much to give to Ingrid as well as others that she continues to do so today.