Praying With Katie God, My Cat, And Me [Hardcover]

Don Holt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2001

Unemployed - depressed about the past and anxious about the future - Don Holt had both time and motive to doubt and pray about the "trip" on which he was being taken. These daily times of wondering and praying were continuously interrupted by his cat, Katie. The lessons he learned from that cat, about the trip with God and love and himself, is the heart of this profound book on faith. The lessons were numerous and unusual. "Her chewing and walking and rubbing and nestling lured me, even summoned me, to a different kind of prayer." Don began to see Katie's mixture of curiosity and caution as a metaphor for his own approach to a fresh spirituality. She showed him unexpected ways of loving, centering, worshiping, trusting, and finding peace. Praying With Katie provides a different, and wonderful, perspective for everyone who is looking for new ways to experience God. It is a heartwarming and inspiring book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Rev. Don Holt was unemployed and depressed, he spent hours in prayer but was often interrupted by his cat, Katie. Holt gradually realized that Katie had a great deal to teach him about spirituality, and he recorded his insights in Praying with Katie: God, My Cat, and Me. It would be catty to note that Holt's stints of poetry constitute "doggerel," but suffice it to say that the art here does not lie in the writing. Holt's ideas, on the other hand, are intriguing simple but not simplistic, and deeply theological. ( Apr.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (March 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740711571
• ISBN-13: 978-0740711572
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,007,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful and Extremely Unusual Book!, April 18, 2001

By 

Gina Viotti (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Praying With Katie God, My Cat, And Me (Hardcover)

What a cool book! I've never read anything like this. I was afraid it was going to be sappy and silly, but I was COMPLETELY wrong, so if you're thinking the same thing, read on.

One of my pet peeves (no pun intended) is people who anthropomorphize their pets, assigning specifically human motivations to their behavior, and that's what I expected from this book. But the author doesn't do that at all. In fact, at first he's annoyed by his cat Katie and her feline ways when she gets in his way as he's trying to meditate and pray. But she ends up becoming an inspiration to him, at times a metaphor, a reminder of his humanity, or a grounding influence in his soul-searching. By observing Katie's behavior and his own reactions to it, the author has come up with some very original spiritual insights. Katie's unwitting role in all of this is really fascinating, not to mention amusing.

This is not just a book for "cat people." I think anyone who cares about spiritual growth would get something out of it. I know I did, and I don't even have a cat... yet.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching story about defining your own spirituality, April 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Praying With Katie God, My Cat, And Me (Hardcover)

Praying with Katie is a unique story about the author's search for spirituality and peace with himself. His journey takes place with the help of his cat, Katie. Through his relationship with Katie, Don is able to define his own spirituality and find the strength to deal with his personal challenges.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Cat's Tale, October 24, 2001

By 

Born to Read (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Praying With Katie God, My Cat, And Me (Hardcover)

The book makes clever analogies to the life of the author's cat, Katie, and his relationship with God. You may find yourself seeing your relationship with God in a new, more intimate way. You may find comfort and enjoy the litte parables. I found some aspects of Katie's life upsetting and couldn't get pass those to embrace the book.