A “Very Special Cat” Loses an Eye and Wins Hearts in a Picture Book Launching on National Cat Day

Boston, MA, September 13, 2021 --(PR.com)-- Have your children seen a “community cat?” The ASPCA defines them as “outdoor, unowned, free-roaming cats.” Some have never known human companionship, while others are lost or abandoned pets. People can provide food, water, and shelter, but sometimes these cats get injured and need help. That’s what happens in Frazier: The Very Special Cat (Writer’s Coffee Bar Press). The new children’s book by Faye Rapoport DesPres hits bookstore shelves on National Cat Day: October 29, 2021.

Frazier: The Very Special Cat, illustrated by Laurel McKinstry Petersen and edited by MaryChris Bradley, is based on the true story of a big orange tom cat who was visiting an outdoor feeding station. When DesPres noticed he had an injured eye and ear, she asked for help from an organization that traps, neuters, and releases feral cats. She captured Frazier and took him to a veterinarian who told her the damaged eye would have to be removed. DesPres worried no one would want a one-eyed cat, but in a heartwarming twist, the shelter was inundated with requests to adopt him. Frazier’s heartwarming tale teaches children that it doesn’t matter how many eyes (or legs, or ears, or noses, or tails) you have—all that’s important is to have a big heart.

Frazier: The Very Special Cat is the third book in the Stray Cat Stories children’s book series: (Book One: Little White: The Feral Cat Who Found a Home, and Book Two: Tribbs: The Very Handsome Cat.)

Author DesPres and illustrator Petersen were childhood friends in upstate New York who hadn’t seen each other in years before collaborating on the Stray Cat Stories Series. “Laurel’s colorful illustrations perfectly capture the heart of my stray cat stories,” says DesPres. “Children have loved each book in the series, and it’s been great working on the series together.”

“Working on the illustrations for Frazier: The One-Eyed Cat was a wonderful distraction that helped me get through the challenges of the pandemic,” says Petersen. “I am so looking forward to seeing the book in print.”

DesPres and Petersen hope the Stray Cat books will help teach young and old alike, about the struggles feral and stray cats face and inspire readers to help them. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the books will be donated to non-profit animal rescue organizations around the country. Frazier: The Very Special Cat will be available at online bookstores on October 29, 2021 and can be ordered from Ingram by local, independent bookstores.