The Cat Who'll Live Forever: The Final Adventures of Norton, the Perfect Cat, and His Imperfect Human

by Peter Gethers

Book Overview

The final, poignant chapter in a trilogy of bestselling true stories about a floppy-eared Scottish Fold named Norton Peter Gethers was a confirmed cat hater until the day he received a six-week-old kitten as a gift. Walking the streets of New York with Norton tucked into his pocket, Gethers began forming an intense attachment to his new pet. Before long Norton was flying with his owner on the Concorde to Europe, sipping milk in Parisian caf?s, and...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767906373
• ISBN13: 9780767906371
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Broadway Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A beautiful story!

This is a continuation of the story of Norton the Scottish Fold from The Cat Who Went to Paris. It is such a beautiful story of friendship and love, but be forewarned, you will cry while reading this book, since it is the story of the last months of Norton's life. Both the author and the subject (Norton) are exceptional beings and the love and joy they experience together is an absolute love story. This is a book for anyone who has loved a kitty and for anyone who has lost a wonderful feline. Mr. Gethers and Norton are a match made in Heaven and their story is a joy to all readers. I had a hard time finishing this book because I knew the outcome when I bought it, but I was still compelled to read it because I knew that both the subject and the auther were extraordianary. It's beautiful, touching, heart-wrenching and true. If you have ever loved and been loved by a kitty, you will enjoy this story!

A ten star Cat and a ten star Author

I admit I bought this book for extremely self serving reasons. Our cat Bill was put to sleep in March 2002 when the tumor on his tongue abscessed and he basically began to die from starvation. And having never had to have a pet put to sleep and it being so damn painful and so final I was looking for a book that might help my husband and I deal with this profound loss. Bill had been given to us as a kitten and had literally helped Ron out of a coma after being hit by a dunk driver. So I needed a book by someone who would understand what we had in Bill and why the pain was like a knife in the heart.And I cannot recommend this book highly enough and plan on reading the other books about Norton. Because the author "gets it." Understands the wondrous gift a cat can be and that a cat is such a member of the family and not a "pet."We read the book aloud and laughed and cried. Loved hearing of the people like Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Sir Anthony Hopkins, sports legends, and the wee small black cat that won Norton over and continued to grieve after Norton died.The Lauen Bacall story is a keeper and found Ron and I lughing hysterically.But I guess it was finding a kindred soul in Peter Gethers the author and knowing that we werent such square pegs in a round hole when it came to caring for a sick and dying member of the family who happened to have four legs that has helped us in our grieveing process. Reading that yes, someone else dealt with medicine and bad bowels and bladders and trying to get pills down a cats throat and drinking out of a toilet when Norton got so sick. I have a picture taken a month before Bill died of him drinking out of the toilet with his insatiable thirst. And like Norton who loved the heated car seat Bill craved the heating pad we kept on the back of the sofa where he would lay near us as we read or watched television.Thank you Peter Gethers we will probably never meet you in person but you have done what no physician or psychologist has been able to do. Understand and connect. Bless you.

A Story That'll Touch Your Heart

Many may think "Oh, c'mon, some cheesy cat book" but this is by far one of the most incredible stories I have ever read. It is the story of Norton the cat who changed the lives of all he met. Gethers has written other books about Norton, but this is the last we'll ever find, as Norton is now in Heaven. While reading this book, I almost felt I was right there with Norton on his adventures to fancy restaurants and long car trips and spending a whole vacation hanging out with the people at the front desk of the hotel who couldn't bare to let him leave. Norton is incredible, and so is this book.

Touching and memorable

The story of Norton the cat and his owner culminates in this moving tale of the end of this special relationship. As a cat owner I related to the anguish of having a beloved pet suffer illness and the subsequent desperate search for help and hope. The author does a wonderful job of letting the reader share in his special relationship with his cat. He brings to life the last adventures of Norton, the ordeal of his illness and the blessings that arose from that experience they shared together. The final scenes where owner and cat share time together alone were vividly and intimately portrayed, and gut-wrenching. A must read and inspiration for all pet owners and lovers, I think this book tells the story of how all animals should be treated.

get the hanky ready

I bought a Scottish Fold after reading Gether's first two books. And was pleased to find that Norton's qualities are are a part of the breed. Loving, calm, etc. And total people magnets. The last book is cheerful, more stories of Norton's exploits and travels. Not until the last third of the book do we see Norton start to "fade." When Gethers sees that Norton is nearing the close of his life he takes him on a final road trip.I read, I cried, I read some more and cried a lot more.The odd thing is that this is not a depressing story. It's a story that ends and it ends just as Norton lived--with love for his human.