Book:Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts: The Joy of Sleeping with Critters by Francine Brevetti

Inspirational Stories Told by Pet Owners

There is nothing I loved more than having a pet who LOVED to share the bed or couch with me when I went to bed at night or took a nap.

My Angel Bobo was a fixture in my bed (or wherever I was for that matter), Cody, not nearly as much.

Cody will lay by my head if I fall asleep on the couch, but he refuses to EVER lay in our bed in the bedroom. It totally baffles me.

Many books and movies have observed our closeness with our domestic animals but Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts  concentrates on one phenomenon only—sharing the bed for sleep.

FROM THE AUTHOR:In 2012 my beloved Lola, a Cockapoo (Cocker-Poodle mix), had to be put down. A horrible decision for anyone and certainly for me who felt that Lola and I were teammates. She was demonstrative and affectionate. She lay by my side at night on the bed. A comforting, reassuring, warm presence that I could reach out to touch during the night. Waking up with Lola beside me was a loving way to start my day. So when I had to relieve Lola of the misery of her disabilities, her absence at night and in the morning grieved me. There was a hole in my heart.

Realizing her nightly nearness meant so much to me, I got the idea that others may feel the same. I started researching to write a book about sleeping with your pets, domestic animals, best friends, whatever-you-call-them. I couldn’t find any other book on the subject at the time. So I’m offering you this gift from Lola. We both hope you enjoy it.

In our industrialized world, human society has become so compartmentalized and individuals so alienated from each other that more and more people are welcoming primates, birds, ungulates and reptiles into their intimate spaces. Humans share DNA with every living creature from primates to yeast. But we don’t have to refer to biology to convince each other of the bond we share with the rest of the animal world, of how precious their presence is to us and vice versa. More people are living singly today. Nuclear families—already diminished from the multi-generational households experienced until the last century—are breaking up. While individualism and independence are the hallmarks of American values, they lead so often to loneliness, depression, frustration and hopelessness.

When you read these sketches of people’s experiences, you may find yourself among them. Please smile. You may even shed a tear occasionally. I hope these stories from real people like you and me lighten your heart.

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY:

Animal lovers will be able to relate  to many of the "mini-stories" in Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts. Being candid, it made me miss the days of when my beloved Bobo would insist on playing with my toes when I would try and sleep, or when he would swat at imaginary mice while jumping up and down on the bed as if it were a trampoline!!

One darling example that most of us can relate to in reference to a cat waking up her owner: "She is very persistent and taps me with her paw. No matter how many times I shoo her off the bed, she keeps coming back until I'm forced to get up. She's like a little alarm clock," her human remarked."

Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts has 20 Chapters full of snippets from people (and, I noticed a few bloggers who I know!) like you and I that share their heartfelt experiences about sharing a bed with their beloved pet.  You will find excerpts from people who view their pets as children, those who discuss having to banish the pet to another room (often due to the spouse), bedtime rituals and more! It is "Chicken Soup For The Soul, for those who love to sleep with their pets"

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet---Colette

Probably my favorite quote listed in this book would be:

"Sometimes losing a pet is more painful than losing

a human because, in the case of the pet,

you were not pretending to love it."

-Amy Sedaris, Simple Times:Crafts for Poor People

Cat Naps & Doggie Snorts  reminds us if you are going to lose sleep or if you want to sleep BETTER, there is nothing better than sleeping with a furry, feathery, yappy  (or scaly!!) friend!

PURCHASE A COPY

Author Bio: 

Francine Brevetti is a San Francisco native who has worked as a business journalist in New York City and Hong Kong. She was also a business reporter for the Oakland Tribune.

She wrote the definitive history of the Italian colony in San Francisco's North Beach with The Fabulous Fior - over 100 Years in an Italian Kitchen.

Journalist and author, she also ghost writes other people's books and coaches aspiring authors to write their own. People come to her for help writhing their memoirs, family histories, or books about their business.

Author Website: Francine Brevetti

In full disclosure: I received no compensation for this book feature. I received a complimentary copy.