Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known

From the beloved host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, moving tales of the marvelous animals who have crossed his path.

Scott Simon’s household does not make much distinction between humans and other animals. Whether two-legged or four-, flesh-covered, fur-covered, feathered, or gilled—everyone is family. Today, Simon lives with the haiku-writing and absolument charmant French poodle Daisy and the daringly audacious foster cat Gato Blanco. But that’s just the start.

In Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known, Simon warmly philosophizes on the unforgettable and utterly ordinary moments between species, along with their joys, worries, love, and humor. Depicting a lifetime of remarkable, enduring relationships with pets, Simon explores the difficulty of expressing the strong ties we feel: a kinship between humans and animals that’s more familial than “owner,” and more mutual than “caregiver” or “guardian.”

Simon reflects on how pets unlock our hearts and burrow into our lives beginning with his family’s dog guiding his first steps. From a cat who escaped the British Embassy (Simon had to promise to raise her as British) and street dogs during Sarajevo’s siege to a series of beta fish all named Salman Fishdie and an energetic, cage-escaping hamster Bagel, he reveals how our animals change not just our lives but how we see the world. Enchanting and thoughtful, Ulysses S. Cat is a profusion of exuberant memories and musings on a life spent in animal company.

"Witty and engaging, Ulysses S. Cat traverses the land of animals but also gives the reader a beautifully intimate sense of Simon himself. It functions as a sort of memoir-by-creature, and a delightful one at that. It’s a book to cherish."—Susan Orlean