Who it's for
Anyone who loves a cat and likes a quiet word search, and anyone buying for one. A house with a cat in it is never truly empty, and this book is built around that feeling: ninety large print puzzles, each one hiding a warm little line about life with a cat, to enjoy a page at a time in a favorite chair, ideally with a cat asleep somewhere nearby.
The print is large all the way through, the puzzles start gently, and the How to Play page tells a beginner to start with Puzzle 1. Solve the puzzles in order and the hidden lines add up to one quiet keepsake, a love letter to life with a cat: the morning a cat arrives, the slow stretch and the wide yawn, the sunbeam that moves across the floor, the window watched like theatre, the long afternoon nap, the hour of play, the lap that is never too busy, and the years that follow.
Inside the book
- How to Play, first. One page explaining the three levels, where each section starts, and how the hidden message works, with a small worked example.
- Easy, puzzles 1 to 30. 11 x 11 grids. Words run left to right, top to bottom, or diagonally down to the right.
- Medium, puzzles 31 to 60. 12 x 12 grids. Words may also run right to left and diagonally up to the right.
- Harder, puzzles 61 to 90. 13 x 13 grids, with words in all eight directions, even bottom to top.
- Real cat words and real breed names throughout: Abyssinian, Chartreux, Maine Coon, Nebelung, Ragamuffin, Russian Blue, Scottish Fold, Singapura, Sphynx and Turkish Angora appear alongside words like purr, trill, knead, prowl, tabby, calico and tortie.
- A hidden message in every grid. When every word is circled, the leftover letters spell that puzzle's line, and the label under the grid tells you how many letters to expect.
- A short note at the top of every puzzle, a line to settle into before you start.
- The answers at the back, in large print, with each hidden line printed under its solved grid.
- The whole keepsake gathered at the end: all ninety lines printed together on five pages, to read straight through.
How to use it
- Read the How to Play page first, even if you have done word searches for years. The hidden message is what makes this book different.
- Circle every listed word, then read the leftover letters left to right and top to bottom, and write them on the lines under the grid. If they don't make sense, one word is still hiding.
- Go in order if you can. Each hidden line picks up the feeling of the one before. If you skip a puzzle, its line is on the answer pages.
- Take it at your own pace. One puzzle over a morning coffee is plenty; there is no clock.
Curious about all those cat words? What Is a Group of Cats Called? finds the 1486 "kindle of young cats" entry, then checks clowder, glaring and the other familiar cat terms against modern dictionaries.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hidden message?
In every puzzle, once you have circled all the listed words, the letters left over spell one short line about life with a cat. The first one reads: "Some homes are simply waiting for a cat to arrive." Read in order, the ninety lines become one continuous keepsake, printed in full at the back of the book.
How large is the print?
Large throughout: every readable element is 16 point or larger. The grid letters run from about 20.5 point in the hardest section to 24.3 point in the easiest, the word lists are 16 point, and the answers at the back are 16 to 18 point.
Is it for beginners?
Yes. The first thirty puzzles use smaller 11 x 11 grids and only three directions, and the How to Play page tells new solvers to start with Puzzle 1 and the worked example beside it.
Is it a book about cat care?
No. It is a puzzle book for enjoyment. The word lists are breed names and everyday cat words, and the hidden lines are about the ordinary pleasure of sharing a home with a cat.
Is it a good gift for a cat lover?
It suits anyone who loves cats and enjoys word puzzles, including readers who prefer larger print. It is not tied to a season, so it works for a birthday, a holiday or just because.
How big is it?
8.5 x 11 inches, 122 pages, printed in black ink on white paper.
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