Alfred the Gentleman Cat
«A nice young family lived in a pretty part of London, quite far from the busy centre of the city. And this family had a cat. The cat was young and happy-go-lucky. Her fur was an unusual shade of violet, almost like lilac and her eyes were the colour of marmalade. She was very frisky and playful when she was a kitten. She could do no wrong for her owners, as they loved her like a child. When this kitten grew up she turned into a very elegant cat and her owners decided to invite a brave, handsome tomcat over to meet her.
Her new friend, the tomcat, was very well brought up. He had beautiful manners and came from a distinguished feline family. He loved hunting and often proudly presented his owners with the trophies he had caught. He had dark-coloured fur; almost the colour of a lead pencil and everyone noticed him because of his size and his solemn manner. In fact he was a tiny bit conceited.
Some time after getting to know the tomcat, the she cat gave birth to a litter of four kittens...»
About the author
Yuliana Protasova was born in Russia in the city of Voronezh in 1981. She loved being creative since her early childhood. She loved drawing and wrote poetry and plays. Unfortunately once she left school she put these creative activities to one side, considering them as merely hobbies.
But in 2013 her creative yearnings reasserted themselves. After this Yuliana graduated from Inchbald School of Design in London and after working for a couple of years in this field began spending more and more of her time on drawing/painting and writing. One such enthusiasm, which she formerly considered as only a hobby, developed into a children’s book about cats.
Genesis of the book
Yuliana first got the idea for the book in 2014. She wanted to write a book for children and was looking for a main character. It didn’t take her long to find one. But at that time Yuliana thought of the book more as a hobby than a serious undertaking.
In November 2018 the idea finally became a reality and since then things have moved much more quickly. Yuliana’s ideas came to life by skilful watercolour drawings. They greatly enriched the text and day by day the book took on its own life.
And finally, in March 2019, it was finished. There are five chapters in the book, each of which includes, in addition to stories about Alfred’s travels, psychological insights into cat behaviour, which can be discussed with children. The book is intended for readers from 8 to 10 years of age. The aim of the book is to develop a child’s love of animals and help them a sense of responsibility towards a pet. In the first chapter the kittens, including Alfred, are born and gradually develop their independence until they are old enough to leave their mother. In the second chapter the young reader follows Alfred to his new home. The chapter explains what preparations are needed for a new kitten coming into the household and describes how a kitten explores his new surroundings. In the third chapter Alfred goes outside for the first time and the reader shares the cat’s first experiences of nature. In the fourth chapter the theme of sociability among animals is explored, as Alfred becomes great friends with another cat. The last chapter of the book deals with the theme of the relationship between children and pets through a tender encounter between Alfred and a very small girl. So, while the book contains factual information about cats and the particular needs of their species, it also has many touching and magical moments. The book reflects the author’s great love for children and cats and it also has a charitable purpose. Part of the proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to charities, which look after abandoned animals.
The main character
Alfie was born in June 2013, one of a litter of four kittens belonging to a remarkable feline family living on the outskirts of London. He went to his new home in September 2013.
He has a very commanding, Nordic character, but in fact he is a very affectionate and intelligent cat.
He very politely brings his hunting trophies home, like a real gentleman. He is very self-assured.
His favourite titbit is prawns.
He isn’t afraid of water or travelling but he is not very fond of either of them. He’s only scared of one thing: going to the vet’s!
Children’s reviews of the book
The main readership of the book will naturally be children. So we thought it was very important to get their feedback about the book. Read children’s reviews of the book.
Charitable organisations
Sadly, there are many abandoned animals in this world. If you want to help abandoned and neglected animals, you can find links to the websites of various charities in different countries and make a donation.