A delightful new children’s book has just been released called Petula, The Circus Cat. It follows the story of a cat with a very unique talent.
The story begins by introducing a homeless cat that shows up at the door of Mr. and Mrs. Bumble. They take her in, and even though the cat is scared and shy at first, Mrs. Bumble’s affection brings her out of her shell. They name her Petula, and she develops a trick of standing on her back feet and walking to Mrs. Bumble.
Interestingly enough, Petula’s trick is inspired by a real cat in author Marylouise Sholly’s life. “Petula, The Circus Cat is based on my own cat who actually does walk on the back of her feet for a short distance – she is my inspiration for this story,” says Sholly.
Bright lights, big city may sound exciting, but sometimes the quiet life is better, especially if you are a shy little cat like Petula, but her pet-parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bumble, may have other plans.
Parents and children alike will be captivated by Petula, The Circus Cat, with its colorful illustrations, a darling storyline, and the underlying message about the transformative power of love that Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Bumble discover through their experiences with Petula.
We spoke with the publisher and they kindly offered us 5 copies of Petula, The Circus Cat for five lucky Purrington Post readers to WIN!
* Contest Now Closed
This contest ended on October 10th, 2018 and was available to U.S. residents only. To enter you simply needed to submit a comment in our “Leave a Reply” section at the bottom of this page saying:
My cat’s name is [insert your cat’s name] and if he/she performed in the circus their unique act would be [name your cat’s special circus skill].
The 5 winners were chosen by the author (Marylouise Sholly) from all the correctly submitted entries and contacted by email.
About the Author
Marylouise Sholly’s biggest thrill – doing freelance work for The Wall Street Journal. She has worked as a print journalist for more than 20 years and has been employed for most of that time as a full-time writer/photographer. Now, she works as a correspondent for a number of local newspapers.
Can’t wait? You can order your copy on Amazon here => Buy Petula, The Circus Cat
My cat’s name is Oreo and if he performed at the circus his unique act would be to toss his toy mice up to the trapeze net!
My cat’s name is Harry and if he performed at the circus his unique act would be how fast you can climb the highest cat tree and then jump straight down.
My cat’s name is GiGi and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be to jump up the wall and toggle the light switch on/off. And then her brother, Eddie, would chase her around. 🙂
My cat’s name is Luda and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be the high wire act, since we have caught him walking in our suspended ceiling more than once!
My cat’s name is Gizmo and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be on the high wire. She loves to climb high .
My cat’s name is Ziggy and if he performed in a circus his unique act would be hearing the can of cat food being opened from the under the bed in the bedroom, while I’m in the kitchen no matter how quiet I open it.
My cat’s name is Nermal, and if she performed in a circus, her unique act would be riding our dog while waving a cowboy hat!
My cat’s name is Springer and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be springing up high into the air
My cat’s name is Chloe and if she performed in the circus their unique act would be her ability to detect the car motors of people she is afraid of. The car pulls up, Chloe disappears.
My cat’s name is Rousey and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be the ability to detect catdad getting turkey out of the fridge for his sandwich. We can open the fridge 100 times a day, but she always knows when daddy is making a turkey sandwich!
My cat’s name is Percy and if he performed in the circus, his unique act would be climbing to the top of the tent and do a balancing act on the high beam. He always walks on the 3” handrails throughout the home!
My cat’s name is Percy and if he performed in the circus, his unique act would be climbing high and do a balancing act. He walks the 3” wide handrails throughout the home!
I have 3 cats, 2 are mine and one is a foster; Maggy, Bean and Abby. Only one gets along with my 2 dogs. Its a zoo at times but we are one happy family!!
My cat’s name is Fred and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be climbing to the very top of the highest high wire platform.
My cats name is Merlin and he performed in the circus his unique act would be magic of course. He is a master with his disappearing act
My cat’s name is Mr. Carson and if he performed in the circus, he would be the ringmaster because he is a classic tuxedo and thus, always appropriately dressed to be master of ceremonies.
My cat’s name is Ben and if he performed in the circus, he would be an escape artist. He is fast an can squeeze out the door between your legs like like lightning.
My cat’s name is Juneau and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be jumping and flipping off of the wall (even at 13 years old)!
My cats name is Willie Nelson Cat and she would be the circus clown. She is naturally hilarious.
My cat’s name is Carly and she can open all the doors in the house!!! Next she is working on leaning to use the can opened!
My cat’s name is Timmy and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be being focused like a dog and fetching a ball just like a dog.
My cat’s name is Mango and if she performed
In the circus her unique act would be holding on
to the high wire with her back paws while grapping
her tail underneath the wire and her brothers J Mello
and Mario would be underneath looking up in
Amazement!
My cat’s name is Fizzgig and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be jumping from the table to the top of the fridge to the top of the cabinets. He is such a bozo but I love him all the same!
My cat’s name is LaDiva and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be “LaDiva, Soccer Queen!”.
My cat’s name is Smudge and if she performed in the circus their unique act would be a contortionist!
My cat’s name is Elvis, and if he performed in the circus, his unique act would be amazing spectators with his contortional skills — he can twist and turn himself into amazing forms, smiling all the while!
My cat’s name is Altair and if he performed in the circus, his unique talent would be moonwalking like Michael Jackson. He didn’t understand when he was a kitten that digging in the litterbox didn’t involve the hind legs backing up too. He also is a black cat with white paws, although he also has a white chest. Thank you.
My cat’s name is Spunk and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be gymnastic cat as he jumps up walls and does somersaults.
My cats name is Beetlejuice and if he performed in the circus his unique talent would be chirping while doing flips in his huge litter box
My cat’s name is Peaches and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be jumping around.
My cat’s name is Electra and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be for you to watch all the tricks she has trained her human to do.
My cat’s name is Hewitt and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be leaping to great heights.
My cat’s name is Beauty and if she performed in the circus their unique act would be the ringmaster
My cat’s name is Mark and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be the high wire balancing act! He has been practicing (to my shock and horror) by balancing along the top railing of my staircase and walking down the railing along the staircase from three stories/levels up to the ground floor.
My cat’s name is BB-8 and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be Flying into Papa’s arms.
My cat’s name is Sapphire and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be jumping from horse to horse as they run in the ring.
My cat’s name is Sunshine and if he/she performed in the circus their unique act would be a high wire act. She loves high places and would walk on the ceiling if she could.
My cat’s name is Yoshi and if he/she performed in the circus their unique act would be stealing food off the counter at the speed of light and jumping to the top of the frig in a single bound.
My cat’s name is Princess and if he performed in the circus her unique act would be jumpimg onto high places. She is tiny, but her legs let her jump at least 5 feet from a standing position
My cat name is dexter and his if he/she performed in the circus their unique act would be bunny jumping as a gymnastics trick he goes buzzy and jumps in weird ways
My cats names are Kathleen and Domino and if they performed in the circus their unique act would be the high wire act!
My cat’s name is Clara and if she performed in a circus her unique talent when be a disappearing act when company comes over
My cat’s name is Liam and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be displaying his amazing tolerance of his big brother, Slade. Even when he stands over Liam with his entire 85 lbs, Liam isn’t scared. He nonchalantly looks into Slade’s eyes and casually tells him that he can’t intimidate this cat!
My cat’s name is St. Paul and as he is named after a saint he thinks it is undignified to perform in a circus or anywhere else!!
My cats’ names are Abbie, Emmie, L.C. (Little Cat) and L.E. (Large Ears) and if they performed in the circus their unique act would be how to circle the humans when hungry.
My cat’s names are Bandit & Mikko and I’d they performed in a circus, their unique talents would be a clown act. They do the darndest things and make us laugh every day.
I use to have a cat named Smokey. His act would be to jump from a banister to the top of a door & walk on it like a tightrope then jump back down onto the banister then back down to the floor. Also jump up & turn off a light switch.
My cat’s name is Uncle Wiggly and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be pawprint art on the car’s paint job.
My cats name is Mr.Kitty if he was to join a circus he would do a tight rope act. He try’s doing it on the valance curtainrod.He has no fear oh heights the higher the better!
My cat’s name is Felix and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be the fastest cat in the world. Felix likes to play off-ground touch running around the top of the furniture at the speed of light without touching the ground!!
My cat’s name is Mario Lopez and if he performed in a circus his unique act would be to hypnotize people into rubbing his belly.
My cat’s name is Edgar Allan Purr and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be opening up the closet to steal some treats!
My cat’s name is SUNSHINE and if he performed in the circus, his unique act would be as an acrobat. He does backward flips in the air, leaping after his kitty teaser and catching it between his two front paws. Of course, he gets loud applause and cat-calls from the audience, yelling “More, more, more”!
My cat’s name is Stinger and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be eating twice his weight in tuna while flying on the trapeze.
My cat’s name is Lil Girl and if she performed in the circus their unique act would be rolling around & looking cute.
My cat’s name is Bud and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be running for no reason &/ or chasing with his sister.
my cats name is lucy and if she performed in the circus her unique act would be running as fast as she could to jump up in your lap.
My cat’s name is Mocha and if she performed in the circus, her unique act would be sitting straight up on her hind legs (like a dog) and begging.
My cats name is SPARTACUS and if he purrformed in the circus his unique act would be liquifying himself into the smallest of boxes, as well as becoming a nice big floofy poofy kitty loaf!
My cat’s name is Ruby and if he/she performed in the circus their unique act would be warp speed ribbon chasing.
My cat’s name is Nibbler and if she performed in a circus her unique act would be jumping from our tree house on to a WILD TURKEY! Just one of Nibblers many talents!!
My cat’s name is Boris and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be tight-rope walking.
My cat’s name is Purrkins and if she performed in the circus her unique circus act would be standing on her hind legs and begging for milk. (Which she really does!)
My cat is named Hootie and if he had a circus act, it would be as a demolition man. That cat can destroy any lego structure in one swipe.
My cat’s name is Tooloo and if she performed in the circus her act would be the death defying stunt of climbing all the way to the top of the stairs, scaling the loft wall and jumping down the entire height of the stairwell.Ms.Tooloo is almost 18yrs old now and retired, she spends her evenings back talking and walking on her mommy whilst she sleeps.
My cat’s name is Puffy and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be cannon ball.
My cat’s name is Izzie and if she performed in the circus, her unique act would be showing off her strength by playing tug-of-war with one of her many stuffed teddy bears.
My cat’s name is Frank and if he performed in the circus their unique act would be fetching and catching toys in mid air.
My cat’s name is Odie and if he performed in the circus his unique act would be getting shot out of a cannon while catching his favorite catnip mouse mid flight.
My cat’s name is Harley and if she performed in the circus their unique act would be tight rope walking. she loves to walk along the backs of sofas, chairs, railings.