Synopsis for The Secret Lives of the Pink House Cats: Prose Poems by Five Felines
In Secret Lives, five cats recount their adventures. Bandit, the alpha cat, kicks off the
collection by explaining how he came to live at the Pink House after a harrowing life
with a five-year-old in a trailer park. He also explains how a talk by poet Billy Collins
gave Mama reason to start recording his best stories.
Cosmo, an orphan rescued from the Humane Society, is second in line. When he isn’t
dreaming of chasing bears on Mt. Lemmon, he is out collecting presents for Mama, some
of which she even keeps.
Phantom is another rescue cat, but she sticks to herself. Only in prose poetry is she
willing to share a few of her private thoughts. Her own reasons for residing at the Pink
House are selfish. She likes the house because the owner is almost never home.
Mei Mei and her brother Ping are the kittens, so they are the most mischievous. They
terrorize houseguests, keep Mama awake at night, and complain about the décor. They
share the love by explaining how the whole world revolves around them! (They are not
kidding.)