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I will start this review with a full disclosure. My beloved cat, Spooky's story is included in this wonderful collection. Even if he had not been chosen, I would still love Black Cats Tell All: True Tales and Inspiring Images by Layla Morgan Wilde. To quote Layla, "Our goal is to change perceptions about black cats one story and one photo at a time."

As soon as I heard about this project, I was all for it. I currently have three black cats, I had four when the project was announced. I chose to help Spooky write his story because I knew the most about his history before living with us. He also had a lot to meow about.

It is sad that in these modern times, many still think of black cats as being bad luck. People also do horrible things to them on Halloween which is why most shelters in the United States will not allow black cat adoptions during the month of October. Oddly, I am very superstitious, but not about black cats. You will never catch me walking under a ladder though.

Sadly, black cats are the least likely to be adopted from shelters and those that are adopted have probably spent longer in the shelter than cats of other colours. Because of this and the superstitions, Layla decided to do something in her power to help their plight. She asked for stories, written in the cat' s point-of-view. She wants people to know that black cats are just as sweet and loving as any other cat.

Black Cats Tell Allis filled with amazing photos of black cats. Some are out in nature, others are house panthers. Some are dressed in adorable costumes while others are just in their natural gorgeous coats. There are well over 100 photos.

There are also 38 stories by black cats. Some have had very tough starts to their life while others were lucky enough to be adopted as kittens. One poor kitty ended up with frostbite damage to his ears before he was adopted. Just like people, every cat has a story. Each story is unique, but they all have one thing in common and that is each cat deserves to be loved.

My Spooky was like Goldilocks, but instead of testing The Three Bears beds and chairs, he tested homes. He lived in several in the neighbourhood until he decided that we were just right for him. I am thankful that he did choose us in the end, I just wish we had gotten more time with him.

I can't put into words exactly how special all these stories are and what a fantastic book this is. I highly recommend it for all cat lovers, especially those that have a spot in their heart for house panthers. It is available on Layla's website,  Cat Wisdom 101, you need to scroll down on the right to find the link. It is also available on Amazon.

Ellen's column: 15 Cats and Meowing can be found here: