Anyone who has ever lived with a young, active cat knows the challenges of getting adjusted to his or her particular quirks.  Will you have to devote two hours after work to playing with a fishing rod toy?  Will kitty only be satisfied by chasing the red dot?  Or is the key to feline happiness the ultimate kitty crack, catnip?  Creator Victoria Douglas presents a slightly fictionalized example of their learning process with their cat in Cinnamon, a slice-of-life tale about the joys and hazards of sharing our homes with a furry overlord.  

Per the author’s note at the end of Cinnamon #1, this series started as a senior capstone project based on their experiences learning to live with a cat for the first time.  While I’m not sure if my own personal cats envision each of our interactions as intensely as little Cinnamon (then again my current cats are 7ish and anywhere from 13-15ish), every pet owner has created interior dialogue for their critters.  The twenty-nine pages focus on one interaction between human and cat, and it’s a simple look at how frustrating it feels when your pet acts out no matter what you try, just mostly from the kitty’s perspective.

I was expecting a cutesier art style for Cinnamon based on the description, so it took me a few pages to adjust to the rough red, white, and black panels.  Cinnamon’s self-image reminds me of an eighties tough guy complete with souped-up motorcycle.  Most of the artwork filters through what I dubbed “kitty vision,” where her normal human appears like a demon or mecca, kitchen cabinets become tall buildings, and glasses on a countertop secretly are explosives.  All of Cinnamon’s experiences have more detail, perhaps to emphasize the difference between the real world and our protagonist’s inner monologue.

I’m a cat owner, so I’m definitely the target audience for Cinnamon.  Every little moment resonated with my experiences, especially how critters can make you think they’ve learned a lesson when they’ll just turn around and do the same crazy thing again.  Anyone who loves cats will enjoy this semi-autobiographical look at learning your cat (because none of them are the same, none of them!) and appreciate one young cat’s imaginary adventures in liberating the most important thing in life!

4 Glasses Pushed off the Countertop out of 5

Creative Team:  Victoria Douglas (Creator)
Publisher: Behemoth Comics
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