Birth of the Wise Cat

In 2001, Pooky became the Wise Cat on the Roof when he relocated to a historic Victorian home in southern Connecticut. There he discovered a roof so inviting, so pleasantly pitched, with perfect traction from the old shingles, that he soon made it his new favorite place. There were different angles to traverse, windows to peer in, streets to gaze over, tree limbs to swat, and a variety of birds and bats that kept him as sharp and alert as any cat could be.

A far cry from the the desolate coastline winter, Pooky’s new home made him strong and confident with every passing day he spent in it, and, above it. He was fed and sheltered with a growing friendship and empowered with his maturing abilities to bond with nature. This was the real Pooky.

One day while surveying his kingdom from above, Pooky heard a plaintive voice rising from below. He recognized the voice instantly. This time, rather than ignore it, as he had done so often before, he answered.

Discovering his new found voice, he talked more and more every day. In turns, sarcastic, humorous, audacious, raucous, philosophical and insightful, Pooky became the talk of his home, and, of the town. Thus began the life of the Wise Cat On The Roof.

How To Read The Wise Cat

The words of the Wise Cat On the Roof are not complicated, but sometimes the text flow can be confusing, especially when different characters show up. There are two ways to read a single Wise Cat slide. One is in a clockwise direction starting from Pooky’s words (usually set to his right at one o’clock). The other way is in a counterclockwise direction, with a text block appearing to his left, at approximately ten o’clock. In both cases, the last text block reads from either the house under the roof line, or from the neighbor’s house under the trees. Sometimes, Pooky will get the last word in as a final text block appears to his right or left.