Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family

"We're just going to look." Helen Brown had no intention of adopting a pet when she brought her sons, Sam and Rob, to visit a friend's new kittens. But the runt of the litter was irresistible.

When Cleo was delivered weeks later, she had no way of knowing that her new family had just been hit by a tragedy. Helen was sure she couldn't keep her--until she saw something she thought had vanished from the earth forever: her son's smile.

Through happiness and heartbreak, changes and new beginnings, Cleo turned out to be the unlikely glue that affectionately held Helen's family together. We recently caught up with Helen Brown to talk about Cleo.

Amazon.com: Are cat people born or made?

Helen Brown: In my experience they’re definitely made. We had plenty of cats when I was growing up but my mother had a rural upbringing. She thought cats were layabouts and only useful for catching mice. I believed her--until I met Cleo.

Amazon.com: What was it about Cleo that helped you so much?

Helen Brown: Cleo turned up at the lowest point in our lives. We were distraught with grief and in a state of shock. This black ball of fur was such a clown and so full of life she made Sam’s younger brother Rob smile for the first time since the accident. Rob identified with her because, like him, she’d lost her siblings.  And she was so cuddly. I decided to keep her for Rob’s sake, but Cleo soon worked her magic on me too.

Amazon.com:  What would you say to parents who have lost a child, or people who have suffered loss?

Helen Brown: You can survive this. You won’t necessarily “recover” but it is possible encompass the enormity of your pain and, ultimately, grow through it. Comfort will probably spring from unexpected sources – a majestic sunrise, an exquisite piece of music – or a small black cat. Keep your heart open.

Amazon.com: Do you think dogs can have the same effect as cats?

Helen Brown: Absolutely. I’ve had emails from people all over the world relating incredible stories about how family pets have literally saved their lives. Animals are tuned into subtle energies. They often seem to know when things need fixing before we do.

Amazon.com: Do you have another cat?

Helen Brown: I swore I never would. People should never swear. I was half way through writing the book when I came down with a spot of breast cancer. My sister Mary visited to look after me when I came out of hospital after the mastectomy. After going for a walk one day she came home and said “The only reason I’m telling you this is you swore you’re not getting another cat, but there’s an incredibly cute Siamese kitten down at the pet shop.” I hobbled down there straight away, of course, and there he was stretching his paw out through the cage and fixing me with huge blue eyes. He’s called Jonah. He’s totally dysfunctional--very vain and, being a typical male, hates being laughed at. He’s a healer in his own right. We adore him. My prognosis is excellent by the way.

Amazon.com: Has the book’s international success changed your life?

Helen Brown: I still live pretty quietly, scrabbling out of bed each morning to feed my coffee addiction at the little cafe across the road. I then sit in front of the computer and gaze at the 100 year old apple tree outside my window. Since Cleo hit best seller lists around the world I get a lot more emails, not just from people trying to sell fake watches and Viagra. Some of them are very moving. I try to reply to them all. I also travel more often, which is exciting. I loved meeting Cleo’s publishers in New York recently.