The Minister’s Cat is a Feeling Cat...

About the Book

The Minister’s Cat is a Feeling Cat is a creative arts therapy journal inspired by the Victorian parlor game known as The Minister’s Cat or The Parson’s Cat. The traditional version of The Minister’s Cat involves players sitting in a circle and taking turns describing the cat with an adjective. Beginning with the letter “A”, the first player might say “the minister’s cat is an active cat”. The next player would follow using the letter “B” and might say “the minister’s cat is a bold cat”.  An example of the game can be viewed in the 1970 musical “Scrooge” on YouTube. This journal adapts the game to invite exploration of emotions, which are depicted through illustrations of body postures and facial expressions of the minister’s cat, Monkey. The companion page provides prompts and space to express feelings through drawing, writing, storytelling, talking, or movement which playfully facilitates communication. It is best used in conjunction with parents, therapists, or educators helping children to identify feelings, validating that all feelings are acceptable and brainstorming healthy ways to cope with them. Make sure to play the game for fun as well using your own words to complete the sentence stem. It can be a source of entertainment on car rides, at the dinner table or at parties while sharpening thinking skills, building vocabulary and fostering creativity.

About the Author

Cindy Christian is a licensed mental health counselor/art therapist who lives with her husband, Leo (a minister) and their cat, Monkey. They divide their time between Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. Cindy has a background in early intervention and children/adolescent’s counseling. Currently, she works with adults in a private practice.