REVIEW: Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: And Other Questions About Dead Bodies (nonfiction book) by Caitlin Doughty, illustrations by Dianné Ruz

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? is nonfiction. I bought my copy new.

Review:

In this book, Doughty answers 34 death-related questions in some depth, and an additional five questions more briefly in a "Rapid-fire Death Questions" section. She also wraps up the book with a chapter aimed at parents who are concerned about their child's questions about death - this one features answers by Dr. Alicia Jorgenson, a child and adolescent psychologist.

Doughty's answers were direct and didn't shy away from some of the grosser aspects of death, but, at the same time, her tone was always light and oddly reassuring. The question that gave the book its title is also the first one Doughty addresses. I hadn't specifically wondered about whether my cat would eat my eyeballs after my death, but I figured that, if it took long enough for someone to find me, she'd probably eat some part of me, which is essentially what Doughty's answer ended up being (she also mentions dogs and a few other pets). I knew I'd appreciate the way she framed her answers, however, when she began this one by saying "For hours, even days, after your death, Snickers will expect you to rise from the dead and fill his normal food bowl with his normal food. He won't be diving straight for the human flesh. But a cat has got to eat, and you are the person who feeds him. That is the cat-human compact. Death doesn't free you from performing your contractual obligations." (1)

Doughty says that most (all?) of the questions in this book came from children, who tend to be more open about their curiosity about death. I could easily imagine some kid asking Doughty "Can we give Grandma a Viking funeral?" or "Can I be buried in the same grave as my hamster?" Even when the questions weren't things I've ever personally wondered, Doughty's answers were fascinating. I would've loved to have had her around after my maternal grandmother died when I was a kid and I was freaked out about things none of the adults around seemed to want to talk about. 

I definitely plan to read more of Doughty's works.

Unrelated to the actual content of the books, I loved Dianné Ruz's creepy/funny/sweet illustrations at the start of each chapter.