“Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats”

by Fran Withrow 07.2025

When Courtney Gustafson and her boyfriend moved into their rental house in Poets Square in Tucson, Arizona, they had no idea they were not alone. The evidence was quickly found, though: tiny paw prints outside and, at night, eyes glowing in the bushes. A few stray cats, they thought. They were right about the cats, but woefully wrong about the number: an incredible thirty feral cats struggled to survive around their home. 

Gustafson had no idea how much these cats would upend her life. 

Once she started naming the cats, it was all over. Soon she was feeding Monkey, Dr. Big Butt, and Sad Boy with what little money she could scrape together. She saw that the cats were sick and dying, and because she has always loved cats, she began to trap, and spay or neuter them. She worked to obtain vet care for them, and wept over the ones she could not save.

Gustafson started an Instagram account featuring the cats, and eventually developed a large following. @poetssquarecats currently has 195K followers who eagerly watch for her frequent posts. Word got out about her work, and people began calling her for help with cats in other neighborhoods. She always responds.

But this is not just a book about how one person is saving the lives of so many cats. Working with the cats helped Gustafson, who suffered from anxiety, depression, and a lack of self worth, develop more confidence in and love for herself. And that is no small thing.

Gustafson grew up feeling like she was never good enough, or pretty enough, or accomplished enough. (If you identify as a woman, chances are you can relate to at least some of these.) She valued herself on how other people saw her. Was she dressed well enough? Did her hair look nice? Did men find her attractive? Health issues, low paying jobs rife with sexism, and a sense of isolation from others compounded her anxious feelings. 

At first it was hard. Men made inappropriate remarks. People called the unspayed cats slutty. She made mistakes, felt unsure of herself, but kept trying. It was never easy, but it got easier.

A Thanksgiving dinner video she made of the cats went viral and she began making money for her work, crawling under cars and into abandoned apartments, wearing her bite-proof gloves and lugging a trap and treats with her. Slowly she became more self-assured. She stopped worrying about her appearance. And as she looked beyond herself, she realized that helping the cats meant also helping the people who care for them, many of whom are unhoused or struggle with poverty. 

If you like cats, you will love this paean exploring how meeting the needs of the cats of Poets Square (what a great name) changed the life of a young woman for the better. And if you haven’t been a fan of cats before, well, after reading this book, you just might like them a little more.