Let's get this out of the way right at the beginning:  Clearing out the Clutter is adamantly pro-dog.  We talk to every dog we see on the street (often ignoring their owners), we've got a blue dog running the office (just look at the picture on the right side of this screen), and if forced to say who we like better between people and dogs, the pooches win 99.9% of the time.  Long story short: Dogs rule.  However, we also appreciate the magnificent and fascinating creatures commonly known as cats.  Whereas a dog will make it clear you're the greatest thing that ever happened to them, a cat will usually imply you should feel grateful it didn't try to eat you while you were sleeping.  Dogs live for head rubs from you, and cats think you live to feed them.  However, if you manage to convince a cat to "let" you hang out with them for a bit, it's a treat.  Cats are characters, to say the least.

The Oatmeal's Matthew Inman knows these creatures well, and he's got a new book out explaining where they stand in relationship to little humans.  Maybe you can guess his position from the title:  Why My Cat is More Impressive Than Your Baby.  (Release Date: June 4, 2019)    Inman spends roughly 150 pages making his case with comic strips that are always a combination of cute and frightening.  His descriptions of cats, dogs, and babies are all dead-on.  (Quick note:  If you can't laugh at jokes about babies, this is not for you.)  This isn't something we say often, but the book is laugh out loud funny.  Inman also finds moments to sneak in thoughts on life, love, and happiness when he's not busy documenting how many creatures cats kill in a year.

Every cat or dog owner will love this book.  Hell, even if you've just been around other people's pets, you'll enjoy it.  It may be tough reading for some parents, but there's no escaping the hard truth:  Pets rule the land.   Also, there's the book equivalent of a movie post-credit scene, so make sure you read until the very end.

There's no denying the truth.  (pic via amazon.com)

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (June 4, 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1524850624
• ISBN-13: 978-1524850623

Clearing out the Clutter has joined the Amazon Associates program, so we will receive a portion of any sale via the above link.  We promise it doesn't impact the content of the review.  This is just a way for us to maintain our coffee budget.