Book Description
A popular cat expert and award-winning author of four books on feline behavior reveals the key to a satisfying and rewarding relationship with your cat.
Think it's impossible to train a cat? Think again! Yes, you can learn to understand your cat. No, cats are not always aloof. No, they don't ruin furniture out of spite. Most often feline "misbehavior" is the result of owners not understanding their cat's needs. In this comprehensive book that takes readers through every step of cat ownership, Pam Johnson-Bennett helps you understand the instincts that determine feline behavior, positive and negative. An authoritative resource for cat owners of all stripes, Think Like a Cat covers everything from where to get a kitten to choosing a vet; from basic health care to treating more serious medical problems; from selecting an irresistible scratching post to avoiding litter box problems. A seasoned therapist and former veterinary technician, Johnson-Bennett offers welcome advice in a straightforward manner that will help cats--and their owners--share a happy, healthy life together.
Johnson-Bennett's first book, Cat Love, was chosen by Cat Fancy magazine as one of the best books ever published on cats.
Customer Reviews:
Okay but some ideas were too wacky.......2007-09-17
In general it was alright. But some of her ideas were too bizarre. You can't teach a cat to come! And her idea of giving cat treats to get them to learn new things? Okay but if you have a cat who needs to lose weight that is not the best thing to be encouraging. Cats are not children. You can't reward them and then decide one day not to anymore. Also, the idea that if you don't play everyday with your cat that you are going to somehow ruin them? Please. I don't play with my cat every day and he is just fine. Also the idea that you have to give your cat the "Right" toys? They are CATS, not children. My cat has several "Inanimate" toys and he doesn't seem bored. Plus many of these interactive toys are not cheap and the fishing rod type toys break.
For the person who said cats belong outside? Maybe so.But I live in an apartment and letting my cat outdoors is out of the questions.
I skipped many parts of the book because my cat does not have those issues. And as for the litter box? I own an automatic one which she seems to frown on and I love it. It is so much easier to clean. If my cat has any problems I can still tell.
Shoe me a cat that can learn to sit and stay and I will show you a frog who can talk!
Move than you expect.......2007-09-16
This book was written very well.It is one of those books to keep on the bedside table as you will always refer to it. I have been looking after cats for 15 years now and this book still managed to teach me a few new things. A great book both for beginners to experts!
A great how-to manual for cat lovers.......2007-05-15
This book is an excellent tool for the novice or expert cat owner. I've read this book from cover to cover and find it a useful reference tool whenever I'm unsure of how to deal with a situation with my cat. It covers issues such as, how to introduce a second cat to the family, preparing kitty for a new baby, moving day, how to remedy behavior problems, etc, etc. I personally have purchased multiple copies of this book to give to friends and family with cats. Highly recommended.
Good Cat.......2007-04-06
It's a crazy title but once you get into reading it, fits perfectly. We gave a kitten to my mother and noticed it was starting to rule the household and develop bad habits. "Think Like A Cat" to the rescue. It opened our eyes to the cause and the problems were nipped in the bud. Who's boss? Not the cat.
The best cat book out there........2007-03-12
This is the perfect book for the novice cat owner, the timid cat owner, the at-wits-end cat owner, the child cat owner, and even the very experienced cat owner. It's easy enough for an 8 year old to read & understand yet is crammed with useful information on everything from water bowls & cat litter to medical information your vet won't think to tell you. Best of all, it contains no bad information! If you read this book through you will truly be able to see the world from your cat's point of view.
Book Description
Paul Kunkel, who toilet-trained his first cat while in college and who has continued to train his own and his friends' cats ever since, presents a foolproof, 21-Day-Program for teaching any litter-trained cat between the ages of 6 months and 10 years to use a toilet instead of a litter box. (Older cats can still be trained, but the process will probably take longer.) Requiring nothing more than magazines and/or newspapers, masking tape, heavy-duty plastic wrap, and a supply of fresh litter, the plan begins with you placing the box next to the toilet and, after gradually raising it to the height of the seat, ends with the cat--well, using it like any other member of the family. For life.
Along the way, concerned owners learn why toilet-trained cats may be happier and healthier cats. In well-researched, fact-filled text, Kunkel traces the history and behavior of this barely domesticated animal and proves why the box is bad for cats; why many cats equate the smell of a litter box with danger; and why the fragrances, deodorants, dyes, and disinfectants found in most litters are detrimental to your pet's well-being.
Customer Reviews:
Great Idea.......2006-11-03
The book was very clear and the steps are easy. My cats started off following right along, However I didn't follow the directions exactly & did have a set back. I'm looking forward to trying again & hopefull that it will work this time. I would advise anyone trying this method to make sure the rest of their house is clean though. If your cat does hit a point where they decide to resist the training, that fresh pile of clean laundry seems to be a favorite site for them to express their irritation at the new change to their lives.
It worked for us.......2006-03-12
Most of the book contains information about how to litter train a kitten, but the last 20ish pages are the key. Our cat, Fenway, was not successful in just 21 days and required the alternate method. But, we are litter free now and have been for about two weeks. Plus, we really didn't need to buy anything new for this book. We had everything on hand. It was a bit annoying at the plastic wrap time as we had to leave our apartment to find another toilet. It would be nice if it had other chapters such as "Adding a second cat to your house" and "Moving to a new home." Check out this blog for photos of our Fenway in action--baggypantsandbravado.blogspot.c0m.
Get a Citikitty Instead!.......2006-01-27
I bought this book recently after being fed up with cleaning the cat box, stepping on litter that had fallen out, and lugging a ginormous amount of litter up stairs.
The majority (2/3) of this book is about cat behavior, even to what your cat's meows mean. In essence, why cats do what they do and how they have the potential to be toilet trained.
I did more research on the internet before I began Kunkel's method. His method, for me at least, would involve more money being spent than I was inclined to spend (new box that fit the size specifications, undeoderized litter to wean my cats off of the deoderized kind, etc.). Plus, his last few steps involve saran wrap and tape that goes over the bowl of the toilet. In other words, I feel there is a lot of potential for psychological damage for the cat - and maybe the owner, too!
Instead, I purchased a CITIKITTY (www.citikitty.com). My cats used it immediately - 20 minutes out of the box - and I am highly satisfied with the results so far. It is filled with litter and fits over the bowl of the toilet, under the seat. It is durable enough that the cats can stand in it and it is easy enough to take off when I need to use the toilet (no adhesives or other mess). A hole is made in the center that gradually gets larger so that the cat is forced to stand on the seat itself.
Toilet training your cat is an exercise in classical conditioning, whatever methodology you use. Go slow and with the pace of your cat. Good luck!
this book needs about 21 more chapters..........2005-07-19
Well, the book got made, and I bought it. Maybe I'm the dumb one!
We are still (months later) trying, as we really want to eliminate the litter, but have had to research other books and the internet for more, MUCH more info. This author doesn't even offer info for more questions. It's as if he's covered every possible scenario in the world, now it's up to you, the reader, to do it.
All you have to do is read the other reviews of this book to see that he's left out A LOT of possibilities. The reader is left to his own devices to fill in the numerous blanks. And as much time and energy as it takes, I find it almost impossible to believe the author has spent time training his friends' cats, too. It is time consuming, messy, and so far, extremely frustrating for both me and my cat.
We have followed, word for word, every instruction in the book, and have still been unsuccessful. The Saran Wrap? Bad idea - the cat falls through, every time (even with heavy duty wrap & very light Siamese cat ) which causes MUCH consternation on the part of the cat. We finally rig it so he can go again - he'll go, but doesn't like it. He has to be contained in the bathroom, and even still, will go on the floor rather than in the pot.
The pace of the training is entirely too fast, and offers no other options. Note to publisher: if you reprint this book, it needs some serious revisions.
Helpful for Beginning..........2005-01-19
Kunkel has lots of fascinating information about cats' elimination behavior and toilet training. Especially liked his point that it is no more normal or natural for a cat to go in the same LB over and over than to use the toilet. Cats often prefer a clean place each time they eliminate. Kunkel explains that an outdoor domestic cat may range around a mile from home in its daily travels-giving it a lot of real estate to use as its LB. Teaching an indoor cat to use the toilet gives it a clean place to use each time-which may be more natural for a cat than using a small LB.
While the book is helpful in getting started, many trainers need to discuss their training experiences with other trainers & get suggestions to overcome their initial cats' resistance-because cats are creatures of habit. Look for the group Cats' T-Training.
Book Description
Cats are intelligent and reasonable animals, capable of enormous affection and loyalty and willing to cooperate with their owners-if asked to do so in a polite manner. With dogs, one commands; with cats, one suggests. Knowing which "suggestions" to make, and how to make them, is the key.
In CatSpeak, Bash Dibra shows cat owners how to do the previously unthinkable: train their cats! Understanding feline body language, facial expressions, vocal signals, and the instinctive behaviors that make up CatSpeak, the unique language of cats, is vital to the endeavor. So are the three P's: patience, persistence, and praise. The author takes the reader step-by-step in forming a new, mutually satisfying human-feline relationship.
With easy-to-follow instructions and complete, up-to-the-minute information, CatSpeak provides everything you need to know to have a happy, healthy, well-mannered cat.
Customer Reviews:
I finally understand my cats.......2006-11-07
This is one of those great gifts to get all your cat loving friends or ones that are considering adopting a feline friend. I love when Bash suggests to ask your cat to do something rather than to tell them. It really works! An enjoyable and educational read.
MEOW!!!.......2006-10-14
This book was purrfect. I have always spoken to my "girls" but now have a better understanding of their special ways of communicating. The book was insightful and educational. Written simply and easy to comprehend, I felt as though Mr. Dibra was speaking directly to my family.
one of the worst books i have ever read.......2006-05-22
repetative, dull, poorly written, and really dumb. As other reviewers note, it is tough to find anything in here that you don't already know...probably even if you have never owned a cat. And if you think that you will learn Cat Speak, whatever that is, don't hold your breath, the entire section is less than a chapter, and the chapters aren't much. . My sister gave this to me, thinking that it would help us with our two cats. Use it for litter.
Nothing New.......2005-12-22
This is a great book for someone who is getting a new cat or has a cat but doesn't understand him/her.
I was expecting some new information about a "secret language". There was no mention of the latest research in feline behavior and the author describes training a cat like training a dog; so what's the "secret"?
I agreed with almost everything in the book except the comment about cat owners who leave on a trip. The author says that cats do not get lonely. Well, that's wrong. He also says that a cat will go to the home where the best food is served. How does one explain cats who live with homeless street people?
The title was deceiving.
Useful for people in certain situations........2004-08-27
This book is probably extremely helpful for people in a few categories. It would be quite helpful to someone who wants to train a cat for show business or for cat shows; it would also be extremely helpful to someone who has never been around cats, someone who has been around cats but doesn't really understand them, someone who wants to learn basics about different cat breeds, or someone who is going to be living with a cat for the first time.
I had lived with cats before by the time I read this book, and I found most of the provided information to be fairly obvious. Feline body language, for instance, is one topic covered by the text. There were some bits that were interesting and/or surprising to me, though. For example, there is a short section on chattering. My present cat does sometimes chatter, but previous cats I'd known never did, so this topic was new for me.
The portion of the book about cat selection was not all that insightful, to my mind. If I did want to adopt a purebred cat, I'd want to research breeds in more depth than the book offered; but my cat came from a shelter, and I felt like the only advice the author had that applied to "impure" breeds was to make sure that the individual cat to be adopted was healthy and well-adjusted.
If you're looking for basics on cats, breed selection, cat training, and/or cat mannerisms, this book is an excellent choice for you. If you're already familiar with cat behavior and have no interest in extensive training, however, the book won't tell you much that you need to know.
Product Description
Barrons Books The Cat Whisperer Book
Customer Reviews:
A very good book to get you up to speed with modern theory.......2007-07-23
I just brought home my first cat in 20 years, and find this book an excellent primer in getting to know this little creature & appreciate it as a friend. The book is identical to her other book titled "How to Talk to Your Cat", so no need to buy both. The book is not written in an 'owner manual' style, but rather as a long essay where the author dispenses her sage advice. All the author is doing in this book is tying together modern theory to explain what a cat is, & why it does what it does, so we can better appreciate it & have more fruitful interactions with it. Some people may prefer a more systematic & technical approach; it is all personal preference. But I agree, the title is very misleading & a slick marketing ploy.
GREAT BOOK!.......2006-03-01
This book is one of the best I have seen on cat behavior and psychology. It is very in depth and easy to read. I recommend this to all users who want to get to know their cats better!
The Cat Whisperer: The Secret of How to Talk to Your Cat.......2004-11-05
Aside from the catchy title, I found little of use in this book that supposedly deals with cat communication. Any 'tasty morsels' were far and few between. Does the author even own a cat?
The Cat Whisperer: The Secret of How to Talk to Your Cat.......2004-04-28
At the beginning of this book, the author attempts to get us to understand from a cat's perspective on what it must be like to live with humans by comparing cats to Eskimos who suddenly move to the jungle. I nearly couldn't read any further. It is a distracting and unappetizing comparison with which Native people may be all too familiar.
Throughout the book, the author seems to go on and on about the relative popularity of dogs to cats. She includes far too much about dogs and their behavior characterstics in relation to people. If this were a book about cats and dogs that might have been appropriate. However, in this book, it was simply another distraction.
There are a few interesting things, but overall doesn't cover any new ground that Desmond Morris hasn't already covered.
Do Yourself A Favor And SKIP This Book.......2004-01-04
I've read dozens of cat books in the last few years, and frankly I just thought this one was a waste of money. There is no new info here, no new point of view, nothing that isn't available in a dozen other cat books, and better written at that. Someone who picked up "Cats For Dummies" would get more plentiful, useful information.
Amazon.com
Perhaps no one is better equipped to help us understand our cats than Jean Craighead George, award-winning author of over 80 books about nature and animals. This delightful picture book for cat lovers of all ages makes it perfectly clear who has the power in a human-cat relationship: the cat. But you already knew that. What you may not have known is that cats meow as many as 19 different meows (all interpreted here), that cats never purr when they are alone, that no one knows what part of the cat a purr really comes from, and what cats' various tail positions mean. Illustrator Paul Meisel's charming, cartoonish cats prance through the pages with photos of the author herself in a clever, endearing display of the human-feline relationship. Dog lovers will want to sniff out the companion title, How to Talk to Your Dog. (Ages 7 to 107) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
Find out what your cat is really saying -- and talk back!
What is your cat telling you when he rubs against your leg? What does it mean when he holds his tail straight up? Discover the different kinds of meows and what they mean; find out how to read whiskers, tails, facial expressions -- and much more!
Jean Craighead George, award-winning author of over 80 books about nature and animals, demonstrates in words and photos how to communicate with that ever-mysterious, ever-lovable animal -- the cat.
Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib.
Customer Reviews:
Book filled with inaccuracies.......2007-10-06
My daughter and I read "How to Talk to Your Cat" and were amazed by the number of inaccuracies stated throughout the book.
The author states that cats are "completely self-sufficient and can leave you at any time and go off and make a living." It's this kind of ignorance that contributed to the explosion in the feral cat population we face today! People pick up and move and abandon their cats thinking they can fend for themselves. Hunting is learned by watching other cats, and then putting those lessons into practice until they are perfected. Offspring of non-hunting cats rarely make good hunters themselves. In other words, house cats that have never been outdoors could never just "leave at any time and go off and make a living." They'd starve to death!
She also states that "cats are loners" and they "don't like company, including other cats." Cats are not anti-social. They have intricate social interactions with their own kind. Two of my cats are very social; they love the attention of people (even those they just meet) and the camaraderie of other felines. Feral cat colonies are found in every city and town throughout the world--the perfect example of their social nature. Cats also possess the ability to form close friendships with people. I own 8 cats and I have a unique relationship with each one. They are my babies and I couldn't imagine life without them.
She recommends only having one cat. She goes on to state "cats dislike other cats and will fight." Cats are social beings; they do like other cats and the only time they fight is to establish territory or male dominance, not because they dislike one another.
The author tells us that cats are o.k. with our leaving; they will not sulk. She doesn't know my cat Amber. Once I pull out the suitcases, she knows what's about to follow. She follows my every move when I go from room to room to gather things to pack all the while whimpering. I once had to cut a vacation short when her caretaker told me she wasn't eating or using the litter box. She was so upset by my absence.
Finally, she states that "the deeper the claws dig [into furniture], the more status the cat has." Huh? Scratching is a way of marking territory. Depth of the scratch has nothing to do with status. Feline social standing is measured by the amount of land a cat can lord over it. At the top of the hierarchy are unneutered males, followed by females that haven't been spayed, spayed females and at the bottom are the neutered males.
Her book would have been better suited for the fiction, not non-fiction classification.
I find it ironic that the author doesn't even own a cat, yet somehow she feels she has the knowledge and expertise to write a book about them.
A great laugh... and it works too!.......2007-09-26
I have had cats for quite sometime... and I was always saying to myself and my girlfriend... "I wish our cat could talk." To be honest, she never wanted to know what they were saying, I think becuase she would be afraid of what they are saying, even though our cats love her more than they do me.
ANYWAY, this book has been a great way to understand better what our little friends are trying to say to us. I would not say that we are having conversations, but, at least I know that I should not take somethings as personal as what I was in the past.
For example, I loved to hold up our big cat, Toolsie, and put my nose to his (as kind of a kiss). Well, he let me do that without any resistance. What his relaxed body but squinting eyes were telling me was that he thinks this is fun but does not undrestand what or why i am doing this. A nice scratch on the back. Our other cat, Cuckoo, puts her paw up to my nose/face as I put my nose to her nose. It is quite funny and I was always wondering what she was thinking... well, from what I understand, Cuckoo thought I was more cuckoo and she was saying "hey, stop that, get out of my face. you are irritating me." Ok, i probably knew that without this book, but it has been good fun and i recommend it to any person who has a cat or give it as a gift to a friend that has a cat.
Keep up the conversation :)
Cute for all ages.......2006-08-27
This book tells how to interact with your cat. It is a very cute story that I enjoyed along with my family.
Understand house-cat behavior........2006-01-19
"How to talk to your cat," by Jean Craighead George.
Formerly published as part of a book called "How to talk to your animals."
Not to be confused with: "How to talk to your cat," an earlier book by Patricia Moyes. "How to talk to your cat," by Claire Bessant. "How to talk to your cat," by Lynn Allison. It's a common title!
A book about house-cat behavior, body language, and communication by vocalizations and pheromones. It is not about (nor does it mention) telepathic animal communication. The book has three chapters; the first and last are about various other kinds of animals, and the middle chapter is about house cats. It has simple black-and-white line drawings that serve as diagrams of gestures, and illustrations of anecdotes. While the illustrations are good, I would have liked to see more of them. [Note: this refers to the 1985 printing; it appears that the newest printing has more illustrations!]
The author used to believe (as science used to dictate) that animals behaved unthinkingly and without emotions, as automatons, and that they should not be thought of as being like humans. However, her stance changed to the opposite. She now sees animals as being intelligently, sensitively, and as being only a little different from humans, if at all. She has a convincing collection of case studies for this argument.
The chapter about cats tells of how they were domesticated. It describes and explains their social interactions with one another, including parenting, mating, fighting, hunting, and communicating with pheromones. As the title promises, it gives you advice on how to use body language and vocalizations that your cat will understand.
I'm familiar with this subject, but I did learn some new things from this book. There were a few feline behaviors whose reasons were mysterious to me that this book explained. The last chapter brought up several examples of animal tool use that I hadn't heard of before. As the author has raised "173 wild and 50 domestic animals," there were some amusing personal anecdotes about ravens, coyotes, and so on. I didn't spot any mistakes or false factoids.
All in all: the book was short enough to finish reading in a morning, I enjoyed reading it, and I learned some new things. Very good!
HOWLING GREAT FUN AND FABULOUS ILLUSTRATIONS!.......2003-02-13
Let's start simply and honestly, the same way these tomes approach their subject matter, and say these are the cat's meow! Jean Craighead George has penned two ultra-thin volumes on communicating with our best friends and felines, and each is a howling success. The Newberry Medal-winning author does what someone like Elizabeth Masrshall Thomas has tried to do in books tens of thousands words and pages longer and could not. Jean, by George, had found the winning ways to teach pet lovers how to chat with their four-footed pals. Her writing is sparse: "A lick is not a kiss. It is a statement that says you're a wonderful leader." Her advice is refreshing: "Growling is aggressive talk. Don't growl back. Dogs don't like that." As special as her words is the whimiscal use of arkwork: actual color photos of the animated author interacting with illustrations (by Sue Truesdell) of equally animated cartoon cats and dogs. (We just love the one of George on all fours, rubbing heads with a cat!) Four paws up!
Book Description
A step-by-step guide to the care of stray and feral cats. Here is everything you need to know to give your feral or stray cat a quality life, including how to care for, feed, and control the population by humanely trapping to spay or neuter. Also detailed information about taming feral cats and kittens, managing more than one stray, and caring for orphan kittens. Contains photographs and a 20 page Resource Guide to organizations, products, and additional information.
Customer Reviews:
Errors and omissions make this a chancy book.......2005-08-19
We do and teach a lot of rescue/TNR, and found this book to have many errors/omissions. Some examples:
p. 19 there is *not* controversy over whether domestic cats are really domesticated. They are. Again, p. 39 -- "would you bring the same animal in the house if it was a raccoon or squirrel?" Feral cats are not wild animals as raccoons and squirrels are; this is a very significant difference, and this is a very misleading comparison.
p. 23 In discussion of "is cat a feral or stray", no mention is made of the ethical necessity to **list as found** any cat you can even remotely touch. Many lost pet cats can present as quite scared. If your cat were missing, you would want finders to err on the side of listing every found cat as found!
p. 45 Very misleading info on FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). The typical first test for FIV tests for *antibodies*, not antigen -- thus, kittens can test FIV+ from maternal antibodies. With time, they clear the maternal antibodies. We have encountered many litters of kittens who initially tested FIV+, *all* of whom subsequently retested FIV-. There's no mention here of the need to have a test/retest protocol. (For great flowcharts, see http://www.felineleukemia.org/fiv1.html).
p. 22 "Feral cats are happier in the wild and are never really happy being confined". This is a mythical overgeneralization. We have done a lot of TNR in dense inner-city settings, and have brought a number of feral cats inside in various places, because their colony habitat was being destroyed (construction, redevelopment, etc.). Most former ferals, if they are kept inside with decent care, some windows, scratching and climbing posts, cat company, do quite well. A very small percent really want to be back in their colony. We've had quite fierce tomcats sit looking out a window at a thunderstorm, and purr up a storm. One "nth generation feral" loves to be picked up and cuddled (and he was definitely a feral cat). TNR (trap-neuter-return) is the default, but bringing a cat in to your home to sanctuary as a "permanent rescue cat" is a viable choice.
There is a lot of good information in this book, but unfortunately also a lot of errors; someone new to rescue would not be able to tell which is which.
You can find good info on TNR at
Alley Cat Allies, [...]
Best Friends http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/resourcelibrary/feralindex.cfm
Gesine Lohr
Feline Finesse.......2002-09-12
This volume of data, anecdotes, and knowledge is unsurpassed in helping the growing volume of stray and/or feral cats! Beautifully written and lovely photos, it is a treasure of information and a pleasure to read! It should be in the library of every "cat person" as well as schools, vet waiting room, pet supply shops, book stores!
A practical, useful guide for cat lovers of all ages.......2002-07-08
Arising from her lifelong commitment and efforts to helping all types of animals, Ann K. Fisher has written Living In Shadows: How To Help The Stray Cat In Your Life (Without Adding To The Problem) is a straightforward, informed and informative introductory guide to feeding and caring for stray cats without attracting other animals, how to humanely trap feral cats for spaying or neutering, orphan kitten care, and gradually taming feral cats for domestic relationships. A practical, useful guide for cat lovers of all ages and circumstances, Living in Shadows is very highly recommended reading and an invaluable addition to community libraries and animal shelter reference collections.
A MUST for the cat lover.......2002-06-28
That skinny cat keeps coming to your back door. When you show any interest, he dashes away. What is the kindest thing to do? Keep leaving out food? Call the local Humane Society? Trap him?
Ann Fisher offers no-nonsense guidance in what has to be one of the most unusual how-to books ever written. She doesn't mince words. Some feral cats will never be tamed. Think about your investment of time and money. Set limits.
Still, your feral cats may become part of your household, even if they live in the back yard. By spaying even one cat, you are doing a lot of good. And if you are not in a position to help a cat first-hand, Fisher provides a list of cat-saving organizations that will be very grateful for your donations.
Here's the perfect gift for your cat-fanatic friends who, like me, hope to evolve into little old ladies who live for their cats.
A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO HAS A STRAY CAT IN THEIR LIFE.......2002-05-27
I recently adopted a stray cat from my neighborhood, and this guide was extremely useful when it came to trapping my new cat.
Not only were the instructions for trapping the cat easy to follow, I was even able to locate a trap by using the resource guide in the back of the book!
This book is much needed and beautifully written. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever had or is thinking about adopting any stray cat!
Book Description
Indoor cats are not deprived. . .
. . . in fact, keeping your cat indoors can add ten or more years to his life. Here's how to add quality to those years. Along with the scoop on litter boxes, creating a cat-safe home, and achieving a truce between cat and couch, this updated edition supplies the latest on nutrition for indoor cats, new vaccines and medicines, coping with feline emotions, and other essentials that make life more rewarding for you and your cat.
- Help an outdoor kitty become a happy house cat
- Discover innovative new cat-care products and scores of online resources
- Learn about new treatments and medications for common illnesses
- Take the trauma out of travel (yes, you CAN train a cat to walk on a leash)
- Find out how to provide basic nursing care and first aid
Customer Reviews:
Purrrfect Book for Cat Lovers.......2005-04-22
Never before have I seen a non-fiction book with interesting stories to start each chapter and make you want to read more... Like a novel, but unbelievably informative! If you want to know how to care for your indoor cat, or any cat, or are thinking of making your cat an indoor cat, or getting one.... Here's the purrfect reference. Also added, besides good information and interesting antecdotes, are links to excellent and informative web pages. This is truly the cat book for the 21st century!
Book Description
As kitty gift books go, this is "the best, funniest, most inspiring" of them all, according to the Village Voice and tens of thousands of dedicated readers. Now out on the prowl with a new cover that's the cat's meow, it's ready to inspire a second wave of cats and their owners to relax into a catnap. Author and illustrator Alice M. Brock (of Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" fame) counsels cat owners to approach the cat quietly with palms "up and open." Beginning at the rear, the masseur works all the way around the cat using a "vigorous kneading motion," then rubs, presses, twists, and tugs the cat into a state of complete relaxation. We are assured that a well-massaged cat may remain in a state of prolonged calm "for some time." Brock's instructions are accompanied by charming illustrations sure to inspire a mischievous chuckle in both friends and foes of felines everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Charming, hilarious classic.......2007-07-07
I first got this book about 30 years ago, when I was a teenager. It made me laugh so hard then that it brought me to tears. Every few years I pull it out to share with someone and it STILL makes me cry with laughter. I'm sorry to find that some people have the opposite reaction. To me, it's hard to understand. I love my cat and know this book isn't meant seriously. It's a deliciously ridiculous 'how-to'. I will always love it.
Not my thing, but others seem to like it.......2007-01-08
I didn't find this book all that funny, but then, that's just me. I'm sure any potential buyer can get the gist of what the book's about from reading these reviews, so if this sounds like it's up your alley then go for it.
I do think it's silly to claim anyone who doesn't like this book is an idiot. The images do depict an animal being hurt - certain people will never like seeing pictures of that, even if they know it's a joke. So some people are turned off by violent images in general and others don't mind as long as it's all clearly in absurd good fun - that doesn't mean one group has no sense of humor, or that those who are not bothered by the images can't enjoy the book.
We love this book!.......2007-01-06
My family owned this book 25 years ago and I thought it would be out of print... everyone loves it, from kids to elders.
My three cats and I loved this book!.......2006-12-21
I love my kitties. They may love me (at least they put on a good show around mealtime). We all loved this book.
Why?
Because we have a sense of humor! It's silly, irreverant and has fantastic illustrations.
Unless you have a brain that's smaller and more simplistic than mine and my three cats' brains (a tall order, but if you read some of the other sourPUSS reviews, you will see there are even dimmer bulbs out there), you will find this book a delight!
Yuck.......2006-06-28
My sister and I both ran across this book yesterday, and I have to concur with her review below. So what if you know full well it's meant to be a joke? A step by step illustrated guide to choking and slowly, painfully killing a helpless animal just isn't funny. Maybe if you have a history of starting small fires and slicing up live mice in your basement, but otherwise, not so much.
Book Description
Feline therapist Vicky Halls has made a career of hiring out her services to frustrated cat owners who are at the end of their tethers, tired of coping with mysterious and often destructive behavior from their pets. In How to Be a Cat Detective, she shares the behavioral strategies that have worked for so many of her clients.
Offering practical techniques for understanding your cat and implementing change, How to Be a Cat Detective includes an in-depth questionnaire that is similar to a clinician's intake form, instructions for monitoring behavior and recording it in diary form, proven behavior programs, and pages of reassuring expert advice.
Whatever the problem is, Halls provides an explanation for the behavior and a rational way for pet owners to intervene, and she eschews old-school techniques such as punishing a cat, which is really just an excuse for the owner to let off steam while merely confusing the cat. How to Be a Cat Detective brims with realistic solutions and it could be the key to harmonious living for seventy million American house cats and the humans who love them.
Customer Reviews:
Not as described.......2007-09-22
The title is misleading. The description of this book was sadly lacking in information. There really wasn't any direction on how to train a small breed, adult dog. I sent it back. It may have done a splendid job helpiing train pups, but there was hardly any mention of how to go about retraining an adult. I needed to look at the book before buying it, but was unable to find it in a local bookstore. The current discription needs to be updated to reflect what information is covered.
Pretty Good Ideas.......2007-04-20
I thought the price was a little high, but the book is not bad. My Bichon is partially litter trained. I'm still working on it. I did notice a few spelling and grammatical errors. I can overlook that because the method is pretty good.
What a Great Book and It Works!!.......2007-02-07
I'm not too sure what the previous comments are talking about, but I purchased this book to train my 3yr old Yorkie and thought it was great! My yorky has been trained to go outside and do to the recent cold weather I decided to try litter box training. There is some information on the web, but this is the only book I could find that went into greater detail. I found it went into much more detail, especially on problem solving. It also explained the process much better than any websites had. My yorkie was used to going outside so it took about a month to re-train her to use the litter box, but it was well worth it. I really recomend this book to anyone curious or interested in Litter Box training their small dog!
Don't waste your money.......2007-01-17
This book is too vague; not enough detail. I knew most of what she wrote about just by using common sense;I was hoping for more information. Don't waste your money. Her method does not work as quickly as she states in the book either.
Not impressed........2006-10-16
I researched this subject online and bought the book, hoping it would provide more information. It does not. Instructions are along the lines of, "you may want to buy a bigger litter box.. but you may not...", with not much explanation. The grammar is poor, there were typos, and the book is obviously cheaply made.
There is no more information in the book than you could easily find searching online for 5 minutes. This book is not worth purchasing.
Books:
- This Little Piggy Went to Prada: Nursery Rhymes for the Blahnik Brigade
- Town Mouse, Country Mouse
- What Can You Do With a Law Degree?: A Lawyer's Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law
- What Dogs Teach Us: Life's Lessons Learned from Our Best Friends
- Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale
- Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones
- Zen Shorts (Caldecott Honor Book)
- 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider
- A New Owner's Guide to Boxers (JG Dog)
- After You Get Your Puppy
Books Index
Books Home
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Care & Health
| Cats
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Cat Vs. Cat: Keeping Peace When You Have More Than One Cat
Twisted Whiskers: Solving Your Cat's Behavior Problems
Hiss and Tell: True Stories from the Files of a Cat Shrink
Psycho Kitty?
The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats
