99. Pam Johnson-Bennett - Cat vs Cat

I have rather grave misgivings about some of the advice in this book. The author is a strong advocate of keeping cats exclusively indoors. She feels that the outside world is too dangerous for them and that allowing them out may cause redirected aggression within the home. I, on the other hand, am in favour of cats leading as natural a life as possible and that, I'm afraid, means braving the great outdoors. That said, this is still a useful guide for anyone in a multi-cat household or who has chosen to keep their cat(s) exclusively indoors. The author suggests great use of interactive play sessions and offers some good advice on feline relationships. That said, some of her advice does sound wrong to me - for example, if a cat is upset by something outside then one should cover the windows! - and likely to create a neurotic rather than a happy, confident cat.

98. Eliabeth Marshall Thomas - The Tribe of Tiger

I found this a fascinating look at the social and predatory behaviour of cats large and small across a variety of situations. The author has spent a considerable amount of time in Africa where she observed lions and their interaction with the native bushmen and I found her account of these wild animals fascinating. She also looks at captive tigers and comes to the conclusion that circus animals are actually better off than their zoo-bound counterparts. Pumas are also covered as are the humble house-cats. I read this book as part of my studies but would happily read it again for pleasure.

51. Jim Edgar - Bad Cat

Title:
Bad Cat
Author:
Edgar, Jim
Publisher:
Workman
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5933347
No. of pages:
246
First sentence:
It is no secret that Cat owns you, and not the other way around.

This book was listed as ‘Further reading’ for Think Cat! It is a collection of humorous photographs of felines in a variety of undignified postures all amusingly captioned. I’m not a fan of cats being dressed up or allowed to become obese but there are some fantastic shots of cats’ facial expressions which I enjoyed. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to cat lovers but it would appeal to anyone with a slightly warped sense of humour. 6/10

50. Claire Bessant - How to Talk to Your Cat

Title:
How to Talk to Your Cat
Author:
BESSANT, Claire
Publisher:
Smith Gryphon Limited
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5910315
No. of pages:
119
First sentence:
Cats have become a passion for many people who regard them not just as interesting pets but as companions, confidantes and intelligent friends to unwind with, as well as creatures who give them an insight into a wilder side of life.
Score:
8/10

I actually bought this book as a gift for my boss who had just adopted two cats a number of years ago. I did mean to give it to him, honest, but it was so appealing to me that it found a home in my bookcase instead. I’ve flicked through it over the years but have now read it in its entirety for the Think Cat!

I enjoyed Bessant’s friendly style of writing and found the book to be an accessible look at feline behaviour. She looks mainly at communication between felines and then between felines and humans before moving on to training and common problems. I particularly liked her formula for converting ‘cat years’ to ‘human years’ and shall be adopting it rather than the usual ‘take the cat’s age and multiply by seven’ formula.

The book is illustrated with line drawings some of which are charming. However, I did find it a bit hard to differentiate some of the body language the captions said they depicted. I think photographs might have been easier to decipher of, of course, this would have added to the cover price.

I would recommend this book to anyone trying to get inside their cat’s head – either to deepen their relationship or to solve a problem. It may not literally tell ‘how to talk to your cat’ but it does travel in that direction and has tips at the end of each chapter on how to enhance your relationship with your cat. I’d definitely read more on this subject by the author.

49. Stephen Baker - How to Live with a Neurotic Cat

Title: How to Live with a Neurotic Cat
Author: BAKER Stephen
Publisher: Grafton
Format: Paperback
BCID: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4475756
No. of pages: 128
First sentence: A recent census taken among cats shows that approximately 100 percent are neurotic.

I’d read this book before but was glad to take another look at it for the Think Cat! course – many thanks to AngelChild for giving me the opportunity.

This is an amusing look at the life of the average, neurotic feline. The author’s premise is that all cats do is eat and sleep and this is certainly true of some of them. The illustrations are well worth a look while the text, although sparing, makes some good points. I did find it rather odd that Bast was referred to as male though!

I would recommend this book to any cat owner with a sense of humour. The cover shows a cartoon of an alarmed-looking cat. The title doesn’t hint at the humour within the pages – when I first heard of it, I thought it was a serious book about cat psychology! I would read other books by this author if their subject matter appealed to me – I know he’s written ‘How to Live with a Neurotic Dog’ but, as I’ve never lived with a dog, it doesn’t hold the same interest for this cat-lover.

7/10

48. Roger A Caras - A Celebration of Cats

Title: A Celebration of Cats
Author: CARAS Roger A
Publisher: Robson Books Ltd
Format: Paperback
BCID: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4774048
No. of pages: 238
First sentence: Tradition has it that Adolf Hitler hated cats.

I read as part of my studies of Think Cat! and would particularly like to thank AngelChild for sending it to me. It certainly fulfilled its intended role of cheering me up this afternoon 

I really enjoyed Caras’ rather dry wit and never more so than when he was describing his own history of cat ownership. The story of Mister Amanda, who faints at regular intervals, had me almost hysterical. I was very touched at the genuine love and affection Caras obviously feels for his eclectic collection of animals. He writes knowledgeably about all aspects of cats and our relationships with them – from deification to folklore to persecution to showing. I now know how (according to Scottish folklore) to give birth to kittens, a feat I have wanted to accomplish since my teens.

Given my strong liking for Caras and his writing, I was rather alarmed to find that he approves of declawing for some cats and I’m glad that this didn’t come up until the last chapter as, had the subject been broached before I was hooked, I would have closed the pages and read no further. Caras advocates declawing where the alternative is that the cat be put to sleep because he is inflicting such damage to his domestic surroundings. I’ve not seen the argument in quite that way before. Death or declawing? I find it hard to believe Caras does not love his collection of waifs (some of whom are declawed) and, as most of the cats came from shelters, their alternative was life in a cage or death. Is being declawed in order to live the full life Caras describes really so bad? The jury is out.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s trying to understand human-feline relationships. The cover is attractive showing a trio of cats in relaxed positions. The book is illustrated throughout, mostly by Oriental artists.

The book has left me with an impression of light and love in the face of hardship.

8/10