I'm still reading this book, but I love it!! Right from the start, just looking at that adorable kitten image on the cover, I was hooked. It answers lots of questions I had (I don't have my own cat yet) and teaches me a lot about how cats think. In many cases, it's like humans think, as far as I can see!! Especially useful to me is how cats liked to be touched and not touched. Also the "click and treat' method of training kittens, I had never heard of!! Once you've read this book, you will never again think, "Cat's can't be trained." Pam Johnson-Bennett has a very warm heart for cats! You can feel it all through the book! Maybe a little less warm for people who are dumb or careless about how to treat cats in a good way!! Her writing style is lively and interesting, and is especially enjoyable in how she describes the behavior of a cats who are being treated with insensitivity by their owners. A bit of exaggeration makes you really be able to see why treating a cat without knowing what you are doing can be unpleasant for the cat—and unpleasant for you!
All kinds of things are covered, from the emotions and needs of a cat to the host of medical problems a cat can get. I learned that cats like to live not only in a horizontal world, but a vertical world (think of cats climbing trees outside, and get a cat tree) (or kitty might climb your curtains! plus be bored) There's lots about the litter box, too. Peeing outside the litter box isn't to "piss YOU off." It could be just that the box needs to be changed. But peeing on your pillow might well be to let you know she doesn't like something you or doing, or in the case of visiting boyfriends, she might not like YOU. I learned that cats need to feel they OWN certain areas in your (their) house especially when there are other cats around. Or kids, and they will keep that area marked with their scent. Even just one level on the cat tree. They tend to need their own area to feel secure. Also, there are many ways cat's don't like being touched. I sort of knew this already—but keep an eye on your cat while you are patting them—they will start to show signs that they are getting tired of it, and you might wind up with a scratch on your hand. (I remember telling my friendly visiting cat, when I was brushing her and she was getting restless and I didn't want her to scratch me (again), "It's okay if you get down when you are tired of this!" And from then on, she'd get off my lap and leave when she was ready!! One of the most important things I learned about cats is not to think of them as "aloof" and unloving just because they are not just like dogs. Cats can be very loving—just look at all the images of them you can find online with their heads resting on their owners shoulder with their eyes beatifically closed in heavenly sleep! And why do they always sit on your book or your keyboard!? They long for your attention! But we need to remember that, just like humans, if they are not treated with love and guidance as kittens, they can bear emotional scars for the rest of their lives. Oh, and I must mention how extremely important it is for each cat to have a scratching post to use (they can share, of course.) Not only does it help them to shed their claw husks, but they use it to exercise all the muscles in their body, every day, as well as relieving stress. I suppose that could be one of the most important thing I learned that I hadn't realized—how sensitive cats are to all aspects of their environment, and how stressed and anxious they can get— and how that leads to cat behavior we tend to dislike. Well, more things I've learned from this book keep coming into my mind, so I guess I'll sign off now. There will be a lot left to learn when you buy this book, which you should do if you learned about cats many years ago, as I did, when we just "had" our cats, fed them, and chased them off the kitchen counters and let them outside and inside and back outside again. ("a door is something that a cat wants to be on the other side of"—remember that joke?) Dogs got all the training methods and respect!
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Reviews with images
Must read for anyone who has a cat!!
Great book, very helpful! I bought this book before I got my kitten so I would be somewhat prepared. I grew up with and had only ever had dogs so I wasn't sure what to expect with a kitten. This book helped me understand cats better and I felt more prepared by the time I brought my little Max home.
Top reviews from other countries
Rosemary Clarke
UNERSTANDING CATS?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2023Audrey Payne
Amazing book!
Reviewed in Germany on September 6, 2023
Audrey Payne
Reviewed in Germany on September 6, 2023
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