Cats for Dummies

Cats for Dummies
By Gina Spadafori and Paul D. Pion, DVM, DACVIM

They really should have called this book Cats for Humans, since almost without exception, humans are dummies when it comes us kitties. When I look through this book, it’s all pretty basic to me (for example, it explains that grooming has a lot to do with scent marking… uh, no kidding), but humans who read it will consider it a comprehensive beginner’s manual on cat care, starting with choosing the right cat, and making us feel at home in our new domains. A lot of the information is stuff that we don’t concern ourselves with, such as health issues — it is our human’s job to deal with this, after all. Some of the information is very helpful… when it comes human training, that is. For example, they stress that when it comes to litter boxes, humans need to cater to our desires. Some of it I have to admit I did not like — they reveal that cheap toys, such as the plastic rings from milk bottles, make great cat toys, and as you know, I am all for making humans spend as much money on us as possible (it is one of the ways in which humans show affection, after all). And I wish the section on learning cat language was a little longer, but I get the idea from what’s there that the authors barely know more than basic cat language. For example, there is a photo in this chapter in which they imply the cat is annoyed. To me, she looks like she is stretching. Overall, this is a good book for people who haven’t owned cats before, or who never learned the proper way to take care of us. Humans who have had cats for a while may find that they need a more advanced education.