General books about cats

Celia Haddon
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton; (18 Oct 2001)
ISBN-10: 0340786051
ISBN-13: 978-0340786055

Celia Haddon has written a very funny book which views cat-human relationships from the point of view of cats. Humans need to be trained, as all cats know. Cats also need entertainment. This book describes how cats can best train humans, and find fun things to do, in and out of the house. Celia Haddon is a keen observer of cats, and most owners will recognise the feline ploys that she describes so well and so entertainingly.

E. M. Bard
Publisher: HarperCollins; Re-issue edition (7 Feb 2005)
ISBN-10: 0002555026
ISBN-13: 978-0002555029

This is a very entertaining book, which looks at feline intelligence from different points of view. Many of the tests are related to observing what your cat does, while the tasks are likely to be enjoyed by your cat. This is a fun book, rather than a serious attempt to define and measure feline intelligence. All the same, it is an intriguing book, which prompts serious questions as to how cats think. It would make a very nice present for anyone who dotes on their cat.

Kevin Kelly
Sellers Publishing, Incorporated (30 Sep 2009)
ISBN-10: 9781416205173
ISBN-13: 978-1416205173
ASIN: 1416205179

Indoor cats tend to have more intense relationships with their owners than do cats free to come and go. Humans don't just supply food and comfortable places to snooze, they have to serve as 'prey', to be pounced on, and generally serve as sources of entertainment. Play between human and cat becomes very important for indoor cats. Entertaining Your Indoor Cat is a useful resource to give you ideas for enjoyable games. There is a wide range of games, so it's easy to find an activity to suit cats of all ages and personalties. The book is also well illustrated with original drawings. Perhaps the best general book on indoor cats is Katrin Behrend´s (also on this page), but Entertaining Your Indoor Cat is a very useful supplement.

Katrin Behrend
Barron’s
ISBN 0 7641 0935 9

This book covers all the basic care of cats such as health, feeding and behaviour with a particular focus on the needs of indoor cats. Each chapter ends with a useful question and answer section. The importance of providing a safe yet stimulating environment is discussed and there is an intriguing idea on how to incorporate a cat trail into your living room with a few simple ramps and shelves. This book would be equally useful for both new and experienced owners, and I can see older children, probably 10+, enjoying reading and carrying out the ideas for entertaining the family cat.

 Kit & George H. Harrison
Willow Creek Press
ISBN 1-57223-189-0

Its well known that indoor cats can sometimes suffer from boredom and this book aims to help you brighten up their lives by setting up bird tables and feeders right outside the windows to provide an ever-changing view. The book states that cats will be able to satisfy their hunting and stalking instincts without harming any birds, but I do have slight reservations about this. There is no doubt that cats will be fascinated by the actions of birds so close to hand, but its possible the cat could make a sudden dart at the window pane and end up with more than just a bad headache! Nevertheless, the concept of keeping indoor cats entertained in this way is a good one, but with some degree of caution. There are some lovely photographs and the book would equally be of interest to keen gardeners and bird watchers. 

Review by Gillian Harvey

Paulette Cooper, Paul Noble
Ten Speed Press
ISBN: 0898159520

This is an enjoyable book which is packed with information from the most trivial cat facts to some deep insights. It's worth reading just for pleasure, as well as for the way you can recognise your cat's quirks in the descriptions in the book, and start to understand those quirks better. '277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You to Know' is also a very practical guide to enjoying life with your cat, with tips on a wide range of topics, from litter boxes to communication between humans and felines. This is an ideal book to dip into, and is a surprisingly good reference book, as well as being very funny.

Luke Hunter
Bloomsbury Natural History (2015)
ISBN-10: 1472912195

Luke Hunter is a conservation biologist with a passion for wild cats. His new book on wild cats brings together a lot of information on wild felids, big and small. Understanding wild cats is one way of understanding our domestic cats, and why they behave the way they do. Wild Cats of the World is enjoyable to read for non-biologists. It's very well illustrated, so younger children will enjoy looking through it with adults, though it's really only suitable as a read-alone book for older children with a particular interest in wild animals.