Cats Books

Shadow Cats was such an exciting story-and I am not even a cat lover. A dog person like me would never have guessed that rescuing kittens on the streets and back alleys of New York City could be so fraught with drama. J. Jensen took me places I never knew existed and I've lived here for 20 years. Her sensitive descriptions of felines made me want to own one. She proves that nature provides us with adventure no matter where we live. I've read stories about safaris in Africa that weren't half this enthralling.

This book is a combination of suspenseful drama, personal journey, and expose of inner city feral cats and those who love them. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what happened next to these feral cats with names and personalities, living on the edge of living or dying. Janet Jensen's writing was suspenseful and personal, making me care for these otherwise unwanted and unnoticed creatures of the night. I became acutely aware of an underground of cat lovers who take many risks in order to care for these unwanted orphans. Although it reads like a novel, the book is also full of useful and fascinating information.

Janet Jensen is a one of kind feral friend. She not only helps the feral cats in NYC, she understands their nature & needs. I have read many books on feral cats. Most approach them as wild, separate unapproachable animals. Janet challenges that conception. She shows how respect & love for our fellow creatures through understanding & care can cut through red tape, help mobilize caring people and keep a watchful, loving eye on animals that both need us & need their space. A must read for any feral activist.

I just loved this book. I was recommended it by my dogwalker of all people (http://www.petaholics.com). It is a very interesting book, don't miss it.

Heartwarming look at cats not quite so lucky as those who share our laps and hearts. It also is a facinating portrayal of people who go the extra mile for cats who cross their paths. You do not have to be a cat lover to appreciate this book but by the end of the book you may be one

When I first picked up SHAKESPEARE CATS by the British artist Susan Herbert, I was struck by the cute and colorful illustrations showing cats, my favorite animals, as Shakespearean characters. I bought the book, and as I went through it page by page I found it educational, too. Herbert has accompanied each one of her drawings -- works of art in themselves -- with a short synopsis and the relevant quotation from the play. The trouble with cats, however, is that it is not always possible to do much more than suggest emotions in their faces, which are fairly "blank." This poses a problem with the more extreme emotions in Shakespeare: Herbert's Othello (a black cat) does not look enraged nor her Macbeth (a red-orange tabby) particularly horrified. Additionally, Herbert depicts mostly tabby (striped) cats, which will probably disappoint readers who like other kinds of cats. But if these are drawbacks, they are minor ones; Herbert is a gifted artist. Her scene-composition and her bright color-choices make each illustration a feast for the eyes. There are some subtly clever facial expressions, too, like Malvolio's (TWELFTH NIGHT) self-satisfied grin or Jacques (AS YOU LIKE IT) cynical smirk. And art enthusiasts will see Herbert's drawings of Romeo leaving Juliet's balcony or the sleeping princes from RICHARD III as homages to celebrated paintings by the nineteenth century artists Dicksee and Northcote; her crazed Ophelia (with tongue hanging out) might stand beside the famous depictions of that heroine by Waterhouse or Millais! I am happy to have discovered SHAKESPEARE CATS and Herbert and will seek out more of her books.

I hoped this was a story, but I will find a way to use the pretty pictures. The book isn't constructed in a way that I can encourage its use as a picture book for young children. I do like the fact that there is a passage beside each picture. That will be of some use.

I love this book, it's so adorable and beautiful, Susan Herbert is a great artist, I admire her a lot. You see wonderful pictures of cats playing roles of some of Shakespeare plays. It's a great book for kids and also for adult too.:) If you love cats your going to love this book.

Shakespeare people also tend to be cat people: why is that? In this case, Susan Herbert has created a beautiful book for cat fans and Bard fans alike. I have all of Herbert's books, and "Shakespeare Cats" is definitely my favorite. It depicts famous moments from many of Shakespeare's plays with intricate detail, and the cats look like they're in the most natural settings in the world! It's hard to pick out my favorite illustrations, but the "Midsummer Night's Dream" picture stands out, as does the humorous painting from "The Taming of the Shrew." All of the paintings are wonderful, and this is an adorable book that you will treasure forever.

Susan Herbert is, first and foremost, a truly gifted artist. Her style, talent, color choices, all show a mastery of skill. Aside from that, though, she's also an imaginative woman who tryle appreciates the feline, as evidenced by her series of wonderful illustrated cat books.

This book, "Shakespeare Cats", functions firstly as simply an enjoyable coffee-table book for frequent perusal. On another level, though, Herbert has cleverly illustrated 32 of Shakespeare's works, and with detail. The setting of each piece, the costumes, the detail of scene-setting -- all of this shows that in addition to being a cat-lover and an artist, Herbert is also not too shabby as a Shakespearean scholar as well.

This is definitely one of the best furry books I've ever read (one of my top 5 faves), easily on par with Watership Down, Tailchaser's Song, Fire Bringer and Duncton Wood. Whether you like cats or not, this book is a must-read, and worth the price! (...)

This is one of my favourite books of all time. The story is beautifully crafted, poignant and inspirational - it never fails to move me to tears.

If you love cat's I highly recommend this book.

The book that I am writing about is a wonderful adventure novel, Solo's Journey. It is all in the view of cats, who are the main characters. The cats live near an Owner complex, with a large green bin called the Keep, where they get all their food from. Some of the main characters are Solo (The very heart character of the story), Kitty-Kitty, Spanno, Selven, Ponder, Speaker, Tanner, and many other adorable characters.

It all starts off where Solo, as a kit, wakes up at the third darkfall that his mother and sister-kits had been away. When he went to get food from the Keep he met the three friends Spanno, Selven, and Ponder, and eventually became great friends with them.

Trying to fit in to a Quorum, Solo finds, is more difficult than it seems. Although he is taught well by his friends
( Kitty-Kitty is his replacement mother, Ponder teaches him to fight, Selven teaches the art of quickness, Spanno teaches hunting, and the rest of the Quorum fills in the rest.) Solo is forced to endure the endless taunts and jeers by the cats, even his friends.

After the great Speaker passes on, Solo somehow is able to solve many problems, given the title Speaker-kit. He grudgingly accepts the label, although he had no clue what would happen next.

After an invasion from the North Territory their Dom starts to become steadily insane and works the cats on watch cruelly. After challenging him with a fight Spanno becomes the new Dom. But after an exlplosion from a giant metal, screeching creation of the Owners the cats call a Raufaul, there is a tragic fire, destroying Dom Spanno and appointing Dom Solo. As Solo learns he has to lead the cats into freedom and wilderness he finally finds his purpose in life.

I sincerely think that this is truly one of the best and most creative stories of all time, and I strongly recommend this story to anyone who wants to read an exciting, strong, poetic and touching story which not only is a wonderful read, but is also filled with lessons and different points of view from an animal most of us don't understand.

By Mary R.

I loved this book. I loved the characters. "Solo's Journey" is one book which I read once a year. True, it's about cats, but even a non-cat person could really get into this lovely novel about the orphaned kitten, Solo, his coming of age and his becoming leader to a community of ferral cats.

Not only was "Solo's Journey" a delight to read, the wonderful descriptions throughout the story made me wish I was a film producer and could have "Solo's Journey" become a movie.

Ms Joy Smith Akin is so talented; unfortunately, I haven't been able to find more of her writtings anywhere. There was very lit-
tle, too written about the author on the book jacket.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Solo, the young kitten, is brought up by one of the dominant cats in the cat community. He is taught kindness and strength in a world of hard living and competition softened by the friendship of the cats in the community. Solo is thrust into many leadership situations while very young. He must rise to the occasion and use his special powers at times to lead others. You'll learn about courage, strength and love. I would like to see a follow-up book which tells how the other cats went off and started their communities and linked with Solo in his community of cats to have more adventures. Joy, please write a Part II. We want more!

This is a short book (80 pages) about cats, and the weird things they do. There really isn't a lot of reading involved - this is more of a pictorial. Very good, descriptive pictures portray the things we love about cats the most - their weirdness and individuality (or so you thought until you see this book & realize ALL cats do this stuff!)

For the cat lover - this book is a must! You will thoroughly enjoy this fun loving book! Included is a Kitty Weirdness Scale (KWS) so that you can score your own cat and compare him/her to other cats. One excerpt; 275 points or more "Verify that your animal is not a Tasmanian Devil."

A few of my personal favorites in this book include Laziness, Drinking, Body Language, and (I'm sorry to say it) Barfing. These pictures are the best in describing cats and the (definately weird) things they do!!

Enjoy! I sure did!!

1smileycat :-)

Very interesting, had very good drawings of real live cats. This entertaining piece of mind, had sub-topics and scoring. Most enjoyable for your inner love of cats. Covers most antics of cats, from vainess to drooling. Last, but not least, my personal favorite, the kws scale (kitty weirdness scale). Has a delightful description on every level. I highly reccomend this book.

Great book with brilliant art pictorial descriptions of weird behavior. I am afraid that all of mine are off the scale. However it id difficult to find a behavior that is not in the book. With the exception of washing the caned food in the water dish like some sort of raccoon.
In the back of the book is an attempt to help you deal with these little (ok maybe big) wierdies.

This is one funny book! I have finally found someone who is as crazy about cats as am I. Missy Dizick clearly knows cats and cat owners. Plus, her art is beautiful!I know that my cats are crazy and that is one thing that I love about them. Dogs are . . . BORING. I recommend this book to all of my cat-loving friends and they tell me that they love it also. Thanks, Missy.

My cats...you should meet them, they're insane. And until I bought this book, I thought that a) I was the only one with odd cats and b) perhaps my perceptions were clouded. No, it's true, my beadspread sucking, flapping and screaming, last pair of pantyhose shredding, gettin' stuck on the roof overnight, fighting with the wrong dogg kitties, all 12 of them, just test really high in the KWS, or Kitty Wierdness Scale. Missy Dizick writes from the perspective of a person who could only have many very wierd cats who shred seedlings, eat wierd stuff, and so on. Even after 30 or so readings, this book still has me rolling on the floor every time. I laugh so hard that my abs are improving just from this book. It's been loaned to so many cat loving friends it's falling apart. You must have this book. Its so funny you won't believe it.

Book was for my daughter. She says for those that need it it is invaluable!

I got this heavy 2 volume set within 2 days of ordering. Great seller!

Used in most veterinary schools in the world. Translated into 5 languages and generally considered the most complete general veterinary internal medicine textbook. First section is very easy to read approach to clinical medicine.

If you can only have one Internal Medicine book in your library this is it. Very little not found in this book...Authors have made a great effort to be complete and it is well edited. All other Internal Medicine books are superficial, but if you want to know the theory, current treatment/diagnosis, and current research possibilities buy this...it is great!

This is the perfect book for vets and veterinary students. They are very actualized and give explanations about the diseases and diagnosis in detail.

A good reference my wife and I have already found useful in dealing with our outside farm animals.

At our house, you never know what the kids will bring home next or the parents for that matter. This book has been a quick reference on any new species introduced to our household as far as domesticated animals---we do have a gecko and unfortuately there is no info on exotics in this book. It has become a well worn book as we thumbed through finding answers to problems and also on ways to prevent future problems. We have 3 cats, 2 dogs, a bunch of chickens(cochins and silkies), 2 pigs, a pygmy goat, a shetland sheep and an African Fat tailed Gecko so we needed a book that would cover a lot and this has answered many questions. It has more than paid for itself----if it saves just one vet visit!

This book is a must have for anyone who wants to have farm animals and doesn't know anything about animals. It is in depth and informative with instructions on how to enclose, feed and care for your farm animals. It is truthful about when you need a vet and when you don't, if you want to save money, time and energy read this book before you buy your land, animals and equipment!

The book contained all the info I was looking for

This book more than paid for itself in the first 15 minutes of reading. As the owner of 2 cows, 3 cats, 7 dogs, & 8 goats, I have been using this book as my animal bible. It's written in terms that everyone can understand and the directions are clear and precise. It's saved me many calls and visits to my vet. This is a MUST HAVE book for every pet or animal owner.

Campudoni paints a stunningly blunt looks at society, its stereotypes, and man's search for depth of meaning in life. This book is a great conversation starter or coffee table book, and definitely worth getting as used copy, as the press doesn't recognize the gold mine they're sitting on and won't do another run.

Like the others, I came to find more Campudoni works. I've read Wendel to death. The pages are falling out. Does anyone know what we can do? WHO IS V. CAMPUDONI?

A poignant and insightful look at contemporary life in America. It is the story of how easily a human being can fall into the trappings of modern living. While we can be dupped into believing the news and ignoring the plights of others, Campundoni acknowledges that we all have an urge to reconnect with nature, thought most of us don't know how. He subtly warns us not to become hardened and cynical when faced with the truth of our world, but to learn from it, and hopefully, change it.

A moving story to say the least. I was hoping to find more works by the author here, but that is apparently not possible.
Too bad. Get your hands on a copy of this while you still can!

In just a few short pages we follow Wendal's growth from a naive participant in society to an enlightened truth seeker (Gai-Pan).

V. Campudoni has not written any other books. He was a delivery man for a big company and had the book in his soul, wrote it -- that was it. He would not appear for book signings and the publishing company has no idea of his whereabouts. GREAT BOOK!

My 3 year old son loves this book. It is easy to follow. Great rhymes and simple illustrations. I recommmend it to beginner readers!

I really love beginner books that are truly for beginners. This one fits the bill. The repetitive, rhyming style makes it accessible for very new readers. Lots of short words to sound out like cat, pup and pig, with clear, uncluttered illustrations to help the reader along. All the animal names are repeated near the end of the story, which is funny and satisfying. It's one of my kindergartener's favorites.

The book was good and I liked it a lot.I would like for others to read it and enjoy the excitement that I had.

We already had this funny book and loved it so much, we had to order it for my son's kindergarten class. This book is perfect for beginning readers. Almost all the sentences have rhymes, like "it is big, said the pig", "let me see, said the bee". The drawings are well done and funny, and are perfect for helping kids to guess the words.
I know it will be a favorite of your child and that you will have a great time reading it again and again (plus, it's easy for kids to memorize it)

This is a very fun entry-level reader because it combines common words,with very wonderful (expression filled) drawings and the story-line is constantly building to the surprising ending.
Our grandchildren all enjoy reading it to us.

What the Cat Knows
By Brent R. Schofield

Review by Joan Moore Lewis, author of southern fiction

Perfect Gift for first-time cat owner
Have you ever noticed the strange actions of a cat? I have noticed how friends' cats would entertain me for a while by running, jumping, attacking the drapes, and wrestling with an invisible opponent on the floor before slinking off to another room. Upon their return, they would act calm, cool and collected. Now I understand why.

When Andy and Carol take the abandoned Cupcake into their home, they are in for a number of surprises. It is fun to see Cupcake, the playful kitten, get tangled in wallpaper and glue while "helping" Andy decorate the new baby's room.

After she gets established in her new home, Cupcake becomes friendly with Thomas, an outside cat. Even though Cupcake is growing up, she is still unsure of herself and her actions. Through windowsill conversations, Thomas is instrumental in helping Cupcake overcome fear and develop courage.

Pets have a way of becoming part of the family, and Thomas is no exception. He had once been a part of a family he missed terribly. At the end of "What the Cat Knows," Thomas was leaving to go back to his family. Does Brent Schofield know what happened to Thomas, and if so, will he tell us in a sequel? I certainly hope so.

This is more than a children's book; I recommend it to anyone who has ever owned or observed a cat.

My sister bought this book for my 8 year old daughter because she too is a cat lover. She was very reluctant for me to read it to her because it was a "chapter book without pictures". She likes to look at the pictures while I'm reading. I convinced her to listen for a little while and if she didn't like it, we'd switch to another of her favorite books. She immediately fell in love with the characters in this book and she's asked me to contact the author because she wants to know what is going to happen to Cupcake and Thomas!! We found this book to be charming, well written and so funny! I have often wanted to write children's stories and after reading this book, I am more inspired to do so. We do hope there is a sequel to this book!

If you own a cat, does it ever seem like you own two of them? The one
who wants to be cuddled, and the one who flees your attention. The one
who purrs calmly at your feet as you sleep and watches you build
furniture, and the one who randomly charges through the house attacking
invisible monsters?

In this book, all is explained. That is exactly what your cat is doing.
Attacking invisible monsters. Invisible to you. Not to the cat.

And, by the way, the monsters are real.

A small kitten is rescued from the roadside. Her owners, who have never
owned a cat before, don't know what to make of her strange behavior.
It's not strange at all, though. They don't realize this, because
they've never owned a cat.

As a cat owner myself, I was groaning at bits of the first chapter. It's
obvious the characters in this book don't know cats. But, lots of people
don't. Not a thing unrealistic about it. But, I know cats, so I groaned.
At the characters, not the author. The author knows how to tell a story.

Chapter two, the balancing act begins. How can an author write middle
grade fiction, largely through a cat's eyes, without the
anthropomorphism growing trite, twee or condescending? Well, they could
do far worse than follow Schofield's example.

Cupcake is a kitten, somehow separated from her mother before she could
learn the valuable purpose cats serve, much less the skills she needs.
I'd never name a cat of mine Cupcake, but again, her pet humans are new

to all this. Consider it one more obstacle she must overcome.

According to the book's web page, it contains "humor, suspense, and
lessons about finding courage." That's absolutely correct. And, I
enjoyed reading it. I recommend visiting the web page.

Oh, and please don't judge this book by its cover. Quite honestly, I
don't like the cover. But I do like the book.

...

Looking for the perfect gift for your friend who loves kitties?...well here it is!! This a beautiful written tale of a foundling kitty, and her struggle to protect her family. All cat owners will relate to this delightful tale of understanding why kitty behaves in such odd fashion, giving kitty a bath, or how kitty loves the ring on the milk jug as the best toy in the world while ignoring all the [other] ones we buy.

I have a little grey kitten with black stripes, much like the kitty in the tale, and I found her at the same age, nearly starved and desperately needing a home, so this tale touched my heart.

Perfect for children 9-12, but one the whole family can share.

It always gives me a shiver when I see a cat seeing
what I can't see. ~Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)

When Brent Schofield found a kitten on the road in July of 1998 a story was born. Cupcake is the hero of the story and the author was inspired to write about her due to her more-than-wild-kitten-like-behavior.

Andy and Carol take on the responsibilities of a new kitten but are confused by her strange behavior. They buy books on cats and try to understand why she at times runs like mad through the house or goes tearing up the curtains. Cat owners will be able to relate to these stories.

The first chapter is from Andy and Carol's perspective. The second chapter is from Cupcake's perspective and from there on out, she has a real personality and talks to another cat and has her own thoughts about the situation she is in. It is cute to see how she finds courage and learns to accept the new baby and how she gets up the courage to find the germ creatures.

"Her ears picked up the scratching sound of the creature. She lowered her body and stalked along the wall toward the living room. She peered into the dimly lit room and saw the germ creature sitting on top of the coffee table. Cupcake trembled. She thought she wouldn't be afraid this time, but she didn't know where the other germ was....."

All the while, Cupcake is fighting off creatures Andy and Carol can't see in an attempt to protect them. She takes her job very seriously. This is a story for ages 9-12 which will make kids laugh and has enough suspense to keep their attention.

Much of this story reminded me of both my cats when they were kittens. Cat "pets/owners" will enjoy the humor and remember when their kittens acted in similar ways. However, now you will know why. ;) You will relate to giving a cat a bath and know it is not their favorite activity.

I would say it is not good to give cats milk, they do have milk "just" for cats now. However, the author mentions that: "The plastic from around the milk jug top was one of her favorite things to play with." This is so true! I have yet to meet a cat who did not go wild with cat-like joy when they found the ring from around the milk jug top.

Also, cats have been know to fight off disease by catching rats. The European bubonic plague of medieval times was largely due to the huge rat population. Cats are well known for controlling rodent populations, however people at that time did not see the connection and thought cats were evil.

A clever story to teach children how to respect cats and perhaps they will want to know more about cats and maybe even adopt a kitten from a shelter. Adults who
love cats might also be amused.

"What the Cat Knows" is cute, comical and creative.

~The Rebecca Review
Author of Seasoned with Love: A collection of
best-loved recipes inspired by over 40 cultures

The World Is Your Litter Box: A How-to Manual for Cats

I bought the book as a gift for a friend who has recently acquired a LARGE cat . . . but I took the time to (carefully) read it before I gave it to her, and it is G-R-E-A-T! And so-o-o true in regard to cats. Obviously, this one owns his 'master' and takes full advantage of every opportunity, from refusing food he doesn't like to making himself at home with visitors who are allergic to cats. Anyone who has ever lived with a cat, as well as those who have not had that pleasure, will enjoy reading it.

I was pleasantly surprised! Steve Fisher was right when he
said this is not just another cat book. It was above and beyond
my expectations! Every Cat and their Human should own this book.
It's a Human Belly Busting, Cat Furr Flying good time. I enjoyed
It immensely. :) 5*****s

Superior, light reading from a cat's perspective. Exquisitely done... a must have for cat lovers.

this debut book by quasi is a must read for any cat lover and for all cats everywhere. so funny that you will laugh till you bring up a hairball. with so many great tips for cats on how to handle their human, no cat will want to be without it and cat lovers will learn some of what makes their cat tick. THE WORLD IS YOUR LITTERBOX is THE CAT'S MEOW.

This book is so much fun to read with a lot of laugh-out-loud moments! What makes this book so different is that it's written BY a cat FOR cats. Quasi is the wise old sage who teaches cats how to get humans to do just about anything they want, as well as getting into lots of fun themselves. He's such a delightfully witty cat that you can't help but love him! Steve and his "female" (that's what Quasi calls Steve's better half!) are just as enamored by Quasi as you will be. I loved it! I can't wait to share it with my friends and family...purrrely delicious!