The Secret Language of Cats - The Body Language of Feline Bodies

by Heather Dunphy

Cats are often thought to be solitary and hard to read, but if you know what to look for, they possess a “secret language” that relies on expressions, body postures, behaviors, and noises. This language contains many subtle yet important nuances and is very different from human verbal communication, but it is nevertheless a language that can be learned. The Secret Language of Cats shows how to interpret what our felines are telling us and explains how they, in turn, interpret our body language and attempts to communicate and interact with them.

If “home is where the cat is,” then The Secret Language of Cats is where the answers are, providing fascinating and revealing insights into why cats act as they do. It also contains practical advice for training, addresses common health and behavioral problems, and suggests ways to strengthen the bond with your feline friend. Promptly and properly decoding feline messages is the key to both a contented cat and a confident owner. The Secret Language of Cats takes the mysteries out of cat body language, giving you the insight to gain a better understanding of your much-loved pet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cats, Animals, Science, Psychology

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2011

Reviews

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cats are trainable, although many felines – smartly, some would say – are not interested in being trained. Dogs want to please us and are dependent on the approval of others. As pack animals, they are geared towards working for the betterment of the group.
Cats, on the other hand, have no need to please anyone but themselves. As inherently solitary animals, their instinct is to do what is best for them, and not a group.
This really can sometimes make dogs appear smarter, as they seem to understand what is expected of them more readily, when the reality is that cats don’t care what is expected of them, and as independent creatures don’t need validation from others.
That is not lack of brainpower, it is simply independence.

[Molly Balding · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contained a lot of useful information about cats from their physical communication to their ages and stages. It's broken down well, using headings and subheadings and the author doesn't jump around much. The only issue is that Dunphy doesn't use many credible resources and instead uses many unpublished opinions and articles from magazines and newspapers suck as telegraph.co.uk and nydailynews.com The book isn't very exciting and is more like a school textbook rather than a fun informational book for younger readers. One quote, for example, states that "Cats have 13 thoracic vertebrae and seven lumbar vertebrae, which facilitate enhanced spinal flexibility. In comparison, humans have 12 and 5 respectively." this book was intended for younger readers who wouldn't be able to understand and/or pronounce these words.

[Jacky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm fluent in cat now. This skill is going straight to my resume.

[☘Katie☘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had some interesting information about cat behavior.

[Suri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with the other reviewers - brilliant book! If you want to understand the why of cats this is your secret weapon. I loved the tone too. Not precious, but obviously a cat lover wrote it, one who lives with and understands cats.

[Trzcionka · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5/5
Nie jest to książka dla tych którzy co nieco wiedzą o zwierzętach domowych lub mieli/ mają kota od dłuższego czasu. Jest w niej poruszonych sporo kwestii, wszystkie oczywiście potraktowane totalnie powierzchownie ;), ale dla kogoś kto kota widział tylko z daleka to pozycja w sam raz. Jest w niej mnóstwo oczywistości i całkiem dużo zbędnej paplaniny, dziwnych wstępniaków do każdego tematu, które totalnie nic nie wnoszą i baaardzo dużo powtórzeń.. Tytuł może w 10% przystaje do treści, wiec nie należy się nim sugerować. Tekstu jest mało, zdjęć znacznie więcej i choć są bardzo ładne to wolałabym odwrotną proporcje. Forma graficzna i układ książki przyjemny i do przebrnięcia dla tych, którzy znienacka dorobią się kota - podstawy i to co najważniejsze znajdą w tej książce.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a cat owner and lover for all of my life, and although there are many things about cats that I know to be true, there are also so many things that I still need to learn. The Secret Language of Cats is a great book for a new cat owner or a long time cat owner such as myself. The information in this book stems from bringing home a kitten to making a senior cat comfortable in their twilight years. I enjoyed learning more about cats and if you are a cat lover as I am, you will love this book too.

[Krystal Shoop-Hardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love cats, this book is for you. Every aspect of a cat's life from birth to the higher plain is discussed. This book talks of the "Secret Language" of cats and how can we learn to interpret it. The book is full of beautiful photos of real cats. It talks of the different breeds, needs of cats, how to take care of cats, and anything you want to know about cats. This book is for ages 8-adult. I would use it as a teacher to discuss animals, cats, independence, love, friendship, and responsibility.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative information about cats and how to raise them. It also explains their actions and what they mean. If you are getting a cat or own a cat, I reccommend reading this book.

[Sarah Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you need to know about cats and how to take care of them and how to understand them to get them to be your best friend and not be an asshole to you.

[Lilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains the basics you need to know when adopting a kitten, along with interesting facts and beautiful photos. However, it does not go very deep into the topics

[Leo Woolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

[Katie Hunzinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Redundant

[Kayoc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting info and great photography

[Leisavaners · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure which one I like better - The Secret Language of Dogs or this one, both books are by the same author. Read this if you want to understand your cat, and have a better relationship. Of the four or so books I have read on cat behaviour in the past this is the one that I found most useful. Lots of information on what it means when your cat act or sounds a certain way, and why cats act as they do (for example, inherited behaviours). So glad to have read this, as it helped me figure out why my cat was avoiding his litter and what to do to solve this, as well as shined light onto why my cat is up so early and sleeps all day and how to prevent him from scratching my furniture anymore than he already has (lucky he's so cute, right!).

[Suri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't give any books (or restaurants or songs) a perfect rating, but I received quite a few books for christmas and this is the one I first finished reading in its entirety. I've always been more of a dog person but am introducing a cat to my home in a matter of weeks. Very excited, and I feel very prepared now that I have read this. I usually only read fiction when reading for enjoyment but I liked the writing style very much and found this book very helpful and informative. It's been sitting on the side table in the living room since I got it, and I'm regularly picking it up to flip through and read sections over again. A great gift!

[S.J. Millman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has taught me so much about my cat and helped me become a more wiser cat owner. I didn't have to fork out a whole wad of cash for a vet check up because this book taught me how to check on my kitties health myself. I have also learnt to become more sensitive to Ebony although I think that she hasn't inherited old lady health problems yet. I think she has been aging gracefully and I hope the same for Mushu (my kitty) when the time comes. I am glad to have this book and the RSPCA pet first aid guide but I would still love to learn more. Excellent book! I would recommend it to any cat owner.

[Lyndsay-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books was really informative and I learnt a lot about cats and cat care. This book would be a really good choice for somebody looking to adopt a cat, especially if it's their first.

The photos were great and the layout clear and easy to follow. I like how the author divided the book into the different stages of life and the different things that can affect a cat.

[char · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book!. Aboslutely interesting information on why your cat does what he does. I loved it!!. Easy to read, easy to understand. All cat lovers/people with feline pets should read this book! :).

[Stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While cat fans may have encountered a lot of the content of this book before, it has enough interesting bits to keep a reader engaged. I would recommend this book to cat owners, and would be cat owners, who want to understand their fuzzy friends a bit better.

[AquaMoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and fun to read as well.

[Tabetha Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a bunch of interesting information about cats to help me with my felines at home. Some of the information was repeated but still useful.

[Lidya Chu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has some great insight towards cat's behaviour, but nothing different from Google search.

[NA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Very informative and consistent with my experiences of cats. Minus one star for repetitiveness.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great information. Much of it was repeated 8 - 10 times throughout the book. It could've been a little more condensed.

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Donated

[Kelly Hart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...thats kind of how I felt about most of this book. Sure there are a few tidbits of info that is interesting but overall the book is VERY repetative. The same explanations about the same activities of cats are said over and over again. I am the ultimate cat lady so I thought this book would be fascinating. Wrong it was more of a snoozefest.