What cats want

by Claire Bessant

Claire Bessant is the Chief Executive of the Feline Advisory Bureau. In the course of her work, she is consistently bombarded with questions regarding the well-being of our favourite pets. Now she has collected this wealth of material into one book.

181 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Claire Bessant is chief executive of International Cat Care (formerly known as Feline Advisory Bureau), a charity dedicated to the welfare and health of cats and is a wealth of feline resources and information. She is agony aunt to 'Your Cat' magazine and author of many books including The Cat Whisperer, How to talk to your cat, The Ultrafit Older Cat and Perfect Kitten. She also helped set up the European Society of Feline Medicine.

- from http://www.craftycat.co.uk/behaviour/...

Reviews

[Soloria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half of the book is devoted to describing what we want to see in a cat and how exactly cats live with people. In my opinion - too much subjective and stereotypes.
The second half of the book is about what cats want. Here, too, there are a lot of stereotypes and subjective. For example, free access of a cat to the street (the author evaluates it as a purely positive factor for a cat), according to statistics, especially in urban conditions, reduces its life expectancy by half. If a cat is provided with sufficient physical and mental exercise, it doesn't necessarily need to have the "range of street experiences" that the author laments so much about.
I liked that the author mentions the medical side. Oddly, when discussing spaying, there is no mention of reducing the risk of cancer, but there is mention of typical feline diseases that an owner should be aware of. The author also does a good job of describing some behavioral factors, especially stress and aggression. Surprisingly, nothing is mentioned about recognizing pain.
Overall not bad, but a lot of water, repetition, stereotypes that are probably meant to be funny (but for what?).

[David Grossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of informative insights. Looks are largely superfluous, but cats are highly independent (usually dont need to hang around a pack or their owners as much as dogs), and genetically optimized as hunting machines, including their behaviors. I find I need to give my felines more hunting activities. Many problem behaviors are caused by medical conditions, but some medical problems are secondary to behaviors in turn. The book provides multiple insights into the interaction of the veterinarian and the behaviorist in sorting out these interactions. The variable 'field of aggression' explains some behavioral changes with circumstances. Its small when cats are comfortable (they can tolerate touching), but wide when under stress (keep away). The last chapter provides practical advice on preventing behavioral problems (much better than treating after they occur).
Very useful & highly recommended if you're thinking of getting a cat.

[Luna]

Lo sto leggendo capitolo per volta, e lo trovo davvero utile. Ci sono in giro un sacco di luoghi comuni sui gatti, e purtroppo poche persone riescono a vedere il proprio micio come un carattere non solo a se, ma con delle esigenze proprie.