Cat Confidential: The Book Your Cat Would Want You To Read

by Vicky Halls

Book by VICKY HALLS

Genres: Nonfiction, Cats, Animals, Biology, Science, Reference

259 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[YoSafBridg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vicky Halls is a veterinary nurse who currently works in Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom as a “cat behaviour consellor” (that U.K. bit is important because there are some fundamental differences in U.K. thinking on what is best for our little feline friends and U.S. thinking). Being a cat behavior consellor apparently means that she earns her living by visiting people in their homes, drinking tea from their cat mugs and listening to their stories about their cats.” She never gets bored (her words). I’m not sure how helpful any of this is to the North American cat owner who picks up Cat Confidential: the book your cat would want you to read with a hope to solve a particular cat problem, it is, however, a rather entertaining and thoughtful book written with some insight.
First off, in case you didn’t know, two major difference between British and American views on house cats:
In the U.K. declawing is illegal so you will not find any discussion of it here~pros OR cons (not that that’s a bad thing~i believe it’s a rather inhumane thing to do myself, but it does bear mentioning)
more importantly, in the U.K. it is considered depriving a cat of one of its most basic needs to not allow it to freely roam outside whereas the A.S.P.C.A and the Humane Society of the United States as well as most U.S. vets agree that not only are cats much safer as purely “indoor” creatures but that they can live a very happy satisfied life if kept inside (given the proper amusement and stimulation). In fact it is mentioned as one of the symptoms of an overly attached (perhaps even bordering on pathological) owner in this book if:
“the cat is kept exclusively indoors or allowed only restricted access to the outdoors under supervision for reasons of ‘safety’. (The owners worry that the cat would be exposed to unacceptable dangers if it were to go outside)”
In the U.S. this would be considered indicative of a responsible cat owner.
Another conceit of this particular author seems to be that often the answer is to remove the cat from the home, which, i am sure, must sometimes be necessary but she seems much quicker to do it than i would be (and have worked out situations in my own home that have seemed more daunting than those she seemed to resort to very extreme measures with…)
The book is divided into chapters which would seem to make seeking help for particular problems easier:
The New Kitten
The Scaredy Cat
The Aggressive Cat
The Indoor Cat (which of course would always seem to result in a “stir crazy” cat who needs some outdoor time)
The Multi-Cat Household (which rarely seems to work well -except in the author’s case)
The Weird Cat
The Human/Cat Bond
The Elderly and Disabled Cat
Coping with Bereavement
Unfortunately many of these “problems” often seem to have similar solutions and they are so anecdotal as to be of little use. I found the last two chapters dealing with elderly cats (which is really just a report on a survey the author did of cat owners) and coping with bereavement to be the most helpful. Halls said she wrote this book mainly to talk about the nine cats she has shared her life with (and each of these is used to introduce a chapter), it is on this level and in Halls’ tone that i find the book succeeds most. (She also is incredibly witty and i love her description of how cats feel about cat doors~but without them, and the constant need for the cat to go outside, doesn’t that leave you at your cat’s beck and call?)
Worth reading but for behavior advise a better bet is probably Nicholas Dodman.

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read, explaining the ins-and-outs of feline habits and foibles. The book is organized in eleven chapters: the new kitten, the scaredy cat, the aggressive cat, the indoor cat, the multi-cat household, the weird cat, the human-cat bond, the elderly and disabled cat, coping with bereavement, me and my pedigrees, things your cat would want you to know.

Halls intersperses explanations of puzzling behaviors and her suggestions for a happy co-abitation, with examples drawn from her extensive career as “cat whisperer. These anecdotes are convincing and genuinely funny. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to any ailurophile.

NB: the edition I read is the updated version of Cat Confidential: The Book Your Cat Would Want You to Read, reissued in 2018, GR is unfortunately missing the pink cover with the cute cat face.

Fav. quotes

The cat is immediately taken aback at the obvious lack of response and his demeanor changes to one of intense curiosity. Basically I ignore the cat. Aggressive posturing and spitting are only powerful if your victim is paying any attention. Otherwise you just look stupid.

I learnt a lot from that experiment, not the least that you really shouldn’t stare at your cat for prolonged periods because it makes him paranoid.

Often owners are blissfully unaware of friction between their pets because they judge relationships to be good if there is no fighting. Cats know there are far better campaign strategies for battle! Inter-cat aggression can be passive, subtle and devious but the victim can become extremely distressed by the relentless conflict. Cats have limited ways to express their emotional states so sometimes it is useful to diagnose disharmony by default if behavioral problems can be identified within the household.

I never cease to be amazed by how incredibly clever and manipulative the average pet cat can be. It is rather humbling and intensely amusing to think that we can be so successfully trained by a small furry creature. Cats are supposedly well beneath us on the evolutionary scale, but sometimes I wonder.

[CATHERINE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read if you have cats. Its more of a pick up and read a chapter than a sit down read because it is quite detailed about various problems. The book addresses various issues through stories of her clients who called her in due to difficulties with their cats. The main problem I had with this is that these people all seemed obsessed with their cats, and the advice to build stuff for their cats, or put a litter tray in every room and hide their food in every room - wouldn't it smell?
Otherwise interesting stories and facts, if you like cats worth a look.
My cats apparently have a sense of irony, as just as I finished it and it was left beside my bed one of them threw up all over it so I guess they didn't like it that much!

[Falina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute and delightfully British book that had some good information in it. Since it contains some hard to find information (e.g. about cat masturbation) and the more standard info doesn't contradict anything else I've learned in school, I think this will be my go-to cat manual from now on.

[Jina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book back in 2009-2010, along with 3 other books by Vicky Halls, when I got my first cat. There was a bookmark stuffed in its pages, so I decided to pick it back up and read it cover to cover. I firmly believe that one should educate themselves as much as possible when committing to care for a dependent species - particularly one that won’t ever speak the same verbal language as them. Fortunately, there is body language and social cues. Halls equips her readers with her experiences on what a cat is saying with their body and behaviour in an attempt to break down the language barrier between us and our feline friends. Sometimes our cat is trying to tell us they are sick by not using their litter. Sometimes, they are telling us they don’t like it when our schedule dramatically changes when they start to excessively groom themselves. Halls also arms her readers with tips, based of her past experiences, on how to best work with your cat depending on the behaviour they are exhibiting when its been determined to be a behavioural issue. What I found most interesting, though, was the common factors she noted for those humans who grow too attached to their cats (women, divorced/widowed, history with depression/mental illness) - are the same common factors of those who are most prone to internet addiction.

[Amarante · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an ardent cat lover and proud mum of two cats (with quite a heavy history) I try to learn as much as I can to make their lives as comfortable as possible. Cat confidential has provided some big eye-openers not simply for my situation now but, more importantly, also towards my future that's going to be filled with even more cats.
The most shocking aspect about cat life that I have learned through this read is probably the fact that you may not notice your felines' distress until the bucket has already overflown ... and the bullying. Cats are not as simple as you may think, but once you know what to look for (which I now do thanks to Vicky Halls), they actually are.
I'd recommend this read to anyone thinking of expanding their family with a cat, as this author is thoroughly experienced in solving family issues that seem to be caused by their felines. Prevention is everything!

[RedGhost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it!
Book consist of interesting stories which lead us through various cat behaviors and issues connected with them. Advice is also there, it's just that it becomes secondary - main goal of the stories is to understand and explain behaviour, causes & reason. Sometimes solutions aren't of happy end type, but were logical thing to do. I especially liked part about over-attachment, about how to know when to let go and how to handle grief of both owners and companions. There's also extensive information about elder cats from author's own research. Also found very interesting to find out that genes which cause color are connected with some behavioral as well, so effectively you really can deduct some expected behavior traits just from the color.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the recent addition of a cat to the household, I have been devouring a lot of cat-related content. Cat Confidential is written by a cat counsellor and talks about different aspects of cat behaviour, especially the troubling kind, through the various cases that she has had. The stories were very cut, even if a few were a touch disturbing at times, and the anecdotes really helped bring to life the advice that she was giving. It was a really fun read, and I feel like I learnt a lot about cats through reading it, even if it did highlight how strange they can be!

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very informative book that could be used as a help guide or read purely for pleasure, assuming the reader is a cat lover! There was a great deal of practical advice and guidance related to specific problem areas and stages to in a cats life. I particularly enjoyed all the case studies and anecdotes about the writers own cats.

[Barbara Ab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Da leggere per tutti quelli che ritengono sia normale che il gatto faccia cacca e pipì in giro per casa... cosa inaccettabile per me e da quello che scrive l’autrice il gatto lo fa quando vive male in quella casa. Sono d’accordo.

[Saskia (Smitie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took some time for me to finish this book. Interesting to read all cat cases Vicky has to solve. While most tips were not new to me, the books reminds me of how lucky I am with my cat that behaves normal.

[Linda Claeys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heerlijk boek over katten, hun problemen en eigenaardigheden, de mogelijke oorzaken en oplossingen. Soms ontroerend. Vaak hilarisch. Maar vooral zeer herkenbaar voor al wie afdrukken van kattenpootjes op zijn hart heeft staan. ZO van genoten.

[Ms Mary John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny take on what is sometimes a very serious subject. (Especially for discerning cat owners/companions). I don’t necessarily agree with everything but then I have not been put to the test with a lot of it…… yet xx

[Anne Showering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book, this taught me a lot of things I didn't know about cats. Funny, moving and very useful, a must-read for cat lovers and owners

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative but I bet things are a bit different here than in England ;).

[Anneke de Bundel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarisch en ontroerend zelfhulpboek voor de kattenliefhebber die beangstigend gestoord kan zijn.

[Cillu Magellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a huge fan of the structure. The anecdotes are all over the place but I'd say it has made me appreciate having a cat even more now!

[Muchandquick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat Confidential is an excellent read for any cat lover. At the very least it will provide several touching, intriguing, and flat-out funny stories of Vicky Halls' pawed patients as well as provide further insight into a cat's mindset and lots of advice on how to approach behavioral problems.

I laughed aloud at several stories as both cat and owner alike had their quirks revealed to Halls' observation. The book approaches cats at each stage of life and in many various states. It is a broad study of different cats with different problems and how to solve them. Each section's suggestions are summarized for easy reference if you need to try and fix your little puddum's scratching or howling problems.

The reason I withheld a star from this review is that Halls is adamant that cats should have access to the great outdoors. She refers to an outdoor cat's adventures as living in a "natural state". Halls even holds to this opinion as she lists several cats throughout the book that die of "terrible accidents", aka "getting hit by a car". Stalking mice, establishing and defending territories, and sleeping in a sunny patch of grass is totally natural behavior but unfortunately poisons, vehicles, and disease are also a part of Halls "natural state".

This is a small part of the overall book and does NOT negate all the excellent advice Halls writes, but seriously? When the author write of how one of her own cats contracts FIV from another outdoor cat, I get a little defensive of my indoor-only policy for my cats.

My gripe aside, this is a great book and cat owners should not hesitate to pick it up.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another re-read. An essential one as we have 2 new cats in the house. Very timid cats. I am not into 'Pet Whispering' and was very dubious about this book when my mum first recommended it to me about 5 years ago. However when I lost the cat I had at the time I was devastated and read the chapter on 'Coping with Bereavement'. It was very informative. This led to me reading the entire book over a few days.

I am so glad I chose not to ignore it. This isn't a book about counselling your cat. It's a book about understanding why your cat behaves as it does and how you can help a cat behaving as it shouldn't. On the whole it's a great sensible book which makes you take a step back from your assumptions. Assumptions all cat owners have. I've yet to meet a cat owner who isn't surprised by the logical way at least one of their assumptions is explained to be wrong in the book.

The author is a cat lover herself who aims to get us to stop anthropomorhising our cats. They aren't human and though there are occasional similarities they are very different beasts! The books is full of case studies to help illustrate the points raised. These made me laugh, cry and look at myself. It's nice to find a very helpful informative book that is a joy to read. My only quibble is her use of homeopathy. In her defense she doesn't claim any scientific evidence.

I'd thoroughly recommend this book to any cat owner. You may be seeing one or two more of her books on here as we try to give our cats the best home possible.

4.5 pawprints out of 5

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not that this book isn't good, it's just that it isn't really all that great at explaining what to actually *do* to help correct some cat behaviors. The anecdotes are interesting, entertaining even, and the author is likable enough, but 95% of the book just assumes that the cat owner has a cat door and lets their cats out or other cats in that creates much of the problems or assumes that if multi-cat households aren't working that one of the cats should go (which to me would be a last resort after all other options are exhausted). I almost felt bad after reading this book for *not* letting my cats out, even though every vet I've been to says it's best if kitties are kept indoors. Maybe it's cultural since all of the stories and information were based on cats in England who presumably spent much or most time outside. I mainly got this book hoping for some insight into how to deal with my two cats that hate each other. I read through the whole first half of the book getting to the chapter specifically on this issue and was hopeful for some good information, but again, it was more stories about neighbor cats coming through the cat door or needing to get rid of one of the existing cats - not quite what I needed. Perhaps someone else would find this useful.

Still, if you are interested in reading in very general terms about how cats think, then this book is worth a read. I'm glad I read it, and I even enjoyed it, I just didn't find it all that helpful.

[Mariann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best cat book I have ever read. I have had a total of 10 cats in my life and I cannot say that this booked has taught me many new things but it was wonderful to read about other people's stories. It is always nice to know that I am not the only crazy cat lady in the world!

[Kingfan30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not quite what I thought when I picked it up from a charity shop. I thought it would be a reference type book I could dip in and out of by looking in the index, but it is written more like a novel.

There were some interesting points and I may just try some of them, such as hiding food for them to forage for. Other things like why your cats hate car journeys (I've got on of them and it's not pleasant for either of us!) she advises needs sorting whilst they are kittens, my cat is now 13 so no hope on solving that one!

The chapter on the older cat put my mind at rest a bit, my 13 year old is showing some symptoms she mentions and although I thought it was down to his age, it's good to know my thinking was going in the right direction.

And I now know how to calculate my cats ages in equivalent human years. The first two years are equivalent to 24 human years, then it's 1 cat year to 4 human years thereafter.

Having read some of these cases I am very please I have two happy cats who are free of any trouble at all!!

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of case studies from a cat behaviour counsellor that cover a wide range of problems cats can suffer during their lives.

It was certainly very interesting for me as I realised that I fall squarely into the over attached cat owner category, which is something that I will need to watch as my kittens get older and better at manipulating me *g*!

I would recommend this book to any other ailurophile, as it gives useful insight into what cats will do when they are in stressful situations and what you can do to help them.

[September · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great introduction to learning about cat behaviour!

I initially picked up the book to address what I now know as "redirected aggression" between my two cats. While it didn't cover nearly as much of the topic as I wanted it to, it still provided a solid starting point. I learned a lot about the various idiosyncrasies my cats exhibit. I feel better equipped to face any bumps I may encounter down the road.

Next, I'm going to read Cat Counsellor: How Your Cat Really Relates to You also by Vicky Halls, which promises much more on the topic of interest.

[Roberta - ロバータ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di volumi sui gatti sono piene le librerie, ma spesso si tratta di libri sdolcinati e etologicamente scorretti, che li rappresentano in maniera edulcorata ed umanizzata.
Vicky Halls non cade in questo errore e mostra i gatti per quello che sono, senza paternalismi e con grandissimo rispetto per la loro complessa natura. Ne deriva un saggio interessante, che mostra come molti dei problemi che attanagliano il gatto moderno siano dovuti più alla stupidità e alla superficialità umana che ad altro...

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has caused me to question my relationship with my cat. Am I an "over-attached" human? Is that healthy? If my cat and my husband were dangling from a cliff, and I could only save one of them....do I have to answer that question?

My grandma gave me this book for Christmas. Aside from the paranoid self-examination I've been undergoing since reading it, the book has been fascinating and I've learned all kinds of things about cat behavior.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that I checked out from the local library. I have four cats and two of them are going on ten years of age. As they get older their behavior has started to change and it has alerted me. Having two senior cats, one young cat, and a kitten has made my house interesting. While my human children are at school I find myself dealing with more cat issues. My pets are like my children and I want them to thrive. If you love your pets than this is a book that is meant for you.

[southernmyst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was good. Sad at times, even depressing on one or two occassions. But as a resource to help think about how to get along better with your favorite feline(s), it is pretty good. Well-written, engaging, insightful. Definitely recommended for any cat lover out there, particularly ones living in Britain.

[Kris Sellgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book on cat behavior I've read that is honest: not every story has a happy ending. Sometimes the cat must be rehomed; sometimes the owner puts the cat to sleep. But this book is also full of solutions, with each chapter being lovingly illustrated by one of her own cats as well as the cats of clients. Recommended for cat lovers.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute hoot! I picked up this book in the library today and couldn't stop reading it from the moment I got home until now (1.30am). I laughed so much at Vicky's cat stories the 'penis sucker' especially and cried at the bereavement chapter. Vicky gives excellent advice and I am now even more determined to have a catio for precious little D and Huw. A great book!