The Necessary Cat

by Nicola Bayley

Did you know that white cats are usually deaf? Or that when a cat is frightened it sweats through its feet? Or that ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows to mourn the death of a cat? Any self-respecting cat lover will be delighted to discover these feline facts and more in Nicola Bayley's The Necessary Cat, a lovely, old-fashioned tribute to cats and kittens of all varieties. Exquisitely detailed, whimsical illustrations in diverse styles highlight Bayley's scrapbooklike collection of old-fashioned cat toys (and new ones, too!); cat stats; cat lore; cat poems by such luminaries as William Wordsworth, W.B. Yeats, and Walter de la Mare; cat words; and famous cats and their infamous feats. Feline fanciers of all ages will enjoy pawing through this delightful album--dare we say it's the cat's meow? (All ages)

Genres: Cats, Nonfiction, Poetry, Childrens, Art

77 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 1998

About the author

Nicola Bayley is one of England's bestloved artists. She has illustrated many acclaimed picture books for children, including Katje, The Windmill Cat, by Gretchen Woelfle, which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Mir]

A compendium of the cat-related. Breeds of cats and famous cats and toy cats and words describing cat... but also things named after cats, like a double-page spread of plants with feline sobriquets.

Bayley's art is lovely as always. Most of the text is quite interesting, although not always pleasant: did you know, for instance, that a "fire cat" was a live animal with flammable oil strapped to it that spread burning panic amongst enemy lines? Stupid militaristic Prussians. There are other stories and factoids as well that may be upsetting to sensitive cat lovers.

[Helen]

I very much enjoyed this book for adults about cats! It included poems, pictures, and paraphernalia about cats through the ages.

[Ms. B]

3.75 stars. Out of print and originally published 25 years ago in 1998, this would have been a great coffee table book for cat lovers. A compilation of all things feline; poems, anecdotes, facts and the delightful illustrations of Nicola Bayley. Favorite parts for me included Cat Scraps, Cats in the Toy Cupboard, Fourteen Ways of Touching the Peter, and Hall of Fame. If you cannot find a print copy, read it online from Internet Archive's Books to Borrow .

[Maya]

A must-read for cat lovers.

The Necessary Cat is a glorious collection of illustrated lists and poems, all pertaining to cats. I guarantee you'll linger on every page, staring at Nicola Bayley's fine art.

[Jamila Sule]

Love the pictures and the funny catty quotes.

[Cat]

A lovely book with lots of charming cat drawings. I wish I'd discovered this when my children were younger, I'm sure it would have become a regular read with all the adorable illustrations and interesting facts.

[Kajol (faeries.alley)]

Perfect book for cat lovers!!

[Tracy]

Cool pictures, but too many cats.