77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat: The Essential Guide to Preparing Your Family and Home for a Feline Companion

by Susan M. Ewing

Get ready for your new best friend! If you’re longing for the pitter-patter of four furry feet around your house, you have some homework to do. When new cat owners aren’t prepared, it’s the cat who suffers, so it’s very important to consider all angles of cat care and ownership before making the commitment. This book gives you expert advice *Selecting a suitable cat for your home and lifestyle *Feeding and training *Veterinary and home health care *Keeping your cat safe at home and away *And much more! Based on your family, living space, and lifestyle, know whether you should choose a kitten or adult cat and whether you should select a purebred from a breeder or adopt from a shelter or rescue group. Know what supplies you will want to buy before your new kitten or cat comes home. Here is information on nail clipping, bathing, training, and litter boxes as well as vaccinations, infections, spaying/neutering, exercise, poisonous plants, and first aid. Understand claws, coats, whiskers, hairballs, and dog interactions. Get excited to bring home your new kitten or adult cat, and have this guide to help you!

Genres: Nonfiction, Cats, How To, Animals

223 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2018

Reviews

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot, and a lot I didn't even know about, but the writing can be wordy and extraneous.

[Holly]

Lots of good info, much of it irrelevant if a cat has already adopted you by the time you read the book.

[Sam Kroes · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone planning to adopt a cat, this was a fantastic resource. Ewing touches on a little bit of everything, including breeds, colors, personalities, home environments, travelling with and without your pet, feeding, playtime, training, and health concerns, among other things.

5-10 of the 77 topics will likely not apply to you, depending on your situation and reason for getting a cat. For example, I skimmed sections like "Finding a Breeder" and the few pages covering different associations and cat shows.

One thing to note about 77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat is that Ewing will recommend some relatively extreme measures at times, considering that the average Joe may not have $300 to spend on an exercise wheel or the time and patience to brush their cat's teeth every day. I don't see this as a bad thing, as the things she lists are often potential future considerations for owners that don't presently have enough space or spending money.

One example of this is when she mentions owners that cook for their cats. While I understand that this is not necessary and that most people likely won't, it sounds like something I would enjoy experimenting with. I've already found my next book, which covers this in depth.

Overall, I feel this book was very thorough and informative. I checked this book out to read from start to finish, but it would make a great reference to buy and keep at home. It is well-written, easy to understand, and beautifully illustrated.

[Melissa Embry · Rating 5 out of 5]

77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat does indeed cover everything from choosing a cat (or being chosen by one) through such topics as breed particulars, feeding, medical care, and specialized training for our feline besties. (Who knew cats could be trained to do agility and scenting work as well as, maybe, staying off kitchen counters?) The author also offers practical tips on topics cat owners might prefer not to think about, such as what to do if a cat is lost, or if cats (and humans) are caught up in a disaster.

Along the way, 77 Things to Know sprinkles in fascinating anecdotes -- the world's oldest cat, folklore about cats, famous cats (and their humans), and brief descriptions of their small wild relatives -- to keep us turning the pages, no matter how long it's been since our furry friends chose us.

[Night Knowledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great guide for anyone who needs a comprehensive guide on not just getting a cat, but just on cats in general. It provides information from the different breeds, to tips on healthcare, to fun facts, to the different organizations that are for cats and the people that love them. The book is a bit dense in some areas, which makes it highly skimmable, but for there's a table of contents if you need to jump around for specific things you need. I don't plan on getting a cat anytime too soon (my dog would hate to share), but if and when I do, I'll more than likely revisit this guide.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great information presented in an easily-digestible format for newbie cat owners like me. I jumped in with owning two kittens who were just supposed to be barn cats. Now they are my babies and I want to do as much for them as I can. This book helped me feel knowledgeable about my babies and not so far behind my husband, who grew up with a cat. It has made me worried about all the diseases, bugs, and such they could acquire. But forewarned is forearmed.

[Monty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read with important information for new cat owners. The pictures and colored sections are really engaging, but you may want to pace your reading rather than be overwhelmed by all the information at once.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a helpful read before we adopted our cat last year, though some of the information was still useful and/or interesting. 3 stars because I lost track of how many times she touched on a subject only to say she didn’t know but you could find the information elsewhere.

[BooksAndMinerals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mica (the kitten) has been home with me for a week already and I just finished this book. Susan Ewing offers plenty of sound cat ownership advice, plus knowledge on cat care (medical, emergency, lost cat, etc.), and more. I learned a lot of information reading this book.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic intro to getting a cat. It doesn't say anything the other cat books I've read recently didn't cover, but that's not the author's fault.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful and quick

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was too late for me (Cat Distribution System had already given me a cat) but the info was still useful and concise.