The inner life of cats : the science and secrets of our mysterious feline companions

Title:

Author:

McNamee, Thomas, 1947- author.

ISBN:

9780316262873

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

278 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Contents:

The kitten -- Becoming a cat -- Thinking? Talking? -- The wild animal in your house -- The wild animal at large -- A good life -- Illness, aging, and death -- Love.

Abstract:

"Our feline companions are much-loved but often mysterious. In The Inner Life of Cats, Thomas McNamee blends scientific reportage with engaging, illustrative anecdotes about his own beloved cat, Augusta, to explore and illuminate the secrets and enigmas of her kind"-- Publisher's website.

Subject:

Cats -- Miscellanea.

Cats -- Behavior.

Cats -- Psychology.

Cats -- Physiology.

Cats -- Anecdotes.

Human-animal relationships.

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Audience	Shelf Location	Material Type	Shelf Number	Current Location
Adult	Non-fiction	Book	636.8 MCNAMEE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Our feline companions are much-loved but often mysterious. In The Inner Life of Cats , Thomas McNamee blends scientific reportage with engaging, illustrative anecdotes about his own beloved cat, Augusta, to explore and illuminate the secrets and enigmas of her kind.

As it begins, The Inner Life of Cats follows the development of the young Augusta while simultaneously explaining the basics of a kitten's physiological and psychological development. As the narrative progresses, McNamee also charts cats' evolution, explores a feral cat colony in Rome, tells the story of Augusta's life and adventures, and consults with behavioral experts, animal activists, and researchers, who will help readers more fully understand cats.

McNamee shows that with deeper knowledge of cats' developmental phases and individual idiosyncrasies, we can do a better job of guiding cats' maturation and improving the quality of their lives. Readers' relationships with their feline friends will be happier and more harmonious because of this book.

Author Notes

Thomas McNamee is the recipient of a 2016 John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fellowship. He is the author of The Grizzly Bear; Nature First: Keeping Our Wild Places and Wild Creatures Wild; A Story of Deep Delight; The Return of the Wolf to Yellowstone; Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution; The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance ; and The Killing of the Wolf Number Ten . He wrote the PBS documentary Alexander Calder , which won a Peabody Award and an Emmy. He lives in San Francisco.

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

With the publication of The Lion in the Living Room, Cat Wars, and Call of the Cats, the recent broadcast of The Story of Cats-a PBS Nature documentary-felines have been getting a lot of press lately. The momentum continues with this distinctive work by nature writer and Guggenheim Fellow McNamee (The Killing of Wolf Number Ten), who considers the house cat a unique domesticate. Living in close association with humans for thousands of years has not erased the cat's wild instincts, only tempered them. This title is part personal experience (how McNamee raised a kitten rescued from the Montana snow), part scrutiny of scientific studies about cats, and part advice on best practices for raising a well-adjusted cat. Whatever topics the author weighs in on-cat videos, cat whisperers, feline predatory instincts, what constitutes a good life for a cat, or the experiences of protected ferals in cat-loving Rome (with its army of gattare, or cat ladies)-his opinions are thoughtful and his suggestions humane. Cat owners who believe that one can establish a meaningful relationship with a cat simply by feeding it should read this insightful book. -VERDICT Highly recommended for cat lovers and anyone interested in the human-feline bond. [See Prepub Alert, 1/12/17; author Q&A, p. 105.]-Cynthia Lee Knight, Hunterdon Cty. -Historical Soc., Flemington, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.