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Title: How to Talk to Your Cat by PATRICIA MOYES ISBN: 0-517-09296-4 Publisher: Gramercy Pub. Date: 04 April, 1993 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.88 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: If you really want to learn something, find another book.
Comment: This book has very little content pertaining to how to talk to your cat. When I first picked the book up, I flipped to the middle, which happened to be the "good" part, so I gave it a try. The beginning contained some "historical" information, which I found sketchy considering the author had no credentials or references. The argument that this woman gave for how cats became domesticated wasn't convincing. Regardless, there was a decent section in the middle about picking a cat (if you got past her feelings about purebreds), communicating with your cat, and what the different "miaows" and body language mean that I found interesting and useful. Otherwise, the book is filled with stories of her Siamese cats and their world travels, unlikely circumstances involving the one cat being lost for 2 weeks, and many, many opinions. The author seemed haughty most of the time and was very opinionated. Overall, I'd guess this author had money and thought it would be fun to write a book about her cats.
Rating: 1
Summary: I Haven't Hated A Book This Much In A Long Time...
Comment: I bought this title along with several others in earnest, seeking to better my relationship with my cat, & then honestly could not wait to finish the book...
There was a small handful of nuggets of helpful information, mostly concerning a cats' body language & basic needs, that was useful. The most important concept I came away with is the advice to speak to your cat intelligently, & to treat him as a sentient being who bears personhood & with respect. I agree with the author that this is crucial. Even if your cat does not fully pick up on all of your complex human vocabulary, as Ms. Moyes elaborately fantasizes that hers do - your cat *will* pick up on your intent, the tone of your feelings towards him, & the spirit in which you speak to him. Her method of developing a call signal to find a lost cat is also of practical value. If you come away with these points, you've got the basics.
That said...
This author's narcissistic "snitty british" arrogant writing tone propelled by almost purely emotional reasoning drove me up a wall........ The author struck me as overly self-involved & almost completely lost in her own personal fantasies about what is going on with her cats to the point of living in a dream world, made for one. After page 20 this slowly became nauseating, & a stifling urge to scream settled in & stayed.
In this book, the author haughtily purports herself to be everyone's Conscience concerning their pet. She makes striking statements that anyone who would ever opt to declaw a cat - or to solely house them indoors - is better off not having one at all. Apparently, this individual would rather see stray animals piled up dead on the floors of kill shelters, than to be adopted to live by apartment pet regulations concerning declawing, or kept safely indoors. My thought was, "How dare you..." The author needs to reach beyond a myopic, single-minded love of Siamese cats & an upper class lifestyle to develop some concept of how many hundreds of thousands of cats are left unclaimed & unadopted to die in shelters every single day, claws intact. This is reality.
But then...she imagines that in spite of the plethora of feline breeds & mixes available, every person would *only* want to keep a Siamese cat, if they only knew their nature, as a matter of course. After reading her descriptions of her cats' behavior, I've never been more glad to have a DSH in my care. However, if you do keep a Siamese - get the book. It may help you realize you're not alone in your Siamese's unique antics. Most of the information here pertains only to them & does not generalize out well at all to other breeds. I could not relate at least 60% of the content to my own cat's personality, habits, feelings, & behavior. Or any other cat I've known, for that matter. Or, if you are interested in a purely anecdotal personal "case study" account of one person's experience of Siamese behavior - you may find this book's giddy ramblings entertaining. Be prepared to wade through mounds of ego & narrow subjectivity to get to the informational content you seek.
However - if you are looking for a truly resourceful book on how to communicate with your cat...look elsewhere. Don't let one woman's endless egocentric carrying on bend your mind concerning your cat. Some far better suggestions for books on this topic would be:
* "The Language of Animals: 7 Steps To Communicating With Animals" by Carol Gurney
* "CatSpeak" by Bash Dibra, reknowned animal trainer
* "The Cat Whisperer" by Claire Bessant
* "Animal Talk" by Penelope Smith
* "277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You To Know: A Catalog of Unusual & Interesting Information" by Paulette Cooper & Paul Noble
* "Cat Owner's Manual" by Dr. Bruce Fogle - written by a Veterinarian, this is the single most helpful cat book I've found yet.
There are SO MANY better titles out there on the topic of human/feline communication with helpful, useful information surpassing this stifling narration.
To be perfectly honest... And I can't believe I'm saying this... I finished the book thinking, "I am so grateful I am not Ms. Moyes' cat....." And screamed into a pillow.
Rating: 2
Summary: Mostly Siamese If You Please
Comment: If you have a Siamese cat, this might be interesting, but only one chapter applies to the title claim of "how to talk to your cat," and I suspect Siamese must speak a different language than other cats. This was written in 1978 and sounds old-fashioned in the style of writing.
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Title: Communicating With Your Cat by J. Anne Helgren ISBN: 0764108557 Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: Why Cats Do That: A Collection of Curious Kitty Quirks by Karen Anderson, Wendy Christensen ISBN: 1572234059 Publisher: Willow Creek Press Pub. Date: September, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: 277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You to Know: A Cat-Alog of Unusual and Useful Information by Paulette Cooper, Paul Noble, Jack Fleming ISBN: 0898159520 Publisher: Ten Speed Press Pub. Date: November, 1997 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat--Not a Sour Puss by Pam Johnson-Bennett ISBN: 0140288546 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 31 January, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Cat Whisperer: The Secret of How to Talk to Your Cat by Claire Bessant ISBN: 0764121650 Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Pub. Date: 30 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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