The Life And Love Of Cats

"The Life and Love of Cats "takes us on an unforgettable journey--we travel from the homes of middle-America today, back to the demonized creatures hiding in the alleys of medieval Europe; from wild cousins on the plains of Africa to rare hybrid domestic breeds like the Savannah; and from fashionable show breeds to shelter cats lovingly rescued by volunteers. Starting with the earliest records of domestic cats 9,000 years ago in Africa and the Mediterranean and moving to the present, Lewis Blackwell weaves stories of one of humankind's closest companions with a collection of more than 100 unforgettable images. Praise for "The Life and Love of Cats: " "Fabulous felines." --"People" "As good as Blackwell's text is (and it's quite good--an approachable, informative, and appreciative study of cats of all breeds), the true appeal of the book is the stunning images." --"Publishers Weekly," starred review"" "Filled with gorgeous color photos of domestic and wild felines: Russian blues, Siamese, lions, leopards, Bengal tigers and more." --BookPage "A global tour of one of the world's most popular animals." --"The Charlotte Observer " "This is a gorgeous coffee table book" --"dooce"

Expressing the passion felt for pets using all 26 letters of the alphabet accompanied by rhymes, colorful illustrations, and informative text, this tribute to cats explores the feline obsession in a fresh and humorous way. Readers will enjoy fun facts about the intelligent, affectionate, complicated, and independent pets that curl up in laps and bound through the house with elegant acrobatics.

The author of Straw Dogs, famous for his provocative critiques of scientific hubris and the delusions of progress and humanism, turns his attention to cats—and what they reveal about humans' torturous relationship to the world and to themselves. The history of philosophy has been a predictably tragic or comical succession of palliatives for human disquiet. Thinkers from Spinoza to Berdyaev have pursued the perennial questions of how to be happy, how to be good, how to be loved, and how to live in a world of change and loss. But perhaps we can learn more from cats--the animal that has most captured our imagination--than from the great thinkers of the world. In Feline Philosophy, the philosopher John Gray discovers in cats a way of living that is unburdened by anxiety and self-consciousness, showing how they embody answers to the big questions of love and attachment, mortality, morality, and the Self: Montaigne's house cat, whose un-examined life may have been the one worth living; Meo, the Vietnam War survivor with an unshakable capacity for "fearless joy"; and Colette's Saha, the feline heroine of her subversive short story "The Cat", a parable about the pitfalls of human jealousy. Exploring the nature of cats, and what we can learn from it, Gray offers a profound, thought-provoking meditation on the follies of human exceptionalism and our fundamentally vulnerable and lonely condition. He charts a path toward a life without illusions and delusions, revealing how we can endure both crisis and transformation, and adapt to a changed scene, as cats have always done.

Hairy cats, scaredy-cats. Dancing cats, prancing cats. Cute and cuddly or snobby and sassy, every cat is a lovable cat! A walk through a city apartment building turns into a joyful introduction to newfound cat neighbors—on the roof, down the hallway, in the elevator! Full of whimsy and fun, this delightful ode to our kitty companions will have readers young and old purring with delight. Cats, cats, cats. I love cats!

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.

A moving selection of poems for dog lovers, accompanied by charismatic line drawings, from a poet with an "unfailing mastery of her medium" (New York Times Book Review). Reflecting on her long and celebrated career in poetry, two-time National Book Award finalist Linda Pastan was struck by the number of dogs that have appeared in her poems—whether as the primary subject or in the briefest of allusions. Dogs run through these poems, so to speak. The poems span the lighthearted to the serious, from the antics of training a recalcitrant dog to the grief at a beloved dog’s death. With warmth, dignity, and quiet power, Pastan explores the many roles of these devoted animals, from household pet to Argos, Pluto, and the Dog Star. "Envoi" We’re signing up for heartbreak, We know one day we’ll rue it. But oh the way our life lights up The years a dog runs through it.

What do our pets do when they're not with us? Caroline Paul and Wendy MacNaughton used GPS, cat cameras, psychics, and the web to track the adventures of their beloved cat Tibia.