Synopses & Reviews
Humans have lived with cats for thousands of years, and there are now more cats kept in Western households than any other animal. Cherished as companions and valued as rodent catchers, their enigmatic behavior has intrigued and bewildered us for generations. While accepting the comforts of human homes, cats do seem to "walk by themselves." Although loved for their independence and self-reliance, myths and fables surround them, leaving them open to persecution and misunderstanding. Covering all types of cats from pampered pets to feral hunters, this completely revised new edition of The Domestic Cat shows how cats live and behave in a variety of circumstances and surroundings. With new chapters on welfare issues, and cat-cat communication, this volume penetrates the enigma that is Felis catus, sorting fact from fiction, and helping both the general reader and the specialist in animal behavior or veterinary science to understand cats as they really are.
Review
"Informative, evenly written, and well organized." Choice"This authoritative collection of articles written primarily by academics is a welcome alternative to the majority of books that are published about cats." Animals' Agenda
Review
"Informative, evenly written, and well organized." Choice"This authoritative collection of articles written primarily by academics is a welcome alternative to the majority of books that are published about cats." Animals' Agenda"No matter how much you've learned about feline behavior from living with cats, reading The Domestic Cat will teach you new things about Fluffy's instincts, motives and behaviors. This compilation of scientific studies on domestic cat behavior is a fascinating inquiry into the mind of your housecat...offers a wealth of knowledge about these mysterious furry creatures who share our lives." Cats
Synopsis
Cats are cherished as companions and valued as rodent catchers, but their enigmatic behaviour has intrigued us for generations. Accepting the comforts of human homes but 'walking by themselves', their independence and self-reliance has left them open to persecution and misunderstanding. Covering all types of cats from pampered pets to feral hunters, and exploring welfare issues to cat-cat communication, this book penetrates the enigma that is Felis catus, helping both the general reader and the specialist in animal behaviour or veterinary science to understand what cats really are.
Table of Contents
List of contributors; Preface and acknowledgements; Part I. Introduction: 1. Why the cat? Dennis C. Turner and Patrick Bateson; Part II. Development of Young Cats: 2. Behavioural development in the cat Patrick Bateson; 3. Factors influencing the mother-kitten relationship John M. Deag, Aubrey Manning and Candace E. Lawrence; 4. Individuality in the domestic cat: origins, development and stability Michael Mendl and Robert Harcourt; Part III. Social Life: 5. The signalling repertoire of the domestic cat and its undomesticated relatives John Bradshaw and Charlotte Cameron-Beaumont; 6. Group-living in the domestic cat: its sociobiology and epidemiology David W. Macdonald, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi and Gillian Kerby; 7. Density, spatial organisation and reproductive tactics in the domestic cat and other felids Olof Liberg, Mikael Sandell, Dominique Pontier and Eugenia Natoli; Part IV. Predatory Behaviour: 8. Hunting behaviour of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations B. Mike Fitzgerald and Dennis C. Turner; Part V. Cats and People: 9. Domestication and history of the cat James A. Serpell; 10. The human-cat relationship Dennis C. Turner; 11. Feline welfare issues Irene Rochlitz; Part VI. Postscript: 12. Questions about cats Patrick Bateson and Dennis C. Turner; Index.