Europeans believed Satan liked to take the form of a black cat). In modern times we’re not quite so extreme in our reactions, but there are still those who adore cats and those who find them too peculiar or standoffish. If you fall into the former group, you’re sure to love these ten books, listed alphabetically, that explore and celebrate the many aspects of this elegant creature. If you’re decidedly not a cat person, be aware that conversions have happened before — and sometimes a good story is the “catalyst.”
1.
250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You
by Ingrid Newkirk, 1998 – The author, one of the founders of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, offers practical advice on how to make your home more cat-friendly, natural remedies for your cat, and the finer points of feline communication. ONLINE DETAILS2.
Asleep in the Sun
by Hans Silvester, 1997 – Napping is an important part of every cat’s life.This book is filled with exquisite photographs of what appear to be some of the most idyllic catnaps on earth, in the Greek Cycladic Islands. ONLINE DETAILS
3.
Cat on the Edge: A Joe Grey Mystery
by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, 1996 – There are quite a few mysteries featuring detectives with feline sidekicks, but Murphy’s popular Joe Grey mysteries feature a cat sleuth who’s inexplicably learned to talk and understand people. As if that weren’t vexing enough, Joe must crack a murder case or part with one of his nine lives. A charming blend of whimsical humor and murder mystery. ONLINE DETAILS4.
The Cat Who Covered the World: The Adventures Of Henrietta And Her Foreign
Correspondent
by Christopher S. Wren, 2000 – This is the true story of a cosmopolitan tabby named Henrietta who accompanied her owners — a foreign correspondent and his family — to Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, and other distant lands. She brought the author a certain amount of trouble along the way but also humor and much-needed comfort. ONLINE DETAILS 5.The Cat Who Went to Paris
by Peter Gethers, 1991 – Before he met Norton, a Scottish Foldcat, the author was a cat-hater. But this alert and refined creature ended up changing his life for the better. Gethers published two more books about Norton — A Cat Abroad and The Cat Who’ll Live Forever. ONLINE DETAILS
6.
The Character of Cats: The Origins, Intelligence, Behavior, and Stratagems of Felis silvestris catus
by Stephen Budiansky, 2002 – A rigorous but entertaining survey of the domestic cat and our relationship with it. From feline evolution to our superstitions about cats, you’ll learn the fascinating history and science of these animals. Cat owners are likely to punctuate their reading with exclamations of “So that’s why they do that!” ONLINE DETAILS 7.Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
by Vicki Myron withBret Witter, 2008 – This charming and light-hearted story about a stray tabby who becomes a library mascot is as sentimental as you’d expect, but it’s hard not to love Dewey, who provides friendship, inspiration and comfort to library patrons for nearly twenty years. ONLINE DETAILS 8.
Homer’s Odyssey
by Gwen Cooper, 2009 – Another heart-tugger that’s nearly as irresistible as Homer, an abandoned, eyeless kitten who becomes the fearless protector and best friend to Cooper, a novelist (Diary of a South Beach Party Girl). ONLINE DETAILSEXCERPT: HOMER’S ODYSSEY:
A fuzzy shadow trails my steps through the apartment, leaping to the tops of any and all furniture along the way. Homer jumps effortlessly from floor to chair, from chair to dining room table, then back to the floor again, like Q*bert on speed. As I make my way from the living/dining area to the hallway, Homer’s up on top of a side table, then hurls himself recklessly to the third shelf of the bookcase diagonally across the hall, perching for a precarious moment until I’ve passed. Then he’s down on the ground once more, zipping along ahead of me and occasionally, in his enthusiasm, running smack into one of my other two cats until he reaches the doorway to the bedroom. Stopping at precisely the same point each time, he pauses for an infinitesimal moment, then cuts a hard left through the bedroom door, as if he were drawing a large capital L. He jumps to the top of the bed, where he knows I’ll sit to remove my shoes, and crawls into my lap for another round of purring and face rubbing
9.
James Herriot’s Cat Stories
by James Herriot, 1994 – Herriot was a dedicated veterinarian and a wonderful storyteller. Here is a collection of encounters with the cats in his rural Yorkshire community: Alfred, the cat who keeps watch over the counter of his owner’s candy shop; Moses, a half-frozen kitten who takes up the life of a piglet; Oscar the socialite; and several other feline patients and friends. ONLINE DETAILS10.
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats
by T.S. Eliot, 1939 – The legendary Broadway musicalCats was based on this collection of verse, written by one of the central figures of modern poetry.
Eliot’s whimsical language brings to life a feline world whose inhabitants have characters as distinct as those of our own society. ONLINE DETAILS