97 Ways to Make a Cat Like You

97 Ways to Make a Cat Like You

Cat parenting
I saw this book in the for sale books Friends of the Orono
Public Library collect for fund raising. I thought it might contain a
few ideas for making Joey's time left on the earth even more
purrrfect. (I can't bear to think of the inevitable adoption of
another cat. It will be like dating again after the end of a 16 year
marriage. I can't imagine...)
"If you're responsible for an animal's life, I think it's worth
knowing a bit about how your charge sees the world. Understanding
your pet's perspective will help you provide opportunities for your
feline to flourish--and give her reasons to like you, even love you.
(The latest research suggests that, yes, cats do experience emotions.)
Learning to understand how cats see their owners involves knowing how
they've evolved--or haven't--to coexist, adapt, or even thrive side by
side with human beings."
Not all cat/human pairings are made in heaven. A lot go South
or end when a person/people fails to see how much of a wild at heart
creature felis donesticus really is. Why does my cat insist on
killing all those poor mice/birds/chipmunks? We give her all the
Fancy Feast/Nine Lives she can eat. Kitty isn't a sadist. She's
wired to be a predator. I bought her this fancy cat bed. She just
wants to sleep in a box. Maybe the box feels safer. Cats are also
wired to elude larger predators. And how about all the poor creatures
who get maimed (declawed) for following their mandate to keep their
claws sharp?
Carol Kaufman's 97 Ways To Make a Cat Like you gives a wide
range of ways to ways to understand your family feline, keep her
happy, and build strong love bonds. Each one succinctly presents an
idea and the reasoning behind it. Three you will read about are:
*Don't wash you cat's bedding all the time unless fleas or true
grossness are involved. Cats find their odor on familiar objects
highly reassuring.
*Teach cats with pawsivite reinforcement instead of punishment. The
only thing they learn from scolding, swats, or that often recommended
water squirt bottle is that you can be mean.
and *watch your cat carefully and take her to the vet if you see red
flags such as loss of appetite and litter box avoidance. Cats are
wired to not convey signs of illness or injury because that would cue
predators in on easy prey status. In the home, however, the bigger
danger is that something life threatening like urinary tract problems
will be overlooked until too late.
I love this little book. It's paperback reasonable cost wise. Ideas
are feasible even in homes where money or space or in short supply.
Children can implement many of them. And all those cat photos are
totally awww worthy. Whether your cat is a barely weaned kitten, in
double digits age wise, or somewhere in between; purebred or random
mix; only or littermate you'll find this book to be a good
investment. As Kaufman says,
"No one suggestion or trick will work for every cat--each animal
is as individual as her owner. But out of these ninety-seven
suggestions based on recent science, research, and the advice of cat
professionals--along with generous doses of my own trials and errors--
I'm betting you'll find some delightful pathways into your cat's heart."
If that isn't good reason to buy the book, I don't know what is!
On a purrrsonal note, I've been a cat person since I was five. I was
sort of clueless then. Mom had to explain stuff like the
inadvisibility of dressing Mippi in baby clothed and pushing her
around the neighborhood in a baby carriage. But I've learned lots
over the years. I adored the cats my children grew up with. Our
third, though, Joey, stirred in me a depth of love I'd never thought
felinely possible. First, he was more adapted to my disposition. He
was my first real lap cat, always ready for cuddles and affection. As
an avid reader and a tactile person, I found my new cat assistant to
be purrrfect. In fact Joey and I together developed that addictive
delight known as cat assisted reading. I have especially fond
memories of us reading near our lovely Christmas trees with plenty of
candy. Then when Joey was three he got very sick. An operation saved
his life. Only the vet explained that he was a special needs cat who
would always need careful supervision. Well that made him even
dearer. There were plenty more health incidents including another
life or death operation. Joey valiently fought his way back to health
each time and impressed everyone at Veazie Vet with his strong will to
live and his loving spirit. As I did my part in keeping him healthy I
fell more deeply in love with the best little cat in the world. Now
he's fighting the cruelest opponent of all: cancer.
Every good day he has is a miracle.
Some people say they would never want a special needs cat. They
just don't know. Joey has taught me the beautiful perfection of
imperfection.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world and
the Veazie Vet crew who have helped us have so many beautiful years
together.
jules hathaway


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