Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat: Understanding and Caring for the Tiger Within

"A cat is a lion in a jungle of small bushes."
--English proverb

Why do cats always land on their feet after a fall? What allows a sleeping cat to comfortably curl into a circle? Why do cats appear to torture their prey before killing it? Why does your cat knead on your clothing? Just how much attention do cats really require?

To answer these and other questions, Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat draws from science, history, and feline behavior in the wild to explain the inner nature and most puzzling characteristics of America's most popular pet. The result is a practical and fascinating guide to understanding and caring for these beguiling and enigmatic creatures.

This engagingly illustrated book takes the same cat's-eye view of the world that infuses the Discovery Channel television series Wild Discovery. It emphasizes the untamed roots of almost every aspect of a domesticated cat's conduct: the crouch-and-pounce string-chase games that mirror stalking prey in the wild, the furniture-scratching preoccupation that echoes the territorial scent deposits a wild cat claws onto trees. Written in an accessible, authoritative style, Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat generously mixes the fundamentals of basic care with compelling explorations into cats' physical and psychological traits.

Included in this comprehensive primer are detailed insights into all aspects of cat design, from the intricate structure of the feline form to the cat's heightened senses and remarkable agility. The guide explores why cats do the things they do--addressing such issues as grooming, sleep patterns, marking and defending territory, cat language, and learning and intelligence.

In addition to probing the tiger within, Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat offers a host of practical tips on choosing a cat to suit your lifestyle, providing responsible care, cat-proofing your home, and ensuring a smooth transition during the first days at home. Once the cat is a member of the family, the book explains how to bond and play with your new pet, and even how to train and travel with it.

Everything you need to know to keep your cat healthy and happy is covered, including the latest information on feeding and nutrition, litter boxes, cleaning and grooming, common health problems, fighting fleas, pregnancy and birth, caring for an aging cat, vet visits, and emergency care.

A breed breviary rounds out the book, with the spotlight on the top cat breeds as well as other common feline pedigrees. This section also presents information on body type, common colors, coat type, grooming requirements, and temperament. An informative cat owner's resource guide follows.

Accompanied by more than 225 full-color illustrations and photographs showing the similarities between domestic and wild cats, this is an entertaining and insightful approach to feline behavior, pet care, and appreciation for first-time cat owners and veteran cat lovers alike.

Lush, lovely, informative and practical, Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat is a feast for both the eye and the mind...a good introduction to cat care and behavior for novices and also serves as an interesting read for long-time cat owners...There's something for everyone in this book...one of the most educational books to come along in a long time.--Cats, April 2000