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Rating: 
Summary: I wouldn't write home about it.
Review: I've been a cat owner my entire life. I didn't find any revelations about cats in this book. All the information seemed like common sense for people who are cat lovers. Perhaps this book would be a good read for someone who is a new cat owner and is very interested in details. If you are trying to find a solution for your cat's behavior problem, this book is probably not a good choice- it is written in a descriptive/narrative style, not in a do-it-yourself-help style.
Rating: 
Summary: The End Does Not Justify The Means
Review: Never before have I felt so compelled to write a review on a book, but Dr. Bruce Fogle's "The Cat's Mind" bothered me so much that I wish someone had warned me before I made the mistake of buying it. Prior to even reading a word I was struck by the fact that there is an entire chapter dedicated to disciplining your cat. While Dr. Fogle does make mention of one form of discipline being positive reinforcement, he then goes on to disturbingly describe how negative reinforcement can be used to effectively retrain cats to behave "as you would like them to". The next two sub-chapters are titled "aversion" and "intimidation", the latter of which describes techniques to hit your animal, including the use of rolled up newspaper, or as the author proudly claims to be his method of choice, using the "nearest fly swatter". If this isn't bad enough the rest of the book (or actually the first half of this book as I couldn't even finish reading it) is riddled with ridiculous and barbaric experiment citations involving cats which, he states, are "unpleasant, at times thoughtless and at other times cruel, but it would be foolish to disregard the results". I don't want to hear how inserting electrodes into a calm cat's brainstem can turn it into a "ferocious demon", what effect keeping newborn kittens in total darkness has, or what happens when a cat's whiskers are removed. He even goes on to cite an "experiment" you can conduct yourself to test your cat's balance ("hold your cat by its front and back legs upside-down a yard above your bed and let go"). To say I was disgusted with this book is an understatement. First off, there are so many alternative ways to "discipline" your cat to where you are not physically hurting it (my favorite are the cans of compressed air most computer stores sell to clean your computer keyboards with. They emit a loud "hiss" noise when engaged, which startle the cat. To me this beats even the water gun because no contact is made with your cat). Even with his method of punishment aside, in respect to Dr. Fogle's need to cite animal experiments, I do not feel the end justify the means. Just because an experiment was conducted does NOT give it merit or mean the results should be reviewed. Should the horrific experiments the nazi's conducted be viewed as viable research simply because they were conducted? Absolutely not. I found this book to be very distracting and even if Dr. Fogle gave informative insight I wouldn't know because I couldn't even finish it. If you are a true animal lover, in my opinion, you can go elsewhere to find more feline-friendly information, and not waste your time on this book.
Rating:
Summary: I wouldn't write home about it.
Review: Never before have I felt so compelled to write a review on a book, but Dr. Bruce Fogle's "The Cat's Mind" bothered me so much that I wish someone had warned me before I made the mistake of buying it. Prior to even reading a word I was struck by the fact that there is an entire chapter dedicated to disciplining your cat. While Dr. Fogle does make mention of one form of discipline being positive reinforcement, he then goes on to disturbingly describe how negative reinforcement can be used to effectively retrain cats to behave "as you would like them to". The next two sub-chapters are titled "aversion" and "intimidation", the latter of which describes techniques to hit your animal, including the use of rolled up newspaper, or as the author proudly claims to be his method of choice, using the "nearest fly swatter". If this isn't bad enough the rest of the book (or actually the first half of this book as I couldn't even finish reading it) is riddled with ridiculous and barbaric experiment citations involving cats which, he states, are "unpleasant, at times thoughtless and at other times cruel, but it would be foolish to disregard the results". I don't want to hear how inserting electrodes into a calm cat's brainstem can turn it into a "ferocious demon", what effect keeping newborn kittens in total darkness has, or what happens when a cat's whiskers are removed. He even goes on to cite an "experiment" you can conduct yourself to test your cat's balance ("hold your cat by its front and back legs upside-down a yard above your bed and let go"). To say I was disgusted with this book is an understatement. First off, there are so many alternative ways to "discipline" your cat to where you are not physically hurting it (my favorite are the cans of compressed air most computer stores sell to clean your computer keyboards with. They emit a loud "hiss" noise when engaged, which startle the cat. To me this beats even the water gun because no contact is made with your cat). Even with his method of punishment aside, in respect to Dr. Fogle's need to cite animal experiments, I do not feel the end justify the means. Just because an experiment was conducted does NOT give it merit or mean the results should be reviewed. Should the horrific experiments the nazi's conducted be viewed as viable research simply because they were conducted? Absolutely not. I found this book to be very distracting and even if Dr. Fogle gave informative insight I wouldn't know because I couldn't even finish it. If you are a true animal lover, in my opinion, you can go elsewhere to find more feline-friendly information, and not waste your time on this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A handbook for understanding the cat's mind
Review: This book improved my understanding of my cat's needs and behaviors; it also heightened my appreciation for these sometimes quirky behaviors. The author blends the history of cat domestication and scientific research with humorous anecdotal illustrations to help the reader understand the why cats behave like cats.
Rating:
Summary: A handbook for understanding the cat's mind
Review: This book improved my understanding of my cat's needs and behaviors; it also heightened my appreciation for these sometimes quirky behaviors. The author blends the history of cat domestication and scientific research with humorous anecdotal illustrations to help the reader understand the why cats behave like cats.
Rating: 
Summary: In the Cat's MInd
Review: This book was a great help for me to try and figure out my unpredictable cat. It explains why cat's do what they do and treatment options for the cat to calm down their behavior. I have visited several vet's with no luck and I think I finally have gotten Tigger's attacking behavior under control after reading this book. It's a must have for cat owners.
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