A Celebration of Cats

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Summary: Cats and human relationships with cats
Review: Roger Caras shows himself, here, as being completely an animal lover who also has considerable insight into human nature. Thus, this book comes from a broad and objective perspective. He doesn't favor cats above other domesticated animals, but treats them as equals to those others we have chosen as companions. And because he does have deep understanding of human nature, this book is centered specifically on the human relationship with cats.

He isn't sparing in his treatment. He portrays the whole gamut of historical treatment of cats, not only the Egyptian worship of cats, but the deplorable practices especially in France which were unspeakably cruel towards cats. Our domesticated cats are traced from their wildcat antecedents, and then into the categorized breeds. All this is done with a sense of humor and with love and empathy for the feline species.

The typical attitudes of people toward cats, those of both the extreme cat lovers and the cat despisers, are explored and debated. The statement is made that generalized stereotyping of animal species is just as inaccurate as similar stereotyping of people by race or religion. Each animal is an individual.

Every aspect of our relationship with cats is explored, the history, the psychology, the biological factors, the mythology, breeding and cat shows, etc. He brings out the beneficial influences cats can have in our lives, but balances it with discussion of those who are well-meaning, but who should not have cats. Only in the final chapter does he go into stories about his own cat family.

This is an excellant book and I recommend it strongly to all cat lovers and those who seek understanding of cats and of those of us who love them.