Rating: 
Summary: a decent book about the author's cats
Review: I cannot remember where I heard of this book, but it seemed like an interesting enough topic to read about, so I decided to pick it up from the library. Some reviewers have commented on the lack of hard science involved in this book. I wasn't expecting any. This is a book on the observable emotions of cats and the examples used are the 5 young cats of the author. As would be expected, the book contains the author's prejudices regarding his cats and how they should live and behave. As such, this is a fairly interesting book. The book deals with nine emotions: Narcissism, Love, Contentment, Attachment, Jealousy, Fear, Anger, Curiosity, and Playfulness. Each of these are granted a chapter (or to be more accurate, a section) in the book. I do own a cat (he is 10 months at the time I write this), but I am not familiar with a lot of the feline emotions. The insight provided in this book can be obtained simply be observing cats for extended periods of time, but it is interesting to have it all in one place. It must be stressed, however, the Masson does not do extensive research (though he is well read). Most of the information provided comes from the author's observance of his 5 cats. Masson stresses that cats cannot be happy unless they have the opportunity to freely wander outside. This may or may not be true, but for most people not living on a beach in New Zealand in a very safe neighborhood, this just is not an option. We provide the best life possible for our cats, but sometimes the cat can only be an indoors cat and I do not feel that my cat is living a horrible life. The author is well-intentioned in writing this book, but we should not assume that everything he says is exactly correct. Our own observations will give us the truth of Masson's statements.
Rating: 
Summary: Many kittens, what about cats?
Review: I found the book irritating over time. At first I was very interested in his story, but it got bland. I was expecting more about the emotional lives of cats and not this guys personal story with his kittens and one cat.
Rating:
Summary: For anyone who loves cats...
Review: I have "been owned" by cats for as long as I can remember. Currently, I am sharing my house with three of them. All of them have very distinct personalities and enjoy different things. I would love nothing more then to spend a year of my life observing them and all their little quirks. That is what Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson has done in "The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats". I am not familiar with his other works, but as a cat lover, I just couldn't resist this book. Basically, I would say this is just what I expected. The author noting the behaviors of his five cats. I was a little disappointed about the small world he lives in but applies to anyone who owns a cat. Not all of us are fortunate enough to live in New Zealand, in a quiet neighborhood that is safe to let cats roam free. And I reject the idea that cats cannot be happy unless they are allowed to roam free. Masson's words almost made feel like I was giving my cats a miserable life. However, there are very good points. He has pointed out traits that I recognize in my own cats that never fail to make me smile. He gives great historical facts on the domestication of cats, and in doing so, explains why they can never become truly domesticated. I would say this, despite its flaws, is a good read for anyone being owned by a cat, or anyone who loves them in general.
Rating:
Summary: For anyone who loves cats...
Review: I have "been owned" by cats for as long as I can remember. Currently, I am sharing my house with three of them. All of them have very distinct personalities and enjoy different things. I would love nothing more then to spend a year of my life observing them and all their little quirks. That is what Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson has done in "The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats". I am not familiar with his other works, but as a cat lover, I just couldn't resist this book. Basically, I would say this is just what I expected. The author noting the behaviors of his five cats. I was a little disappointed about the small world he lives in but applies to anyone who owns a cat. Not all of us are fortunate enough to live in New Zealand, in a quiet neighborhood that is safe to let cats roam free. And I reject the idea that cats cannot be happy unless they are allowed to roam free. Masson's words almost made feel like I was giving my cats a miserable life. However, there are very good points. He has pointed out traits that I recognize in my own cats that never fail to make me smile. He gives great historical facts on the domestication of cats, and in doing so, explains why they can never become truly domesticated. I would say this, despite its flaws, is a good read for anyone being owned by a cat, or anyone who loves them in general.
Rating: 
Summary: This guy knows little about cats
Review: I have been a multiple cat owner all of my life and was hoping this would be an inciteful read given the author's previous popular works - what a disappointment. His assessment of cats personalities is elementary, and loaded with generalizations. Cats personalities vary widely and you cannot write a book based on spending 1 year with kittens, particularly the exotic breeds that he has. He states the obvious as if it was a revelation (i.e. cats ancestors are naturally solitary hunters which he states over and over again as rationale for his opinions) - DUH!! He rambles quite a bit in each chapter and sometimes contradicts opinion from one chapter to the next. Some stuff was out an out wrong (i.e. "All cats immediately warm up to humans but not to their own species" - say WHAT?). About the only thing I liked were his opinions on declawing, and agreement that cats would prefer to be free to roam. But thats just not possible for many these days - and to say that cats who cannot are not truly happy is an ego stroke to the author (who lives in New Zealand where his cats can roam - I doubt he moved there for his cats sake).
Rating: 
Summary: havent read this book
Review: I must admit that I haven't read this book, but if you're interested in Masson's earlier incarnations, it's worth checking out Janet Malcolm's recently released IN THE FREUD ARCHIVES, the story of his attempt to succeed Kurt Eissler as head of the Freud Archives. It's an excellent read.
Rating: 
Summary: purr-fectly wonderful
Review: I really loved this book. It reminded me of Clea Simon's sublime "The Feline Mystique", which is dog-earred (sorry for the pun) from rereading.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: I was given this book as a Christmas gift and just loved it. I finished reading it two days ago and was sorry to see it end. Although I don't agree with Mr. Masson about one of his viewpoints (i.e., my cats are strictly indoor cats and I honestly believe they are happy that way - and certainly safer in the place we live), no one can doubt his devotion and utter love and respect for these beautiful creatures. If I lived in New Zealand as he does, with a more secluded setting than what I have now, perhaps I could give my cats the lifestyle and outdoor freedom he is able to. I enjoyed this book immensely and I laughed and cried throughout it. The five cats came alive on the pages; they became my own cats for the short time it took to read this awesome book. I could just see them playing on the beach; running up the path of the rainforest; jumping into the kayak; interacting cat-style with the neighbors' dogs. I was enchanted by the images Mr. Masson described and with the possibility of how things would be for our animals in an ideal world. Perhaps that is what heaven will be like for our pets. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves and respects the individuality of each cat who graces our lives, and also anyone who can respect viewpoints that differ from our own and can keep an open mind. What is important and apparent is that Mr. Masson is a totally devoted cat lover who respects and appreciates the felines who share our world. I've passed this book onto my husband who I know will love it too because he loves animals, particularly our three cats. Thank you to my sis for giving it to me for Christmas. And thank you, Mr. Masson, for putting into words a well-deserved tribute to the emotional lives of cats. Although their ways of communicating are different from ours, when you listen and observe as closely as he does, we are ultimately more connected than we could ever believe.
Rating:
Summary: Proves all cats are unique
Review: If cats are curious, they also have some curious behavior. Hardly any cat is without an eccentric side. ~Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
While reading Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's journey into the feline heart, I became convinced that cat's personalities are as unique as human personalities. Not only will you disagree with some of the conclusions in this book, you will appreciate the uniqueness of your own cat's emotional complexity. My theory is that cats will often respond to their owners in the way the owner responds to them. When you respect an animal and treat them in a loving way, you gain their respect. So, with this said, this book is a journey into the life of cats which may or may not be similar to your own cats. For a start, these cats are allowed out of doors and they have hunting instincts that come into play outdoors. They also seem to be a little wilder than many "apartment" cats.
Most books on cats do lack information on the emotional complexity of cats in general. While they tell you how to care for your cats, they do not always delve into emotional complexity. Sure, we know cats are naturally curious, but do they ever ask for forgiveness? Do they experience regret and guilt? I have seen a cat ask for forgiveness in a way that said: "Can I be invited back into the pride?" So, I think cats do at times feel more emotions than this book discusses.
You can train cats to come when called and teach them to fetch things. The author also talks about cats licking away your tears and this happened to me once. This book enlightened me on the entire "save face" idea. When cats make mistakes or embarrass themselves, they will often lick one of their paws and pretend like nothing happened.
The author adores cats and writes beautifully about his feline friends. He tells stories of walking along the beach his cats, why cats fear cars like they fear the end of their ninth life and why if you punish a cat you will always be feared. Cats will confuse punishment with pure aggression.
The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats is a thought provoking story about Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's experience with his feline companions in New Zealand. The only thing I wished he had included was beautiful pictures of his cats in the middle of the book. There are pictures on the back cover.
~TheRebeccaReview.com
Rating:
Summary: Not well done
Review: If you are picking up this book, you are bound to be a cat lover, just like Jerffey Moussaieff Masson. He writes with a heart felt style when discussing the emotions that cats have. He has written many books about animals, and seems to have great insight as to what goes on inside their brains and hearts. You can quickly tell he is an avid cat lover, as he has many cats himself. Through years of observations of animals and through his own experiences he sums cats emotions into nine categories: narcissism, love, contentment, attachment, jealousy, fear, anger, curiosity, and playfulness. These nine emotions seem to work well in explaining why cats are they way they are. The book does not offer a bunch of scientific explanation behind his theories, but offers his hypothesis from his personal experience. A cat lover will enjoy his tales and stories, as some are quite entertaining. After reading this book you will certainly look at your cat through different eyes.
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