Understanding cats by Roger Tabor

The book for the real cat lover!

The cult of the cat is as powerful today as at any time in the past: there seems to be no end to our continuing fascination with this most loved of pets, yet most enigmatic of animals.

To help us towards a better understanding of cats and of our lives with them, Roger Tabor draws on twenty years' professional study of cats around the world. He traces the historical origins of the cat from Egyptian goddess to showbench champion, looks at breeds ancient and modern, and examines the changing nature of our relationship with cats through the centuries. Exploring their history, biology and behaviour, he gives a fascinating integrated perspective on our favourite companions.

Despite their close relationship with man, cats never let us forget that something of the untameable persists beneath their veneer of domesticity. Every so often we catch a glimpse of an older, more innate spirit: in the way they make their territories in our homes and gardens, for example. Some cats are content to curl up on our laps while others prefer to walk the wilder shores of a feral existence. And yet somehow we fit into the lives of these most independent of animals, much of whose inherent nature and behaviour can be traced back to their design as supreme hunters.

Even the most devoted cat owner can have qualms over the eternal struggle between cat and bird; Roger Tabor shows how both can survive. Other behavioural difficulties and bad habits - from overt aggression to furniture-shredding - are dealt with in an equally helpful manner, as the author shows how an understanding of the underlying reasons can help eradicate problem behaviour. We love and care for our cats; in return they share their time with us and enrich our lives. Applying the author's advice on communicating with your cat will enhance this mutual bond, bringing you closer to truly Understanding Cats.

Jacket photographs (front Jane Burton

Bruce Coleman Limited: (back) Liz Artindale