The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book [Hardcover]

Mordecai Siegal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2004

The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book provides both breeders and pet owners with an easy, authoritative, and engaging reference book on their beloved pet. Written by the associates of the CFA -- consummate experts in their field -- and edited by Mordecai Siegal, this compendium offers a thoroughly instructive and wholly entertaining resource by providing all the information necessary for knowing everything about the feline.

All forty-one breeds officially recognized by the CFA are here; detailed descriptions and official standards outline their history, physical features, and personality, and include show grooming requirements and special handling tips, whether you're at home or in the ring. In addition, you'll find a lively illustrated history of the CFA, the world's largest and most prestigious registry of pedigreed cats.

The book also includes a home veterinary guide as well as in-depth information on cat selection, grooming, behavior, and other essential topics. A major section is devoted to feline nutrition, as energy and nutrition requirements vary during the different stages of a cat's life. CFA veterinary experts offer advice from choosing the right cat food to keeping your beloved feline healthy and fit.

The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book promises to become the standard reference in every cat lover's home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Siegal, the author of dozens of books about animals, including The Cornell Book of Cats and Davis Book of Dogs, teams up with members of the Cat Fancier’s Association to produce this authoritative reference on Felis silvestris domesticus. The bulk of the volume consists of a guide to the 41 recognized breeds and, as such, is sure to land on the shelves of the association’s members and other serious cat lovers—those who might, for instance, want to bone up on the scoring system for their Javanese or reread the cat show standard for their tailless Manx. But those who just love their plain old non-pedigreed tabby will also find the sections on breeds fascinating. After reading about the devoted, intelligent Ocicat—who happens to look like a mini cheetah—it’s hard to imagine anyone not wanting one. Some sections anthropomorphize their subjects needlessly ("Ragdolls are considerate of their humans’ busy schedules, so they bathe and groom their moderately long, silky coats by themselves"), but they’re all highly informative and well written. People looking for their first cat will do well to read the section about choosing the right one (again, the emphasis here is on pedigreed animals), as well as the section on New Kitten Basics. The chapters on feline nutrition and basic health care, penned by veterinarians, are also an excellent resource for cat lovers of all stripes.
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About the Author

Mordecai Siegal is the author of more than thirty pet books, including the best-selling Cornell Book of Cats, the UC Davis Book of Dogs, and the UC Davis Book of Horses. He has written monthly pet columns for House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, and the CFA Almanac. Mr. Siegal has had a caller-interview radio show, Vets and Pets, on WNYC. He is a founding member of the Cat Writers' Association and president emeritus of the Dog Writers' Association of America. Mr. Siegal resides in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Collins Reference (October 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062702335
• ISBN-13: 978-0062702333
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,183,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY! The definitive book on pedigreed cats, March 23, 2005

By 

Lorraine Shelton (Southern CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book (Hardcover)

After a disasterous false start with the "Encyclopedia", which was simply an outdated, mediocre European book with the CFA logo sloppily applied to it, the Cat Fanciers' Association's ambitious project to present the world of pedigreed cats to the public is finally here. The sections on the different cat breeds are written by actual experts on the breeds: CFA breed council secretaries. The section on feline health, written by one of the world's foremost "cat breeder vets", Dr. Susan Little, makes this book an indispensible part of any cat lover's library. With so much dated feline health information currently on bookshelves, it is refreshing to see this section reflect the cutting edge of feline medicine. Those with cats of less prestigious heritage than the National Award Winning pedigreed cats pictured in full-color generously throughout the book will find this volume valuable for the section on feline health alone.

Congratulations, CFA, on a job well done!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book, March 1, 2006

By 

Linda Tunnell (Pittsburgh PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book (Hardcover)

The book is excellent and a good source for reference regarding breeds. I also found the health information section quite informative, and would recommend it to anyone with any kind of cat.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars cat fancier's association complete csat book, March 8, 2006

By 

D. Butterfuss "cats" (bowdoinham Me usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book (Hardcover)

a very informative book for the cat lover, with bright color pictures, discriptions of temperment , hair color of each cat. a very good book to have on hand.