Customer Reviews

Cat Fancy (1-year)

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I received a subscription of Cat Fancy as a gift from a friend who knows I'm a cat lover. More often than not, though, I find myself disappointed with the magazine, especially after I've finished reading it. The magazine mainly consists of a heartwarming story or two, a page of new products for cats or cat lovers, a breed profile, and a couple feature stories about selected topics (e.g. kittens, older cats, some medical condition). About a quarter of the magazine is comprised of ads for breeders.

Most of the time, the articles don't relate to my cats, and when I do see something interesting, the article turns out to be pretty vague. For example, there was an article on alternative/natural cat litters. The article listed a few different types of litter, but there was no information on the benefits or drawbacks of each kind. The gist of the article was pretty much: X, Y, and Z are different litters, look them up and see what's best for you. Most of the information in the magazine is either too general or too specific. I won't be renewing my subscription, but I would probably buy off the newsstand if I saw an article that applied to my cats.

As a cat magazine it's OK, but compared to magazines in general, it's not that great.

I recently subscribed to Cat Fancy after bringing two amazing kittens into my life. I previously owned another cat, now deceased, and I regret not having subscribed to this magazine for the seventeen years that I owned him as well.

The articles comprising Cat Fancy include a featured (centerfold) breed, "Ask the vet," "Humane Matters," and various other articles including topics such as how to know what various cat noises mean, and how to handle cats when you have allergies. The articles never go too in depth, but merely give the reader a taste of the subject matter, to be researched further should an interest be generated. Cat Fancy is also full of gorgeous photos, some of which are taken by readers and sent in to the magazine. The "Feline Bookshelf" section highlights more in-depth reads, as well as children's cat books. There is also an event calendar in which you can look up feline-related events in your area.

One of few things I really don't like in this magazine is all of the advertisements, as well as the huge directory included in the back. The directory may be useful if you are searching for purebred cats, perhaps for showing, but the majority of cat owners out there probably aren't. Furthermore, the magazine tends to be rather short.

Nonetheless, I find Cat Fancy to be a useful resource and an interesting read. It's a great way to stay current with kitty-related issues and items without constant visits to the vet. As with any magazine, certain articles are going to be more intriguing to certain people than others. However, at a price like this it really is worth the money for a year-long subscription!

This is a very useful magazine for anyone who has had cats for along time, or for those who have just adopted one. It focuses on Feline health, safety, maintenance, happiness & giving your cat a comfy home. In the Oct, 2007 issue the article by L.K.Kozlowski on "cat depression, was very helpful in dealing with a new cat arrival to my family, that did not sit well with one of our males. Cat Fancy features "Humane Matters, Ask The Vet, & many other topics." Such as what various cat sounds mean, & dealing with your allergies when you own cats. The latter is still a tough problem even after twenty five years of living with cats.

Most articles give some useful information, but few delve deeply into the topic. That is the only flaw with this magazine, it is too short. It also has great photos including many submitted by its readers. I usually like the "Centerfold Breed," article the most. This is always fresh with far more in depth information. Perhaps, it is not as good as it was five years ago? But, Cat Fancy still deserves four stars.

I found Cat Fancy Magazine to be mostly advertisements and breeders advertisements than real meat of information for cat owners. I'm also very unimpressed with their Cat Channel online board they advertise in Cat Fancy and cannot recommend it to others. They seem to have poor management of their online board especially on weekends so inappropriate posts stay there for a long time and a professional magazine advertising their own online board in their magazine should have their online board perfected before offering it. Also Cat Fancy pushes a ridiculous high renewal rate for their magazine, but if you go onto Amazon, you can get a renewal rate of almost half the Cat Fancy renewal price. So I have come to the conclusion that between the Cat Fancy magazine, their poor online Cat Channel board and the high renewal rate Cat Fancy charges, they are not interested in keeping their readers or online members.

'Cat Fancy' is the best mass market cat magazine in print. It provides excellent information for cat owners and prospective cat owners on the mysteries of our feline companions. There are monthly articles on health issues and diseases, question and answer with vets and other experts, stories on animal rescuers, and extensive reader mail. Additionally there is a monthly article profiling a certain breed, and numerous photos (including the centerfold photo) of that breed. I appreciate their coverage of purebreds, but I am glad that the magazine does not dwell exclusively on them.

As a side note, it is much cheaper to subscribe to 'Cat Fancy' through Amazon than any other way that I can recall. At this price it's a steal, but it's a bargain at any price for a cat person.

Cat Fancy is especially useful for anyone who has recently adopted a cat, as it emphasizes feline health and maintenance, and how to keep your cat safe, happy, and comfortable at home; a recent issue for instance, was "Paws Off That Plant !", giving tips on the best ways to keep your greenery from being chewed up, and also which plants are toxic, with a chart showing what the symptoms and treatment are if ingested, along with photos of the plants for easy identification.
There was also an article on declawing, what exactly the procedure is, why it has become a controvesial topic, and the reasons most animal experts and veterinarians do not recommend it.

As part of Cat Fancy's regular features, it has marvelous and usually humorous photos sent in by readers, and is also a source for breeders, with a large directory, and a "Cat Calendar", which lists all the shows and events throughout North America.
"Cat Care 101" always has useful information, and then there is "Fancy Shopper", with every product imaginable for your four-pawed pal, from the useful to the ridiculous. Who would ever think that there were so many ways to make a litter pan ? There is sure to be one that is perfect for your kitty, and she will also thank you for all the good stuff you learn in this magazine.

I purchased this magazine subscription when I brought home my third kitty, a Persian. I had owned long haired cats many times but never a Persian. I needed advice on grooming a long haired and possible health concerns of this breed. This magazine is fantastic...filled with pointers on health, grooming, nurtrition, behavior, it features a specific breed every month (with poster that my daughter loved) It has heart warming stories about real pet owners and their pets. At the end of the magazine their is classifieds for many new cat products, breeds and information on cat shows around the country. I enjoy mine so much and find them so helpful, I save them for future reference.

I really can't say enough about this magazine. It's filled with so many informative articles and helpful hints on cats. The topics range from feline eating habits and social skills to current cat diseases and illnesses. Each month the magazine highlights a specific cat breed and discusses it's origin and breed characteristics. There is even a pull-out cat poster for younger readers to collect. Speaking of younger readers, this magazine is VERY kid friendly also. One of the interesting features of the magazine is the art submission page. Young cat owners can submit thier own hand drawn pictures of their cats for all to see. Adults will love the community volunteer sections also where loving people who care for homeless cats have thier good deeds printed, along with the addresses you can donate money to help the Good Samaritans in continuing their work. The issue review page is also interesting as people can write in their thoughts on previous issues and articles. Celebrities even get into the act in the last section of the magazine as Hollywood cats and their owners are highlighted. You can even order rare and specific breeds in the Classified section. All in all I highly recommend subscribing to this magazine. If you're a cat lover, you can't go wrong with Cat Fancy.

I love cats, but this magazine wasn't for me. First, the magazine itself is quite short, less than 100 pages. Nearly half of it is devoted to advertising and a breeder directory, leaving about 50 pages of substantive material. Even Amazon's reduced rate is rather expensive for what you get. The $54 cover price for 12 issues is outrageous.

I had mixed feelings about the 50 or so pages that were worth reading. Occasionally I found something that was useful to me in caring for my cat. But a lot of times the articles were too brief and superficial and did not go into enough depth to be of much help. I agree with the review that mentions the article that lists different types of litter without providing any pros and cons. I remember that article and was also frustrated by it.

The other thing that bothered me about this magazine was the emphasis on purebred cats. Animal shelters across the country are overflowing with wonderful cats who need homes, and many are euthanized due to lack of space. It really bothers me that this magazine does very little to promote adoption of shelter cats, while encouraging the purchase of purebred cats from breeders. I'm honestly surprised at the focus on purebreds in a cat magazine. I've known several people who purchased a dog from a breeder, but none of the cat owners I know have ever purchased a cat from a breeder. If you happen to be one of those who prefers purebred cats, you will probably love all of the material devoted to them. If you don't own a purebred, you might feel a bit left out.

Overall, I think this magazine will appeal to some cat owners but not everyone. For this reason I would recommend purchasing a copy from the newsstand before committing to an annual subscription.

"Cat Fancy" is a great monthly magazine for cat owners. It's very informative and entertaining, with indispensable articles and tips for caring for your cat. My favorite part would have to be the humorous reader photo gallery at the end, where people send in pics of their cats doing strange/funny things. I always turn there first.

However, my least favorite thing about "Cat Fancy" is that about half of it (approximately 50 pages) is just devoted to advertisements, like for shopping (sure, the items are cute, but they're mostly frivolous), an extensive breeder directory (which I'm against; there are too many "regular" cats needing homes as well), and miscellaneous classified ads.

Overall, this is a very good magazine, particularly if you're a cat breeder. But if you're just an average cat owner looking for a little more substance rather than directories and ads, then I'd recommend looking elsewhere. Or you could do as I do and just borrow the magazine and/or buy it used. After reading a few issues, and if you like it, then I would recommend subscribing to "Cat Fancy".