The Cat Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance (Quirk Books) [Paperback]

Dr. David Brunner (Author), Sam Stall (Author), Paul Kepple (Illustrator), Jude Buffum (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2004

At Last! A Beginner’s Guide to Feline Technology
 
Scratch marks on your furniture. Dead mice on your doorstep. Stray hairs all over your clothes. It’s enough to make you cry out, “Why doesn’t my cat have an owner’s manual?” And now—finally!—she does.   
 
Through step-by-step instructions and helpful schematic diagrams, The Cat Owner’s Manual explores hundreds of frequently asked questions: Which breeds interface best with dogs? How can I maintain a quality exterior finish? And why does my model always drink from the bathtub? Whatever your concerns, you’ll find the answers here—courtesy of celebrated veterinarian Dr. David Brunner and acclaimed author Sam Stall. Together, they provide plenty of useful advice for both new and experienced cat owners.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A veterinarian for 25 years and operator of Indianapolis’s Broad Ripple Animal Clinic for 22 years, Dr. David Brunner specializes in treating small animals—cats and dogs. His first book was The Dog Owner’s Manual. He has two daughters, Molly and Kendell, two black Labrador retrievers, Lucy and Noel, and a wonderful cat named Mouse. Sam Stall is the coauthor of The Dog Owner’s Manual and The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures. He resides in Indianapolis with his cat (and former animal-shelter inmate), Ted, plus three terrier mixed-breed dogs and his wife, Jami.
 
Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum are better known as the Philadelphia-based studio Headcase Design. Their work has been featured in many design and illustration publications, such as American Illustration, Communication Arts, and Print. Paul worked at Running Press Book Publishers for several years before opening Headcase in 1998. Both graduated from the Tyler School of Art, where they now teach.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931686874
• ISBN-13: 978-1931686877
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.7 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully written, December 10, 2004

By 

Irena A. Svidovsky (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cat Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance (Quirk Books) (Paperback)

"The Cat Owner's Manual" combines two of my favorite things: cats and great design. It takes the dreaded "owner's manual" we encounter with just about every consumer product out there and turns it into a humorous, easy-to-read guide for taking care of your beloved kitty. The information is well organized, practical, and covers everything you might want to know. Kudos to the design team for the ease of use and the fabulous illustrations. The subtle humour throughout makes "The Cat Owner's Manual" a joy to read, whether you're looking to be informed or entertained.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cat mysteries explained!, January 9, 2005

By 

Pit'r (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cat Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance (Quirk Books) (Paperback)

Finally one of the world's greatest mysteries explained! Why does your cat behave the way it does? This an excellent book for cat novices and experts alike; it's as entertaining as it is informative. The combination of the illustrations and icon driven format keeps the book current with our high tech gadget fixated society. Even if you can't program your VCR, with the help of this book, you'll soon begin to understand all your cat's little idiosyncrasies.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tech Manual for a Sophisticated Device - a Cat, January 5, 2006

By 

George Webster, Ph.D., (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Cat Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance (Quirk Books) (Paperback)

We have operating manuals for our computers, digital cameras, sound systems, television, and all manner of other devices. This entertaining book provides an operating manual for a much more complex assembly, a cat. Cats are amazing creatures. Their ability to hear, to detect odors, and to operate in darkness is far beyond that of humans. They solve problems. They open doors. My cat recognizes, and acts upon, a surprising number of words, and I assume that is typical for cats. Research shows that cats have highly-developed brains. The portion of the brain devoted to speech is unfortunately not developed, but my cat goes to elaborate lengths to communicate her wishes and feelings.
Brunner and Stall give us a manual of "operating instructions, troubleshooting, and lifetime maintenance" of these remarkable creatures. Filled with the same type of diagrams as a computer manual, the book gives us: an overview of makes and models, home installation, basic programming, fuel requirements, exterior, interior, and emergency maintenance, and advanced functions. Numerous, well-drawn diagrams and cartoons accompany the text, which contains valuable information on cats (Dr. Brunner is a veterinarian). The manual is a sparkling exposition on cats, from their optical sensors to their waste ejection port.