Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace and Sanity in Your Multicat Home [Paperback]

Dusty Rainbolt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2007

The number of households with cats is on the up - and more and more often they multi-moggie households. This requires a lot of planning, cleaning, discipline, and diplomacy on the part of the owners!"Cat Wrangling Made Easy" is a comprehensive and - despite its lighthearted look - a no-nonsense, easy-to-use guide to having a stress-free, clean, and comfortable living environment for you and your cats.It deals with everything you need to know about staying sane in a multi-cat house - from making introductions, maintaining a litter tray, and dealing with dinner time to interspecies relationships, bringing home another kitty, and much, much more.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Living with just one cat can be a challenge. What about those of us who live with two, five, ten or even more of these delightful yet enigmatic creatures? Rainbolt rides to the rescue of that special breed of ailurophile who keeps a multicat or even "megacat" home. Drawing on her own decades of experience wrangling herds of tough Texas kitties, Rainbolt shares tips and secrets on riding herd at mealtimes and playtimes; tells us what to do (and not do) when kitties lock horns or kick up a ruckus; teaches us the finer points of roping in illness, ill-temper, and space- and time-sharing conflicts; and gives us the lowdown on handling all those inevitable clean-ups. Rainbolt lets the cat out of the bag on which toys cats really go bonkers for; which potions really remove eau de tomcat; and the best kinds of litter and litter boxes -- from the cat's point of view. She offers practical plans for lowering stress and maintaining daily domestic tranquility for feline and human family members alike. Best of all, she focuses on prevention: heading problems off at the pass before they turn into major stampedes. Even the most seasoned cat cowboy will owe Rainbolt a tip of the Stetson for her cat-friendly advice, down-home wit, and feline wisdom." --Wendy Christensen, Cultural Ailurologist, Cat Herder, author of Outwitting Cats

 

“Cat Wrangling Made Easy is a ‘must read’ for frustrated multi-cat owners, as well as those who want to prevent problems. Rainbolt dishes out solid, practical advice covering everything from alternative litter to zoonotic diseases. She thoroughly discusses litter box mishaps, establishing a kitty diplomatic corps and giving each cat enough love and attention; all that info is presented with a generous side order of humor."  --Dr. Marty Becker, resident veterinarian on ABC TV’s Good Morning America, host of PBS's "The Pet Doctor", nationally syndicated newspaper columnist with Pet Connection from Universal Press Syndicate, author of 14 books including 3 NY Times bestsellers, and Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year (2002)

"Dusty Rainbolt's invaluable guide for multi-cat households offers an encyclopedia's worth of expertise helpful for any cat owner. Laced with easily digestible info tidbits, the sprightly and humorous text ensures that readers will be able to address any cat behavior problem under the sun." --Carole Nelson Douglas, author of Cat in Red Hot Rage, latest in the Midnight Louie mystery series

Scientists maintain cats became domesticated some 7,000 to 9,000 years ago - the last of our domesticated animals.  Truth be known, cats condescended to allow humans the pleasure of their company when our fires looked warm and inviting.  Today, about 80 million cats share their lives with us, many in multiple cat households.  And, as most of we mere humans know, two (or more) cats are easier than one - except for those occasions involving differences of opinion, territorial claims, or introducing a new cat or kitten to the home.

 

Dusty Rainbolt's talent for "all things cat" gives us a very readable book that is not only informative but entertaining as well.  Read it to solve current problems, or more importantly, read it to avoid problems in the future. --Pam DelaBar, Lieutenant Colonel, USA (ret.), President, Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., President, World Cat Congress, President, CFA Disaster Relief Fund, Inc

 

Everyone who has a multi-cat home will find this book entertaining and informative.  --Fred W. Scott, DVM, PhD, Interim Director, Cornell Feline Health Center

 

From the Back Cover

“A ‘must read’ for frustrated multicat owners, as well as those who want to prevent problems. Rainbolt dishes out solid, practical advice . . . presented with a generous side order of humor.”
—Dr. Marty Becker, resident veterinarian on ABC TV’s Good Morning America
“Even the most seasoned cat cowboy will owe Rainbolt a tip of the Stetson for her cat-friendly advice, down-home wit, and feline wisdom.”
—Wendy Christensen, author of Outwitting Cats

“Dusty Rainbolt’s talent for ‘all things cat’ gives us a very readable book that is not only informative but entertaining as well.  Read it to solve current problems, or more importantly, read it to avoid problems in the future.”
—Pam DelaBar, president, Cat Fanciers’ Association, Inc.

 

Are you up to your eyeballs in dirty cat litter? Does the upholstery on your new couch resemble spaghetti? Has cat hair become a condiment in your house? The more cats you have, the more problems, right? Not necessarily, but multicat harmony sure does require a lot of planning, cleaning, discipline, and diplomacy. And no one knows this better than Dusty Rainbolt, an award-winning writer who has had as many as twenty of her own cats and fosters at one time.

In Cat Wrangling Made Easy, Dusty covers everything you need to know—from
dealing with multiple litter boxes, to feeding the herd, to understanding Felinese as a second language. Dusty also recommends the best products, all approved by the Rainbolt “test” kitties, which will help you through times of stress.
Easy to use and illustrated throughout, and written with Dusty’s characteristic humor and encouragement, this is the only book a multicat owner will ever need.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599212242
• ISBN-13: 978-1599212241
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dusty Rainbolt is an award-winning cat writer according to her answering machine. She recently stopped writing on her cats because they move around too much and smeared ink on the furniture. She's the vice president of the Cat Writers' Association (www.catwriters.org) and author of Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace and Sanity in Your Multicat Home, Ghost Cats: Human Encounters with Feline Spirits, and Kittens For Dummies. She also known for her humorous science fiction novel, All The Marbles. Dusty has co-authored the humorous fantasy novels, The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse and Apocalypse Now! with three other redheaded authors: Linda Donahue, Rhonda Eudaly and Julia Mandala. She pens the monthly feline advice columns, "Dear Hobbes" for City + Country Pets and "Ask Einstein" at www.stickypaws.com. In her real job, Dusty is the product editor and reviewer for Catnip published by Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She also freelances for Cat Fancy (and anyone else whose checks don't bounce.) Over her writing career she has won 11 Muse Medallions for Excellence and 22 special awards from the Cat Writers' Association. Dusty's been involved in cat rescue for longer than she cares to remember, and she's a feline cat behavior consultant and member of International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Visit her website: www.dustyrainbolt.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful resource for all cat lovers. If you have one or multiple, February 27, 2008

By 

jarjar "jar3321" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace and Sanity in Your Multicat Home (Paperback)

This book was recommended to me by a shelter volunteer. One of my cats has some major behavioral issues and I have been at my wit's end trying to solve her problems. I was even thinking of trying to find her a new home. It was that bad.

My cat Tooko hates all my other cats, especially the oldest one, Heather. She spends all her waking hours tormenting poor Heather. Heather is scared for her life all the time and is disheartening to watch them. Heather even stared peeing in unusal spots because she was so upset.

Ms. Rainbolt's book gave many helpful tips that REALLY worked. She had many recommendations for natural behavior products and an excellent guide for medications to handle aggression. She also, funny enough, had wonderful ideas for handling inappropriate urination and how to find the places that Heather peed.

My house is now at peace and smells great, for a change.

So, if you have cats, this is really a great idea. I appreciate her honesty and product recommendations. i hate it when you buy something that promises you the world and delivers nothing!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, resourceful, good pointers, February 25, 2008

By 

B. Freed "Bev" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace and Sanity in Your Multicat Home (Paperback)

Reading this book was like deja vu. I, too, live with a family of kitties, and I had to smile or even laugh at some of the pointers and anecdotes with a "yep, been there, done that." This book has a lot of practical wisdom in it. Most of the suggestions work 100% of the time; 100% of them work most of the time. Your mileage may vary. At any rate, Ms. Rainbolt has a way of making sense out of complex observations and issues in living with a multitude of cats. It's like the kitties have their own sorority/fraternity and you get to be the house parent.

The product suggestions were great. How odd it would be to read about suggestions for how to resolve an issue but no mention on where to get the stuff! My first questions would always be: what is it and where can I get it? I thank Ms. Rainbolt for doing her research and pointing the way.

If you live with any number of cats, this book will help you keep sane and work out an understanding of what to do, how to do it, and how to live with what goes on in a household of cats.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeping the Peace without going to pieces, January 20, 2008

By 

felinexpessed "maryanne55" (OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace and Sanity in Your Multicat Home (Paperback)

Is your homestead a bit cluttered with a clowder? Then lasso up those frolicking felines and set them down while you read how to maintain your herd.

Is there an outlaw in your bunch? Author Dusty Rainbolt will lay down the law of the west when it comes to understanding this critter.(Check out Chapter Four-Family Feud). She will let you see daylight where once there was only darkness. She punches into every corner of multi-cat care and that's no bull!

If you are a tenderfoot to multi-cat care, Cat Wrangling will take the worry out of your rawhide and show you the way to a happier, healthier herd. Knowin how you might get tired of mucking out the litter pan, she scoops you out of the frustration by her practical tips "Reality Bites."

Is she qualified to train you, you might ask. Heck yes! She has been roundin up rescued critters for eons She is an amigo to a multitude of cats of her own, most of them just visitin for a spell. She runs you barefoot through the bull, separating fact from fiction while giving you a clear trail ride ahead.

Are you tired of biting the litter dust? She offers you various cat litter products that the Rainbolt Test Kitties have tried out, leaves you a trail to find them online.

Peppered with her wry sense of humor and her large scale of knowledge, she won't bushwhack you. If you have more than two cats sharing your home, this book is a MUST for your library. If you are considering adopting another cat to your crew- this book will provide vital tips and bring you into the inner-workings of a cat's mind.

Easy to read, illustrated with delightful and humorous drawings. Cat Wrangling IS made easy- thanks to Rainbolt breaking down the fences and sharing her life experiences with other multi-cat owners.