The Cats of Lamu [Paperback]

Jack Couffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998

Four or five thousand years ago, African wild cats were domesticated by the Egyptians. Several hundred years and many cat generations later, the wild animal gradually evolved into the domestic cat as we now know it. Today's many varieties of house cats differ noticeably from their Egyptian ancestors, and the cats of present-day Cairo look the same as cats from everywhere else.

But not far from Egypt is an island where a unique group of cats resembles those of the ancients. They are remarkable in their social organizations and in their place within a human culture. On the Lamu archipelago, off the coast of Kenya, the cats of the pharaohs may still survive.

The Cats of Lamu is a window into a timeless world where cats and people live together - independently and beneficially - in the land where their ancestors thrived.

Jack Couffer studies his subjects as a naturalist, coming to know individual cats and the inner workings of their "prides," as he aptly calls their family groups. Following the cats around the beach as they wait for the fishing boats to come in, and snooping around backyard gardens to trail them on nightly excursions, Couffer gains rare insight into cat behavior - as well as a reputation among his neighbors as an eccentric. His enchanting book documents the lives and relationships of these special cats in gorgeous photographs and lively text.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A whimsical and surprisingly winning study of the cats indigenous to the Lamu Archipelago, a series of small islands off the coast of Kenya. Couffer (Bat Bomb: World War II's Secret Weapon, etc.) argues that, due to their likely long isolation on the islands, these distinctivc-looking cats may be the closest living representatives of the wild breed that the Egyptians first domesticated some 4,000 years ago. That isn't established here with any certainty, though it is true that the flocks of cats that haunt the beaches of the islands, waiting for the local fishing fleets to return, and that inhabit the islands mangrove swamps, do share with the cats represented in ancient Egypt a distinctive blend of long legs, a slim body, a long neck and a small head. Couffer, to the bafflement of Lamu's Muslim population, spent his days closely following the extended groups of cats (he calls them ``prides'') around, and he describes their intelligence and self-sufficiency with vigor and affection. His photographs capture with clarity and a sharp eye both the lives of these multicolored felines and the traditional rhythms and details of Lamu's human inhabitants. (100 color and b&w photos) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

Lamu is a small archipelago off the coast of Kenya, once an important point in the trade from Africa to the East. When Mr. Couffer came upon it, the place was a beautiful backwater inhabited by fishermen, mostly Muslim, and cats, possibly descended from those revered in old Egypt. These feral cats are slim, with long legs and tails, and have been recognized as a distinct breed. Mr. Couffer took to studying them, but could not maintain the detachment proper to an animal behaviorist. The group--he calls it a pride--close to his house offered such a variety of conduct and such distinctive faces that the members acquired names like Ink Spot and Midnight, Lady Gray and Kinky. Neighboring, less polished tribes included Ugly and Captain Hook. Mr. Couffer discovered--and describes with a mixture of precision and sly humor--territories, social ranks, protocol, family connections, and communication systems among his cats. He warns that "the price one pays to play at studying cats is high," for he has trespassed over garden walls, has leaped out of the way of a battle, and once had to "spend half the night watching cats sniffing urine." His report on Lamu and its cats is charmingly written but ultimately a bit sad, for modern improvements and the tourist trade have encroached on the area. Meddlesome off-islanders propose to bring the feline citizens to order with a neutering campaign, regardless of the fact that those citizens have kept their own order for centuries and have cleaned the streets as well. The photographs are numerous and handsome. -- The Atlantic Monthly, Phoebe-Lou Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558216758
• ISBN-13: 978-1558216754
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,098,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than about cats, it's an exquisite jewel of discovery., July 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cats of Lamu (Paperback)

My teenage daughter received THE CATS OF LAMU as a gift. She is usually found locked in her room, with music blaring at a deafening level and her ear glued to the phone. However, I began to notice a difference in her behavior; she became glued to a coffee table book, with an image of a beautiful cat on cover and back. The music was turned off and beleive it or not, we began to find her reading throughout the house, with and without her ear glued to the phone. At one piont when she was off at school, I picked up THE CATS OF LAMU to find out wnat kind of medicine or magic, it might contain. I'm not into cats, I'm into dogs, we have two pitbulls. Back to the point, sure the cats are beautiful and are found only on LAMU, but what I find in this book, is a mesmerizing adventure -- a fascinating yet relaxing journey. I couldn't put it down, 'til I read and viewed it through to the end. Jack Couffer should get rich, working for the tourist board of Lamu, but I hope he will wait until I've had a chance to follow in his footsteps and commune with the Cats of Lamu.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Cat-tivating, June 28, 2000

By 

Ed Gibbon www.congocookbook.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cats of Lamu (Paperback)

I don't care for cats in the least (mostly because I am allergic) but I really liked this book. The pictures and descriptions of Lamu are delightful. Lamu is a magical place, a must-see on the coast of Eastern Africa, and the author brings it to us in great detail. His theory that the cats of Lamu are descendents of a lost breed of cat from ancient Egypt is quite interesting. This is a wonderful book for cat lovers and/or Africanists.

Jack Couffer tells a remarkably unlikely story of WWII research into the use of bats to carry small incendiary devices into Japanese cities in "Bat Bomb: World War II's Other Secret Weapon".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, September 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cats of Lamu (Paperback)

A charming book whose prose is as delightful as its beautiful photos