How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want [Paperback]

Warren Eckstein (Author), Fay Eckstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 1996

"A practical, down-to-earth guide...Well organized and easy to read and to understand."

CAT FANCY

World-renowed pet behaviorist Warren Eckstein shows you how to walk with your cat, make it come when called, play for hours without ruining your plants and furniture, and more, in this warm, readable guide for feline lovers everywhere. Here are on-the-mark observations, wonderful insights, and step-by-step advice for: Alleviating kitty stress and nervousness; Coping with feline old age; Exercising your beloved mouser, and much more. Plus: diet, grooming, and dentistry tips.


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Crazy about cats? Fine. But even consummate cat lovers may have trouble with a book that makes suggestions like "Experiment with calling the little furball on the phone and leaving a message on the answering machine. Some cats love to hear your voice and know Mommy or Daddy is talking to them. . . . " and probes the issue "Can Kitty have a midlife crisis?" (Yes, Kitty can. The authors recommend surprising her with a new litter box or taking her on a picnic to ease her through the trauma.) Writing in collaboration with his wife, Eckstein, a pet psychologist who has ministered to pets of the stars, chides owners insensitive enough to amuse themselves with jokes at their pets' expense; discusses how to shore up a cat's self-image; and addresses the dilemma of the forlorn "latchkey kitty." The Ecksteins also offer useful information on litter training, on convincing cats to stop scratching furniture, on teaching them to walk on a leash and even to "sit" or "stay." But the cumulative impression the Ecksteins leave is that cat owners should devote nearly all their waking hours to the improvement of their pet's life. The volume merits a warning label: for fanatics only.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"A practical, down-to-earth guide...Well organized and easy to read and to understand."

CAT FANCY

World-renowed pet behaviorist Warren Eckstein shows you how to walk with your cat, make it come when called, play for hours without ruining your plants and furniture, and more, in this warm, readable guide for feline lovers everywhere. Here are on-the-mark observations, wonderful insights, and step-by-step advice for: Alleviating kitty stress and nervousness; Coping with feline old age; Exercising your beloved mouser, and much more. Plus: diet, grooming, and dentistry tips.


From the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449912280
• ISBN-13: 978-0449912287
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Cats > Breeds

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meet Man's New Best Friend!, August 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want (Paperback)

Don't think your cat can walk on a leash, socialize in public and with other animals? This book had my cat going on mile-long hikes, hanging out at LOUD college parties, as cool as a cucumber, and entertaining the guests with his antics, all the while keeping his claws to himself as he played! People would say, "He's not a cat!" or "He acts like a dog!" He also did tricks like "Bang, you're dead!" and "Shake". This book made life for me and my cat so much easier and more rewarding than the cat-person relationship most people are used to. And Eckstein's techniques are all positive-reinforcement methods, which make training fun for everyone. Anyone who wants to do more for their cat and make him/her a beloved companion instead of a living throw pillow should get this book! Isn't it time we gave our cats the love and attention we do our dogs? This book tells you why they deserve it and what you'll get in return.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Whole New Prospective on Cat Ownership!, October 10, 2000

By 

"orangetabbie" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want (Paperback)

This book was the quickest read I've had in a long time! Not only was it informative, but it was funny and easy to relate to! I have been around pets my whole life and have worked with them since I have been 11 years old, when I started volunteering at the local humane society. With my experience, and being a former veterinary technician, I thought I understood what cat's need and want, but this book sure put me in my place! I learned everything I always thought I knew about what goes on it those little kitty minds and I gained a new prospective on what they need to live a satisfying life. The most important thing I learned in this book was that cats are so smart that they have CONVINCED the world that they are untrainable so that humans won't make them do anything! It taught me that cats have tricked the world and that they are more intelligent that anyone gives them credit for. Since I finished the book, I can see that my cats are happier and more fulfilled, and I am happier, healthier, and we all sleep soundly at night. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has a cat, is thinking of adopting a cat, or as a gift to the cat lover in your life.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I have the BEST cats because of this book, April 30, 2004

By 

Caron Patterson (Des Moines, IA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want (Hardcover)

I had this book on my bookshelf, but didn't read it until the day I found an abandoned kitten in the bushes in front of the house. She had her first road trip the very next weekend. She loves car rides, wears a harness, walks on a leash, comes when she is called...I cannot say enough about this book. I grew up with cats and have always had my own cats, but until I had this book, I had NO idea what I was missing. We have three more cats, all successfully introduced into the family following this book's guidelines. Now we have rescued a colony of feral kittens and using this advice. I'm sorry anyone ever had a bad experience, but from all the cats I've known, this book is invaluable and should be handed out with every adoption!!!!!