Kittens For Dummies [Paperback]

Dusty Rainbolt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 19, 2003

Who can resist the charm of a kitten, those energetic, curious creatures whose cuteness factors fall somewhere between adorable and irresistible? But as animal shelters across the country can attest, those enchanting balls of fluff quickly mature into full-grown cats with their own requirements for healthy, happy lives.

Kittens For Dummies is your source for understanding what you can expect if you decide to welcome a high energy and high maintenance four-legged friend into your home. You'll not only figure out if you're ready to fit a kitty into your lifestyle, but also how to go about

• Adopting or buying the right kitten for you
• Making sure your home is kitten-proof
• Introducing your new pet to children and other pets
• Preventing and treating feline illnesses
• Dealing with behavioral issues
• Rescuing an orphaned kitten

Books abound about kitten care. Unlike many of them – those that seem to require a veterinary medicine degree to figure out – Kittens For Dummies explains everything in plain, everyday English. And like the subject itself, this handy reference is full of fun. In entertaining, informative language, the friendly guide gives you the real deal on

• Doling out plenty of love, attention, and patience
• Deciding whether kitty will be allowed to explore the outdoors
• Making your kitten comfy with the right supplies and accessories
• Knowing how often to ring the dinner bell
• Recognizing emergencies that call for quick trips to the veterinarian
• Locating qualified caretakers when you travel
• Nurturing kitty into adulthood

 Before you take the giant leap into kitten ownership – a wonderful and sometimes chaotic world – check out the expert advice in a resource that's bound to become as constant a companion as your purr-fect pet.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A huge amount of information."  (Birmingham Post, Monday 19th November 2007)

From the Back Cover

Get the scoop on kitten health and behavior

Your friendly guide to bringing up a frisky feline

Kittens are undeniably cute and they have an unlimited amount of energy. From finding a kitten and visiting the vet to choosing the right food, litter boxes, and toys, this handy reference gets you through the toughest and most delightful era in your cat?s life.

Praise for Kittens For Dummies

"Few authors can boast the wisdom and experience of the Queen of Kitten Care, Dusty Rainbolt."
—Steve Dale, host of "Animal Planet Radio" and columnist for "My Pet World," Tribune Media Services

"Kittens For Dummies delivers sound, savvy advice on adopting a kitten and ensuring that it enjoys a long, playful, and healthy life. I give Dusty?s book two paws up!"
—Arden Moore, pet columnist for Prevention and editor of Catnip

Discover how to:

• Adopt or buy the right kitten for you
• Kitten-proof your home
• Introduce kitty to children and other pets
• Prevent and treat feline illnesses
• Deal with behavioral issues
• Rescue an orphaned kitten

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (December 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764541501
• ISBN-13: 978-0764541506
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,778 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

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kittens for Dummies, March 16, 2005

By 

Jetta in Ventura "Jetta" (Ventura, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kittens For Dummies (Paperback)

I volunteered to foster a couple of kittens for a local rescue group last year and ended up taking care of a total of 13 over about 6 months. It was challenging but very rewarding and as a thank you gift, the rescue group coordinator gave me a copy of "Kittens for Dummies" for Christmas...boy do I wish I had known about the book earlier. It answered all the questions I agonized about during that 6 months... and I had lived on farm and been around lots of baby animals for a good part of my life! Kittens for Dummies is easy to read, the information is current, useful and well-organized, and as with all the Dummies books, it uses lots of humor! I HIGHLY recommend the book even if you have had a cat for years and think you know all about cat care... you will learn something new from this book. If you are like me, innocently agreeing to help out in a worthwhile cause (kitten rescue) without a clue about many of the problems that can arrive with those cute motherless kittens... you really NEED this book. It will answer questions you haven't even asked yourself until it is 3 o'clock in the a.m. and you have a tiny kitten showing symptoms of something scary. I wish I had the resources to send a copy of it with every cat and kitten that is adopted to a new loving home!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Saving Grace in Orphan Kitten care, January 19, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Kittens For Dummies (Paperback)

If you have ever found an orphaned kitten and experienced that instance of uncertainty, where you stomach lurches and your brain scrambles for the answer to "What do I do now?" Then, this book was written just for you.

An expert in the field of orphaned kitten care, Dusty Rainbolt offers her substantial field of knowledge directly to you. Written in an easy to understand style and surrounded by stunning photographs by her husband Weems, this book covers all apects of the care of orphans. A remarkable navigational tool that will carry you safely through the job of rearing a healthy kitten, or caring for an orphaned litter, this is the type of book to enhance any cat lover's library.

Even veterans in cat rescue are likely to find that Dusty Rainbolt's presentation and knowledge will assist them and this book will become a powerful resource tool for them. My suggestion is buy this now before Kitten Season strikes, because once it does, this puppy will be sold out!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book, October 10, 2004

By 

Ms. T. Waterhouse "Cat Lover" (Perth, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kittens For Dummies (Paperback)

I am a cat owner and experienced kitten carer - caring for orphaned, abandoned, feral and premature kittens. I am always looking to expand my knowledge and learn more about caring for these little ones, as well as kittens in general. Once 'Kittens for Dummies' arrived at my home, I read it from cover to cover and was very impressed. This book is informative, easy to read and peppered in parts with a little humour, something I found quite refreshing.

Whether you're caring for an orphaned or abandoned kitten or older kitten, Kitten for Dummies will guide you through all the aspects of having a kitten. Why does he climb my curtains? Why does he wake me up at 5am by batting at my eyes? How does a kitten purr? How do I know if my kitten is ill? You'll find answers to these and many more questions you may have about your kitten in Kittens for Dummies.

If you have a kitten or kittens in your life, this book is a must. If kittens came with an instruction manual, Kittens for Dummies would be it.