Customer Reviews

Living in Shadows: How to Help the Stray Cat in Your Life (Without Adding To the Problem)

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We do and teach a lot of rescue/TNR, and found this book to have many errors/omissions. Some examples:

p. 19 there is *not* controversy over whether domestic cats are really domesticated. They are. Again, p. 39 -- "would you bring the same animal in the house if it was a raccoon or squirrel?" Feral cats are not wild animals as raccoons and squirrels are; this is a very significant difference, and this is a very misleading comparison.

p. 23 In discussion of "is cat a feral or stray", no mention is made of the ethical necessity to **list as found** any cat you can even remotely touch. Many lost pet cats can present as quite scared. If your cat were missing, you would want finders to err on the side of listing every found cat as found!

p. 45 Very misleading info on FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). The typical first test for FIV tests for *antibodies*, not antigen -- thus, kittens can test FIV+ from maternal antibodies. With time, they clear the maternal antibodies. We have encountered many litters of kittens who initially tested FIV+, *all* of whom subsequently retested FIV-. There's no mention here of the need to have a test/retest protocol. (For great flowcharts, see http://www.felineleukemia.org/fiv1.html).

p. 22 "Feral cats are happier in the wild and are never really happy being confined". This is a mythical overgeneralization. We have done a lot of TNR in dense inner-city settings, and have brought a number of feral cats inside in various places, because their colony habitat was being destroyed (construction, redevelopment, etc.). Most former ferals, if they are kept inside with decent care, some windows, scratching and climbing posts, cat company, do quite well. A very small percent really want to be back in their colony. We've had quite fierce tomcats sit looking out a window at a thunderstorm, and purr up a storm. One "nth generation feral" loves to be picked up and cuddled (and he was definitely a feral cat). TNR (trap-neuter-return) is the default, but bringing a cat in to your home to sanctuary as a "permanent rescue cat" is a viable choice.

There is a lot of good information in this book, but unfortunately also a lot of errors; someone new to rescue would not be able to tell which is which.

You can find good info on TNR at
Alley Cat Allies, [...]
Best Friends http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/resourcelibrary/feralindex.cfm

Gesine Lohr

That skinny cat keeps coming to your back door. When you show any interest, he dashes away. What is the kindest thing to do? Keep leaving out food? Call the local Humane Society? Trap him?
Ann Fisher offers no-nonsense guidance in what has to be one of the most unusual how-to books ever written. She doesn't mince words. Some feral cats will never be tamed. Think about your investment of time and money. Set limits.

Still, your feral cats may become part of your household, even if they live in the back yard. By spaying even one cat, you are doing a lot of good. And if you are not in a position to help a cat first-hand, Fisher provides a list of cat-saving organizations that will be very grateful for your donations.

Here's the perfect gift for your cat-fanatic friends who, like me, hope to evolve into little old ladies who live for their cats.

I recently adopted a stray cat from my neighborhood, and this guide was extremely useful when it came to trapping my new cat.

Not only were the instructions for trapping the cat easy to follow, I was even able to locate a trap by using the resource guide in the back of the book!

This book is much needed and beautifully written. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever had or is thinking about adopting any stray cat!

Arising from her lifelong commitment and efforts to helping all types of animals, Ann K. Fisher has written Living In Shadows: How To Help The Stray Cat In Your Life (Without Adding To The Problem) is a straightforward, informed and informative introductory guide to feeding and caring for stray cats without attracting other animals, how to humanely trap feral cats for spaying or neutering, orphan kitten care, and gradually taming feral cats for domestic relationships. A practical, useful guide for cat lovers of all ages and circumstances, Living in Shadows is very highly recommended reading and an invaluable addition to community libraries and animal shelter reference collections.

This volume of data, anecdotes, and knowledge is unsurpassed in helping the growing volume of stray and/or feral cats! Beautifully written and lovely photos, it is a treasure of information and a pleasure to read! It should be in the library of every "cat person" as well as schools, vet waiting room, pet supply shops, book stores!

If you have a stray cat hanging around your home and want to do something to help it, this book is a good place to go for information. The author's philosophy is basically that most ferals (un-socialized cats who are born or have lived for a long time in the wild) are happier outdoors. Some feral cats and kittens can be socialized and live indoors, but the majority are better off being trapped/neutered or spayed/ and returned to their natural habitat. However, this does not necessarily mean abdicating responsibility for the cat.

The book's subtitle is "How to Help the Stray Cat in Your Life (without adding to the problem)," and the author makes the point that if you are going to feed an intact feral cat, it will breed and the population coming into your yard will multiply. Having the ferals fixed is recommended over more direct forms of population control. Even if you don't mind the extra mouths, the neighbors might.

Feral cats, according to the author, require high quality food, regular shelter and perhaps occasional vet care in case of illness or injury - all of which is gone into far more detail in the book. In addition, the book provides tips on caring for orphan kittens, long term cat management and an index of resources.

Personally (purrsonally?) I agree with the author's philosophy. I've known feral cats who were happier as house cats and ones that were happier living outdoors. Even if you don't agree with every point, it is still a useful and informative guide to an issue that shouldn't be ignored.

Very readable, helpful and thorough, this is a handbook for the person who wants to care for strays and feral cats but doesn't really know how best to proceed. Lots of references. Recommend highly.