Customer Reviews

Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, Fully Revised and Updated

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sometimes it is difficult to buy a book off the internet if you are unfamiliar with it and are not sure if it's really what you want. With a book like this, you really need to browse through it to see if it's worth the money. Well, I'm an owner of an elderly cat and decided it was time to have a book like this handy in case symptoms arose. This is, without a doubt, the best cat care book there is! Trust me, you don't need to look through it first before you buy it ~ it covers every area, illness, ANYTHING you need to help you when you are concerned about your cat's health. It explains everything in easy-to-understand text and gives you information about cats in general. I'm so glad I have this book..it is a great reference.

I was given this book the first Christmas I had my first cat. The person who gave it to me is an owner of about 15-20 homeless dogs(numbers vary) and has found the dog version to be helpful. I have found this book to be a necessary item...better than many "people" guide books. I can actually have an intelligent conversation with my vet before(and if) I have to take my cats in to see him. If my vet mentions a specific malady, I can look it up and find a simple definition. It's truly user-friendly! It's a must for those new to cats AND those cat experts. I would also recommend the dog & small animal version for those to whom it applies. We need an automachanic's book that is this simple & helpful!

As a librarian, I have access to many books on cats and their health problems; as the owner of 14 cats, I find myself consulting those books frequently. This book is the one I go to first and I am never disappointed. The quality and quantity of information is wonderful! If you only buy one book on cat health, it should be this one. If you already have a collection of books on the subject, this book will provide valuable, useful information that you won't find in any of your other books. It is an *excellent* book.

This is a must-have for any cat owner. While it does help to have a basic understanding of medical terms, the book offers an in-depth resource for ailments of all types as well as information on basic cat-care. Photos throughout the book aid in visual recognition of signs and symptoms of a multitude of illnesses.

We do cat rescue and have recommended or given this book to many people. It's a good basic book, helps explain when to go to vet, not too hard to read.

I disagree that the "gross pictures" shouldn't be in there -- You don't have to look at them, and they're there to teach what some things may look like. We've found some of the pictures quite useful.

The argument that "if my cat looked that bad we'd be at the vet" is kind of off the point -- this book is good because it is a great COMPANION to your vet --

Anyhow, very good book. I too wish there was a more recent edition, but much of the most changed stuff since 1995, is at a higher technical level than this book.

For the next level up, Feline Husbandry, and Feline Diseases by Niels Pedersen are great...

that even a laymen can understand!
I purchased this book a while ago simply because I had multiple cats in the house that were becoming geriatric and I wanted to make sure I was doing the best for them in their twilight. I am also working on my Pre-Vet Curricula for intrance into Vet School.
Then I became a surrogate mommy for a new born kitten that had been abandoned my its feral mother only hours after it was born. Not wanting this wee one to expire, I took her home to raise myself, and immediately got on the Internet looking for info on the proper measures to care for her (I forgot about this book). I found a few helpful sites, but each one was contradicting the other...which for anyone is confusing. Thinking I needed a professional opinion on the subject, & went to my library of reference books & schoolbooks. Luckfully, I ran across this one & decided to see if it mentioned anything at all. To my surprise, it had the most complete section on orphaned kitten care than any of the other books & the Internet sites. I greatly recommend this book for any cat owner, be their cats young or old, it has information aplenty to assist you in caring for your 4-footed loved one.

There is no better book on this subject. This is not a "You and Your Kitten" book, nor is it written with complicated language that only professionals (vets) can understand. It provides the layperson with high-level, helpful information, while always noting when it is important to seek advice from a veterinarian. It's not meant to replace veterinary care. This book is my "cat care bible", and I refer to it constantly. It's the most useful book I've ever purchased.

Just received the book yesterday, have read most of it and it's Great! Only a few criticsms. The first and foremost is the authors' mistaken insistence on FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) testing for cats/kittens. There is no, repeat NO, NADA test for FIP in a live cat/kitten - it's only conclusive on necropsy. (Further info at http://www.cfainc.org/caring.html)

In the section on kidney diseases they totally ignored PKD (polycystic kidney disease), which Persian breeders have realized is a genetic problem and have been breeding away from. (Also more info at the above site) I feel this is a gross oversight on the part of these authors.

Unfortunately, FIV (feline immunodeficiency disease, also known as feline AIDS) isn't mentioned. This IS a condition that's easily tested for by any competent vet.

I really hope these authors address these errors and omissions in a new edition of this wonderful book!

I love this book! It is well-written, not too technical, yet very descriptive. The photos, although heart-breaking, helped illustrate clearly any possible problem my cats could encounter. Every question I threw at it was answered to my satisfaction. It is very well-organized and I found the section on caring for an aged cat to be very enlightening. I recommend this book belong in every library in a household with cats.

The reader below is mistaken--this book does have info on FIV (page 64, to be exact). Importantly, it emphasizes that there is no vacciniation for this disease, and the best way to prevent FIV is to not allow cats to roam.

It is by far the most complete resource for kittten care.

However, I have a rather silly criticism--I wish that a "gross picture-free" edition was available. If my cats looked anything like some of the extremely ill cats in this book, I'd be rushing them to the emergency vet. I wouldn't need a book to tell me that the cat had a serious problem. So I don't really need the seriously gross pictures. But, if nothing else, they serve as a reminder to keep your cats indoors to prevent most of these maladies (especially when one sees the picture of the eye worm).