Secrets of the Cat : Its Lore, Legend, and Lives (Common Reader Editions) [Paperback]

Barbara Holland (Author), Emily Schilling (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

This amusing cat's-eye view of the world covers the history, mythology, intelligence, and social relations of the more-or-less domestic feline. Holland draws from her personal store of cat tales as well as historical anecdotes to introduce listeners to some of history's most enchanting pets--including those of Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“May be the most elegantly written, witty, perceptive statement about felines ever published.” -- THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

“Pages and pages of pure pleasure.” -- Roger Caras

“Smart, bright, well–written, absorbing and informative.” -- SMITHSONIAN

From the Publisher

Profound yet merry, eloquent but bristling with insightful and stoutly–defended opinions, this singularly appealing volume celebrates the special “otherness” of the domestic cat—its incomparable grace and manners, skills and mysteries, even its failings and maddening peculiarities. Originally published in 1988 under the title The Name of the Cat. New Foreword by the author.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Akadine Pr (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585790532
• ISBN-13: 978-1585790531
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.8 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,439,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What do cats really want? Barbara Holland may know., May 7, 2001

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend, and Lives (Paperback)

I've already pressed "Secrets of the Cat" into the hands of my husband and my best friend and said, "You must read this."

So what were the odds that both of them would actually read the book and enjoy it? Slim to none, I'd have guessed from previous treatments of my recommendations.

In this case though, both husband and friend were hooked from the first page. The author begins with the tale of Boston Blackie, a cat who went berserk in the presence of other felines. He ripped off their ears, he gouged out their eyes, he sent them streaking for the bushes even at feeding time. And then, one day...but I don't want to spoil Blackie's story for you. Just a hint - his name was changed to Basil and no anatomical alterations were involved.

Barbara Holland has written an extremely personal book about the history, lore, and personality of 'Felis libyca.' In the chapter, "A Choice of Cats" she does riffs on many of the different feline breeds, but it is easy to see that the Siamese is her favorite:

"Properly treated, Siamese develop a deep, single-hearted devotion to their people and overreact to competition, absences, and infidelity like an adolescent in love. They need attention, and think nothing of pulling the books out of the bookcase and the pictures off the walls to get it. They demand notice in a raucous, echoing voice that many people and some other cats find alarming; the sound has been compared to that of a giant sea gull in distress. Taking on a Siamese is rather like getting married."

Our own preference is for Maine Coons (we share the house with five), and Barbara Holland tells a great story about them, too. Not that I agreed with everything she wrote. For instance, she stated that gray cats as a class are much friendlier than tabbies, which is exactly the opposite of our experience---and we've lived with two grays and about a million tabbies over the years.

Holland is also very upset by some of the artificially propagated breeds, such as the Cornish Rex and the Scottish Fold. Her chapter on "Show Business" is sad, hilarious, and razor-sharp---sometimes all three in the same sentence. Even if you think she is way off-base on her assessment of say, Himalayans or feline intelligence or declawing procedures, you'll want to keep reading until the end of the book. She is opinionated even to the point of irritation, but she is also extremely readable.

And Holland never confuses 'cat' with 'cute.'

There is one chapter in "Secrets of the Cat" (originally titled "The Name of the Cat") that you might want to skip: not because it is badly written, but because it is totally horrifying. That chapter is called, "Cats and the Church" and it relates the history of cats in (primarily) medieval Europe.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

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This review is from: Secrets of the Cat (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a wonderful book. It was entertaining and, at times, very, very funny. It was also very well-written - not just a silly cat-lovers book written in the language of the Simpleton. Holland writes beautifully and she is witty and clever. Anyone who has ever befriended a cat, and made one part of their lives, will truly enjoy this gem of a book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Written, March 21, 2000

By 

Susie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Cat (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this little book to be very appreciative of cats in general. As an avid cat lore reader, I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Holland's tracing of the cat in human history facinating and interesting. She also relates wonderful tales of cats which have shared her life. Any cat lover will find delight in every chapter.