Urban Tails: Inside the Hidden World of Alley Cats [Hardcover]

Sara Neeley (Author), Knox (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2006

In cities and towns across the world, feral cats roam unnoticed, with generation after generation making their way through gritty lives filled with disease and hardship. When photographer Knox began noticing the growing colony of cats in the alley behind his Atlanta music studio, he entered a complex world of feline families struggling for survival. In many ways brutal, this world, he discovered, was also filled with strong family bonds, intriguing personalities, and fun. Urban Tails, featuring Knox's striking images and Sara Neeley's lively text, celebrates these survivors at the intersection of nature and industry as they play in the sun one minute and crouch dramatically beneath a semi the next. Urban Tails is a powerful testament to such operations, giving readers a glimpse into a hidden world of lives that, while not ideal, can be filled with beauty and love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a beautiful book about the not-so-beautiful plight of homeless cats who are left to fend for themselves." -- -- Nancy Peterson, The Humane Society of the United States

From the Back Cover

"The photographs contained in this skillfully produced volume . . . lovingly capture the innate beauty, gracefulness, inspiring tenacity, and joie de vivre displayed by these unfortunate little street creatures."
-- James Richards, DVM, director of the Cornell Feline Health Center

"How to resolve the feral cat problem is one of the most debated issues in animal welfare today. Urban Tails is a thought-provoking book that utilizes powerful vignettes to depict the precarious lives of cats that are neither wholly wild nor tame and the heartbreak their caretakers endure when their charges lose their battles against the cruel forces of man and nature."
-- Jacque Schultz, CPDT, director and Companion Animal Programs advisor to ASPCA Shelter Outreach

"This book is a celebration for the senses! Knox's photography and Sara's touching words remind us that there is an entire world of fragile beings who need our protection, and only through our respect for wildness will we be able to reconnect with God's world. Knox's photos annihilate the ability to turn away from these irresistible beings who need us most. Delight in the breathtaking beauty of Mother Nature's masterpiece -- the cat -- and let this playful collection of images marshal your courage to help protect them and restore their dignity. It's been an awfully long time since I enjoyed a book this much!"
-- Amelia Kinkade, author of The Language of Miracles and Straight from the Horse's Mouth

"These remarkable images of city cats vividly remind us that free-roaming cats exist everywhere. Their poignant tales encourage us to make a difference as best we can through neutering, identification, community outreach, and education so that eventually all cats will have loving homes."
-- Margaret Slater, DVM, PhD, author of Community Approaches to Feral Cats

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: New World Library (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157731560X
• ISBN-13: 978-1577315605
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A window into the souls and struggles of city cats and their caretakers...., October 11, 2006

By 

C. Murtha (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Urban Tails: Inside the Hidden World of Alley Cats (Hardcover)

If you are a cat lover, know a cat lover or have experience with taking care of feral and stray kitties, you MUST purchase this book. This hauntingly beautiful book was written and photographed by two very talented and compassionate people, Sara Neeley and Knox. It honestly chronicles both the joys and the tragedies of urban alley cats through amazing photographs and thoughtful text. It will make you smile and make your heart ache all at the same time. But mostly, it will inspire you to respect, protect and hopefully, fight hard for these creatures who do not have a voice and need and deserve human help NOW. As Sara and Knox discover through their diligent care and close observation of these city cats, the kindest...most humane...most progressive step you can take is to spay and neuter these cats through a process called TNR (trap, neuter, return or rescue). It alleviates so much suffering and is the only way to end animal overpopulation. Buy this book, take it to heart and take action!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book with a social conscience., December 15, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Davis (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Urban Tails: Inside the Hidden World of Alley Cats (Hardcover)

There is nothing slick or commercial about this book. For the everyday pet lover and animal activist alike, "Urban Tails" is an engagingly gritty, but very beautiful, photo essay about the photographer's long-term relationship with his subjects. Knox's artistry, some of which is playful, othertimes ethereal, takes hold of the underlying reality that these colonies of feral cats face a desperate and daily struggle for survival. Any human with half a heart will think twice the next time they catch a glimpse of dumpster diving felines in the parking lots or alleys. Neeley's text compliments Knox's story and brings to life the alley cat underworld, complete with the individual life journeys of select ferals. "Urban Tails" stirs compassion in the reader and is a motivating and solution oriented force to become involved in helping those who are unable to help themselves, instead of remaining a passive bystander.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant!, October 25, 2006

By 

R. Kadel "seuss42" (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Urban Tails: Inside the Hidden World of Alley Cats (Hardcover)

The book combines some of the most effective and affective writing with stunning photos. The picture on the cover is just the tip of the iceberg. Knox's skills with the camera are to be lauded among those of the greatest wildlife photographers in the world. Sara Neeley's words, too, provoke emotional responses I didn't think were possible when discussing alley cats: sympathy, empathy, fraternity, joy, and so on. I highly recommend this title for anyone and especially for cat lovers.