Why Cats Do That: A Collection of Curious Kitty Quirks [Hardcover]

Karen Anderson (Author), Wendy Christensen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

Why do cats get stuck in trees? Why do cats bring us their latest catch? Why do cats always land on their feet? Why do cats torture their prey? These and 36 other curious cat behaviors are informatively and lightheartedly answered in the handsomely illustrated Why Cats Do That. An original pencil drawing illustrates each insightful explanation of odd but characteristic cat actions, social graces and sometimes kooky quirks.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karen Anderson is the author of Just Cats, Cats Have No Masters...Just Friends, and The Cat-Sitters Handbook. She is a devoted cat advocate and a knowledgeable advisor to friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances on the pleasures and rewards of life with a feline. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband and their irrepressible cat, Buttons.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 94 pages
• Publisher: Willow Creek Press; Copyright 2001 edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572234059
• ISBN-13: 978-1572234055
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Cats

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars chock-full of entertainment and insight, October 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Why Cats Do That: A Collection of Curious Kitty Quirks (Hardcover)

Here is a tip from someone who owns entire shelves of cat books: purchase Why Cats Do That for it's insightful information presented clearly and humorously. Charming line drawings accompany each short vingette (there are about 40 in all). It's a quick read but one you will refer to often if you own a cat. Besides the common questions (why do cats bring us their latest catch? & why do cats sleep so much?) the author asks and answers other questions like, why do cats completely endear themselves to us? & why do cats refuse to cooperate? I like this book from cover to cover. It deserves to be on your wish list and certainly your gift list!

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explore the Beguiling Ways of Your Feline Companion, January 29, 2004

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Cats Do That: A Collection of Curious Kitty Quirks (Hardcover)

My Mom gave me this wonderful book for Christmas, and it is now one of the most treasured volumes in my library. Karen Anderson has a knack for explaining cat behavior in a sweet and enjoyable way that is not only lyrical but effective. Part of the fun of being around cats is trying to figure out the sublime and strange ways that they express emotions like affection, love, curiosity and anger. In this book the author demonstrates her lasting respect and love for these amazing and beautiful creatures. As all cat lovers know, cats do peculiar things that are often difficult for us humans to understand. In this book Karen Anderson succeeds at answering questions from basic fare such as "Why do cats sleep all day?", to more involved questions like "Why do cats cover up their half eaten food?" The answers are sometimes amazing, and will make anyone cherish the quirkiness of their feline companions even more.

Any review of this book without praise for Wendy Christensen's beautiful and plentiful illustrations would be remiss. She is a gifted feline illustrator, and the text is immeasurably enhanced by the presence of her drawings.

In the end, the last question in the book is also my favorite: "Why do cats completely endear themselves to us?" Although she does explore answers to this question, I like to think that every cat has their own personality and their own set of beguiling charms so unique, that any answer to that question can never totally do justice to our feline friends.

Bravo, and thank you, Karen and Wendy!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Artistic Cats!, January 20, 2005

By 

1smileycat "1smileycat" (Iowa, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Why Cats Do That: A Collection of Curious Kitty Quirks (Hardcover)

Written by Karen Anderson and Illustrated with pencil drawings by Wendy Christensen, "Why Cats Do That" is a wonderful, short book (94 pages) about the weird and wonderful things cats do - and why. Each question, such as "Why do cats purr?" is illustrated magnificently and explained in such a way that is not necessarily to be taken as a scientific answer, but an answer that only a cat lover could provide.

Karen starts the book by stating, "Cats are like curious art objects come to life, and watching them go about their daily routine is sometimes like following around an art show. You're not sure what you'll see next, but you know it's going to be good." Any cat owner knows exactly what she means by this! In addition, this book is an illustration of that statement as well.

The drawings truly capture the cat and the question that is being answered, such as "Why do cats make a funny chattering sound?" My cat looks exactly like this when he is sitting in the window watching birds in the yard! I could almost hear the chatter as Karen describes it and Wendy illustrates it!

This is a wonderful book and would be a treasured addition to the cat lover's library!

1smileycat :-)