Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life [Paperback]

Elizabeth M. Hodgkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2008

In this controversial new book, dedicated veterinarian Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, D.V.M., Esq. raises the alarm regarding the dry food we feed our cats and the nutritional diseases that result. Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life turns today’s conventional wisdom of cat care on its head with completely new, yet remarkably easy-to-follow guidelines for every cat owner.

 

From kitten-rearing to the adult cat’s middle years to caring for the geriatric cat, Dr. Hodgkins explores the full spectrum of proper cat care, as well as the many deadly feline diseases that are rampant. This indispensible manual belongs on every modern cat owner's shelf.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mandatory reading for the caring cat lover and feline practitioner.”
- Adriana Kajon, Ph.D., All-Breed Cat Judge, The International Cat Association

“Dr. Hodgkins’ discussions are provocative, and disturbing, and the problems they identify will not be easy to rectify quickly. Nonetheless, they are long overdue.”
- Alice Villalobos, President, American Association of Human Animal Bond Veterinarians

“A great resource for all cat enthusiasts.”
- Laurie Schiff, Esq., All-Breed Cat Judge and General Counsel for the International Cat Association

“A highly respected expert in feline health, Dr. Hodgkins has given us invaluable knowledge that can help us keep our felines healthy.”
- Kay DeVilbiss, All-Breed Cat Judge and president of the International Cat Association 

About the Author

A successful veterinarian of 28 years, Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, D.V.M., Esq. provides consulting services for veterinary companies. She formerly served as Director of Technical Affairs at Hills Pet Nutrition, the largest proprietary pet food manufacturer in the world. Please visit her Web site at www.yourcatbook.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312358024
• ISBN-13: 978-0312358020
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Cats

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

115 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am a cat veterinarian who agrees with Dr. Hodgkins, November 8, 2007

By 

Peggy W. Larson "Peggy W. Larson" (Williston, VT USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life (Hardcover)

Dr. Hodgkins' book is right on the money. Her background with the pet food industry makes her well informed on the subject of feline diets. Cats are obligatory carnivores which means they make most of their energy from meat, not carbs. I am also a veterinarian/lawyer as is Dr. Hodgkins and I have been recommending a meat diet for cats for the past 10 years. Clients who follow my advice have healthy cats who live long lives. My own cats live long healthy lives on the diet recommended by Dr. Hodgkins. As a lawyer, I would consider it malpractice if a veterinarian put my cat on a corn-based dry cat food. Far too long, the pet food industry has controlled pet diets without proper peer reviewed research on the contents of their pet foods. A rodent, the primal food for cats, is 3% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 57% fat, minerals and fiber. To be a healthy cat food, their diets must mimic that of their primal food source. READ THIS BOOK! Then talk with your veterinarian about improving your cat's health with a healthy, meat based diet.

76 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a relief that a book like this is finally out!, August 25, 2007

By 

Anne Jablonski "catnutrition.org" (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life (Hardcover)

For so many years, it seemed that a lot of the sanity when it came to advice on how to properly care for, and especially FEED, a small cat, was only to be found in books published by non-vets. There are many great books out there with fabulous advice, but, sadly, many of them were never taken seriously by the mainstream veterinary community because they were written by people who lacked the 'DVM' credential.

Dr. Hodgkins' book has, thankfully, changed all that. As a lay person, I've spent years now running a website on cat nutrition and steadily beating a noisy drum to draw attention to the folly of feeding the carnivores we choose to live with foods that have no relationship to what Mother Nature intended. It's been fabulous having the support of so many people, but I've longed for -- for years -- to have a book out there by a real, live veterinarian that spoke the truth about the dangers of feeding dry food to cats and articulated precisely how it is that so very many feline diseases are entirely avoidable if we simply get the diet right.

This book is a dream come true. Aside from the wonderful, easy-to-understand style with which Dr. Hodgkins writes, it's jam packed with answers to the questions that so many of us have sought for years. Personally, I'm especially thrilled with the emphasis throughout the book on nutrition, as that really is the brick and mortar of health for cats. It's been astonishing to me over the years to see veterinary clinics fill up with more and more patients and more and more oversized bags of meat-flavored cereal (i.e., prescription dry food), with no one sitting up and taking notice of the relationship. Dr. Hodgkins' book is an extraordinarily welcome breath of fresh air.

Every veterinarian ought read this book and keep a copy or two in the reception area to educate clients. It's written by someone with impeccable credentials, after all, and there's no easy way to dismiss what it has to say. This bell can't be un-rung.

The tragedies that unfolded in earl 2007 with the massive pet food recalls began to wake people up to the dangers of blindly trusting what the pet food industry offers. But the pet food recall is only the tip of the iceberg. Even without the conspicuous problems associated with poor quality control, the sad truth is that the lion's share of commercial pet foods sold today--even when they're not 'tainted'--are terribly inappropriate for our cats (and dogs!) and contribute greatly to illness.

So if you have a cat (or three), you really owe it to yourself to invest in this book.

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would!

Anne (www.catnutrition.org)

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Cat Book Available, July 11, 2007

By 

Leslie Thomas (Hobart, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life (Hardcover)

This is absolutely both the best and only cat book you will ever need. I found Dr. Hodgkins' web site for diabetic cats about 6 weeks ago and began following her instructions for diet and insulin. My 2 cats, 1 diabetic and 1 not, responded immediately! The difference in them is amazing--they are both happier and healthier than ever. No more hairballs, no more dry skin, no more dry, dull coats. Their eyes are brighter, they are more active and playful, and my diabetic cat's blood sugar is under control for the first time. It is nothing short of amazing and I am so grateful to Dr. Hodgkins. Her book outlines everything you need to know about caring for your cats. It's simple, straightforward and best of all, full of common sense. If you love your cat, read this book and follow the diet recommendations--you and your cat will be so happy you did.