Catworld: A Feline Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

by Desmond Morris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Morris, a trained zoologist and the author of over 30 books, including The Naked Ape (LJ 4/1/68), has compiled a fascinating and informative feline encyclopedia. The emphasis is on the domestic cat, with much detail on the origins of 80 various pedigree cat breeds from the Abyssinian to York Chocolate. The nearly 1000 entries also include 36 species of wild cats as well as all the most famous cat pets, fictional cats, legendary cats, and cat owners. Aspects of feline behavior, anatomy, and biology ranging from hunting to purring, coat patterns to colors are examined. Entries also cover such wide-ranging topics as cat anthologies, cat collections, cat societies, and cat welfare organizations, with bibliographies or general books included where appropriate. There is even a directory of famous cat movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Lion King and a listing of "The 100 Best Cat Books." Numerous illustrations, line drawings, and superb full-page color photographs appear throughout. Morris acknowledges that one deliberate omission is feline veterinary care, which is best handled by a qualified vet. Public libraries should purchase two copies of this first-rate, affordably priced work, one for reference and the other for the circulating collection.?Eva Lautemann, DeKalb Coll. Lib., Clarkston, Ga.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
While not "the ultimate reference book for cat lovers" of the publicity flier, this is certainly a richly detailed work. It emphasizes the domestic cat in all its varieties and its relations with humans. Wild cats are not slighted, but the "tiger on the hearth" has pride of place. Its dictionary-format entries cover breeds, famous cats, cat lovers and haters, folklore, and history. Morris has also provided some idiosyncratic lists of cat books and movies. Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who series (and its detective cats Ko-Ko and Yum-Yum) is not on those lists nor is Peter Gether's Norton, but Pyewacket of Bell, Book, and Candle is included, as is the Cat in the Hat. There is not much on feline health matters, but the introduction indicates that the author felt such matters were best dealt with by veterinarians. In the entry on Ernest Hemingway his famous polydactyl (multitoed) cats are reduced to a statement that many of the cats have "strange feet" and are sold as "celebrity kittens" for very high prices. A cross-reference to the entry polydactyly would have been helpful. While it does not include all the literary excerpts of Roberta Altman's The Quintessential Cat [RBB Mr 1 95], it has many references to literary figures who owned or wrote about cats, and entries about the cats themselves. Mystery cats that appear in folklore have separate entries under their names as do legendary cats.

There is no separate bibliography, but most of the longer entries have short reading lists. Illustrations are handsome, ranging from color photographs to well-reproduced paintings and woodcuts. This is a useful tool for patrons or librarians looking for clearly written information on various aspects of cats. The price makes it available to all but the most restricted library budgets.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670100064
• ISBN-13: 978-0670100064
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #704,728 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU ARE A CAT LOVER, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!, April 23, 2001

By	Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Last Christmas a friend gave me the book, "Catwatching" also by Desmond Morris, and I was so intrigued with the book and the beautiful photography that I began searching for other books by the same author. I finally came across this one and was equally as pleased. Catworld is absolutely fantastic! The coloured photography is exquisite and the book, with just under 500 pages, contains anything and everything you want to know about your feline friends. From big cats of the wild to the various breeds of domestic cats, from the origin of Puss and Boots to cat care, this book contains a wealth of well-organized information, all in alphabetical order.

I have two Persians, and "Catworld" is a book I definitely would not want to be without. No matter how broad your knowledge is on cats, novice or expert, you are bound to find some new and interesting facts and amusing trivia contained among the pages. There are some recently published books on the market that do not contain nearly as much information as this one. "Catworld" is an excellent resource book for your library and you are bound to enjoy the stunning photography. I highly recommend this top-notch book...and your cat will love you for it!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating book!, April 20, 1999

By A Customer

After looking through this book for a few hours, my husband and I immediately began trying to think of who we knew who would like it for a gift. Not only does it cover the subject matter you would normally expect from a book on cats, such as rundowns on all the recognized breeds, but it has interesting entries on such subjects as why cats eat grass. Beautiful pictures. A perfect gift for the cat lover on your list. Wish my friends would take the hint and buy me one!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The wretched Door, the horrid Fence.", December 28, 2003

By	E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Catworld: A Feline Encyclopedia (Paperback)

"Cat World: A Feline Encyclopedia" by Desmond Morris is a great reference and a wonderful browse for cat lovers. This encyclopedia contains nearly a thousand illustrated entries covering eighty breeds of domestic cats, thirty-six species of wild cats, plus articles on feline anatomy, behavior, biology, folklore, history, literature and art.

Other sections list "The 100 Best Cat Books," cat films, cat societies, and cat welfare organizations. One of my favorite entries is a list of authors and their cats, and their quotations about cats. For instance, Brian Aldiss and his cats, Macramé, Yum-Yum, Foxie, Jackson, and Nickie list the two things cats cannot stand: "The wretched Door, the horrid Fence."

The one deliberate omission in this encyclopedia is the subject of feline veterinary care. A good reference for this sort of information is "The Cornell Book of Cats," edited by Mordecai Siegal.

Morris, a trained zoologist, was the curator of mammals at the London Zoo from 1959 to 1971, where he was responsible for the largest collection of wild felines in the world. He has also authored other popular works on zoology, including "The Naked Ape" and "Catwatching."

As might be expected from his background, the author's entries on feline behavior are some of the most interesting in the encyclopedia. Morris states that cats have a much greater acoustic range than dogs or humans, especially in their ability to hear high-pitched sounds. Cats prefer to hunt by stealth and need to be able to detect the ultrasonic squeaking of their prey.
I'll never forget the time I accidentally shut one of my cats in the room with me when I was practicing my violin. I happened to turn around and there was Calvin, pressing his enormous, furry body against the door, a piteous look in his eye. After reading this encyclopedia, I prefer to blame his behavior on his enhanced acoustic range rather than taking it as a commentary on my musical ability. After all, Calvin probably knew that violin strings used to be made of sheepgut, not catgut as is popularly supposed. Morris believes the term 'catgut' replaced 'sheepgut' because of the noises some people made while scraping on the strings.

As to why I turned around and saw him there, read Morris's entry on feline ESP.

'Cat World' is filled with feline anecdotes, both repeatable and some that are almost too bizarre to believe. Be sure to check out the entry on P.T. Barnum's 'cherry-colored cat,' and the story of what happened to the great English novelist Thomas Hardy's heart--coupled with the mysterious disappearance of his beloved cat, Cobby.