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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