Product Details

• Actors: Joseph Campanella, Leo Grillo, Warner Passanisi
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
• VHS Release Date: July 11, 1997
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304474008
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,238 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Video > Kids & Family > Animals > Dogs & Cats
  #8 in	Video > Television > National Geographic > Favorite Animals
  #12 in	Video > Documentary > Nature & Wildlife > Animals

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Cat owners have long been aware of the dual nature of their pets: affectionate domestics one minute, feral hunters the next. This tape spends an hour investigating how closely little 4-pound Cleo is connected to her 600-pound tiger sister half a world away. The feline-centric British have actually conducted studies on barn cats that reveal the similarity of group relationships to lion prides, both in the care females give to each others' young and in the viciousness of males taking over a group. The result is some disturbing footage of a lion killing his predecessor's kit and a graphic tale of a tomcat doing the same. Their gentle side is also explored in segments about cat therapy for the elderly and autistic. This video is crammed with beautiful footage and solid information for the feline fan, from why cats land on their feet when they fall to the strengths and weaknesses of their vision. Early on the host sums up the paradox of cat ownership: "To share one's life with a cat is to invite a bit of wildness indoors." --Kimberly Heinrichs

Product Description

By night, they're ruthless hunters that stalk their prey with a keen sense of sight and smell. By day, they're playful, loving companions for millions. Today, cats outnumber dogs as America's favorite pet. Worshipped in ancient Egypt and persecuted during medieval times, domestic cats over the centuries have been feared and adored. As comforting companions, cats provide therapy for the elderly and autistic. But as dramatic sequences show, the behavior of cats is never far removed from that of their cousins in the wild. If you've ever wondered why cats always land on all four feet or what makes them purr, join National Geographic for CATS: CARESSING THE TIGER

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great for cat enthusiasts, but NOT FOR CHILDREN!!!!!, January 10, 2004

By A Customer

An excellent video for an adult to learn about cats and their linkage to the big cats. Great footage and stories of cats' amazing abilities. However, disturbing footage of a male lion killing a cub in front of the cubs siblings causes me to remove a star. I felt including this footage unnecessary to enriching my knowledge of cats. Because of this scene and others which detail male cats killing kittens, I would consider this video totally inappropriate for children (especially if they love cats). I think it should not be listed in the "children & family" section on Amazon.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cats rule, August 10, 2003

By A Customer

I'm an avid viewer of National Geographic's old specials. Being a major cat lover, I think they really did a wonderful job here. The studying of farm cats and their comparison to their wild relatives was very interesting, not to mention cute (that little kitten being lost just about broke my heart). There's so much more to cats than their seemingly lazy and independent lifestyle.

However, I'm taking off one star for the very, very morbid scene of an agressive male lion slaughtering a poor cub. I personally thought it was rather sick of them to put that in. I can't even bear to watch it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Cat behavior explained by comparing it to large cats surviving in the wild , March 3, 2008

By	Charles Ashbacher "([e-mail])" (Marion, Iowa United States([e-mail])) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Only the most naïve of cat owners fails to recognize that their cat is in many ways a scaled down tiger. I have seen my cats, even those living in the house and neutered, go feral when attacking prey and each other. In this tape, experts describe the behavior of larger cats such as lions and tigers in the wild and how it explains the behavior of the domesticated cat. The dominant male in a pride of lions will kill the male offspring of another male if given the chance. As will a male cat if allowed contact with the kittens fathered by a rival. This act will cause the mother to rapidly enter into her estrus cycle, giving the male the opportunity to father additional offspring.
This is a fascinating video in that the footage of the cats in the wild is so similar to what we observe in our pets. Cats are mysterious, fickle and can at times be loving. However, they still retain their predatory instincts; if you doubt that, watch this tape.