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ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing and Caring for Your Pet (Aspc Complete Guide to)
 
 
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ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing and Caring for Your Pet (Aspc Complete Guide to) (Paperback)

~ James Richards (Author) "Cats enrich our lives tremendously..." (more)
Key Phrases: common feline health problems, special grooming needs, keeping your cat healthy, Taking Care of Your Cat, United States, American Shorthair (more...)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For many, the search for a comprehensive cat-care book often leads to frustration, finding only specific topics addressed in each book--from a care primer here to a breed book there. Now, from the ASPCA, comes the Complete Guide to Cats, covering everything that a cat owner needs to know about choosing and caring for a kitty. Beginning in section 1 with the basics of how to bring a cat into your life (choosing your new pet, preparing your home for the new arrival), section 2 goes on to offer detailed information on cat breeds and how to decide which breed is the right one for you. Section 3 covers a brief history of the domestic feline, how the cat works (framework of bones and muscles, the organs, digestive and urinary systems, reproductive system), and understanding your cat. The final section of the guide is devoted to taking care of your cat, including keeping your kitty healthy and common feline health problems, home nursing, first aid, and special care, such as mating, pregnancy, and birth, as well as the older years. With a multitude of color photographs and illustrations sprinkled throughout the clear and concise text--not to mention the added value of appendices that offer a host of helpful information including important telephone numbers and a glossary of cat-related terms--the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats is a must-have for the owner that wants the best for their feline friend.

Review


Reviews from: Cat Fancy


Cats

By Kathryn Gallagher
If cat questions swarm through your head, The ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats has the answers. This book provides indispensable advice on health, behavior, grooming, veterinary care and litter box training for both novice and experienced cat owners. Adorable illustrations and photos enhance the pages, and a guide to cat personalities explores 50 of the most popular breeds.

In my house, cat-care books seem almost as plentiful as cat hair. As a book reviewer who lives with four cats, I see a lot of each. One of the best feline health and behavior books I've come across in a long time is the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats. Drawing upon his professional expertise as director of the Cornell Feline Health Center, James R. Richards offers readers a thorough, well-written look at all things feline. Emphasizing health, behavior and inclusion into the right home, the author guides cat owners through the selection and lifelong care of a cat. Cat breeds and historical information are also included in this practical, user-friendly reference book.

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0811819299
  • ISBN-13: 978-0811819299
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #305,538 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

James R. Richards
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Cats enrich our lives tremendously. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
common feline health problems, special grooming needs, keeping your cat healthy, afflicted cats, unneutered male cats, vaccination chart, agouti hairs, tabby pattern, muscular cat, litter box habits, classic tabby, mackerel tabby, sure your cat, awn hairs, shorthaired cats, purebred cats, domestic shorthairs, longhaired cats, feline features, scratch posts, longhaired breeds, lap cat, brown tabby, coat pattern, rear claws
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Taking Care of Your Cat, United States, American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Maine Coon, Cornish Rex, Everyday Care, Russian Blue, Understanding Your Cat, Devon Rex, North America, Norwegian Forest Cat, Exotic Shorthair, Scottish Fold, African Wildcat, American Wirehair, Havana Browns, History of the Domestic Cat, Home Nursing, Isle of Man, National Animal Poison Control Center
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing and Caring for Your Pet (Aspc Complete Guide to)
71% buy the item featured on this page:
ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing and Caring for Your Pet (Aspc Complete Guide to) 4.9 out of 5 stars (13)
$18.96
The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know
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The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know 3.9 out of 5 stars (37)
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The Humane Society of the United States Complete Guide to Cat Care
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The Humane Society of the United States Complete Guide to Cat Care 4.6 out of 5 stars (5)
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Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Concise, yet very complete, June 8, 2000
By Joss Delage (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is a must have for anyone considering being adopted by a cat (don't fool yourself on who owns who...) It's full of good information, most of which will not loose any relevance as time goes by. It also includes a very well illustrated "catalog" of breeds, which is a great help to decide which kind of cat you want to cede your house to.

As it is published by the ASPCA, it also has a fairly strong and opinionated editorial stance, which is something I found refreshing & courageous. (For example, they clearly are against not neutering your cat, buying from a pet store, and to a lesser extent letting your cat go out by themselves.)

All and all, a very complete yet fun to read book, which manages to pack a lot of info & beautiful pictures in a tight format.

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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The cat's meow of guides..., June 11, 2003
As anyone who knows me knows, I have cats. I seem to attract them, well, like cats! I have cat joys and cat tragedies especially prominent in the past few years, with two outdoor disappearances and one indoor death, yet with wonderful new additions and the experience of sharing my home with seven new kittens born under my desk one summer, and five more from a different stray the next summer.

I had always considered cats low maintenance, essentially self-sufficient. This was a requirement to me, as I'm not home very often, and when I am, I can't spend too much time on cat duty. This was the reason I opted for cats over dogs. I was raised a dog person. But dogs require attention several times a day. Sorry, can't do it...

Well, with all that happened in the past year, I found that cats, while generally low-maintenance, have periods nonetheless in which they need special care and attention (even if, like Emma, they don't really want it). Thus, being a person in the education mode, I decided I needed to learn more. It just so happened that one of my book clubs was offering the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats, so I ordered it.

This has been a gem of a book. It is complete, concise yet filled with information, well organised, colourful and picture-ful, durable (slick coating on the covers and a finish on the pages means the cats can walk across with dampened paws and not destroy the book, useful when it is opened when I attending their needs).

The first section discusses how and when to bring a cat home. It addresses such issues as cats and kids, preparing the home for a cat, your own readiness, and which kind is most appropriate for which environment. It also discusses what to do when welcoming your new friend into the home. Food, vet care, litter (to box or not to box, ah, that is a question!), and how to introduce new cats to other cats is discussed.

The second section is a reference guide to cat breeds. In addition to specific breeds organised alphabetically (Abyssinian to York Chocolate) it talks about coat palettes and patterns, colourations, paw and toe issues, and special needs. The breed section identifies special grooming and dietary needs, lap- and kid-friendly breeds, energy, and of course, wonderful photographs of representative cats for each breed.

Section three gives a bit of biological and physiological information, about cats, as well as (if it is possible!) some insight into the psychological functioning of cats. Are they really that smart? Are they really that clean? It addresses mating habits and catnip addictions, too!

The fourth section has been the most important to me, Taking care of your cat. It discusses briefly everyday feeding and care, but then has a good section on potential health concerns, what to do in the case of injury and illness, gives home nursing tips (important with Emma), and how to deal with both the beginning and end of the lifespan, which, with new kittens in the bedroom and a declining Emma in the living room, I was dealing with both ends of the spectrum.

This is an excellent one-volume reference to cats, useful for anyone who cares for cats. The appendices have glossaries, telephone numbers and resources, and recommended readings to continue a feline-related education.

But, if you just pick this one up for the pictures, it would be worth it for that too. And you might just learn something along the way--always a plus.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars well organized, great photos, very good overall, April 9, 2002
By ALEX YONG (brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
has easy to use icons to help you match desirable traits to certain breeds. Examples: "Lap cat", "Talkative", "High Energy", "Special Grooming Needs" ... having read the section on the Burmese breed, for example, I can now say, yes their looks are great, but for me, their personality mismatches what i'm looking for in a cat.

has abundant information without being the size of a cinder block. in fact, this book is nice and compact, about the size of a mousepad and an inch thick. the high quality photos are beautiful and the kittycats are so adorable (the cat is my absolute favorite animal!) Minor nitpick: the Ragamuffin breed and the Pixiebob breed aren't featured. i like keeping this book on my coffee table for my cat-loving friends to enjoy too

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Best cat book ever!
This book has been around for a few years and I've bought copies not only for myself, but for friends and family members who love cats. Read more
Published 11 months ago by M. Fortin

4.0 out of 5 stars Good guide for cat owners, a little overwhelming for a newbie
I just adopted my furry son Riley, and this book has been very helpful. I'm a novice cat owner and, although I'm familiar with cats, I was a bit nervous about deciphering... Read more
Published 23 months ago by K. Sweeney

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent home resource
A well written and well informed book that would be a wonderful addition to the bookshelf of anyone who has a cat or is considering adding a cat to their household. Read more
Published on November 12, 2007 by Laura L. Cordes

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Cat Owner Should Own This Book
Whenever I have a question about my cat, I whip out this book and find my answer in seconds. It presents the information in in an easy-to-find, simple format. Read more
Published on September 22, 2007

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book
This was a really good book. The author did a good job at explaining the behaviors of cats. He also points out which breeds are good in which homes. Read more
Published on January 31, 2004 by P. Butter

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable reference book
This book is ideal for someone who is considering adopting a kitten or cat. It has abundant info on breeds, including each breed's talkativeness, activity level, and temperament... Read more
Published on February 25, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Cat Guide
An excellent book about cats...Helps you to choose the right cat for YOU & YOUR family, to understanding cat behavior, to basic & emergency health care, and much more. Read more
Published on February 8, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Aspca Complete Guide To Cats
This is a perfect resource for any of the basic questions
of cat care. I baught this book for a resource on cat breeds,
and found it helped me with much more than I... Read more
Published on March 24, 2002 by Kelly Dailey

5.0 out of 5 stars totaly complete and up to date
Fully functional giude without all the old wise tales and stories. A usable guide.
Published on October 16, 1999 by Gary (gary@knight-hub.com)

5.0 out of 5 stars clean and complete
good details and complet
Published on September 26, 1999

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