Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
Buy new:
$14.87$14.87
FREE delivery: Saturday, April 20 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: QCompany
Buy used: $8.19
Other Sellers on Amazon
FREE Shipping
98% positive over last 12 months
FREE Shipping
48% positive over last 12 months
FREE Shipping
100% positive over last 12 months
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet Hardcover – September 10, 2013
Purchase options and add-ons
In Cat Sense, renowned anthrozoologist John Bradshaw takes us further into the mind of the domestic cat than ever before, using cutting-edge scientific research to dispel the myths and explain the true nature of our feline friends. Tracing the cat's evolution from lone predator to domesticated companion, Bradshaw shows that although cats and humans have been living together for at least eight thousand years, cats remain independent, predatory, and wary of contact with their own kind, qualities that often clash with our modern lifestyles. Cats still have three out of four paws firmly planted in the wild, and within only a few generations can easily revert back to the independent way of life that was the exclusive preserve of their predecessors some 10,000 years ago. Cats are astonishingly flexible, and given the right environment they can adapt to a life of domesticity with their ownersbut to continue do so, they will increasingly need our help. If we're to live in harmony with our cats, Bradshaw explains, we first need to understand their inherited quirks: understanding their body language, keeping their environmentshowever smallsufficiently interesting, and becoming more proactive in managing both their natural hunting instincts and their relationships with other cats.
A must-read for any cat lover, Cat Sense offers humane, penetrating insights about the domestic cat that challenge our most basic assumptions and promise to dramatically improve our pets' livesand ours.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBasic Books
- Publication dateSeptember 10, 2013
- Dimensions6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100465031013
- ISBN-13978-0465031016
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

Decoding Your Cat: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Cat Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted OnesAmerican College of Veterinary BehaPaperback
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Review
Bradshaw...flags his seriousness of purpose with his subtitle, How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet. Bradshaw means to get into the cat brain. He's already plumbed its canine counterpart, in the 2011 book Dog Sense, which was also grounded in research, not sentiment, and in the idea that pets have inner lives more complicated than we imagine.”
Cat Fancy
[A] definitive guide to the origins, evolution and modern-day needs of our furry friends.... A must-read for any cat lover, the book offers humane insights about the domestic cat that challenge the most basic assumptions and promise to dramatically improve our pets' lives.”
Science News
[Bradshaw] deftly sums up the latest science that attempts to discover what's going on inside the kitty brain.... A careful read can help a cat owner understand why cats don't get along, guide efforts in training and even reveal what's behind kitty's favorite toy.”
Shelf Awareness for Readers
Using research, his background in anthrozoology and his personal experiences with cats, Bradshaw has written a scientific book that remains easily accessible to any cat owner. He admits up front there is still plenty to learn about the domestic cat, but Cat Sense is a solid starting point and a must for present owners and potential owners alike. Readers will be more aware of their companions' behaviors and what those behaviors mean in terms of the human-cat relationship, thereby creating a richer, more fulfilling connection for each.”
Natural History
[Bradshaw] offers plenty of insights into what makes your tabby purr and how those insights can make a difference in your domestic life.... The understanding you gain should make for a happier cat-human household.”
Cat Talk
Bradshaw deftly weaves together history, science, cat lore and some interesting predictions on the future evolution of cats as pets and members of human households.... Well-written and as readable as many novels, with graphs, illustrations, photos and boxed vignettes throughout, Cat Sense is a serious look at the science of our feline companions that most cat lovers, owners and breeders will find both educational and enjoyable. It is far more than the typical cat book.'”
Literary Review, UK
If John Bradshaw's new book doesn't entirely penetrate the feline mystery it does at least shine a beam of light on the question of what is going on in those furry little heads. Not all that much is often the answer. Cat Sense is an amiable and interesting round-up of the history and science of the domestic moggy, from its first appearance in prehistory to the latest behavioural and genetic discoveries.”
Writer's Voice
Cat Sense goes a long way toward educating humans about their feline companions so that we can continue to enjoy them and, perhaps more importantly, make them happier to be around us.”
Booklist, Starred Review
This fascinating book will be a bible for cat owners.”
Modern Cat
[I]nsightful.... Using cutting-edge research, Bradshaw takes us into the mysterious mind of the domestic cat, explaining the cat's nature and needs, and, in doing, so deepens our understanding of our wild housemates and improves our relationships with them.”
Library Journal
With more than 30 years of experience studying animal behavior, [Bradshaw] is able to convey valuable information to cat owners, regardless of their experience with the species, that will assist them in providing the stable physical environment that cats crave, as well as promoting the healthiest of relationships between cat and owner.... [E]nlightening.”
Publishers Weekly
[Bradshaw] engagingly synthesizes recent academic research about cats.... Readable, practical, and original, this is likely to become the go-to book for understanding cat behavior.”
Kirkus
A useful guide to help cat lovers better understand their elusive pets.”
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of When Elephants Weep and The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats
This fascinating book is one of the finest ever written about cats. There was hardly a page where I did not learn something new, and John Bradshaw's many practical suggestions are truly excellent. Any cat lover is bound to discover in it much that is useful, interesting, and entertaining.”
Global Animal
[A] go-to cat guide in one easy read.... For cat lovers, this book gives a vital look into the perspective of the cat.... The insight this book provides will not only help cat companions better understand their pet, it will allow them to create an ideal living situation for their cat. Keeping your cat happy and stress-free will ensure a comfortable home for everyone.”
Cat Wisdom 101
Cat Sense paves the way for the greatest gift we can give our cats: learning what makes them tick.... Cat Sense, a well-researched reference book (chock-full of lovely illustrations) delves into fascinating insights into the feline mind and their physical evolution to the present day.... No one book encompasses all aspects of cats but Cat Sense is a valuable resource with plenty of food for thought about cats today and their future as a species.”
Globe and Mail
In his wide-ranging new book, Cat Sense, English anthrozoologist John Bradshaw calls on all his scientific resources to interpret our enigmatic felines for the 21st century a restrictive era far removed from the predatory instincts of these not-quite-domesticated animals.”
The Observer
You could buy a dozen books by the many cat whisperers, cat gurus and cat therapists that exist in our feline-obsessed modern world, but their accumulated wisdom would probably not help you understand your cats where they've come from, what they want from you, and where they might be going, if we're not careful as well as Cat Sense.”
People
Drawing from research, the author cracks an enigma: the feline mind. A must for owners wondering how Fluffy really feels about them.”
The Sunday Times
[Bradshaw] starts with cat origins and works methodically and illuminatingly through the many daft anthropomorphic assumptions.... What makes Bradshaw's book so valuable is his positive thinking. How can we make the cat less anxious? How can we help?... [Cat Sense is] a mind-altering book.”
The Express
Bradshaw does a great job of explaining to the clueless cat owner what science has discovered about their pet.... [A] fascinating bookshelf essential for anyone who's ever looked at their cat and wondered what's going on behind those big eyes.”
Time
Bradshaw, who has been studying the behavior of domesticated animals for over 30 years, reveals some fascinating explanations for why cats act the way they do around humans.”
NPR, Book of the Year
An indispensable addition to the cat-lore canon.... Cat Sense is jam-packed with fascinating (and contrarian) tidbits...covering everything from why cats purr to why they bring us dead things and why we keep them around, even though their original purpose as mousers is mostly obsolete. Obligatory cat pun coming up ... this book is a purrfect gift for the cat lady or cat dude in your life.”
New York Times
For any who may wonder what their feline companions are really thinking, Cat Sense, by John Bradshaw, provides the best answers that science can give for the time being....Cat Sense will teach you much about the biology of cats that you never suspected.”
The Guardian
Bradshaw's book mixes pellets of cat lore with accounts of feline evolution, anatomy, genetics and development from newborn kitten to adulthood, plus descriptions of cat-psychology experiments in the laboratory, many of which he has conducted himself.... Inveterate cat-haters, those defective humans, probably won't appreciate this book, but anyone else might. It is written in a friendly and engaging way, has helpful tips for cat owners, and is packed with excellent cat facts.”
Tuscon Citizen
This is a fascinating book that reveals much new information.... Whether you share your home with a cat or just admire them from afar, this book is must reading. It is meticulously researched, crisply written, and an essential guide that offers penetrating insights about the domestic cat, many beliefs that will challenge our most basic assumptions but promise to dramatically improve not only the lives of our pets but ours as well.”
The Telegraph
Bradshaw is...a dedicated scientist, with much to teach us about our furry darlings.”
Smithsonian
Books about animals tend to swing from how-to manuals devoid of evidence for the tactics they propose to scientific tracts with little comment on the way we actually live with our four-legged friends. Cat Sense strikes a nice balance, perhaps because Bradshaw researched it for 30 years. He synthesizes academic articles, experiments and his own observations into a lively, readable text.”
The New Statesman
On physiology, Bradshaw goes well beyond charming did-you-knows to provide insights that could transform the average cat owner's understanding of their pet.... After reading Cat Sense, you will never look at your cat in the same way again.”
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Basic Books; 1st edition (September 10, 2013)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0465031013
- ISBN-13 : 978-0465031016
- Item Weight : 1.2 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #356,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #88 in Mammal Zoology
- #289 in Cat Care
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
The book has some anatomical information - it is good to know that cats are pretty much colorblind and cannot taste anything sweet. More fascinating are the sections about how cat's brain differ from our own - not an easy task because we do not know what is really going within any brain of a mammal including our 'special' brains, to say nothing about non-mammals.
I am not the original owner of my cat but she, obviously, spent the early part of her life with someone else and does not seem to be traumatized by that experience. Still, she took her time to become affectionate with me (a month or so) and if someone comes to the house, she usually hides quite well behind the garments in my closet.
The conclusion of the book presents almost a recipe how to improve domestic cats. It defines, in my opinion, the ideal domestic cat for the 21st century rather well: a friendly` INDOOR NEUTERED cat. That is, neutered only, after proper evaluation, she is allowed to have one or two litters. That pertains, obviously, only to female cats.
The problem with tomcats is quite different. Some of them should never be neutered if, somehow, they are obviously fathers of the best cats possible in a given area. Most of them - as long as they live in homes - have to be neutered since their urine really stinks for essential reasons well explained in the book.
Many, many years ago I visited a family owning a mighty male cat and his smell filled the whole floor of an apartment building in an affluent part of the city. I was just a kid then (in the fifties of the last century) and it was not up to me to make any comments on it. But the stink was almost unbearable.
The author hints that the 'breeders' of the new and improved (truly 21st century generation) of a cat cannot be commercial breeders. There is no money in it, obviously. The money comes only from the looks, not from behavior. Cat shows cannot, by definition, deal and reward good behavior.
My suggestion is simple: various clubs of cat 'fanciers' and cat enemies should get together and figure out how to breed ideal cats defining what ideal cat is in a given area.
The author is bit skeptical about the real damage to the wildlife by domestic cats and he correctly points out to the feral (and a few wild) cats as well as other non-felines like rodents. There are places (mostly outside apartment buildings) where the tomcats' odor may not be too objectionable.
The book has plenty of ideas for further work in the interest of the cat fanciers and cat enemies and, most importantly, for the future of our beloved pets.
Five stars without hesitations. Highly recommended to both cat lovers and cat haters.
I own two cats that I got from a rescue shelter, a boy and a girl from the same litter. They are indoor cats and were spayed/neutered while they were kittens. They have been with me for a year and a half now and are wonderful companions. My motivation behind reading this book was to understand more of cat behavior and psychology so that I may interact with them more meaningfully and improve their quality of life.
The book is quite scientific and well researched. Part of the book deals with the evolution of cats, part with their behavior and perception and part with their effect on the environment. However, most of the book deals with feral cats or cats that are not neutered and spayed. It goes to great lengths studying the behavior of the species as hunters, their reproductive habits, etc. The behavior of feral and undoctored cats are very different from those of indoor neutered/spayed cats as these are mostly driven by hunting and mating needs. The typical pet cats today, at least in the US, are primarily indoor cats and are spayed or neutered, so the behavior described in the book does not apply to these pets. The author goes into great details describing the behavior of feral and wild tomcats, and of female cats in the wild and how they raise their kittens. While interesting, it did not help me understand my pets.
Cats have not been domesticated as long as dogs, and easily revert back to their wild side. We enjoy their company even though they evolved as solitary beings, hunting and fending for themselves. They had to be smart to survive, and most tend to somewhat wary, although they enjoy humans for protection, play, and available food. Most do well in human company.
John Bradshaw loves cats, he dedicated the book to a cat he loved and owned. He seems fascinated at cat history, personality and anatomy. Everything you want to know about a cat is in this book and more. Bradshaw uses state of the art scientific research to explain why myths of the cats are myths and nothing else. He describes how the cat becomes less of a predator to more of a domesticated companion.
He sends a note of caution that we need to understand the cat to keep it healthy and happy human companion and worries about certain trends in Australia and England that people want to get rid of cats because they kill birds and mice. There are good arguments for keeping a cat inside or outside - but with more overcrowding in cities and traffic issues it seems best to have an inside cat and do your best to enrich its life for a contented companion for the human it lives with.
Top reviews from other countries
Of even greater interest for cat "owners" are the chapters about how cats perceive the world around them, with particular emphasis on focusing especially on cat "feelings" toward other cats, and humans.
A word is spent also on cat breeding and the risks connected with inbreeding to obtain so called "pure breeds" for aestetic results, thus keeping recessive genes that lead to health issues (often severe ones) for the cats.
The books deals, in a clear and balanced way, also with the problem of feral cats as a possible threat for wildlife, and about the advantages and dangers of neutering all house cats, to contain the problem. The author shows evidences that, while cats in confined environments like small islands devoid of predators may really be a threat for wildlife, in the continents the problem is very probably exaggerated.The book ends with the hope that men may address the selection of domestic cats in a way so that they may become more docile and less prone to hunt, to solve these issues before some anti cat party may lead to request of restrictive laws about cat keeping. Personally even being aware that too much feral cats may represent a problem in some instances, I sincerely hope that some other way may be found to solve this problem, leaving the cat as it is now and has ever been "a never truly domestic animal", its charm comes also from its attitude .
Depois de ler esse livro você vai olhar para o seu gato com outros olhos .









