Reviews
Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet by John Bradshaw
kantrah's review against another edition
4.0
A really interesting read, especially if you own a Cat. There is a lot in here that will make you think, especially about the Cat's role as a predator. There is also a chilling vision for the future of the Domestic Cat.
author_d_r_oestreicher's review against another edition
5.0
Cats are under more pressure to change than at any time since they decided to cast their fate with people and take up residence around granaries, homes, and ships in the role of rodent control. Until 50 years ago, scientists assumed cats were similar to dogs and people generally let them run free. Cat Sense by John Bradshaw reviews the new feline science and the sudden (in evolutionary time) pressure for cats to hunt less and join the domestic group more.
Cats are solitary hunters. Domestic cats made one small adjustment to their behavior: they tolerate people. Bradshaw wonders if there is any way for them to hunt less and tolerate other (pets and people) more. His conclusion is discouraging. The best pets are most often neutered, and the wildest cats continue to breed. The breeders are no help as they select for appearance, not behavior in contrast to dog breeders who select for both.
For my detailed report: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2018/06/cat-sense-by-john-bradshaw.html
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations.
Cats are solitary hunters. Domestic cats made one small adjustment to their behavior: they tolerate people. Bradshaw wonders if there is any way for them to hunt less and tolerate other (pets and people) more. His conclusion is discouraging. The best pets are most often neutered, and the wildest cats continue to breed. The breeders are no help as they select for appearance, not behavior in contrast to dog breeders who select for both.
For my detailed report: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2018/06/cat-sense-by-john-bradshaw.html
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations.
palwasha_here's review against another edition
5.0
A great book for cat lovers and readers in general!
The author has extensive knowledge no doubt but it's fascinating how well he managed to wrap up history, science, research, criticism, anything and everything regarding this beloved animal in a single book. I will definitely be reading his other books.
The author has extensive knowledge no doubt but it's fascinating how well he managed to wrap up history, science, research, criticism, anything and everything regarding this beloved animal in a single book. I will definitely be reading his other books.
aschwartz184's review against another edition
3.0
This book was just alright. I feel the author dwelled too much on the history of feline domestication and not enough of feline psychology. I wanted to understand certain behaviors my cats exhibit.
revengelyne's review against another edition
5.0
Three years ago, I found this little lady in the middle of the street:
My neighbor had abandoned her when they moved and she seemed to be looking for a forever home. My first meeting with her had been the night prior to my birthday when I found her on top of my trashcan. It wasn't until that morning when I went outside again that I found her in the middle of the street hungry. I had learned from earlier childhood experiences that cats were not the nicest animals and had preferred dogs as companions but there was something about her that I couldn't put my finger on. It seemed that she knew I needed someone. I had just lost my dog of nineteen years and I was still grieving for her but Lily brought the light back into my life.
Three years has passed and I am still relatively new to having a cat. I have done numerous of research on cat owning but most of the websites have been repetitive. And although I have asked friends on their experiences, I have learned that each experience is different. Still they did not give me quite enough insight into being a new cat momma.
This book gave me an honest look into the history of cat domestication as mouse hunters in homes to what to honestly expect when having a cat. From the information provided, I learned to be a bit more confident with her.
If you are a new cat owner, I recommend you read this book.
My neighbor had abandoned her when they moved and she seemed to be looking for a forever home. My first meeting with her had been the night prior to my birthday when I found her on top of my trashcan. It wasn't until that morning when I went outside again that I found her in the middle of the street hungry. I had learned from earlier childhood experiences that cats were not the nicest animals and had preferred dogs as companions but there was something about her that I couldn't put my finger on. It seemed that she knew I needed someone. I had just lost my dog of nineteen years and I was still grieving for her but Lily brought the light back into my life.
Three years has passed and I am still relatively new to having a cat. I have done numerous of research on cat owning but most of the websites have been repetitive. And although I have asked friends on their experiences, I have learned that each experience is different. Still they did not give me quite enough insight into being a new cat momma.
This book gave me an honest look into the history of cat domestication as mouse hunters in homes to what to honestly expect when having a cat. From the information provided, I learned to be a bit more confident with her.
If you are a new cat owner, I recommend you read this book.
gr33nb00ks's review against another edition
4.0
As the happy owner of the nicest kitten I have ever met, I am always looking ways to improve little Odin's life. I tried winning this book through the GoodReads giveaways, and when I didn't, I immediately ordered it in from the library.
This book appealed to me because it tells you more than just The history of cats, unlike many other cat books I have read and documentaries I have watched. It really focused on your 'pet' cat, and things you can notice about it's behaviour which give you clues as to the happiness of your pet.
We spoil Odin, and are continually looking for new interactive ways to play with him, and how to keep him in optimal health. I think we do a really great job personally, but I love him SO much that I always want to learn more about him and why he acts the way that he does, so I found this to be a really informative and intriguing read. I found myself even reading most of the applicable parts to Odin's adoptive father, my boyfriend Shaun.
Although this book is based on science, it is a very easy read for your average cat-owner. I found many of the points backed by legitimate studies, and I may actually take a look into the 'further reading' suggestions. I found some of the points really think-worthy as well, in particular the suggestion that maybe spay and neuter programs should focus more on feral cat population inside of the pet population, the argument being that pet cat's are not only well looked after, but will produce more domesticated kittens as opposed to wild ones for future cat owners, since the cat's role has changed in society from being hunter's to snugglers.
If I stumble upon a copy of this somewhere I will probably purchase it, for possible future reference. I'd recommended it to anyone with a special place in their hearts for kitties.
This book appealed to me because it tells you more than just The history of cats, unlike many other cat books I have read and documentaries I have watched. It really focused on your 'pet' cat, and things you can notice about it's behaviour which give you clues as to the happiness of your pet.
We spoil Odin, and are continually looking for new interactive ways to play with him, and how to keep him in optimal health. I think we do a really great job personally, but I love him SO much that I always want to learn more about him and why he acts the way that he does, so I found this to be a really informative and intriguing read. I found myself even reading most of the applicable parts to Odin's adoptive father, my boyfriend Shaun.
Although this book is based on science, it is a very easy read for your average cat-owner. I found many of the points backed by legitimate studies, and I may actually take a look into the 'further reading' suggestions. I found some of the points really think-worthy as well, in particular the suggestion that maybe spay and neuter programs should focus more on feral cat population inside of the pet population, the argument being that pet cat's are not only well looked after, but will produce more domesticated kittens as opposed to wild ones for future cat owners, since the cat's role has changed in society from being hunter's to snugglers.
If I stumble upon a copy of this somewhere I will probably purchase it, for possible future reference. I'd recommended it to anyone with a special place in their hearts for kitties.
caoimhe12's review against another edition
Too many deaths, not enough usable info
koreykit's review against another edition
4.0
A great overview of cat genetics, psychology, and physiology.
queenerdloser's review against another edition
4.0
While I was reading, I wondered in the back of my mind about the somewhat low rating for this book, which is a delightful and thought-provoking - if somewhat dry - reflection on cats' history, anthropology, behavior, and future. That said, as soon as I hit the sections reflecting on cats and wildlife and cat breeding, I immediately guessed why people would be rating this book low.
And lo and behold! I came over to read the reviews, curious, and found a bevy of angry reviewers who were appalled at the audacity of this book to be a) scientific in nature (once review complained there were not enough pictures?) b) dry in tone c) covering "too much" (????) and d) basically offering cat eugenics propaganda. Now, I agree the book reads somewhat dry - as most scientific-focused nonfiction books do, and considering the title has feline science in the title it seems pretty wild to complain so heavily about it - but the accusations of the author being a proponent of "cat eugenics" (itself a wild overreaction to what is essentially domestic breeding practices humanity have been using on animals and wildlife since the dawn of civilization) are, to be frank, hysterical.
The chapter involving the author's musings on the necessity of breeding cats for friendliness - once again, something humans have done with dogs to the point their friendliness is a matter of pride and a reason dogs are so beloved - is completely framed not just as a way to "solve" the problem of cats savaging wildlife and their continued existence as pets, but also as a way to make urban life less stressful for cats. Because, despite what your own personal experience tells you, cats have only become urban animals VERY recently, and the constraints humans put them in can be actively stressful for them. The author frames this well, in my opinion, by pointing out that breeding well-adjusted house cats - the most likely cats to be spayed/neutered early on - can help continue to breed sociability in pet cat. This helps ensure that future generations of cats can grow up more relaxed and predisposed to be friendly with other humans, other cats, and other animals: something that can only help cats feel more comfortable when they are increasingly expected to interact with a large variety of animals (humans included) in contained spaces. Nothing about the chapter read as "we must get rid of all unsociable cats and replace them all with friendly cats" which several reviewers suggested. And I have to say again, because the sheer outrage of that section continues to baffle me: humans have bred animals this way since we learned how to domesticate animals. The reason it works is because it is mutually beneficial for animals and humans to coexist - it's not "harming" cats to breed for friendlier cats, just as it didn't "harm" dogs to breed for friendlier dogs. (This can obviously be pushed to extremes, but almost always those extremes are of appearance and not personality - see the breeding of pugs, where personality-focused breeding has led to increased health problems.)
Anyway, the book itself is delightful in several ways and brought up a lot of interesting points on cat anthropology and behavior. Since feline science is in its infancy (as are many animal sciences, unfortunately) the author was refreshingly clear about how much we still don't know about cats - entirely appropriate, as the science and experimentation is still developing - and extrapolated potential causes based on simple logic and a solid understanding of wild feline behaviors. Some particular details I found fascinating - the blurred line between domestic and wild cats due to so much interbreeding, the fact that cat smell is actually their strongest sense (for some reason, I have always assumed cat eyesight was the strongest! There's the human bias, again), and how much of cat behavior, when viewed through the lense of their history as solitary predators makes so, so much more sense. Also loved the examination of cat cults and how cats were held in such high esteem, a breeding female could fetch the same price as a full-grown sheep in the Dark Ages!
Overall, this book is a pleasant overview of different categories of feline science and history. While dry, it had several moments of authorial humor that shone through and the subject matter itself is interesting. The reviews based on the shock and outrage over cat breeding and investigation of claims on the actual effect cats have on local wildlife are very silly - if you like cats and want to learn more about them, this is a good book and you should give it a shot.
And lo and behold! I came over to read the reviews, curious, and found a bevy of angry reviewers who were appalled at the audacity of this book to be a) scientific in nature (once review complained there were not enough pictures?) b) dry in tone c) covering "too much" (????) and d) basically offering cat eugenics propaganda. Now, I agree the book reads somewhat dry - as most scientific-focused nonfiction books do, and considering the title has feline science in the title it seems pretty wild to complain so heavily about it - but the accusations of the author being a proponent of "cat eugenics" (itself a wild overreaction to what is essentially domestic breeding practices humanity have been using on animals and wildlife since the dawn of civilization) are, to be frank, hysterical.
The chapter involving the author's musings on the necessity of breeding cats for friendliness - once again, something humans have done with dogs to the point their friendliness is a matter of pride and a reason dogs are so beloved - is completely framed not just as a way to "solve" the problem of cats savaging wildlife and their continued existence as pets, but also as a way to make urban life less stressful for cats. Because, despite what your own personal experience tells you, cats have only become urban animals VERY recently, and the constraints humans put them in can be actively stressful for them. The author frames this well, in my opinion, by pointing out that breeding well-adjusted house cats - the most likely cats to be spayed/neutered early on - can help continue to breed sociability in pet cat. This helps ensure that future generations of cats can grow up more relaxed and predisposed to be friendly with other humans, other cats, and other animals: something that can only help cats feel more comfortable when they are increasingly expected to interact with a large variety of animals (humans included) in contained spaces. Nothing about the chapter read as "we must get rid of all unsociable cats and replace them all with friendly cats" which several reviewers suggested. And I have to say again, because the sheer outrage of that section continues to baffle me: humans have bred animals this way since we learned how to domesticate animals. The reason it works is because it is mutually beneficial for animals and humans to coexist - it's not "harming" cats to breed for friendlier cats, just as it didn't "harm" dogs to breed for friendlier dogs. (This can obviously be pushed to extremes, but almost always those extremes are of appearance and not personality - see the breeding of pugs, where personality-focused breeding has led to increased health problems.)
Anyway, the book itself is delightful in several ways and brought up a lot of interesting points on cat anthropology and behavior. Since feline science is in its infancy (as are many animal sciences, unfortunately) the author was refreshingly clear about how much we still don't know about cats - entirely appropriate, as the science and experimentation is still developing - and extrapolated potential causes based on simple logic and a solid understanding of wild feline behaviors. Some particular details I found fascinating - the blurred line between domestic and wild cats due to so much interbreeding, the fact that cat smell is actually their strongest sense (for some reason, I have always assumed cat eyesight was the strongest! There's the human bias, again), and how much of cat behavior, when viewed through the lense of their history as solitary predators makes so, so much more sense. Also loved the examination of cat cults and how cats were held in such high esteem, a breeding female could fetch the same price as a full-grown sheep in the Dark Ages!
Overall, this book is a pleasant overview of different categories of feline science and history. While dry, it had several moments of authorial humor that shone through and the subject matter itself is interesting. The reviews based on the shock and outrage over cat breeding and investigation of claims on the actual effect cats have on local wildlife are very silly - if you like cats and want to learn more about them, this is a good book and you should give it a shot.