Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend, and Lives

by Barbara Holland

Overview

“Smart, bright, well-written....A book about cats as good as this one is rare.”
—Smithsonian

“May be the most elegantly written, witty, perceptive statement about felines ever published.”
—Philadelphia Inquirer

 

In Secrets of the Cat, author Barbara Holland engagingly explores the lore, legend, and lives of humanity’s much beloved furry companion, the often inscrutable feline. An essential book for every cat lover—and for anyone wishing to understand cat lovers—Secrets of the Cat includes a new introduction by the author.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061978043
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/23/2010
Pages:	225
Sales rank:	879,076
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Barbara Holland's books include Secrets of the Cat, Hail to the Chief, and One's Company. Her articles have appeared in Arts and Entertainment, Country Journal, and Smithsonian. She lives in Bluemont, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 The Conversion of Boston Blackie 1

2 Smart Like Us 13

3 People with Cats 33

4 Cats with People 57

5 Cats with Cats 77

6 The Cat's Early Years 99

7 Cats and the Church 117

8 A Choice of Cats 139

9 Show Business 165

10 Medical Matters 177

11 Sex and Kittens 197

12 Practical Cats 211

Editorial Reviews

Smart, bright, well-written....A book about cats as good as this one is rare.” — Smithsonian

“May be the most elegantly written, witty, perceptive statement about felines ever published.” — Philadelphia Inquirer

“Charming....Will soften the heart of even a certified ailurophobe.” — Publishers Weekly

“Perhaps the best aspect of the book, combined with Holland’s style, is the appropriately low-grade temperature of the cat/human philosophizing—nicely situated between Sartre and Wild Kingdom.” — Trenton NJ Times

“An absolutely wonderful and sometimes hilarious and always soulful book.” — Mademoiselle

From the Publisher

May be the most elegantly written, witty, perceptive statement about felines ever published.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Perhaps the best aspect of the book, combined with Holland’s style, is the appropriately low-grade temperature of the cat/human philosophizing—nicely situated between Sartre and Wild Kingdom.

Trenton NJ Times

An absolutely wonderful and sometimes hilarious and always soulful book.

Mademoiselle

Smart, bright, well-written....A book about cats as good as this one is rare.

Smithsonian