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Of all the domesticated species, cats have enjoyed the most complex relationship with people-one that still leads to arguments about whether you can label the cat asleep by your fire "tame." The Cat: A Natural History begins at the beginning, just like Kipling but with more scientific heft, with a section on the evolution of the species, starting with Pseudaelurus, the first cat ancestor. A complex story of migration and development brings us to the modern world, in which an eight-branch family features 37 species. The following chapters on Anatomy & Biology, Society & Behavior, and Cats & Humans, take different angles on matters feline, offering plenty of new insights. A directory of breeds, featuring gorgeous photography of some of the most striking examples, makes a worthy conclusion to a book that should enchant anyone with an interest in, or a love for, cats.
List of contents
Introducing the cat 6-11
Chapter 1 Evolution & Development
Ancestry of the cat 14-15
The global spread of cats 16-19
The domestication of the cat 20-23
Revered, feared then treasured companion 24-7
A coat of many colors: variations around the world 28-31
Chapter 2 Anatomy & Biology
The cat as a mammal 32-3
Life cycle of the cat 34-5
How cats breed 36-9
The feline skeleton 40-43
Alpha predator: the teeth & jaw 44-7
Eating & the digestive system 48-9
How cats smell 50-53
How cats hear 54-5
A cat's coat, and its variations 56-7
The cat genome: recent studies 58-61
How cats think 62-5
Chapter 3 Society & Behavior
Eating & sleeping 66-9
Courtship & mating 70-73
Birth & parenting 74-5
Growing up: kitten development 76-7
Lions in the house: the hierarchy of cats 78-81
How cats communicate 82-5
Cat cognition, recent studies 86-9
The feline memory 90-91
Domestication and genes 92-5
Chapter 4 Cats & People
The cat-human relationship 96-106
'Personality' in cats 107-117
Communication between cats & people 118-128
The growth in popularity of cats 129-139
Challenges facing modern day cats: how we can help 140-149
Chapter 5 Cat Breeds
Historic and extinct breeds 150-53
New cat breeds 154-7
A directory of cats 158-215
The future of breeding 216-17
Useful Resources
Author biographies 218
Bibliography 219-220
Index 221-23
Acknowledgments 224
About the author
With a PhD in domestic cat behavior, Sarah Brown has 30 years of experience with cats and cat owners, working as a consultant to the pet industry, as an academic and with rescue organisations. Sarah is the co-author of the definitive academic textbook The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat, (2nd edition) published by CABI (2012). She lives in London.
Summary
Anyone with an interest in or love for cats, and all those who have owned a cat will find much to learn and enjoy in The Cat: A Natural History.
