The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World

A Real Cat Book. An Essential Cat Book. The Internet’s Favorite Pet.

Of the many, many, many books on cats I have read as well as the vets I"ve had as friends; The Lion in the Living Room is five stars+. Seriously. A thoroughly readable, informative eye to eye book on CATS. Things I never knew before, no pictures - just complete chapters on how and where and why; and so well researched, they truly make the rest seem not basically what you need to know or do. Some animal behavior experts (mostly revenue driven) not only judge your home but insist you "catanize" it to make your cats (s) happier. This involves top dollar toys, trees, cat flaps, you moving your furniture( sort of feline shui) and other immediate extreme measures to keep the cat happy. Cats are happy and quiet and those with behavioral problems are usually something the owner and a smart vet can figure out. All one really needs to do is let the cat know you love them (adore them, worship them, cannot live without them) and keep them well-fed, no fleas, a great vet and lots of empty boxes. Abigail Tucker knows this because she is a cat owner and a very good science writer. To be honest my opinion (and I freely admit it) is that we have all become saps overdoing the care of our cats. Their lure is in how aloof they can be. Petco, Petsmart. Look at the prices. Seriously. The markup is absurd and the reason is that WE will ooh and aah as proxies for our cats and pay the price. This is to replace catnip, crinkled paper balls and a place to perch. Tucker knows this because cats are NOT dogs. Or ferrets. Or parakeets. They essentially have gone in a straight line from saber-tooth to the one sitting on your bed. They have not changed as much as gotten smaller. And they have stayed small enough to be wonderful pets. Do they act as therapists? They probably help you act as your own therapist. They say nothing and let you tell all your woes and you feel better. If you love cats, Abigail Tucker has written an essential cat book. If you are a cat lover and really want insight into ...