Guest book review by Peter J. Wolf

Typing “cats” into the search field at Amazon.com turns up more than 495,000 books — to say nothing of the grooming aids, health care products, toys, etc. Although I haven’t read them all, I’m going out on a limb here and suggesting that the vast majority of them are about cats, not for cats; the cats are the subject rather than the intended audience. With one notable exception: The Devious Book for Cats: A Parody.

Inspired by the wildly successful The Dangerous Book for Boys (and the many subsequent books along the same line), The Devious Book for Cats is aimed directly at a feline readership, “offer[ing] today’s discerning kitties words of wisdom and advice on everything they need to know, from in-depth guides on cardboard boxes and catnip to a brief history of the Felinism movement.”

All of which makes perfect sense once you learn that the people responsible for the book (spoiler alert: the authors listed on the front cover, “Fluffy & Bonkers,” are at best fictional) are all past or present writers for the “fake news” newspaper The Onion. If you’re a fan, then The Devious Book for Cats is right up your alley. And even if you don’t care much for The Onion, there’s a lot to like in this book (assuming, of course, you’re a cat person).

The basic premise behind The Devious Book for Cats is no different than that of The Dangerous Book for Boys, really: “Domesticity has dulled our authority and bored us silly… We might be living longer, but aren’t we living less?” Among its many suggestions for living more fully: The Laws of Petting; Choosing the Perfect Gift (birds, mice, or insects); Your First Kitty Condo — Making the Leap; and Outsmarting Your Toys.

As readers of The Onion would expect, there’s some very clever material here. In the chapter Secrets of Daredevil Cats, for example:

“Cats do have clavicles but they are nonfunctional, a chief reason we’re able to perform the neat trick of squeezing through impossibly tight spaces. It also isn’t a bad thing when you’re landing from a fall. Evel Knievel had two collarbones and broke them both.”

Or this, from the What’s in There? chapter:

“It’s not so much what’s on our side of the blankets as what’s on the other side of the blankets. Most cats agree that when we are under the blankets, a monster is on the outside.”

Still, I remain skeptical about the idea of this book being written for cats. Not because they lack opposable thumbs, or the ability to process a complex system of signs (such as an alphabet). No, it’s because as far as I can tell, even the most domesticated of cats knows all these tricks and more. Clearly, The Devious Book for Cats is intended for the people (a.k.a. “staff”) who do their level best to care for their cats — to remind us of what we’re up against and provide comfort when we are (time and again) outsmarted, outmaneuvered, and out-charmed by our small charges.

Like all books, The Devious Book for Cats gives us a rare opportunity to do something our cats can’t do: read. Unlike the others, though, this book spells out in exquisite detail the consequences of getting a little too smug about it.

Hot off the press! Check out the latest book from pet writer Julia Szabo, Pretty Pet-Friendly: Easy Ways to Keep Spot’s Digs Stylish & Spotless. I’m absolutely thrilled because Moderncat is included in the book’s resource guide! Here is what Julia wrote:

Kate Benjamin’s blog ModernCat.net is a must for anyone seeking to live stylishly with cats.

Thanks, Julia!

I just got my copy today, and Pretty Pet-Friendly looks like an outstanding guide to living in style with pets. Julia’s first book Animal House Style: Designing a Home to Share With Your Pets was the first decorating book offering practical advice for pet owners. In Pretty Pet-Friendly, Julia presents an expanded and updated approach to interior design with pets in mind. The book covers pet-friendly fabrics and flooring; kitchen, bathroom, living room & bedroom design; cleaning & air freshening; and safety — all with environmentally-friendly tips throughout.

Julia Szabo is a prolific pet writer, having been published in the New York Times “T” magazine, the New Yorker, Town & Country, Travel & Leisure, Interview, and Traditional Home, among others. All pet lovers should check out Julia’s contributions to the pets column in the New York Post. You can also hear her regularly on SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s “Morning Living” on the Martha Stewart Channel.

Get your copy of Pretty Pet-Friendly today!

It all started when Holly Tse adopted Furball, a tiny little bundle of energy who never slept but only wanted to play. To keep her sanity, Holly searched through pet stores for cat toys to entertain the crazy little guy. Finally she began to craft her own cat toys from recycled and discarded items. Holly points out that there over 60 million cats in US households and that reducing the resources and waste used to make toys for these cats would certainly have a positive impact on the environment. So she decided to compile her years of experience in making greener cat toys and share them in Make Your Own Cat Toys: Saving the Planet One Cat Toy at a Time.

All of the toy ideas in the book are classified into one or more of five different play categories:

• Catch - Toys that encourage kitty to leap straight into the air and pretend like she’s snaring a bird.
• Chase - These toys are meant to be thrown across the floor, like a mouse scurrying away.
• Stalk - Interactive toys designed for you to move, like a mouse rustling in the grass, so kitty can practice sneaking up on her prey.
• Wrestle - These allow kitty to test her strength as she grasps the toy in her paws and jaws and bunny kicks the stuffing out of it.
• Lazy Cat - After kitty has played good and hard, she may still want to take a lazy whack at these toys.

Each idea is marked with the difficulty level and estimated time to make the toy. You’ll find ideas for toys made out of everything including packaging, household objects, craft materials, office and school items, and even old clothing. With toys like the Candy Rocket, Tubular Tubes, the Whipper Snapper, and the Kitty Broomstick, you’ll have just as much fun making the toys as kitty will have playing with them. You’ll also enjoy Holly’s tips for greening your kitty’s lifestyle.

Make Your Own Cat Toys is available at Amazon.

BONUS GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner is going to receive a copy of Make Your Own Cat Toys! To enter, please leave a comment on this post with your tips for making greener choices for your cat. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on Sunday, March 15.

We’ll also be giving away 20 rats from Cat Livin’ in the same drawing, so don’t miss out!

Guest book review by Peter J. Wolf

It was nearly 20 years ago when Library Director Vicki Myron discovered a tiny ginger-colored kitten in the overnight book drop of the Spencer Public Library. “I know melting can be a cliché,” writes Myron, “but I think that’s what actually happened to me at that moment: I lost every bone in my body. I am not a mushy person. I’m a single mother and a farm girl who has steered her life through hard times, but this was so, so… unexpected.”

At the time, the small northwestern Iowa town was just beginning to pull out of the farm crisis that crippled much of the Midwest during the 1980s. And the arrival of little Dewey Readmore Books, as the kitten was soon named, proved to be a very good omen. If nothing else, he was a survivor. After all, the thermometer had dipped down to minus 15 the night he was put into the library’s drop box (how he got there is a mystery that’s never been solved).

But Dewey did more than just survive. As the adopted library cat, he absolutely thrived. Soon, the town of Spencer was undergoing its own turnaround, thanks at least in part to Dewey, as Myra points out:

… I don’t want to make too much of this one turn of events, because Dewey didn’t put food on anybody’s table. He didn’t create jobs. He didn’t turn our economy around. But one of the worst things about bad times is the effect on your mind. Bad times drain you of energy. They occupy your thoughts. They taint everything in your life. Bad news is as poisonous as bad bread. At the very least, Dewey was a distraction.

But he was so much more. Dewey’s story resonated with the people of Spencer. We identified with it. Hadn’t we all been shoved down the library drop box by the banks? By outside economic forces? By the rest of America, which ate our food but didn’t care about the people who grew it?

(more…)

The first book of its kind that I am aware of, Luxury for Cats is an exquisite collection of feline finery. This large coffee table book is filled with beautiful photos of everything you could possibly want for your cat. From toys to tiaras, you’ll find only the finest examples in this book.

Written in five languages — English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian — Luxury for Cats includes chapters on fashion & accessories, architecture & interiors, design, beauty & wellness, travel, and lifestyle. You’ll find the fanciest carriers, beds, scratchers, dishes, and more. There are even photos of ultra-posh kitty spas, info on customized cat portraits, and recipes for gourmet treats. Not everything has a modern style — several things are quite over the top — but there is something for everyone in this book.

A must-have for the coffee table of any moderncat owner. Available at Amazon.

Announcing a very special giveaway from Chronicle Books! This is your chance to win the entire collection of Stuff On My Cat publications. One lucky winner will get countless hours of entertainment from this prize package. From the wildly popular website StuffOnMyCat.com, this collection includes:

• The original Stuff On My Cat Book
• MORE Stuff On My Cat
• Stuff On My Cat Presents: Cats A to Z
• The Stuff On My Cat Journal
• Stuff On My Cat Postcard Box with 30 postcards
• Stuff On My Cat Fold and Mail Stationery
• and Stuff On My Cat Deluxe Notecards

This is not part of the regular monthly giveaway. Please follow the instructions below to enter to win.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Go to www.stuffonmycat.com, look around (it’s very easy to spend hours there!) and find your favorite entry
2. Click on the title for the entry (above the photo)
3. Copy the URL from your web browser
4. Leave a comment on this post and include the link to your favorite entry on Stuff On My Cat (just paste the URL into the body of the comment)

Deadline to enter: June 15, 2008

One winner will be chosen at random to receive the Stuff On My Cat collection. Thanks so much to Chronicle Books for sponsoring this special giveaway!

Just in time for the holidays, these three new books would make excellent gifts for any moderncat lover on your list. From cat care, to activities and entertainment, to fun cat trivia–pick one and curl-up on the sofa with a warm cat on your feet.

Good Catkeeping - by Diane Morgan
This all-inclusive guide provides a daily care reference for the modern cat lover. Includes up-to-date information on raw and natural diets, helpful travel tips, plus explanations and solutions for problem cat behaviors. The perfect resource to help any cat owner better understand and care for their feline companion.

50 Games to Play With Your Cat - by Jackie Strachan
Cats require regular mental and physical stimulation in order to stay happy and healthy. This book features games and activities that are easy to set-up and play with your cat, as well as expert tips that explain kitty’s playful behavior.

Planet Cat - by Sandra Choron, Harry Choron and Arden Moore
Just for fun, Planet Cat features 400 lists of all things cat. Read about famous cats in history, art, and literature, plus how to say cat in 46 languages and which human habits drive cats crazy. There’s even an IQ test for your cat.

All three are available through the Moderncat Store along with several other recommended titles.

Do you know someone who is a Yoga fanatic as well as a cat lover? Well, look no further for the perfect holiday gift, Cat Yoga: Fitness and Flexibility for the Modern Feline. Filled with photos of cats in various Yoga positions accompanied by descriptions of how each position will help your cat achieve enlightenment, this new book will keep everyone laughing from cover to cover.

Buy it now at Amazon

Who doesn’t love a massage? Why wouldn’t your cat love one, too? Well, now you can learn how to really make kitty purr with Cat Massage: Expert Know-how at Your Fingertips. Not only does this book contain practical tips and techniques, but it is beautifully illustrated by Swedish artist Bo Lundberg.

Thanks to mom*mom for the tip.

Buy it now at Amazon

The Cat Owner’s Manual and its companion The Cat Owner’s Maintenance Log, make a great gift for any moderncat owner. Both are filled with extremely useful information and the best illustrations ever. Not only are these valuable resources, but they are endlessly entertaining. Published by Quirk Books.

Buy it now at Amazon