Conference misery::feline_v1

"Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot is a book of
poems about cats.  It is the book that the play "CATS" is based on
(In fact, in most cases, the songs from CATS are the poems word for
word).  It seems that T.S. Eliot was a cat lover and he wrote the poems
for himself and his close friends.  It is really enjoyable.

I am looking for any cat books by Paul Gallico who wrote a number of cat 
stories. I am especially interested in "Jenny (The Abandoned)". Does anyone 
have a recommended source of books? (The book that I mentioned is currently 
out of print.)

Thanks for the suggestions - I will definately check into them.

Nichole

There is a notes file on ASYLUM called BOOKS, which has at least
one note about finding second-hand or out-of-print books.

-b

   For those of you who are not familiar with Paul Gallico's books...

   The Silent Meow is great!  It's sort of a how to adopt a family book for the
discerning cat.  Good fun.

tl
h  Oops! please ignore carriage return

Paul Gallico also wrote "Thomasina", one of the all-time classic cat books.

I've seen claims in SF-Lovers that there are two sequels to "Space-Time for
Springers".  I'd love to get my hands on them, since I thought that was a
marvellous story.  (Also, if there are sequels, then the ending of the
original story can't be as tragic as it seemed to me at the time.)

	-Neil

I've got a book called "The Solar Cat Book".  I can get the author's name
if you want - it's published by Ten Speed Press.  It's supposedly a
humorous book on using cats for solar heat (talking about CATabolism and
rating output in PPM (Purrs per Minute).  It even includes a BASIC program
for rating your cat's solar potential!  However, it does manage to sneak
in some real info on solar energy.  A real gem.
					Steve

Another good book is "One Lady, Two Cats", by Richard Lockridge (who
writes mysteries in his spare time). This is another "true cat"
story, and a very good one; expect some tears in places.

Sheila Burnford's "Incredible Journey" is about two dogs and a cat,
and their wilderness trek back to their home. It's kind of a "kid"
book, but I love it anyway.

And of course there's Bagheera the panther in Kipling's "Jungle Book";
the story of a cat and his boy (sort of).

-b

"Nine Lives, or, The Celebrated Cat of beacon Hill" by Edward Fenton.

"Particularly Cats" by Doris Lessing.

Re: 5

I recently finished "The Silent Miaow" and "Jenny", both by Paul
Gallico.  These books are a must, especially  the first.  Believe it or
not, they made me feel closer to my cat.  Now we can speak on the same
wavelength! (somewhat, anyways).

Nichole

A friend just loaned me a copy of October's "Cat Fancy" magazine.  It has
a great article on Maine Coon Cats.  I also noticed this add.  You might 
want to write for a list of "cat" books.

CAT BOOKS

NEW-OLD-OUT OF PRINT

Four our complete list of books on cats,
please send $1.00 to:

The Cat Book Center
P.O. Box 112, Wykagyl Station
New Rochelle, NY  10804





Science fiction is full of cats.  

While not strictly cat books - almost all of Robert Heinlein's "juveniles" 
feature a cat somewhere.  Particularly enjoyable to me was "The Door into 
Summer".  I had a black tom (named "Blacky", imaginatively enough, but what 
the heck, I was only 12) that fit the cat (can't remember the name of the cat, 
darn it!) to a T.

Theodore Sturgeon wrote a story about "Helix the Cat", which although not very 
flattering to cat psychology, is lots of fun.

About the earlier reference to "Magicats!" - in general a very fine anthology, 
but if you like sleeping at night with a cat on your bed, don't read the story
in there by Stephen King.  I believe it's called "The Cat From Hell".  Gave me
the creeps for a week! 

I just started reading this notes file today - I'll check my library and see 
if I can come up with any more sci-fi cat books.

The cat's name in _The_Door_into_Summer_ was Pete, which was short for
Petronius.

Charlie

Though these do not contain stories about cats, I thought I would list my
various cat books with comments.

Medical:

_Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook_,Delbert G Carlson, D.V.M. & James
M. Giffin, M.D., Howell Book House, 1983

This is a very good guide fo the cat owner that covers almost any medical
subject that you run into in the course of ownership. The index is good and
it has a comprehensive emergency section in the beginning. I have refered
to it several times and found it gives you a better idea of what may be wrong.
Warning: Neither this book nor any other are a substitute for veterinary
diagnosis. They are meant to help you understand what is happening and perform
1st Aid until a Doctor can examine the cat.

_The Home Pet Vet Guide - Cats_, Martin I Green, Ballantine Books, 1980

A more general book than the last one, this book is better laid out to quickly
lookup how to treat the emergancy. It also is about half the price of the
previous one ($9.50). It has a short section on types of cats and grooming
that is like those found in most other cat books. This give it a justification
for being an 'only cat book you need' sort of book.

I enjoyed it and though the Illustrations are rather simple they do seem
to be quite clear. 

General:

_The Book of the Cat_, Edited by Michael Wright & Sally, Summit Books, 1980,
$10.95

My favorite cat book mostly because of the illustrations I imagine. It is
an English book that has been adapted to the American market by Simon and
Schuster. It covers all the standard topics such as history, related species,
cat care and feeding, showing, and a rundown on each of the major breeds.

One of the few books to mention the Norwegian Forest cat. It has good advice
if necessarily less comprehensive medically than the first books I listed.
It's most noticable English element is in the showing section. This was my
only cat book for several years and served quite well.

_Encyclopedia of the Cat_, Angela Sayer, Cresent Books, 1979, $???

More a photo book that the previous, this one lacks the superb renderings
that make _The Book of the Cat_ so beautiful. You will find here another
basically English book that someone has adapted to our market. I am not as
familiar with this book but it seems a little less comprehensive than the
first. I got it discounted  so if that is important then this looks to be
a good example of the full cat book.

_Cats - A Complete Pet Owner's Manual_, Helga Fritzsche, Barron's, 1982,
$3.95

A small format book (8 x 6 1/2) this is also a foreign book that has been
brought over here. This one is an interesting German book translated by a
veterinarian. There are some very good photos but some excellant ink wash
drawings by Fritz Kholer fill out the book very nicely (can anyone tell I
am an artist?). I think this covers as much as a 79 page book can but it's
appeal for me was a different perspective from most of the other books I
have read. This is underlined by the ocasional germanic construction that
made it intact through the translation. 

_Pat Widmer's Cat Book_, Pat Widmer, Signet, 1981, $3.95

What can I say about this book? Part of me agrees with some of the more radical
proposals tha she makes while all of me can't agree with on several of her
crutial arguements. Her contention that FeLV can be treated by mega doses
of vitamin C is not some thing that I would take a chance on, especially
now that there is the vaccine. Her contention that FUS and Cystitis are
also controllable by mega doses of Vitamin C is more debatable. There are
several other points that I am sceptical of but one points about a cats weight
and grooming I agree with a lot of what she says. Read this with some
allowances and you can find good advice here.

_Cats of the World_, Matt Warner, Ridge Press (Bantam), 1976, $2.50

This is a smaller version of the first few of these books. It has some nice
'cover' photos but isn't outstanding. Nice to have but aquired in a fit of
Gidget's disease.

At this point Malcolm my 15 week old Mainecoon is sitting on my shoulderand
licking my ear. This makes it hard to type.

Related books:

_The Pet Name Book_, Sue Browder, Workman Publishing, 1979, $3.95

I got this marked down to $1.98 much to the dismay of Ms. Browder I am sure.
It didn't deserve this treatment as I have found it to be a flawed gem. I
mean sure the are male names in the female section and visa versa, but one
person's Pit-a-Pat may be someone else's Polliwog. There are some charming
names to be found here and I found it fun to read even if I haven't used
any of the names yet.

_Protecting Your Pets (at home and away)_, Hal Gieseking, Gieseking & Clive,
Inc, 1979, $3.95

A combination book for all pets this work centers on dogs and cats. I don't
know if the legal information is outdated or not but it covers both or states
and most foreign countries. I found the advice sound and was impressed with
the section on what to do if you lose your pet. The chapter on 1st aid is
superficial. This information is better found somewhere else.

Speciality books:

_The Complete Siamese Cat_, Milo Denlinger, Howell Book House, 1978 (11th
printing), $7.95

I have found this type of book in every Feed and Pet store that I have ever
set foot in. They usually are between restocking the more popular titles
and what is left is a cross section of the less well known animals like the
Belgian Dwarf Elk. While the photos are in black and white and the medical
advice is somewhat outdated (the book dates from 1952) it shows the classic
'apple-headed' siamese that I prefer rather than the faddish 'rat cat' being
judged today. One rather beautiful photo shows a "Hybrid Persian-Siamese"
that up till recently would have been called a Himalayan. The writing style
is somewhat old-fashioned but quite refreshing in many ways.

_Siamese Cats in Color_, Madeline Miller, T.F.H. Publications, 1969????,
$5.95

This pamphlet is a curiosity. While most of the photos are indeed in color they
look as though they were tinted by hand. The copyright is 1969 by the Miracle
Pet Products, Inc but the people look as though they would read GRIT magazine.
Reference is made to "New odor-absorbing earths, available at your local
Petshop...". However other than its curiosity value this book has some great
pictures of the Siamese breed (see last books comments for my opinions about
what I like in a Siamese). I get the feeling that it saw a lot before it
ended up in the Hudson Pet Store. 


Well that is my collection of cat books and I hope that this list will be
of some use to some one choosing to get some more information about their
cats.

							.wIx.

   

If Helga Fritzche's cat book is anything like her work "Hamsters", it
must be very good indeed.  I was given a copy by my in-laws, who are
vets, and it is a superior work.  It contains much new information about
hamster behaviour and health care that is absent from the same old books
on the racks in pet stores since the 50's and 60's.

[excuse the interruption; the cockatiel was barking]

Cats have been kept for longer than hamsters, so I wouldn't anticipate
the same breakthroughs, but the book certainly has good sketches and
excellent photographs.  And a good insight into hamster psychology.

Hamsters
Barron's Educational Series
ISBN 0-8120-2422-2
				/AHM

Re .11:

I sent away for the catalog from the "Cat Books" people, since I've
been trying to locate a copy of Tovey's "Cats in the Belfry" for years.
Got the catalog; ordered the book, as well as "Cats in May," another
of Tovey's series. Received both books yesterday - about four weeks
from time of order, I think. All told, I'm quite satisfied, and will
keep the "Cat Books" list around for future reference!

(These people are serious about their work. Some of the items listed
included original manuscripts of poems about cats, circa 18-something;
and there were quite a few first editions, and books containing handwritten
notes or autographs by sundry famous people.)

-b

Well, actually I started perusing this note looking to see if anyone had
mentioned a good reference on purebreds -- personalities, in particular.
Always having shared my home with the American domestic short haired garden
variety of cat, I am now in the process of trying to convince Goonies that
being an only cat isn't all it's cracked up to be.  If I succeed, I think 
I'd like to try something different.  Maybe a Russian Blue, I don't really
know anything about them, but they are so impressive looking.  Any book
suggestions?

And as long as I am here, let me put in my 2 cents on my favorite cat 
books.  First, _The_Natural_History_of_Cats_ by Claire Necker.  It is a 
wonderful collection of facts and fiction, blending ethic folktales, 
literary quotations, great illustrations, and biological information. 

Another favorite, is _Mr_Whiskers_.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the 
author, but I will never forget the story.  It is a real heartbreaker, a 
true story about a handicapped cat and his struggle to live a normal life. 

Susan

The Book of the Cat (.14) describes the personalities of the breeds, and
really helped us choose our cats.

					Val

    A book I highly recommend is "The Cats of Shambala" by Tippi Hedren
    It's about how the actress Tippi Hedren and her family assembled
    a very large collection of lions, tigers, & other lg. cats to try
    and make a movie.  There were many b&w photos, and was excellent
    reading.  My local library had a copy of it just a few months ago.
    
    The garfield books are always great for 'light' reading.

    My favorite cat book:
    
    	The Fur Person		May Sarton
    
    Great for reading to children also.

    I received a book for Christmas, called "Cat High", which is a yearbook
    of cats, who attend Cat High in Paw-Paw, Michigan.  It is exactly
    like your high school year book, and all the cats are dressed up.
    It begins with the administration and teachers - the Afro-American
    History teacher is a big, black cat, wearing rimless glasses - proceeds
    through the seniors with all the activities, favorite quote, song,
    etc. - through the various clubs like Phi Betta Katta and the Hell's
    Little Dickens bikers - through the sports with football, baseball,
    basketball where the star is Kunta Kitty an exchange student - through
    Homecoming, the school plays (Romeow and Julicat, and Cat on a Hot
    Tin Roof), the school trip to Washington where they carried placards
    reading "Legalize Catnip", "Free the Purina Seven" - and even includes
    advertisements, like "Uncle Ben's Converted Mice", Arbuckle's Lives
    Insurance, etc.
    
    You can find your own cat among the seniors, and can sit and read
    this book for hours.  It's so clever.
    
    If any of you are interested, I will try and find out which book
    club offers Cat High, because I know you can't get this in a bookstore.
    

    Some of the books I have enjoyed inlcuded:
    
    BREEDING PUREBRED CATS
    A Guide for the Novice and Small Breeder
    by Anne S. Moore
    Abraxas Publishing*Kirkland Washington
    
    This book is exactly what it says...a beginners guide to breeding
    and showing cats.  Does include some health information (as it pertains
    to catteries) but is not ment to replace a good book of basic cat
    health.  I found this to be a great help when starting up my cattery.
    
    
    THE BIRMAN CAT
    by Vivienne Smith 
    
    This is the quintessential guide to this beautiful breed of cat.
    This book is available from the Sacred Cat of Burma Fanciers club
    (it is imported from England) at a cost of $20.00 to non-members.
    
    SCBF
    Julie Collin
    4329 E. Airport Rd
    Mt. Pleasant MI, 48858
    
    
    THE CAT NOTEBOOK    (Being an Illustrated Book With Quotes)
    Running Press*Philadelphia PA
    
    
    THE CAT NOTEBOOK II
    Running Press*Philadelphia PA
    
    These two notebooks are wonderful places to put pictures on your
    cats or anecdotes about them.  Each page has a quote about cats
    and a border illustration.
    	*"All you have to remember is Rule #1:
    	  When in doubt- Wash."
    				Paul Gallico
    
    
    More later, Jo Ann
    
    
     
    
     

I have a question... not about a book on cats, but about one cat in
particular.  Has anyone heard of/seen or does anyone have a book
called "Pussy Meow"?  I had a copy of it years ago, and would love to
get another one.

thanks,

Mary

    
    
    
    A friend of mine just gave me a book called "Ernie - A Photographer's
    Memoir" by Tony Mendoza.  Ernie is one of those all-personality
    cat's and these photographs are a riot!  This is not a collection
    of cute pictures, as the cover picture will attest.  Ernie is captured in
    all of his different moods and modes of operation.  There is also
    a short story explaining how Mendoza and Ernie met and how this book
    was created.  It's well worth the $5.95 cost - I was having lunch
    by myself today and as I was reading the book almost laughed out
    loud a few times.
    
    Anyone else have this book?
    
    Regards, Carole
    

    
    	Yes, I have the Ernie book too!  We stayed with friends on New
    	Years Eve and I found the book in their bookcase and told Judy,
    	"I MUST have this book!"  I've shown it to everyone on my
    	"Cat Distribution List" here at work and they all love it!
    	I look at it now and then, and I laugh at it as much as I did
    	the first time I got it.
    
    	Does anyone else have a "Cat Distribution List"?  Whenever I
    	get something cat related I have a whole bunch of people who
    	I feel must see it too.
    
    						Jane.
    

    Has anyone read TAILCHASER'S SONG.  (I don't remember who the author
    is.)  It is a pretty recent fiction novel - along the lines of Tolkien
    except all the main characters are cats.  Included in the story
    is the legend of how man (the tailless ones) came to be.  It seems
    a cocky young cat started a fight with another old cat, who
    turned out to be a legendary cat prince in disquise.  The cocky
    young cat lost most of his fur and his tail in the fight, was
    sent away in shame, and thereafter called Ma'an.
    
    The book is funny, sad, and scary.  Tailchaser, a young cat, sets
    off to solve the mystery of why many of his "people" are disappearing.
    He is accompanied by an eager kitten, Pouncequick, and a senile old
    cat, Eatbugs.  They travel far, party at the queen's place, and
    finally end up at the source of all their trouble - an evil mound
    under which lives a *VERY* bad cat who has some *NASTY* plans for
    the earth.

    TAILCHASER'S SONG was obviously written by someone who *knew* cat
    behavior.  After I read the story, I felt like I now new how my
    cats saw the world.
    
    Happy reading!

    I read it.  Author: Tad williams.  Now available in paperback. 
    The _Fikos_ creature was a distant relation to some of Lovecraft's
    beasties.
    
    A nice, if predictable, read.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    While not restricted to cats, _Adam's_Task:_Calling_Animals_by_Name,
    by Vicki Hearne, if the excerpts that were published in the New
    Yorker in 1986 are any indication, is a wonderful book with excellent
    sections on cats and on human/cat interactions.
    
    Hearne is a dog and horse trainer and a professor of English at
    Yale.  Not to mention a cat person.
    
    I'm looking at a copy of the Cahill & Company catalog.  Unfortunately
    it doesn't list the publisher.  (I've seen it advertised elsewhere.)
    
    From Cahill & Company, it's #2142, $17.95 (hardcover) + $3.25 shipping
    (Illinois residents: + 7% sales tax)
    Their phone number is (800) 448-8311 (9-5 CST).
    Mail order address is Cahill & Company
    			  950 North Shore Drive
    			  Lake Bluff, IL  60044
    (They have a pretentious lack of taste in copywriting, but an interesting
    selection of books in their catalogs.)

Here are 2 recent favorites of mine:
	"The Cat Sold It" and it's predecessor "The Cat Made Me Buy It" 
	by Alice Muncaster and Ellen Yanow Sawyer 
An interesting glossy pictorial - it covers the role of cats in Madison Avenue
advertising. Included are many beautiful color ads back to the late 1800's
which feature cats. 


	THE BIG CATS, the paintings of Guy Coheleach, with text by Nancy Neff
For those who love detailed descriptions on the sociology of the big cats
(panthers, lions, etc) and GORGEOUS pictures. This man obviously really loved
his subject. For each big cat he discusses, he has several full color
illustrations (from oil, watercolor, pastel, whatever medium he was using for
that picture) along with pen and ink drawings. He has them exquisitely
captured in play, hunting, sleeping. I confess I bought the book because of
the beautiful pictures and THEN discovered it was also very interesting
reading. For each animal, it discusses such things as distribution, predatory
behavior, play, care of the young, etc - when you finish, you really feel like
you know the cat. 


By the way:
MagicCats also has a bibliography at the back of the book, though I confess I
have not checked it out. 


Does anyone know of any good cat mysteries?

- Beth

    RE: -.1 Cat Mysteries
    
    I've just finished reading several by Lilian Jackson Braun.  Listed
    in the prefered order of reading (one kind of ties into the next)
    they are:
    	The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
    	The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern
    	The Cat Who Turned On & Off
    	The Cat Who Saw Red
    	The Cat Who Played Brahms
    
    BTW, there was an article about Lilian Braun in the May or June
    Cat Fancy.
    
    Happy reading,
    
    Bernice

The best book about a cat that I've ever read is "Rhubarb the Cat"
by H. Allen Smith.  It was an old copy that I had and I'm sure
the book is out of print, written sometime in the 30's but it is
FUNNY and Rhubarb is a great personality...it is a little racy in
parts, this the same author that wrote the original "Topper" book.

If you can find it, it is a great book for adults...a laugh out loud
kinda book.

>The best book about a cat that I've ever read is "Rhubarb the Cat"
>by H. Allen Smith.  

Oops!  It may be Thorne Smith instead!  Oh well, check with the
library...I read it years ago and I still remember it.

    Re .31, .32:
    
    _Rhubarb_ was written by H. Allen Smith (and was eventually made
    into a movie).  It was moderately funny, and Rhubarb was a great
    personality.  (A sequel, about Rhubarb's son, was a washout.)
    
    Thorne Smith wrote _Topper_ (one of his weaker works) and is one
    of the greatest American humorists to put typewriter to paper. 
    The closest to a "cat book" in the Thorne Smith universe is _The
    Stray Lamb_, where the hero unaccountably turns into various animals;
    one of these is a lion.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

From the people who brought you "Dogue", a new version for cat lovers..

			"Catmopolitian"

My husband saw it on the newstand last week and surprized me with it.
It's cute.  It has a lot of ads for nail polish and the like.  Some
of the pictures are amazing.  There's no way either of my cats would
stand for some of the costumes these cats had to endure.  I'm not sure
it's worth buying, but it's definately worth paging through on your next
stop at a bookstore.

    Yes, I bought the Catmopolitian, and Elaine bought it from me. It
    is very interesting, but one thing Elaine pointed out what that
    the cats were not necessarily clean. Check out the eyes for dried
    tears, etc.
    
    I thought it was funny, but I hope no cats were abused in the process.
    
    Bryan

    HI,I also got a copy of catmopolitan....Pookie loved it..!!!as a
    matter of fact, she has asked for a subscription  for Christmas...
    she took it with her to kitty-kamp yesterday... alsong with her
    toys and snacks.. and she even let mer muumy finish reading Hollywood
    House Cats...before she said that is mine.. daddy bought it for
    me....read your own books.....:*)
    regards
    kate.. pookiesmom..who is feline silly today...

    I'm surprised that "How to live with a Calculating Cat" hasn't been
    mentioned.  Brilliant!
    
    Can't remember the author, but I'm sure someone can supply the name.
     I think its Eric someone-or-other.
    
    "The Silent Meow" - Paul Gallico makes you wince in parts when you
    think "How true".  The bit that stayed with me was about "Love",
    how transitory human love can be and how badly hurt a cat can be
    when it finds its love no longer returned.  Are the people who leave
    cats behind or dump them truly capable of love?  Makes you wonder.
    
    "The Incredible Journey" - another favourite.  How about "Born Free"
    - Elsa has the same feline charm - just on a HUGE scale!
    
    
    Kate (UK)
    

    I am looking for a book.  Maybe someone out there has heard of it
    or seen it.  It is a book with names and such for purebred animals.
    It also has catchy phrases that could be used for names.  A friend
    of mine got a copy at a pet store.  I haven't been able to find
    it anywhere.  I have even tried to subject guide at my local bookstore
    but no luck.
    
    Jo

    I just read all 38 replies concerning cat books (and wrote down
    the address of The Cat Book Center -- thank you for that) because
    I am looking for a book called "Jacob" which I received for Christmas
    years ago from my daughter.  My son loaned it to his friend and
    I never got it back.  I've looked in every bookstore from Maine
    to Florida and am afraid it is out of print.  I don't even remember
    the author.  It is only a paperback (shaped like the Garfield books),
    but it is so funny, about a cat named Jacob who does outrageous
    things in the house (including decorating the whole place with toilet
    paper) to please his master.  Has anyone ever seen it?  I'll write
    to the Center and see if it's on their list.  I also saw the
    "Catmopolitan" magazine and liked the wording of the ads, but was
    not pleased with the pictures of the cats.  I always worry about
    how they get them to pose for them.  You'll notice that Morris only
    poses regally in his ads and calendar, never dresses up or is subjected
    to any other indignanty.  The recent ad on T.V. for a new cat food
    showing a black cat with the headdress and necklace of Egypt, I
    don't mind -- rather elegant.  Well, I still hope to find "Jacob".
    Judy.

    Have you looked in Books in Print under the title listings?  Have
    you sicced (sp?) your local library onto it thru the inter-library
    loan program?
    

    
    There are 3 or 4 of the Jacob books, one of which was given to me as
    a birthday present this year by my colleagues (that's what I call
    a well-chosen present). The author/artist is (I think) German and the
    books are readily available here in Munich. I will check my copy this
    weekend and reply again on Monday with publisher etc.

    If they are published in germany, you can order them from Heffner's
    in England.  (W. Heffner & Sons, Ltd., 20 Trinity Street, Cambridge,
    England).  Heffner's can get just about anything published just
    about anywhere and send it to you thru the mail.
    

    re: .38
    
    The Feb-88 issue of CATS magazine contains a review of the following
    book that might be what you're looking for:
    
    The Allbreed Dictionary of Unusual Names by Gloria Jarrett, Alpine
    Publications, Colorado. 

    I have just relasied that these books have never been mentioned...
    
    Severeal of the books in the Minack series by Derek Tangye are about
    the cats who have shared his life over the last 40 years. They are
    beautiful books. The Tangyes left glamourous London lives to live
    in a tiny cottage in a remote part of Cornwall. The interaction
    between them and their cats is very moving, and the books are
    thoroughly worth reading.
    
    The "cat" books are:
    
    'A cat in the window" about their first cat, a huge red tabby called
    Monty.
    
    'Lama' about a black cat who came to their door during a storm.
    
    'A cat affair' about Oliver and Ambrose, one Lama's double, one Monty's
    double, who appeared towards the end of Lama's life.
    
    'The Ambrose rock' about Ambrose.
    
    The other Minack books also mention the cats, as they are so much
    a part of Tangye's life, but these ones are dominated by the cats.
    
    SLP
    Auckland, NZ

    
    
    	Another book by Derek Tangye I read is "Somewhere a Cat is
    	Waiting".
        
    	Jane.
    

    I was just given the nicest gift by a friend in the office.  She
    had told me about this book the other day when I was really busy
    and I told her I'd call her back later and get the name of the store
    it was in.  Today a nicely wrapped package arrived with a note that
    said this was the only way she could be sure I'd get the book. 
    (Now I feel terrible, here she is giving me a gift when her birthday
    was last week and I forgot it.)
    
    
    THE CAT ALBUM  A Pet Owner's Memory Book
    Written and Illustrated by Carol Endler Sterbenz with Prints from
    Ernest Nister
    
    Its like a baby book for cats.
    
    (Taken from the back of the book)
    
    Everyone, young or old, who has and loves a pet cat needs this unique
    album in which to keep both practical records and sentimental mememtos
    of this very important "member of the family."  Space is provided
    for photographs, for information about your cat's birth and growth,
    shots and other veterinary records, cat-sitter's instructions, and
    what to do in case of emergencies.  There is even a Cat Family Tree
    and an official Cat Adoption Certificate for this very special pet.
    
    Beautiful as well as useful, this album is illustrated with exquisite
    full-color pictures of cats, carefully reproduced from the antique
    books of famous Victorian artist and publisher Ernest Nister, and
    embellished with original designs by Carol Endler Sterbenz, making
    a volume of heirloom quality to be treasured and enjoyed for years
    to come.
    
    Philomel Books (a division of The Putnam Publishing Group)
    51 Madison, Avenue
    New York, NY  10010
    
    
    This is a really nice album.  Now I have to figure out where she
    got it and get another one for my other cat.  I believe she got
    it at a store in Los Gatos (the cats), Calif.  There is a place
    in Los Gatos called PURRSNICKETY that is all cat goodies, cards,
    books, etc.  She could have gotten it there.
    
                                
    Jan

    Re:  .47
    
    Just talked to Linda and she got The Cat Album at The Bunny Hutch;
    A Country Gift Store, in San Jose, CA.  She says she also saw it at 
    PURRSNICKETY in Los Gatos but the price was better at The Bunny Hutch.
    
    Jan

    Jan,
    
    Where's The Bunny Hutch?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Jill
    

    That's a good question, Jill...Gee, I'm glad you asked me that.
    
    I have absolutely no idea.  The label on the wrapping of my book
    says its in San Jose.
    
    Looked it up in the yellow pages and here's the address and phone
    number:
    
    		The Bunny Hutch
    		Country Gift Store
    		14926 Camden Avenue
    		San Jose, CA
    		408-371-1555
    
    I'm not sure of the address but it may be in Cambrian Plaza on Union
    and Camden.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    Jan

    Jan,
    
    Thanks!  You even looked it up!  How nice!   I bet it is right by that
    area.
    
    Jill

    Re: .28
    
    I just bought a copy of "Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name", in
    paperback.  I haven't finished reading it, but was flipping through 
    it and found the poem I've entered below.  The author, John Hollander, 
    wrote a poem titled "Adam's Task", which Vicki Hearne took as the 
    title for her book.  In case anyone wants to order the book, it was
    published by Vintage Books, a division of Random House.

    "Cat and Bug" is beyond the formfeed!

    




                             I    a 
                           cat    who
                          coated in a 
                          dense shadow
                          which I cast
                          along myself
                           absorb the
                           light you
                           gaze at me
                          with can yet
                         look at a king
                        and not be seen
                       to be seeing any
                      more than himself
                     a motionless seer
                    sovereign of gray
                   mirrored invisibly
                  in the seeing glass
                 of air Whatever I am
                 seeing is part of me
                 As you see me now my
                 vision is wrapped in
                 two green hypotheses
                  darkness blossoming
                   in two unseen eyes
                    which pretend to be
                     intent on a spot of            bug
                      upon
                       the
                      rug
                     Who
                     can
                      see
                        how
                          eye
                           can
                         know


                                  "Kitty and Bug," by John Hollander

    
    Re: .52
    
    Hmm.  I noticed that in the text of my reply I called the poem "Cat
    and Bug" but at the bottom I called it "Kitty and Bug".  It is called
    both in the book; "Cat and Bug" in the front where the author gives
    formal recognition for the poem, and "Kitty and Bug" on the page in
    her book (244) where the poem appears...
    

In the near future I will be adopting a pair of kittens from the
humane society. What I'd like are suggestions for books on how to 
raise cats. 

Just the basic stuff, what shots are needed and when, declawing - pros and cons,
when to have them "fixed", litter training etc...

Thanks.

:-Chuck

    The Book of the Cat is a good one.  I can't remember the name of
    the author though.  Most book stores will carry several different
    basic cat care books.  Also, your vet is a good source of information.
    Regardless of what the books say, I always go on the recommendation
    of my vet.  
    
    Jo

    THE BODY LANGUAGE & EMOTION OF CATS by Myrna M. Milani, DVM is
    not about basic care, but has alot of really interesting information
    about cat physiology and behavior.  I've been learning all sorts
    of new and interesting things and I've had cats for 12 years.
      Nancy DC
    

    I liked THE CAT by Muriel Beadle, for the same reasons Nancy listed
    about her book.  It has alot of history, anatomy, physiology and
    behavior in it too.
    
    Jo

The following review appeared in the Book-of-the-Month Club catalog for
this month.  It sounds good and I thought the rest of you might enjoy
hearing about this book.  I ordered one and I'll let you know if it's
as good as it sounds.

    
    Jill
**********************************************************************

	   	   Reprinted without permission from
		       Book-of-the-Month Club.


			_A Cat is Watching_

				by

			   Roger Caras

People-watching is a great sport.  But according to Roger Caras, who 
is the ABC wildlife correspondent, author of _A Celebration of Cats_,
and owner of 10 cats (at the moment), *people* watching people is nothing
compared to *cats* watching people.  They are masters of the art.

Why do they watch us?  The author surmises that the fact that we're large
and we move is probably enough reason.  No self-respecting cat wants to
be caught off guard by large moving bodies.

Sometimes, as cats watch us, they react in mysterious ways.  When they
act up as we start packing for vacation, do they really know we're
leaving them behind?  Probably not.  As Caras syas, "Cats hate change...
We give off signals that foretell our intentions to change the cat's
orderly world, and all of this without permission, if you please.  Why
shouldn't a cat use an open, half-packed suitcase for a cat box?"

He observes that stray cats often stake out a house--shopping for an
owner--before deciding to move in.  How do they know a good home when
they see one?  A sixth sense?

Caras also serves up some interesting bits of cat biology:  they can
see colors, they don't feel discomfort unless the temperature of 
what they are touching goes up to 124 degrees, and they probably don't
purr out of contentment as much as out of *any* profound feeling, 
including pain.

The author has many tales to tell about cats--like the cat he knew 
who found his way from Santa Barbara back to Portland because he
didn't want the family to move--and about other animals, too, like the 
owl who knocked on the cabin window every time the light was on.

While he doesn't claim to have scientific evidence of a cat's 
precognitive ability, Caras has no doubt it exists.  He tells us
about Tom, who hung around the Caras house only when their daughter
was due to visit--never at any other time.

Throughout history, Caras reminds us, cats have been loved, hated,
and worshiped.  Clearly they're here to stay.  And given Caras's 
feelings for them, you can be sure that a lot of them will be staying
at his house.

As any cat lover will agree, cats deserve the affectionate, intelligent,
and always interesting treatment they get in _A Cat is Watching_.

238 pages - 45 photographs and illustrations - index
Publisher's price $ 17.95

    I received The Ultimate Cat Book for Christmas (honest, the giver
    _insisted_ I open it now.  What a great book.  This has to be the
    best cat book I have.  There's an incredible amount of detail
    about every topic imaginable.  Think of a page with pictures
    of every color eyes possible in pussycats.
    

                  <<< $1$DUS6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]FELINE.NOTE;2 >>>
             -< FELINE will become unavailable at 3PM(EST) Friday >-
================================================================================
Note 3168.0             Fascinating Felines in Literature                1 reply
CASEY::BROCKNEY "This IS reality..."                 31 lines  21-DEC-1989 11:08
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I just started reading a wonderful book -- "The Cat Who
    Came for Christmas" -- by Cleveland Amory. It's a true
    story about a stray cat he adopted at Christmastime.
    I just LOVE reading stories about cats -- both true and
    fictional, don't you?
    
    Anyways, I would like some suggestions for other books
    featuring fascinating felines...novels with cats as 
    characters as well as true stories.
    
    One of my favorite fictional cats is "the cat Bastet" in the
    Amelia Peabody series of novels by Elizabeth Peters:
    
           "The Crocodile on the Sandbank" 
           "The Curse of the Pharoahs"
           "The Mummy Case"
           "The Lion in the Valley"
    
    (Amelia is a Victorian archeologist who has a passion for
     pyramids, and a knack for solving murders... she adopts
     Bastet in her second Egyptian adventure.. she appears
     frequently in subsequent ones.)
    
    What are your favorites? I need some suggestions for future
    reading.
    
    Karen (who lives with her own fascinating feline, Abby)
    
           
    
    
================================================================================
Note 3168.1             Fascinating Felines in Literature                 1 of 1
CASEY::BROCKNEY "This IS reality..."                  7 lines  21-DEC-1989 11:18
                              -< Note 4 has it! >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Oops! I just noticed that there is a note for cats in books.
    It's note no. 4. 
    
    Ms. Moderator, would you please post my note in note 4?
    Thank you, and sorry for the redundant note.
    
    Karen

    I was recently given a lovely book on cats, and I have since seen
    it in Branches of WHSmith. It is called the Cat Notebook and is
    filled with pencil drawings of cats and kittens, with a quote about
    cats on every page. It is really good.
    Among my favourite quotes are (quoted without permission and
    inaccurately, I daresay!):
    
    You only realise why the cat was on top of the fridge when you notice
    how *smooth* the butter is.
    
    Last year I won some goldfish at a fair, but guess who ate them?!
                               
    You can feel an awful fool standing at the bottom of your garden,
    yelling 'Pussy, pussy, pussy' across a totally deserted meadow.
    Particularly when you see 'Pussy, pussy pussy' sitting in the garden
    shed, watching you with benign interest.
    
    And of course, the old truth that
    
    'There are no ordinary cats'.
                             
    I think I'm supposed to write in it and use it as a scribbler, but
    I don't think I ever will.

    I just got that book as a gift too!  It is so nice, that I hate
    to even write in it.
    
    
    --Roberta
    

    re .62
    Aren't we Cat Lovers easy to buy gifts and cards for?!! 

    Yes I saw that book, spent at least half an hour browsing through
    it and now I've decided that I really can't live without it any
    longer.
    
    Kate
    (Off to WH SMiths)

    	I am looking for a source where I can buy a cat magazine (like cat 
    fancy) in the Merrimack, Manchester NH area.  I would like to see a
    copy before I subscribe.  I have looked in a couple of pet stores, pet
    food stores, cvs and osco.  I just don't know where else to look. 
    
    I work in mko but live in manchester.  Thanks in advance for any
    direction
    
    Pat
    

    If have access to a magazine/paper store and tell them what you
    want they will order the magazine for you for a couple of months
    hoping you will continue to buy it there.
    
    Barbara

    I no longer live in the Manchester area so I'm out of touch, but 
    there used to be a little store on the corner of Elm and Bridge St. 
    that had a good selection of newspapers and magazines. You might try 
    there. Or call the stores that sell magazines and ask -- check the 
    phone book for listings; The Book Gallery on DW Hwy. in Merrimack 
    is another possibility that comes to mind. They have been very nice 
    and helpful to me in the past.

    OR

    If you don't have to have copies to keep, call the public libraries 
    in Merrimack and Manchester to see if they have them. A couple of 
    years ago the Merrimack PL had a subscription for one of the cats 
    magazines. I read a few issues there and decided I liked them enough 
    to subscribe. I now get both Cats and Cat Fancy and enjoy them very 
    much.

    Linda

    Or you can go to a cat show and get a copy there.  They usually
    have cat magazines for sale at the gate out here.  And, Cat Fancy
    usually sets up a booth to sign folks up for subscriptions.  The
    Cat Fancy rep brings tons of copies of current and recent Cat Fancy,
    Dog Fancy, and Bird Talk magazines.
    
    Jo

    I have an extra copy of Catmopolitan if anyone wants it for free (now I
    only hope I can FIND it after posting this note!!).
    
    First one to send me mail off-line with their name/mailstop owns it!
    
    --Roberta
    

    re: Catmo - If you've never seen it its just HYSTERICAL!  I also
    have DQ - the Dog version of GQ.
    

    Or is that Dogue??? (Dog version of Vogue)  I forget.  Must be time
    to pull them out and read them again.

	I believe I've seen copies of Cat Fancy at B. Dalton in the
	Mall of New Hampshire.

	Sandy

    THANKS!!!
    
    	I called the book gallary in merrimack and they had a copy.  I
    picked it up on the way home.  
    
    				thanks so much for the quick replies--I
    				spent over two weeks looking for a copy.
    

    I've been thoroughly enjoying a series of books and I wanted to share
    that with you.  They are written by James Herriot and are the basis
    for the PBS show "All creatures great and small."  
    
    There are four in the series and I love the names - they are
    the words to a Protestant Hymn:
    
    All Things Bright and Beautiful       (Book 2)
    All Creatures Great and Small         (Book 1)
    All Things Wise and Wonderful
    The Lord God Made Them All.
    
    There is also one book called "James Herriot's Yorkshire"
    
    The stories are the true tales of a Vet in the UK and start
    about the mid-late 1930's.  They are funny, sad, touching
    and thoroughly enjoyable.  The author's descriptions of all
    the personalities he meets - human and animal - are excellent,
    and I'm learning a little veterinary medicine along the way!
    
    I bought my copies at a used bookstore and highly recommend them
    to any animal lover.
    
    Nancy DC
    

    The book "James Herriot's Yorkshire" is not in the same Vein as the
    others, it is a pictorial study of Yorkshire with relatively little
    text, whereas all the others are biographical stories, some other
    titles of his in the story line are:
    
    Vets might fly
    It shouldn't happen to a vet
    Vet in harness
    
    I guess he couldn't remember the rest of the hymm ;-)
    
    I can't remember any other titles.
    
    Martyn (a Yorkshireman).
    

All things dull and ugly, All creatures short and squat,
	All things rude and nasty, The Lord God made the lot;
Each little snake that poisons, Each little wasp that stings,
	He made their brutish venom, He made their horrid wings.
All things sick and cancerous, All evil great and small,
	All things foul and dangerous, The Lord God made them all.
Each nasty little hornet, Each beastly little squid.
	Who made the spikey urchin? Who made the sharks?  He did.
All things scabbed and ulcerous, All pox both great and small.
	Putrid, foul and gangrenous, The Lord God made them all.

    

    I read all four, and I thought they were wonderful books!!!
    
    Lynne

    re: 1 - Oh boy, more books to read!!

	Btw, the TV show (imported from the UK) is quite nice, too.  It's
	on in the US on A&E Sunday mornings.

	Sandy

    somewhere in here there is a cat books note with other books listed.
    

    Karen,
    
    I believe thenote is 10 but don't hold me to it  
    
    ;);)

    Sorry Karen,
    
    It's note #4.  I was pretty close though ;)
    
    -LM & F

    Re: .2
    
      Sandy,
    
         You a Pythoner !!!!!! Why.... Go away or I shall taunt you a
        second time ... 
    
      George

	Re. George - perhaps I should name my next cat 'Eric'? :^}

    I was pleased Nancy and others enjoyed the James Herriot books, I did
    as well.  I noticed in the 'book note' number 4.45 that someone from
    New Zealand mentions Derek Tangye's books.
    
    Quote:
    
    Several of the books in the Minak series by Derek tangye are about the
    cats who have shared his life over the last 40 years.  They are
    beautiful books.  The Tangyes left glamourous London lives to live in a
    tiny cottage in a remote part of Cornwall.  The interaction between
    them and their cats is a very movin, and the books are thoroughly worth
    reading.
    
    The "cat" books are:
    
    A cat in the window  - about their first cat called Monty
    Lama - a black cat who came to thier door in a storm
    A cat affair - Oliver and Ambrose, one Lama's double, one Monty's
    double who appeared towards the end of Lama's life
    The Ambrose rock - about Ambrose
    The Cherry Tree - little Cherry who he still has
    
    The other Minack books also mention the cats, and also the donkeys he
    and his wife have had over the years.  His wife died around 1987, and
    he has written a very moving book called Jennie - A Love Story which
    goes back over thier years and cats.  All have pen drawings in them
    done by Jennie and several have lovely photographs as well.
    
    I really do recommend his books - I was so taken by them that I wrote
    to Derek last year and we now correspond regularly.  I visited him last
    September, he is not too good on his legs any more but still has a
    wonderful mind (he is now in his late 70's).  He has lots of visitors
    from all over the world who have read his books.  The cottage really is
    tiny and remote.  I also met litle Cherry from the book The Cherry Tree
    - she was a cutie.  The present donkeys, Merlin and Susie were also
    there.  I had a lovely letter from him at Christmas, and a new book
    will be published this Autumn.  The last one was called The Evening
    Gull which told the story of how he and Cherry were getting on without
    Jennie.
    
    Once I start I do get carried away, if you could just see what he now
    calls his little haven 'Minack a Place for Solitude'.  Its whre I would
    like to end up living with all my 'babies'.
    
    I'll stop boring yo all now!! - but do try and read one or tow of the
    books.
    
    Cheers
    
    Thelma UK Newbury

    I was definitely NOT bored.  I think it's fantastic that you got to
    meet him and are now corresponding.  The books sound wonderful....
    
    Thank you so much for posting this info.
    
    Sandi and the Storm Troopers
    
    

    
    I was browsing in Crown Books at lunch yesterday and came across a
    book recently published (1991, USA) that is part of a "Nature Series"
    entitled "CATS" by Virginia (?) Rees.  The interesting point of this book 
    was that Exotics were catagorized in the "British and American Shorthair" 
    section and Birmans were catagorized under the "NEW Long Hair" section 
    along with Himmies.  My Birman friends immediately came to mind. :')  I was
    surprised at what I thought was a "mis-catagorization" of the above because
    the other "newer", "exotic" breeds (bengals, etc.) were mentioned in a 
    separate catagory so I assumed the author must be somewhat aware of the 
    "status" of certain breeds. 

    Wonder if the book was published in England or another country.  I have
    noticed this to be the case in some of the books I have come across in
    book stores.  If the info is incorrect, then the book is usually by a
    foreign publisher/author.
    
    Birmans...newer longhaired breeds?  I guess 24 years of being
    recognized would be considered new by some breeds' standards. :') 
    Afterall, Persians have been shown since the late 1800's. :')
    
    Jo