Book Reviews

Let’s Talk About Cats: Conversations on Feline Behaviour

by Anita Kelsey

By a behaviorist and groomer, this book is a combination of interviews, tips, and stories from Kelsey’s work. Though I read it straight through, it is broken down in such a way that you could just read the chapters that are relevant to you or that particularly interest you. Kelsey interviews big names such as Jackson Galaxy, Kate Benjamin, Jennifer Conrad, and the Cat Man of Aleppo, who all share wonderful insights into their work with cats. She covers topics like cat behavior, cat vocalizations, what to feed your cat, whether cats grieve or enjoy music, and more. Because Kelsey is British, it was interesting to read about some of the differences in perceptions around cats, particularly around declawing and letting your cat outside. I thought the interviews were really interesting and Kelsey shared good tips and lots of food for thought about how we can make our cats’ lives the best they can be.

Look for our podcast interview with Anita Kelsey at the end of May.

Rating: 4/5 cat experts

The Cat That Changed America

by Tony Lee Moral, illustrations by Louise Goves

While wild cats are outside the purview of Community Cats Podcast (so we aren’t reviewing it), we did want to share that there’s a new young adult book out about our community cats’ wild cousin, the mountain lion. Specifically, the book is a fictional retelling of the story of P22, a real mountain lion in California’s Santa Monica Mountains. The book aims to raise awareness for a project to build a wildlife corridor so that more habitats can be linked and fewer animals are injured or killed crossing the dangerous highways around Los Angeles.

You can watch a documentary about the project here and find out more about the campaign on their website.

The Lives and Deaths of Shelter Animals

by Katja M. Guenther

Probably everyone who works in the animal welfare industry should read this book. Dr. Guenther is an Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of California, Riverside, and she brings an anthropologist’s eye to the inner workings of one of the large animal shelters in Los Angeles. She explores how race, gender, class, and species intersect in the complex hierarchy of the shelter system. I learned so much from Dr. Guenther’s book and her keen observations made me rethink my assumptions and biases. Though I am a cat person and Dr. Guenther tended to focus on dogs, I was fascinated by her analysis of pit bulls and the ways in which racial perceptions impact them and affect their chances of being euthanized rather than adopted. Dr. Guenther also takes on what she calls “the myth of the irresponsible owner,” where pet owners from lower income, non-white areas tend to be blamed for the various systemic barriers that result in their needing to surrender animals to the shelter. Overall, I felt Dr. Guenther’s book is an extremely important work that encourages us to be more compassionate and reminds us that the oppressive systems at work in society at large are also at work in the microcosm of the shelter. The book invites us to rethink the entire sheltering system to make it more equitable and humane.

Dr. Guenther has done several Q&A sessions with American Pets Alive!, which I highly recommend watching. The first can be found here, and the second here.

Content warning: This book includes descriptions of neglected, abused, and euthanized animals that may be disturbing to some readers.

Rating: 5/5 misunderstood pit bulls

$5 for a Cat Head

by Linda Chitwood

Linda Chitwood, founder of the Homeless Animals Relief Project, shares stories from her 25 years of animal rescue. The Homeless Animals Relief Project provides spay/neuter surgery for low-income pet owners living in rural Mississippi and 100% of the proceeds from this book go back to supporting their mission. I enjoyed reading the stories of animal rescues, both successful and heartbreaking, that Chitwood shares. She also includes hands-on tips and lessons learned for others involved in animal rescue. Though at times a bit preachy and heavy handed, the stories are engaging and there is a lot to be learned from Chitwood’s experiences.

Rating: 3/5 rescued road-side animals

Catland: The Soft Power of Cat Culture in Japan

by Sarah Archer

You might remember Sarah Archer from Episode 377. If you’ve listened to the episode (which I highly recommend), you’ll know about Archer’s book Catland: The Soft Power of Cat Culture in Japan, which, since I first heard about it, I’ve been super excited to read. Archer is a writer, curator, and design and material culture historian, and in Catland, she examines Japan’s fascination with cats through the ages. The book is filled with gorgeous color images of life with cats in Japan and it is truly a joy to look through. Archer explores Japan’s rich history of cats, including in woodblock prints from the Edo period and the proliferation of the maneki neko, or beckoning cat, as a symbol of welcome and luck. She also discusses the concept of “Nekonomics,” or the net economic benefit that cats or cat imagery bring to a community in Japan, and the arts and crafts industries that cater to cats and cat lovers. The book is full of charming locations like shrines full of resident cats, cat cafes, and bathhouses and train stations with cat mascots, cat pop culture icons like Hello Kitty and Doraemon, and kawaii (cute) products and characters. Archer definitely convinced me that Japan should be the next location on my travel wishlist (as soon as we can travel again!).

Rating: 5/5 Hello Kitty keychains