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1fannyprice
Has anyone read The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats : A Journey Into the Feline Heart? I recently finished this book and was somewhat ambivalent about it.
What I Enjoyed
(1) The stories about the author's own cats & his relationship with them. They really reflected the love he has for them and they for him. They were also quite funny.
(2) How the author addressed cat behavior (and dog) from an evolutionary standpoint. He says that because humans and dogs both evolved to live in groups, while cats evolved as solitary animals, people see dog behavior as "normal" and often look at cat behavior as something requiring explanation when in fact it is perfectly normal.
(3) How he tempered his statements that cats don't generally need us with the caveat that they do love us regardless. He seemed to respect both the cat psyche and the bond that people and cats have.
(4) The anti-declawing and pro-spay/neuter stance. Not revolutionary, but I am surprised at how many people don't know what declawing really is.
What I Didn't Like
(1) His insistence that cats are meant to be outdoors and that by keeping them inside we are in some way harming them or hurting their quality of life. It's easy for a man who lives on an beach in a New Zealand rain forest to let his cats outside and feel pretty safe - no natural predators, he knows all his neighbors, the dogs nearby are nice, etc. As an urban apartment dweller, its just not possible for my cat to go outside, and I don't think he would want to. Every time I take him outside (holding him or on a harness) - he curls up into a little ball! I think it's ok to make some compromise in the name of safety.
(2) The sort of lackadaisical attitude he had toward cat safety in general. He talks about how cats do what they want and go where they want and basically says that if your cat wants to run away, you should let him/her because cats need to be free. It seems like this attitude again ignores safety and quality of life issues for a cat - what happens to a cat after it runs away? It also ignores the emotional bond that humans have with their cats.
Other than these two issues, I thought the book was fun. I learned a fair amount about the psychology of cats - although most of his conclusions were based on conjecture and observation of his own cats, rather than on any hard science. It was a nice light read.
What I Enjoyed
(1) The stories about the author's own cats & his relationship with them. They really reflected the love he has for them and they for him. They were also quite funny.
(2) How the author addressed cat behavior (and dog) from an evolutionary standpoint. He says that because humans and dogs both evolved to live in groups, while cats evolved as solitary animals, people see dog behavior as "normal" and often look at cat behavior as something requiring explanation when in fact it is perfectly normal.
(3) How he tempered his statements that cats don't generally need us with the caveat that they do love us regardless. He seemed to respect both the cat psyche and the bond that people and cats have.
(4) The anti-declawing and pro-spay/neuter stance. Not revolutionary, but I am surprised at how many people don't know what declawing really is.
What I Didn't Like
(1) His insistence that cats are meant to be outdoors and that by keeping them inside we are in some way harming them or hurting their quality of life. It's easy for a man who lives on an beach in a New Zealand rain forest to let his cats outside and feel pretty safe - no natural predators, he knows all his neighbors, the dogs nearby are nice, etc. As an urban apartment dweller, its just not possible for my cat to go outside, and I don't think he would want to. Every time I take him outside (holding him or on a harness) - he curls up into a little ball! I think it's ok to make some compromise in the name of safety.
(2) The sort of lackadaisical attitude he had toward cat safety in general. He talks about how cats do what they want and go where they want and basically says that if your cat wants to run away, you should let him/her because cats need to be free. It seems like this attitude again ignores safety and quality of life issues for a cat - what happens to a cat after it runs away? It also ignores the emotional bond that humans have with their cats.
Other than these two issues, I thought the book was fun. I learned a fair amount about the psychology of cats - although most of his conclusions were based on conjecture and observation of his own cats, rather than on any hard science. It was a nice light read.
2black9wolf Primer missatge
I read this book a little while ago and I have agree with you. Overall it was an interesting read but the few things that bothered me, bothered me a lot. The author assumes all live in beach houses in ideal surroundings. Yet few of us have that opportunity or wish. I know a cat who is terrified to go outside and loves to be with people. A complete oddity but still a wonderful cat. I have nothing against cats being outside but sometimes circumstances prevent them from being safe. He shouldn't condemn the rest of us for trying to be responsible.
Another point that annoyed me was thinking of all the birds that his cats (I think he had five at one point) were killing. If I remember correctly he did mention it in passing once but moved quickly past it. He lives in New Zealand, a region that has many unique birds, more than a few endangered. I know I am being a bit picky but for me finding dead birds on my front step always made me sad.
Still it was a decent book and it didn't stop me from reading some of his others, such as Dogs Never Lie About Love: Reflections and When Elephants Weep.
Another point that annoyed me was thinking of all the birds that his cats (I think he had five at one point) were killing. If I remember correctly he did mention it in passing once but moved quickly past it. He lives in New Zealand, a region that has many unique birds, more than a few endangered. I know I am being a bit picky but for me finding dead birds on my front step always made me sad.
Still it was a decent book and it didn't stop me from reading some of his others, such as Dogs Never Lie About Love: Reflections and When Elephants Weep.
3marnocat
I haven't read the book, but the whole outdoor / indoor thing interests me. We've been lucky that we live in places where our cat can go outdoors. We keep him in at night, which is consistent with his inclinations anyway. There are racoons about and I don't want him fighting with them.
When someone insists that cats are meant to be outdoors, you have to question what their terms of reference are. By disposition, some cats are not well suited to the outdoors. Some might argue that as a breed, ragdoll cats aren't aggressive enough to protect themselves from threats. More importantly, as noted earlier, not all outdoors are created equal. Cities are human constructs; how could cat evolution ever prepare for something like that?
Domestic cats are one of the most widely distributed species on Earth but that is because we humans have taken them with us as we spread out. They are constantly challenged to adapt to our living situations. Cats definitely have their natures, but they also must cope with our nurture too.
When someone insists that cats are meant to be outdoors, you have to question what their terms of reference are. By disposition, some cats are not well suited to the outdoors. Some might argue that as a breed, ragdoll cats aren't aggressive enough to protect themselves from threats. More importantly, as noted earlier, not all outdoors are created equal. Cities are human constructs; how could cat evolution ever prepare for something like that?
Domestic cats are one of the most widely distributed species on Earth but that is because we humans have taken them with us as we spread out. They are constantly challenged to adapt to our living situations. Cats definitely have their natures, but they also must cope with our nurture too.
4jeane
That sounds like a good book. I haven't read it yet, but enjoyed the author's the Dog Who Loved Too Much. Have you read The CAt Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats by Nicholas Dodman?
5fannyprice
I have not - is it sad? I can't stand sad things about kitties. I'm such a softie.
