Here, kitty kitty
I never expected to be a pet owner in adulthood — too much responsibility. What if I go on vacation, what do I feed it, it'll make my house smell, the shedding will never end, it'll get sick and die and I'll be heartbroken. But, a few years ago, circumstances led young Clarence into my life and, well, here I am, a happy cat owner.
Clarence is remarkably agreeable and, to my knowledge, has never been ill. So far, so good. He has, however, put on weight, which I don't understand because he doesn't really eat much. The vet made some dietary suggestions but I wanted to do some investigating on my own. Coincidentally The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know (Gotham, 370 pages, $17.50) came across my desk a couple of months ago...
...and it's become an invaluable resource. I have paged through dozens of cat books at book stores, pet stores and other people's houses, and I can honestly say this book is the most complete and practical guide for the everyday cat owner that I've come across. I found the information I was looking for on nutrition, plus much more. From choosing a cat to grooming to training to cat/dog harmony to illnesses — this book is thorough. I find myself paging through it every few days for something or other.
Author Tracie Hotchner (daughter of writer A.E. Hotchner) is a cat and dog expert who hosts two separate radio shows: "Cat Chat" on Sirius satellite radio and "Dog Talk" on an NPR affliliate WLIU.FM at Southampton College.
