Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet
*Starred Review* As author Bradshaw (Dog Sense, 2011) notes in his introduction, the domestic cat is the most popular pet in today’s world, outnumbering dogs by as many as three to one. In this new examination of feline behavior, Bradshaw teases out a better understanding of what our cats want (and need) from their owners. Cats fill two niches that humans unintentionally provided for them—pest controller, as wild cats moved in to feast on the concentrations of rodents attracted to our stored grain; and companion animal, as people (probably women and children) adopted kittens as pets. To fully understand the pet cat, owners must appreciate and work with this dual role. Bradshaw traces the cat’s evolution from a wild solitary hunter to today’s house pet in the first three chapters, and then, in the next three, looks at cats’ biology and how this affects their interactions with each other and with humans. The social lives of cats, both with their owners and with other animals, are then examined, and the book concludes with thoughts on the future role of the cat as a pet. Perhaps the most interesting section speculates on how to train and breed for animals that will be content to stay inside. This fascinating book will be a bible for cat owners. --Nancy Bent