4 Books For Cat Guardians

I’ve worked with and written about cats for several years.  During that time, I’ve learned a lot about cats and their behaviors from observing and interacting with them, but I’ve also read numerous books that have helped tremendously.

Here are four books for cat guardians I have in my personal library and highly recommend:

Behavior

Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat–Not a Sour Puss by Pam Johnson-Bennett is a great resource, especially if you’re a first time cat owner.  This books offers advice on a wide variety of topics associated with cat guardianship. Some subjects covered are litter box set-up and correcting litter box avoidance, how cats communicate with us and selecting the right scratching post for your cat.

Since cats don’t look at the world the same way humans do, this book does a very good job of explaining why cats exhibit certain behaviors.  Often we create a problem because of our lack of understanding, and Johnson-Bennett gives step-by-step advice on how to make changes to get back on track.

Starting from Scratch: How to Correct Behavior Problems in Your Adult Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennett is another great resource for insight into some of the most frustrating cat behaviors.  Topics covered in this book include:  Retraining inappropriate scratching, retraining to the litter box, handling the finicky eater, and addressing behavior issues between your cat and other family members (human and other pets in the house).

Health And Wellness

The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care by Anitra Frazier with Norma Eckroate.  As the title indicates, this book is a good all-around resource for cat guardians.  Frazier covers a variety of topics including: Grooming (includes detailed step-by-step information on brushing your cat, removing mats, and clipping his nails), Desirable Behavior In Cats and Their Guardians (yes, we can misbehave too!  Other topics in this chapter include the proper way to pick up a cat, communicating good-bye and I’ll be back to your cat, and how to encourage your cat to exercise).

Environment

Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin.  As caring cat guardians, we want our cats to be happy at home.  This book does a great job of showcasing several options to customize your living space for your cat without compromising the aesthetic of the house for you.

The book is divided into two parts with Part 1 discussing how cats view their territory and how to discover your cat’s specific preferences with regard to his environment.  Part 2 offers a wide variety of design options to “catify” your living space.  There are many pictures and illustrations included with each project so you can pick projects that match your skill level, budget and living space the best.  Most of the projects in the book were submitted by cat guardians from around the country.