Book Review:"The Complete Cat's Meow", ("everything you need to know about caring for your cat") By Darlene Arden

I thought I  pretty much knew everything there was to know about cats. After all, I was owned by my Angel Bobo for 18 years and now Cody for 4. That's 22 years of being owned by a cat. When I see some books that are reference books or guide books for cat owners I smugly think, "I don't need this". I bet there are many long time cat lovers/owners out there who feel the same.

 Guess what? YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

Did you hear me? No? Let me say it again...YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

"The Complete Cat's Meow" by Darlene Arden is just that. COMPLETE. I have found nothing in my cat reading travels thus far that compares. You ask, "Is it THAT good?"

 YES....it...IS...THAT....GOOD


"Good?" Make that...SUPERB.

 Whether you are just a fan of cats or are  contemplating bringing a cat into your home for the first or 50th time, this book should be your bible.  It is now mine. I am giving it a place of honor  on my desk in my office, where it will function as my handy "go to guide" for anything and everything pertaining to cats.

Never being one to write the title of every chapter of a book that I review (you can go to Amazon for that, as well as to purchase this book, that you MUST purchase), what I WILL do is let you know a little bit of what I learned after having read this highly informative (in a totally non-boring way), 222 page, gem.

About handling and socializing a cat: "male kittens, especially, don't like to have their tummies touched, so they have to be acclimated early on."

About kitty proofing your home: "once a cat begins to swallow something, she can't stop. This is because kitty's tongue, which is so good at giving you sandpaper kisses, has tiny hooks called papillae that help her clean her fur, hunt and eat. However, the catch is that those little papillae all point toward the back of her throat making it  just about impossible for kitty to spit out things like string and yarn."

About cat poisons: "bowls of potpourri are toxic for cats"

About kitty litter: "before the invention of litter, people who kept their cats mainly indoors put ashes into a box for their cat. When cat litter was invented by Ed Lowe in 1947, the whole idea of cat ownership changed."

About cat trees: "if you have a multicat household, the one who always goes to the highest level is the one who probably has higher status in the family."

About food and water dishes: "cat dishes need to be wide and shallow. A cat's whiskers are very sensitive and cannot be crammed into a deep bowl. It's more natural and comfortable for a cat to eat and drink from flat, wide dishes. Keep the word DISH in mind, not BOWL when shopping for kitty."

About creating a first aid kit: "you will need sterile gauze, tweezers, scissors, petroleum jelly, hydrogen peroxide...." (and many other items that you will have to read about when you purchase this book).

The above is just a sampling of a myriad of information that "The Complete Cat's Meow" contains. Once again, to see the complete table of contents and to purchase this must-have for any cat lover, soon-to-be-cat-owner or lifelong cat owner, visit Amazon

It was my pleasure to be afforded the opportunity to read and review this informational buffet. "The Complete Cat's Meow, everything you need to know about caring for your cat" by Darlene Arden, couldn't be more aptly named. It takes you through the entire journey of cat ownership.  There are adorable photos about halfway through the book and....are you one of the people who don't usually read the appendix in the back? Ohhh you will want to read Appendix A and B in this one! That was an extra bonus! (As if this book needed MORE bonuses!)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Darlene Arden is an award-winning writer, lecturer and Certified Animal Behavior Consultant. She is the author of The Irrepressible Toy Dog (Howell Book House), Small Dogs, Big Hearts (Howell Book House)  (just to name a few). Darlene has written hundreds of articles and columns for all of the major cat and dog publications, as well as for newspapers and general interest publications. She is a former contributing editor to Cats magazine. A former director of the Cat Writers' Association and longtime member of Dog Writers' Association of America, Inc. Darlene is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Maxwell Award, the Muse Medallion and more! She is also a popular and acclaimed speaker, lecturing widely on wellness for pets. Darlene's passion for helping animals live longer and better lives shines through in all she does. Her goal is always the same--to enhance the lives of dogs and cats.

The Complete Cat's Meow (Howell Book House, 978-0-470-64167-5, April 2011)

To purchase click here

I was not compensated in any way for this review other than I was contacted by the publisher and sent the book to review. It was certainly my pleasure to have done so.