Cat Life: Celebrating the History, Culture & Love of the Cat by Award-Winning Author, Amy Shojai

Courtesy of Amy Shojai

It is with great delight that I was able to get my paws on  an advance copy of Cat Life:Celebrating the History, Culture & Love of the Cat by renowned pet expert/author, Amy Shojai. I have always been smitten with Amy's writing, as well as her musical talent and her knowledge of cats and dogs. I have had the pleasure of meeting her in person on several occasions, and she is as delightful, brilliant, colorful, exciting and knowledgeable in person as she is through her writing.

It is easy to become smug when you have been reading cat books for over 10 years as I have (and many of you have as well),  thinking "What more could ANYONE possibly have to say to enlighten me further about cats?"

Well dear readers, Amy Shojai has done it again. Her expository book about cats has taught me more than I  could have imagined! 

Courtesy of Amy Shojai

The 150+ stunning color photographs, are captivating and simply exquisite. You will want to look at them again and again. This book reveals virtually everything needed to appreciate this mysterious, lovable companion. It is a book that you will want to re-visit on numerous occasions. 

From shojai.com "Though a cat may choose to share her affection with a human or two, she will always remain that quixotic mix of unpredictability and individuality that challenges the understanding of the most patient among us. It is as if they know that when they first stepped into the human ring of firelight, they forever altered our history, influencing our religions, our literature, our art—our very lives.” –From the Introduction

Chapter One, “Evolutionary Cat,” traces the domestic feline back to the Paleocene Era, then introduces its big cat relatives. Many of us know that several cats together is called a "clowder", but I never knew they can also be called a "cluster" or "clutter" of cats as well! Even Cody was captivated by the information!

I also never knew that the African wildcat is considered the most like our own domestic breeds "and is probably the founding father of the cat that is even now warming on your hearth."

Chapter Two, “Cultured Cat,” "is a survey of artistic homage paid to the cat. From Aesop’s fables to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, cats have been featured as analogy, metaphor, and hero."

"There used to be a kind of cheese made in Cheshire marked with a grinning cat face on one end. Is this where Lewis Carroll's wonderful Cheshire Cat came from?"

There are references to cats in Television, in ads, lore and legend about cats, and a plethora of other information about cats in culture.

Chapter Three, “Physical Cat,” is a guide to understanding and caring for your cat. There is information about the cat's eye, their hunting instinct,  feeding, play, health issues  I learned so much about a variety of health issues that cats may have that I had never known before. 

Cat Life closes with a “Gallery of Breeds,” a parade of fascinating cat types with descriptions of their unique personalities and special characteristics. There is also a listing of various cat associations and you can find a fabulous reading list so you may purchase other books that Amy has written as well.

Check out the beautiful Cat Life video, you will want to order your copy NOW!!

 FROM THE INTRODUCTION:

This book is for cat lovers everywhere. It is intended as both a basic guide for the neophyte cat addict and a supplement for veteran feline fans. It is my hope that these pages will delight and amuse, surprise and educate, and, most of all, celebrate the mysteries and marvels of all the wonderful cats that share our lives.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

"informative and fun, Cat Life celebrates your love and affection for big cats, stray cats, pedigree beauties, and everything CAT."

That it does Amy, that it does, and sooo beautifully! Cat Life is a book that all of YOU, my fellow cat lovers MUST have as part of your cat library. It's just in time for holiday gifting too!

Set to release in December. It will be available in paperback, hardcover on DECEMBER 1.

Amazon and Barnes & Noble for pre-order

It will be available on KINDLE on DECEMBER 8 and is already on KINDLE pre-order at this link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDYQLX5

Preview of Amy Shojai's latest gift book for cat lovers, with interior page spreads--and audio from her original show STRAYS, the Musical. https://shojai.com/books/cat-life/ (you can order the book there as well!)

Author: Amy Shojai
Genre: Cat Books
Tags: cat behavior, cat care
ASIN: B07YDYQLX5
ISBN: 9781948366144

Courtesy of
https://shojai.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author Amy Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant, and the award-winning author of more than 30 bestselling pet books She is also a playwright and co-author of STRAYS, THE MUSICAL and the author of the critically acclaimed September & Shadow petcentric thriller series. 

I was not compensated for this review. I was sent an advance copy of Cat Life in exchange for my always honest review.