Book Review:
"Your New
Cat's First 24 Hours" E-book by John Young
First
impressions make a difference, especially with cats!
Are you considering adopting a cat? Know someone who is? Looking for good
cat information with some common sense advice? Look no further-- it's all
here!
John Young has been living
with cats for 57 years and he knows his felines. His book is gleaned from
his years of experience, a great deal of common sense and good technical
information about cats, their behavior and maintenance. Most importantly,
he writes his book from the humane approach that a cat is a sentient
being,
and companion-- not a "thing" that one owns. Anyone who loves a cat will
appreciate this approach!
About
the Book:
Your New Cat's First 24 Hours is an e-book-- that is
you buy it and download it on-line. So don't go looking for it in stores,
go to John's Web site and buy it there (Follow the link at bottom of this
review). It comes in PDF format which makes it a no-brainer to read as long
as you have the Adobe PDF reader (which is free from the Adobe Web site.)
It's 110 pages long, fully bookmarked for easy navigation and packed with
useful information. The book is more than its title implies-- it covers
cat life completely, with emphasis on getting it "right" when you first adopt
a cat or bring a new cat into your home where you have other pets already.
The book is well laid out in
clear Times New Roman type for an easy read on the screen, and is broken
up into many bullet points making it very easy to scan. If you don't like
reading things on screen, you can easily print it out. It will take 110 pages
(You should print it about 10 pages at a time in case your printer gets stuck
and binds pages, etc.) The book does contain many color pictures which will
cost you some on ink if you print in color. They are worth it-- the pictures
are clear, precise and appropriate to their placement -- they add a great
deal of charm to the book.
The Content:
Although the book title implies
that it is about the first 24 hours of interaction with a newly adopted cat,
it goes far beyond this by thoroughly covering the basics of cat care, with
sage advice on choosing a vet, "cat proofing" your house (to protect the
cat, not you!) considering your children (yes, kids and cats don't always
mix well) as well as other pets. John wisely knows that planning, preparation
and consideration PRIOR to adopting are of vital importance, and he spends
the first three chapters helping you make the decision on which cat to get,
how to get ready for the adoption (it helps to have cat food, a litter box
etc.!) and some early post adoption needs (such as Vet visits). These chapters
are a must
read for anyone
considering getting a new cat, or adopting one in various situations. John
gives direct, bulleted,
common sense advice on what to keep in mind.
John then goes into detail
about the first hours with the new "baby". Be warned though, he starts this
section with a heart wrenching story of what one human did that ruined her
life with her cat. It's a tough read, but it drives home the point that as
human and humane beings we
need to look at our feline friends for who they are-- intelligent and sensitive
companions. Because of this, John spends some time helping you know just
how a cat thinks (which is also the goal of this Journal) so you can get
along with her.
The book covers very thoroughly
the critical first 24 hours, making sure the house is safe, introducing the
cat to others in the household gradually (this includes children!), making
sure the cat knows where the essentials are-- food, water, litter. One nice
touch is that he advises you to talk to your cat.
Cats hear us. They just choose to ignore
what we say to them (sometimes). But most of all John points out how to gradually
get adjusted to the cat and let the cat do the same with you. This is such
wise common sense, it cannot be stressed enough.
The book also covers topics
such as medical care, indoor and outdoor cat considerations, modifying behavior
thorough humane and sensible tactics (yes, you have to outsmart your cat),
grooming and maintenance, and all the other topics essential to having a
healthy and happy life with your cat. It is a very thorough treatment of
cat life or life with a cat, with the emphasis on those first 24 hours. You
know what they say, first impressions are the strongest. And this is just
as true with cats as with people!
One nice feature of the book
is the appendix section. Not only does John outline the basic costs you can
expect, but he includes a list of clickable resources for cat items and other
essentials that you can find on the Internet.
Review:
This is one of the best cat care books I have ever read--
and I really appreciate the humane and no nonsense approach. John
obviously knows his subject and has researched it thoroughly.
What makes
it unique is the emphasis on those first 24 hours, a topic that pet shelters
know very well, but adoptive humans often mess up tragically. This makes
it an essential read. Every pet shelter in the world would applaud this book!
The book is well laid out with discrete sections (medical, behavioral
and so on) and John keeps the emphasis on the first hours when a new cat
comes into your home. The book has added value in the appendices. The
subject of cats and cat care is a complex one, and John has managed to handle
this with a thoughtful, well considered and practical approach. His writing
style is direct and to the point, the pictures are simply wonderful, and
the content is thoroughly covered in an authoritative and knowledgeable way.
I highly recommend this book. If you have a cat or cats you should get
it just for the tips it contains, if you are considering getting a cat you
MUST get this book, and if you know anyone who is thinking of getting a cat,
this book makes a great gift, far more valuable that a cat toy.
Summary:
If you are considering getting a cat, have a cat, know someone who is
getting a cat-- get this book or give it as a gift to someone you care about.
If not for them, then for the sake of the animal they may bring into their
home. It will make the transition far more humane and easy going for everyone
concerned.
On a rating of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best, I give this book: 10.
Your New Cat's First 24 Hours
by John Young
Published by: John Young
E-Book, Illustrated, 110 pages
Available at:
Your Cats Secrets
http://www.yourcatsecrets.com/
About the
Article Author:
Tim Thompson,
author of this article, has been living with cats for many years. As a student
of behavioral statistics, he has learned the importance of observation to
understanding behaviors in humans and animals. He has served as a member
of the Board of a local rescue shelter and worked with their foster care givers for 8 years. On the home front, he is the human companion of Gertrude
and Eddie, two tiger tabbies who are constantly teaching Tim new things about
living with cats.
