As it is published by the ASPCA, it also has a fairly strong and opinionated editorial stance, which is something I found refreshing & courageous. (For example, they clearly are against not neutering your cat, buying from a pet store, and to a lesser extent letting your cat go out by themselves.)

All and all, a very complete yet fun to read book, which manages to pack a lot of info & beautiful pictures in a tight format.

22 of 25 found the following review helpful:

The cat's meow of guides...  Jun 12, 2003
By FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick"
As anyone who knows me knows, I have cats. I seem to attract them, well, like cats! I have cat joys and cat tragedies especially prominent in the past few years, with two outdoor disappearances and one indoor death, yet with wonderful new additions and the experience of sharing my home with seven new kittens born under my desk one summer, and five more from a different stray the next summer.

I had always considered cats low maintenance, essentially self-sufficient. This was a requirement to me, as I'm not home very often, and when I am, I can't spend too much time on cat duty. This was the reason I opted for cats over dogs. I was raised a dog person. But dogs require attention several times a day. Sorry, can't do it...

Well, with all that happened in the past year, I found that cats, while generally low-maintenance, have periods nonetheless in which they need special care and attention (even if, like Emma, they don't really want it). Thus, being a person in the education mode, I decided I needed to learn more. It just so happened that one of my book clubs was offering the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats, so I ordered it.

This has been a gem of a book. It is complete, concise yet filled with information, well organised, colourful and picture-ful, durable (slick coating on the covers and a finish on the pages means the cats can walk across with dampened paws and not destroy the book, useful when it is opened when I attending their needs).

The first section discusses how and when to bring a cat home. It addresses such issues as cats and kids, preparing the home for a cat, your own readiness, and which kind is most appropriate for which environment. It also discusses what to do when welcoming your new friend into the home. Food, vet care, litter (to box or not to box, ah, that is a question!), and how to introduce new cats to other cats is discussed.

The second section is a reference guide to cat breeds. In addition to specific breeds organised alphabetically (Abyssinian to York Chocolate) it talks about coat palettes and patterns, colourations, paw and toe issues, and special needs. The breed section identifies special grooming and dietary needs, lap- and kid-friendly breeds, energy, and of course, wonderful photographs of representative cats for each breed.

Section three gives a bit of biological and physiological information, about cats, as well as (if it is possible!) some insight into the psychological functioning of cats. Are they really that smart? Are they really that clean? It addresses mating habits and catnip addictions, too!

The fourth section has been the most important to me, Taking care of your cat. It discusses briefly everyday feeding and care, but then has a good section on potential health concerns, what to do in the case of injury and illness, gives home nursing tips (important with Emma), and how to deal with both the beginning and end of the lifespan, which, with new kittens in the bedroom and a declining Emma in the living room, I was dealing with both ends of the spectrum.

This is an excellent one-volume reference to cats, useful for anyone who cares for cats. The appendices have glossaries, telephone numbers and resources, and recommended readings to continue a feline-related education.

But, if you just pick this one up for the pictures, it would be worth it for that too. And you might just learn something along the way--always a plus.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

well organized, great photos, very good overall  Apr 09, 2002
By ALEX YONG
has easy to use icons to help you match desirable traits to certain breeds. Examples: "Lap cat", "Talkative", "High Energy", "Special Grooming Needs" ... having read the section on the Burmese breed, for example, I can now say, yes their looks are great, but for me, their personality mismatches what i'm looking for in a cat.

has abundant information without being the size of a cinder block. in fact, this book is nice and compact, about the size of a mousepad and an inch thick. the high quality photos are beautiful and the kittycats are so adorable (the cat is my absolute favorite animal!) Minor nitpick: the Ragamuffin breed and the Pixiebob breed aren't featured. i like keeping this book on my coffee table for my cat-loving friends to enjoy too

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Invaluable reference book  Feb 25, 2003

This book is ideal for someone who is considering adopting a kitten or cat. It has abundant info on breeds, including each breed's talkativeness, activity level, and temperament. The numerous photos are captivating. It deals with basic aspects of feline life phases, health & bodily functions, and behavior. It is a useful guide to the cat owner regarding the basics of pet care & problem solving. This is quite a thorough book for being a slim volume, and it was my constant companion through kittenhood.

By the way, our cat has stayed with friends several times when we were out of town, and I have found it useful to loan them _Aspca Complete Guide to Cats_ along with the kitty. It is an entertaining read for the sitters and puts my mind at ease.

If you already have a cat and want more in depth reading, I recommend _The Character of Cats: The Origins, Intelligence, Behavior, and Stratagems of Felis Silvestris Catus_ by Stephen Budiansky, which I found fascinating.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Good guide for cat owners, a little overwhelming for a newbie  Apr 09, 2008
By K. Sweeney
I just adopted my furry son Riley, and this book has been very helpful. I'm a novice cat owner and, although I'm familiar with cats, I was a bit nervous about deciphering behavior and making his transition easy on both of us. The Complete Guide to Cats is very practical and down to earth - every suggestion comes with several ways of implementing it. I found the guide to behavior and the section on feeding and litterbox selection to be particularly helpful. The section on breeds, while interesting, was a little overwhelming - my guy is an orange tabby of no particular breed and I got a little hung up on the various grooming requirements before I figured him out.

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