The Book Your Cat Would Want You To Read

Author: Vicky Halls

ISBN: 0593 05276 5

 

The following review was contributed by: Helen Kaut: To read more of Helen Kaut’s Reviews Click HERE

 

Is your cat constantly ignoring her litter tray and using your carpet instead? Is he the infamous bully of the neighborhood or does he hate your partner? You love your cat dearly, you’ve tried everything and are at your wits’ end. Re-homing the cat is not an option but you can’t put up with the disturbing behavior either.

 Don’t despair. The solution could be to read Cat Confidential and gain new understanding into the needs and worries of your feline friend. Written by Britain’s leading ”cat shrink” Vicky Halls, this book contains lots of practical advice regarding cat behavior, anecdotes, case studies based on experiences with her own cats and her feline clients.

 Halls explains in her introduction that cat counselors like herself have become increasingly popular due to the demands of modern life and the fact that more and more people live on their own. This not only affects the owners of the cat, but also the cats themselves, who often “function” as the only companion and are burdened with a role they cannot possibly fulfill. This is very vividly described in the chapter “The Cat-Human Bond”, which explores how an over attachment on both sides can cause behavioral changes in the cat. In some cases cats have to share their home with other cats, although unlike dogs, they are not pack animals. Halls stresses that cats are neither simple creatures nor are they ”small people in fur coats”, but rather complex animals who can suffer from the well meaning but wrong treatment bestowed on them by their owners.

The book starts with choosing the right kitten and how to make it feel comfortable in his new home. The next two chapters are devoted to the scared and the aggressive cat.  Aggression can be very subtle in cats and owners of a multi-cat household are often not aware of the feline mind games: when one cat is obstructing the way to the litter tray, the result is often that the bullied cat ends up with bladder problems and soils the floor. A simple solution is to follow Halls formula of one litter tray per cat plus one extra positioned in accessible areas around the house.

 Cats are not well suited as indoor animals and a whole chapter is devoted to the indoor cat and its needs. Cats when left alone for most of the day without any stimulation can become stir-crazy and show undesirable behavior. Halls’ therapies for them involve a lot of play and a stimulating environment.

 Sometimes the solution can be as simple as just changing the litter used in the tray. What will come as a surprise to the reader is Halls’ view on cat flaps. Cat flaps might be convenient for cat and owner but have a big disadvantage: they invite unwanted guests as they function like an open door. In the cases when a notable invasion took place she recommended to get rid of the cat flap for the sake of the cat’s peace of mind. 

 One chapter is devoted to elderly and disabled cats and the final chapter focuses more on the human than the cat as it deals with the hard task of putting a cat to sleep and how to go through the grieving process. Halls can draw on her own sad experiences and it is one of the most touching chapters.

 I have read quite a few books on cat care but what make Halls‘ book so wonderful and unique is her sense of humor, her passion for the subject and her wisdom which shines through on every page.