Is My Cat Crazy?

If only it were that simple! But the fact is that your cat is very sensible indeed—about cat things. She knows how to scratch upright surfaces, cough up hairballs, send messages with her pee, and party all night. To the feline mind, these are the stuff of everyday life—as important as sleeping all day and grooming for several hours using nothing but your tongue.

Your clever kitty knows you very well (after all, she sits and stares at you when you’re in the bathroom). But how well do you know her? Find out why cats knead against us, the best way to hold a cat, how cats can jump onto your kitchen counters without even a running start, why they chew on your sweaters.

Award-winning pet experts Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori explain the ins and outs of the feline psyche. Because the better you understand cats, the easier it is to love the kitty on your couch. Can you teach an old cat new tricks? You bet! Expecting a baby? It’s perfectly okay to keep your cat. What about kittens? You’ll find everything you always wanted to know about feline sex but were afraid to ask.

Your cat’s not crazy, but she can be mysterious. Did you know cats can tell time? They talk with their tails and walk on their toes. And there are even rumors that some cats are descendents of space aliens. It’s no wonder the ancient Egyptians were not the only ones who worshipped them.

You’ll also find the answers to questions that tend to tickle your curiosity: Why do cats’ eyes glow in the dark? What’s in catnip that makes kitties so silly? Can curiosity really kill a cat?

You’ve got questions? This book’s got answers. Do cats always land on their feet? Find out!

Marty Becker, D.V.M., ‘America’s Favorite Vet,’ was named Veterinarian of the Year in 2002. He is regularly featured on ABC-TV’s, Good Morning America, writes a weekly column for over 500 Knight Ridder newspapers, and coauthored several of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul books for cat- and dog-lovers. He lives in Idaho.

Gina Spadafori is a nationally syndicated pet-care columnist and top-selling author of Dogs For Dummies, and co-author of Cats For Dummies and Birds For Dummies. She lives in northern California in a decidedly multispecies home.

Cats first purred their way into human hearts thousands of years ago, and have been our treasured companions and soul mates ever since. Whether impish kittens, regal adult cats or serene seniors, it’s impossible for us to remain indifferent to them—especially at 4 A.M. when the food bowl runs dry! So smile at their many “c’attitudes,” and feed your feline passion by “purr-using” wonderful stories like these:

• A Russian blue comforts his mourning owner by faithfully bringing her flowers
• An heroic red tabby Manx saves the family he loves from a lethal gas leak in their home
• A Devon rex with extraordinary talents—including playing the piano—expands people’s notions of what a cat can do
• A fish-loving shorthair nearly loses his head while scavenging in the garbage disposal—but lives to meow about it
• A three-legged kitty befriends a lonely third-grade girl, transforming her world and inspiring her future success in life

From playful and hilarious accounts of life with cats to heartwarming tales of cat courage, healing and learning, each touching story in Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul celebrates the special bond we share with our cats.

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are the #1 New York Times and USA Today best-selling authors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Marty Becker, D.V.M., is regularly featured on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America and writes a weekly column for over 500 Knight Ridder newspapers.

Carol Kline is co-director of the Dog Rescue Program at the Noah’s Ark Animal Foundation.

Amy D. Shojai, writes a weekly newspaper P’ETiquette™ column and the weekly online PurinaCatchow.com “Emotional Health” column.

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are the #1 New York Times and USA Today best-selling authors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.