Caring for Your Cat

Children's Literature - Barbara L. Talcroft

Kids are often beguiled by the idea of owning a pet; unfortunately, taking responsibility for daily care may not be so exciting. This title written with a veterinarian as consultant, is designed to provide easy-to-read information about the care of the most often chosen pets. In this title, cat-lovers will learn about necessary supplies like litter boxes, brushes, and scratching posts. Other sections, each accompanied by a lively and well-chosen color photo, explain the essentials of feeding a cat, grooming it, and taking it to a vet (including spaying or neutering). Readers are warned never to leave a cat alone with small pets or birds and are told how long to expect a healthy cat to live. One page in each book introduces wild relatives—in this case, big cats like lions, tigers, and leopards; the last topic—decoding cat behavior—offers helpful advice; for example, "When cats arch their backs and their fur stands up, they are scared or angry. Stay back!" In place of sidebars, a small cartoon cat (created by Kim Brown) speaks directly to readers: "Now that I'm an older cat, I don't like to play as much. Pet me softly and pick me up gently." Each book in this useful, well-presented series includes a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Part of the "Positively Pets" series.