Overview
Four or five thousand years ago, African wild cats were domesticated by the Egyptians. Several hundred years and many cat generations later, the wild animal gradually evolved into the domestic cat as we now know it. Today's many varieties of house cats differ noticeably from their Egyptian ancestors, and the cats of present-day Cairo look the same as cats from everywhere else. But not far from Egypt is an island where a unique group of cats resembles those of the ancients. They are remarkable in their social organizations and in their place within a human culture. On the Lamu archipelago, off the coast of Kenya, the cats of the pharaohs may still survive. The Cats of Lamu is a window into a timeless world where cats and people live together - independently and beneficially - in the land where their ancestors thrived. Jack Couffer studies his subjects as a naturalist, coming to know individual cats and the inner workings of their 'prides,' as he aptly calls their family groups. Following the cats around the beach as they wait for the fishing boats to come in, and snooping around backyard gardens to trail them on nightly excursions, Couffer gains rare insight into cat behavior - as well as a reputation among his neighbors as an eccentric. His enchanting book documents the lives and relationships of these special cats in gorgeous photographs and lively text. (9 X 9, 168 pages, color photos, b&w photos, map)