Domestic Cat

Humans have lived with cats for thousands of years, and there are now more cats kept in western households than any other animal. Cherished as companions, valued as rodent catchers, their enigmatic behaviour has intrigued and bewildered us for generations. Whilst accepting the comforts of human homes, cats do seem to 'walk by themselves'. Although loved for their independence and self-reliance, myths and fables surround them, leaving them open to persecution and misunderstanding. Covering all types of cats from pampered pets to feral hunters, this completely revised new edition of The Domestic Cat shows how cats live and behave in a variety of circumstances and surroundings. With new chapters on welfare issues, and cat-cat communication, this volume penetrates the enigma that is Felis catus, sorting fact from fiction, and helping both the general reader and the specialist in animal behaviour or veterinary science to understand what cats really are.

(Cambridge)

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From the reviews of the previous edition: 'The Domestic Cat is sure to become a classic in the study of behaviour in domestic animals.' Juliet Clutton-Brock, Nature

'Cat society is wonderfully reported here ... a fine example of behaviour study.' Scientific American

'... this book is an excellent resource in which to seek information, find references, build a background for any new studies involving cats ... this edition provides one of the best sources available for comparison of behaviors across the field group.' Penny Bernstein, Anthrozos

'This book will be of interest to many general readers but its greatest value will be to the growing number of workers in the field of companion animal behaviour, including those employed by animal welfare societies, to whom it will be an important work of reference as well as a source of reliable information.' Jenny Remfrey, Animal Welfare

'... well written, referenced and indexed ... a must for anyone studying feline behaviour or involved in rehoming and rescue work ... It is also a very useful reference text for veterinary surgeons and students with genuine interest in feline medicine.' The Veterinary Record

(Cambridge)

List of contributors; Preface and acknowledgements; Part I. Introduction: 1. Why the cat? Dennis C. Turner and Patrick Bateson; Part II. Development of Young Cats: 2. Behavioural development in the cat Patrick Bateson; 3. Factors influencing the mother-kitten relationship John M. Deag, Aubrey Manning and Candace E. Lawrence; 4. Individuality in the domestic cat: origins, development and stability Michael Mendl and Robert Harcourt; Part III. Social Life: 5. The signalling repertoire of the domestic cat and its undomesticated relatives John Bradshaw and Charlotte Cameron-Beaumont; 6. Group-living in the domestic cat: its sociobiology and epidemiology David W. Macdonald, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi and Gillian Kerby; 7. Density, spatial organisation and reproductive tactics in the domestic cat and other felids Olof Liberg, Mikael Sandell, Dominique Pontier and Eugenia Natoli; Part IV. Predatory Behaviour: 8. Hunting behaviour of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations B. Mike Fitzgerald and Dennis C. Turner; Part V. Cats and People: 9. Domestication and history of the cat James A. Serpell; 10. The human-cat relationship Dennis C. Turner; 11. Feline welfare issues Irene Rochlitz; Part VI. Postscript: 12. Questions about cats Patrick Bateson and Dennis C. Turner; Index.

(Cambridge)