An oversized illustrated field guide to....the domestic cat???

This beautiful and informative book reminds me of the old TV commercial about some breath mint/candy – it’s a breath mint; no it’s a candy; no it’s a breath mint…. This book is an art book – no, it’s a fact book – no it’s an art book….

This large “coffee-table” book is full of beautiful color photographs of cats of just about every variety you can imagine, in different poses and moods. Many of the photos have been cropped to show ONLY the cat itself, but there are many photos that picture the cat with a prop, often a statue or figurine of a “big cat” like a leopard or lion, or some other piece of art. Many of the photos are striking; many of the cats are quite intriguing. That’s how cats are, of course! If you’re not in a reading mood, this book is still great to pick up and just browse through, looking at all the photos. There are over 300 full-color photographs to hold your interest. The largest section of the book deals with 37 specific breeds, and these photos are all identified by the sex and age (in years and months) of the subject pictured (though, I suppose for privacy’s sake, actual names are not given, only the breed’s name).

However, if you ARE in a reading mood, woowee, will you ever find a treasure trove here! To start with, here’s what the book covers:

CONTENTS:
Introduction
The History of the Domesticated Cat
The Basics of Genetics
Body Type
Color and Pattern
Eye Color
PROFILE OF THE CAT: 37 Breeds
(There follow 37 individual listings)
New Breeds (Bengal/Snowshoe)
Household Pets
Glossary of Terms
Postscript

This is a book that will utterly entertain and engage the simple cat lover, as well as the cat connoisseur or, as the cover flap puts it, people for whom cats are a business. Yes, the cat descriptions include information pertaining to the showing and judging of the breeds, and there is EXTENSIVE and detailed information on genetics, for those interested in the origins of breeds and in what genes are dominant or recessive, etc. In fact, the chapter on genetics, although basic, may well be “too much information” for just the average cat lover (though I find it fascinating) – if you are older (like me!) and did not have any genetics background in high school or college it may be a bit detailed. However, the charts and photos in this section, too, are interesting. And, oh, the EYE color photos! They actually have pictures and a classification to cover my oddball white cat from years ago. This very talented cat was rescued from a very traumatic life and she was quite neurotic when we got her, hiding for WEEKS under an end table and behind the sofa. But one of the most startling things about her was that she had one blue and one gold eye! And here in this book is a picture of this exact combination – “odd eyed” is the correct term. Unfortunately, the reason for this, and the incidence, is not explained. (I would have liked to know about that!)

The sections on individual breeds of cats are quite interesting, with a general one or two-sentence overview of the breed, its historical origins, general description and judging information, colors and pattern, and temperament. Occasionally there will be an additional section on genetics, or legends surrounding that breed. Facts presented, while complete, are certainly not dry. For example, here’s some introductory information from the section on the Birman (a cat that looks something like a long-haired Siamese): “The blue-eyed Birman is also known as the sacred cat of Burma….guardians of temples….The theories of the origin of the Birman include that it came from Southeast Asia, or that it was specifically bred by the French. Or, that the soul of a priest entered the body of the cat, changing the body color to golden and its eyes to a brilliant blue.” It goes on to tell us that only ONE pair of Birman cats survived World War II. Usually there is a two-page and often a four-page spread for each breed, and there will be multiple gorgeous photos decorating each spread and taking up most of the page.

So, whether you are interested in a select few breeds, or in knowing more about cats in general, or just in browsing through the cat world, this is an excellent source. It is a large softcover with fold-in flaps; the cover and even the pages are slick and should be fairly durable and resistant to very minor spills, so it should serve well as a coffee table book; it’s larger than some bookshelves will accommodate at 11-1/2 inches tall. If you’re not already very informed about cat breeds, you will probably be amazed to find out that the “common” cats you see around the neighborhood actually represent many different breeds, not JUST different colorings. Once you see these charts and read this book, you’ll notice different body shapes, eye color, and totally different temperament types, not just individual personalities. It’s quite an education! No, it’s an art book! No, it’s an educational book….aw, it’s BOTH!