The Inner Life of Cats

The Inner Life of Cats: The Science and Secrets of Our Mysterious Feline Companions by Thomas McNamee    Audio Book: 8 hours, 25 minutes     Hardback Book: 288 pages        

 

I had a love/hate relationship with the author while reading this book.    The book itself is good, some of the author’s opinions were a little abrasive to me.    He loved his cat to the point of mourning her when she passed away and yet, he could never be sure that cats were capable of feeling emotions like love.    Dude, of course they do!   Have you never had a cat nuzzle you or want to play or adore you so much there is no happier place for them than to be in their human’s arms?    Cats don’t bond with everyone (although I might have a case for that with one of mine.   She loves everybody, but, then she also loves to be loved so maybe that is the payoff – attention).     The author examines catdom from their prehistoric beginnings through the Egyptian deifying of domestic cats in the goddess, Bastet.    He also tells how Muhammad loved his favorite cat Muezza so much that once when the call to prayer came Muhammad saw that Muezza was asleep on the sleeve of his prayer robe.   Muhammad gently cut the sleeve off so as not to disturb Muezza and went to pray.   When he returned from the Mosque,  Muezza bowed to him and in love he petted Muezza stroking the cat 3 times then He granted Muezza and all cats from that time on 7 lives out of his sheer love for his precious cat.    The author cites many psychological and scientific studies about cat behavior and how a cat behavioralist friend of his teaches cats tricks that she says anyone can learn and any cat can do.   He talks about his life in Montana when he first met Augusta, the kitten who came to be their family cat.   Someone had dropped the kitten off on the road and she managed to make her way in the tire ruts up to where the author, Tom McNamee and his wife found her barely alive and nearly frozen and nursed her back to life.   While he mentioned a few times throughout the book she was probably part of a litter of kittens someone left on the road he never mentions ever having checked to see if there might have been others freezing to death out in the sub-zero weather.    He assumed it was so and says a few times he was certain there were more that died in the cold – but – thinking that – why didn’t he at least look to see if there might be more out there?   I get it the weather was horrendously cold, but, just a quick check or drive down the path slowly in case you might just see them?   He tends to side with the clinical sterile cats are animals view and he and his wife called Augusta dummy and stupie and other names when the cat didn’t perform as they wanted.   Cats aren’t stupid nor dumb.   Cats just tend to not necessarily want to do what we humans may want them to do.   Cats have enough savoir fare to behave as they believe in a situation what is right for them at the time and likely wonder what is wrong with us to expect anything different from them.     He and his wife did get a step stool for Augusta when she got so old she wasn’t getting around all that well so that she could climb up on the bed when she got too old to jump but my beef is – you see she is in pain and having a hard time walking up the stairs to the bedroom, why wouldn’t you pick her up and carry her?   So many little things like that peppered throughout the book makes me not like the storyteller at times, though, I did like the book and learned many things along the way.   For those wanting to learn the body language of cats he gives a great explanation that will give much insight into cat behavior.   He also tells about the Gittana “Cat Ladies” of Italy who have taken care of the feral cat colonies there for decades, so much so, that there are now laws in place protecting the lives of cats that unless a feral cat is sick  or injured to the point they cannot be saved, it is illegal to put them to death.    There are actually cat colony tours of 14 of the feral cat colonies and many, many volunteers brining them food, providing health care for them and spaying and neutering.    He discusses TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) programs in length throughout many parts of the world and how Italy champions stray felines and while TNR is promoted and done extensively, there is still some growth in a few of the feral colonies when someone drops off an unneutered feline at one of the sites.    This is a very good book and I enjoyed it, even if I did find the author’s viewpoints going against the grain now and then.    I applaud the good he does, the care and yes love he gave and received and how he experienced such a loss when Augusta passed away that shows he did care for her a lot .   Just wake up and realize yes, our pets love us back they are not little furry automatons they care, too, otherwise why would they be so thrilled to see us when we come through the door every day?  O.K. not every cat is over zealous but you can bet it’s not just not having apposable thumbs to open the cans of cat food or bags of kibble that keep them snuggling in our laps.    Love the story, love the author in many ways, agree to disagree with some of his lack of action/understanding in a couple of things.   Both opposable thumbs up for this book.