Cat Fanciers Bookstore

In association with amazon.com, the world’s largest online bookstore, we’ve made this a place for cat lovers to buy books about cats, cat breeding, and cat showing while furthering the cause of feline health! A portion of each purchase you make through this site goes to sponsor veterinary research into medical problems affecting cats.

If you have additional books you would like to recommend, we would be delighted to hear from you! Just drop us a line.

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[Art and Fiction] [Breeding and Showing] [Breeds] [Care and Health] [General Nonfiction about Cats]

 

Books on Cat Breeding and Cat Showing

Breeding Pedigreed Cats, Carolyn M. Vella and John J. McGonagle, 1997. A well-written and thorough book, written by a pair of experienced breeders. If you can buy only one book on breeding, this is the one to get.

A Feline Affair: Raising and Breeding Purebred Cats, Elaine Wenner Gilbertson, 1993. A good reference for guidance in dealing with the everyday situations that arise in cat breeding, especially geared towards those who are starting to get involved in the Fancy.

Breeding Purebred Cats: A Guide for the Novice and Small Breeder, Anne S. Moore, 1981. A “how-to” book for those who are either just getting into breeding, or are considering doing so. Outlines pros and cons, things to consider and watch out for.

Cats Are Not Peas: A Calico History of Genetics, Laura L. Gould, 1996. Gould presents the genetics of the cat by way of telling the story of George, her calico male cat. Well-written, informative, and funny.

Genetics For Cat Breeders and Veterinarians, Carolyn Vella, Lorraine Shelton, et al, 1999 (fourth edition). This is the genetics textbook for cat breeders. If you’ve already devoured all the genetics information the Internet has to offer, and you want more, this is your book. Not for novices, unless the novice in question has a scientific bent and an analytical mind.

In the Spotlight: A Guide to Showing Pedigreed and Household Pet Cats, Carolyn Vella and John J. McGonagle, Jr., 1990. Provides many valuable hints and tips for those interested in showing cats. Although out of print, it’s worth the hunt for a used copy if you’re interested in beginning your show career.

It’s Show-Time!: And Here’s Everything Cat Fanciers Need to Know About Shows, Phil Magitti and J. Anne Helgren, 1998. A currently available book on cat showing for the newcomer.

 

Cat Breeds

Legacy of the Cat: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide, Gloria Stephens, photos: Tetsu Yamazaki, 1997 (reprint edition). Authors of most general breed books, with few exceptions, seem to have limited their research on breeds to reading books written by other authors who have … and so on. This book, written by a breeder and genetics instructor, is a joyous exception. A very good discussion of genetics, and a fairly complete breed section, featuring beautiful photographs.

 

Cat Care and Health

The Well Cat Book: The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care, Terri McGinnis, D.V.M. & Pat Stewart, 1996 (revised edition). A classic, well-illustrated book on cat care, freshly updated.

Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook, Delbert G. Carlson, D.V.M, James M. Griffin, D.V.M. & Lisa Carlson, D.V.M., 1995 (revised edition). An excellent home veterinary reference; easy to understand, with many pictures and illustrations.

The Cornell Book of Cats: A Comprehensive and Authoritative Medical Reference for Every Cat and Kitten, edited by Mordecai Siegal, 1997 (second edition). Though written much like a veterinary textbook, one doesn’t need to be a vet to understand it. Provides more detailed medical information than most books.

Feline Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians, Bonnie V. Beaver, DVM, 1992. A useful resource for breeders: one breeder comments: “very, very good. It’s not too technical nor oversimplified. I highly recommend it!” Special-order through Amazon.Com.

Feline Husbandry: Diseases and Management in the Multiple-Cat Environment, Niels C. Pedersen, 1991. A collection of articles on the situations faced by breeders or fanciers with multiple cats. A “must-have” for the serious breeder; of interest to anyone with more than two cats. Don’t let the technical language put you off; the content is important.

Feline Infectious Diseases, Niels C. Pedersen, 1988. A veterinary textbook.

The New Natural Cat, Anitra Frazier with Norma Ecktroate, 1990. Presents a holistic approach to cat care – concentrating on diet, grooming, and homeopathic veterinary medicine.

The Holistic Guide For A Healthy Dog, Wendy Volhard & Kerry Brown, DVM, 1995. (Readily adaptable for cats, if you are interested in holistic diets.)

Cat Massage: A Whiskers-To-Tail Guide to Your Cat’s Ultimate Petting Experience, Maryjean Ballner, 1997. Skillfully administered massage provides sublime relaxation and the feeling of intense well-being – for your cat!

Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and Dogs, Cheryl Schwartz, DVM, 1996.

Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine, Principles And Practices, edited by Allen Schoen, DVM and Susan Wynn, DVM.

 

General Nonfiction about Cats

We’re Having a Kitten!: From the Big Decision Through the Crucial First Year, Eric Swanson, 1997. A book on choosing and caring for your first cat; a good book for the first-time cat owner.

Cats For Dummies, Gina Spadafori & Paul D. Pion, 1997. The “… For Dummies” series is of generally high quality (despite the offputting name), and this volume is no exception. An excellent book for the first-time owner.

Cats Have No Masters…Just Friends: An Investigation into the Feline Mind, Karen Anderson, 1998. Beautifully illustrated.

The Complete Cat Book, Richard H. Gebhardt, 1991. A history of the cat fancy, written by a long-time judge. Features a fairly complete breed section.

The Book of the Cat, Michael Wright and Sally Walters, editors, 1981. A very good guide to cat care, genetics, and cat breeds. The breed section is a bit incomplete, but an informative history of each breed is presented. Out of print, but worth a search.

The Noble Cat – Aristocrat of the Animal World, Howard Loxton, 1990. A beautiful book full of color photographs of both wild and domestic cats. Covers cat history, cat breeds, the cat’s life cycle, and cat care. Fairly complete breed list with many pictures. Unfortunately out of print now.

 

The Cat In Art and Fiction

Cat Hiss-Tory: A Feline Tour Through the Ages, Frederica Templeton, 1999. A humorous cat’s-eye view of history with charming illustrations.

A Cat’s Little Instruction Book, Leigh W. Rutledge, 1993. A humorous collection of a mother cat’s words of wisdom to her kittens.

All I Need to Know I Learned From My Cat, Suzy Becker, 1990. A very humorous collection of the author’s cat cartoons.

All My Patients are Under the Bed, Dr. Louis J. Camuti, with Marilyn and Haskel Frankel, 1980. Memoirs of a Manhattan cat veterinarian who made housecalls. Many amusing anecdotes.

Cat: Seventeenth Anniversary Edition, B Kliban, 1992. Features most of the author’s well-known cat cartoons.

My Cat’s Not Fat, He’s Just Big-Boned, Nicole Hollander, 1998. Another collection of the author’s “Sylvia” cartoons, featuring her cats.

In the Company of Cats – A Tribute to the Feline, edited by Linda Sunshine, 1991. A lovely little book filled with color pictures and appropriate quotes, poems, and excerpts from Hemingway, Twain, P.G. Wodehouse, etc.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot, 1939. A collection of cat poems – this is where the term “jellicle cat” originated. Many of the lyrics in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical “Cats” are from these poems.

The Quotable Cat, Lisa A. Rogak, 1992. A collection of quotes from more than two hundred cat lovers, such as T.S. Eliot, Mark Twain, and Theophile Gautier.

The Silent Miaow, A Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats. “Translated from the Feline by Paul Gallico”, 1964. A first-cat account of the journey from the streets to the lap of luxury.

The Tao of Meow, Waldo Japussy, 1990. The feline answer to The Tao of Pooh.

The Sophisticated Cat, A Gathering of Stories, Poems, and Miscellaneous Writings About Cats, edited by Joyce Carol Oates and Daniel Halpern, 1992. Includes complete short stories and poems as well as excerpts, by such writers as Chekhov, Balzac, Poe, Shelley, Dickinson and Kipling. Amazon shows the publisher currently out of stock.

The Enchanted Cat, edited by John Richard Stephens, 1990. A compendium of stories, poems, quotes, and artwork by Hemingway, Lewis Carroll, Renoir, Wordsworth, etc. All pictures and artwork are black and white. Out of print, unfortunately.

The Complete Field Guide to Kitty Cat Positions, Linda Miles and Betty Wilson, 1993. Taking a cue from bird-watchers, this book features drawings of cats in typical cat positions, and encourages the cat-watcher to log the time and place the sighting occured. Fun, but unfortunately out of print.