Description
The most commonly kept domestic animal in the developed world, the cat has been a part of human life for thousands of years. Cats have been both worshipped and persecuted over this long period - either loved or hated for their enigmatic self-reliance and the subject of numerous myths and fables. Highlighting startling discoveries made over the last ten years, this new edition features contributions from experts in a wide range of fields, providing authoritative accounts of the behaviour of cats and how they interact with people. Thoroughly revised and updated to include information on the basic features of cat development and social life, the history of their relations with humans, health and welfare problems, and the breeding of cats for sale and for show. It is intended for all those, whether specialist or general reader, who love or are simply intrigued by these fascinating animals.
Table of Contents
List of contributors; Part I. Introduction: 1. Why the cat? Dennis C. Turner and Patrick Bateson; Part II. From Kitten to Adulthood: 2. Behavioural development in the cat Patrick Bateson; 3. Normal and problematic reproductive behaviour in the domestic cat Benjamin L. Hart and Lynette A. Hart; 4. Communication in the domestic cat: within and between species Sarah L. Brown and John W. S. Bradshaw; Part III. Social Life and Ecology: 5. Social organization and behavioural ecology of free-ranging domestic cats Dennis C. Turner; 6. Social behaviour of domestic cats in the human home Penny L. Bernstein and Erika Friedmann; Part IV. Cats and People: 7. Domestication and history of the cat James A. Serpell; 8. Cultural differences in human-cat relations Dennis C. Turner, Eva Waiblinger and Barbara Fehlbaum; 9. Human and cat personalities: building the bond from both sides Kurt Kotrschal, Jon Day, Sandra McCune and Manuela Wedl; Part V. Cat Breeding and Cat Welfare: 10. Feline welfare issues Irene Rochlitz; 11. Breed and gender behaviour differences: relation to the ancient history and origin of the domestic cat Benjamin L. Hart, Lynette A. Hart and Leslie A. Lyons; 12. Showing cats Anne Gregory, Steve Crow and Hilary Dean; 13. Individual and environmental effects on health and welfare J. L. Stella and C. A. T. Buffington; 14. Feline behavioural problems and solutions Benjamin L. Hart and Lynette A. Hart; Part VI. The Future: 15. Cat population management Elly Hiby, Harry Eckman and Ian MacFarlaine; 16. Postscript: questions and some answers Patrick Bateson and Dennis C. Turner; References; Index.
