Puffin loves to talk about her favorite subject: "Let's talk about cats...like me!"
In the first bonus chapter of Your Cat Won’t Do That!, I asked and answered the question, “WHY DO I NEED A CAT-SITTER?”
In this second bonus chapter, I want to talk a little bit more about the book itself and answer the question any “friend of cats” with a reading habit would ask: “Why should I read Your Cat Won’t Do That!?”
As with any book, the question has many possible answers. For one thing, there’s always the matter of judging a book by its cover. In the case of Your Cat Won't Do That!, I hope you find the cover appealing, because that’s my own dear, departed Maxi serving as the front cover model. (The cat on the back is Lulu, one of my former clients.)
However appealing Maxi’s picture may be, you probably want more reasons to pick up a copy of the book and give it your attention. What’s in the book that makes it worth your time? What could you possibly learn about cats and taking care of them from Your Cat Won't Do That! that you don’t already know? What makes Your Cat Won't Do That! that it a must-read for a cat lover like you?
It’s that last presumption that’s the key here. I’m assuming that if your interest has been piqued by the book, its title, or its cover, and that you’ve visited this site to learn more about it, you must certainly be a cat lover. And one thing I know about cat lovers is that we love to talk about cats--about taking care of cats, their habits, their foibles ... everything.
That’s how I like to think about my book: it’s a written conversation between me, a longtime cat lover and former professional cat-sitter, and my friends in the cat-loving community at large. Or it's probably better to say, it’s my half of the conversation, transcribed into a brief book with a handful of (hopefully) entertaining kitty pictures thrown in.
All the topics covered in Your Cat Won't Do That!--be it feeding. or the litter box, or just observing cat behaviors, or any of the other subjects mentioned in the book--amount to me sitting down with another cat lover--hopefully you, dear reader--and saying, “Hey, did you ever notice this about your kitty?” or “You know, I’ve always found that this is the best way to go about [insert cat care subject here]” or, especially, “Here’s what you need to think about when you’re leaving your cat with someone else …”
A lot of the opinions I give in Your Cat Won't Do That! may very well be nuggets of wisdom that you already know, since you’re a cat lover and have probably had a cat or two (or ten) in your life. I am, after all, preaching to a pretty specific choir here. Then again, there may be an idea or two in my book that never occurred to you, even if you’re a longtime cat lover.
Think about it: you’ve been caring for your own cat (or cats) for years. You have probably settled into, let’s say, a litter box routine that you’ve done for time out of mind. You think you have it all figured out--and maybe you do. But, what if there’s some aspect of your litter routine--the litter you use, how much of it, the shape and size of your cat’s box, even where you’ve situated the box--that you’ve never really considered beyond what you already do? Might there not be a better way of going about your business of cleaning up your cat’s "business"? Are you sure you’ve looked at that process from every angle?
I can say for certain that spending ten years going into other peoples homes and taking care of other people’s cats, within a context that was not my own place, opened my eyes to all the nuances of cat care--including different approaches that I would have never even considered without having had the opportunity to look at those subjects with fresh eyes in fresh circumstances.
My guess is that you and me and all cat lovers can benefit from rethinking any number of topics and habits that fall under the umbrella of cat care--not just when caring for other people’s cats, but as regards to taking care of our own cats ourselves, in our own homes.
Add to that the extra dimension when you're dealing with not just your cats, but also with the human animal you’ve selected to take care of your kitties while you’re away, and you have some ground to cross that will be somewhat unfamiliar for even the most seasoned cat companion.
It’s always a mistake to believe you know everything, or that you have everything figured out. Once upon a time a great Taoist master--or, possibly, a very wise talking cat--said, “To know is not to know, not to know is to know.” Re-examining our thoughts and beliefs is always a good idea. There must be a few things in your body of cat knowledge that could use some reconsideration. With Your Cat Won't Do That!, I’m asking to be your guide through the not-necessarily-familiar terrain of getting a cat-sitter--typically, a relative stranger--to take good care of your cats. I wish to offer thoughts on the matter that will not only make it easier on your cats while you’re away, but that just might make life a bit better for you and the kitties even when you’re home.
How does that sound for a win-win kind of deal? That’s what I’m hoping to present to the cat-loving public with Your Cat Won't Do That!
So please--let’s have a conversation about cats, through the medium of Your Cat Won't Do That!Get a copy of my book, take a comfortable seat--hopefully with a cat purring on your lap--and give my book a look. I have no doubt you won’t regret it.
Plus, Your Cat Won't Do That! has a bunch of cute pictures of cats in it. How can you go wrong?
Thanks for your attention, and for giving Your Cat Won't Do That! your consideration. And please give your cats a good scratch behind the ears for me.
Disclaimer: please note that the views expressed in this essay are strictly the author’s opinions. They should be considered critically, and all decisions you make about your cat and his/her health, comfort and safety should be made as fully-informed judgments.
Thank you for visiting this page, and for your interest in Your Cat Won't Do That!