The complete cat's meow : everything you need to know about caring for your cat

259 Pages·2011·6.62 MB·English

Pets/Cats
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The all-in-one resource
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“This is a book to be treasured
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by every cat lover—and we are a legion.
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I learned a lot and enjoyed every minute.”
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—BETTY WHITE, actress and author
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Do you consider your cat a valued member of the family? Do you want to ensure
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you’re giving your beloved feline friend the very best possible care? Then this all-
in-one cat care guide is for you! p
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From grooming to litter box issues to nutrition and much more, The Complete e
Cat’s Meow covers all the bases for successfully raising and caring for kitties. It t
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also shows you how to introduce a new kitten to other pets, handle behavioral

problems, and make life comfortable for cats of all ages.
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Whether you’re a veteran cat owner or thinking about adding a feline to your fam-
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ily, The Complete Cat’s Meow is your one-stop guide to comprehensive cat care.
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An award-winning writer, lecturer, and Certifi ed Animal
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Behavior Consultant, DARLENE ARDEN is the author of
several books on pet care, including Small Dogs, Big
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Hearts (Howell Book House). A former contributor to Cats
magazine, Darlene has written hundreds of articles for
major cat and dog publications, as well as for newspapers e
and general interest publications.
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$19.99 USA/$23.99 CAN
Cover Design: Wendy Mount
Cover Photograph: Lisa Marie Thompson/jupiterimages
Back Cover Photograph: Lisa Stirling/Getty Images
Author Photograph: Veronique Schejtman
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Praise for The Complete Cat’s Meow
This is a book to be treasured by every cat lover—and we are legion. I
learned a lot and enjoyed every minute.
—Betty White, actress and author
“Darlene Arden’s work has always been top-notch, and like most pet
writers’ work, mostly focuses on dogs. This is the most complete, on-
target cat book I’ve read in a very long time. Truly everything you need
to know about having a cat is here; in fact, Darlene does everything
except adopt the cat for you. And along the way she dispels myths and
mistaken notions about cats, too. With this book, Darlene instantly
CATapults herself into a select group of top cat experts in the country.”
— Steve Dale, CABC, contributing editor USA Weekend, syndicated Tri-
bune Media Services columnist, host of Steve Dale’s Pet World national
radio shows, and board member of the American Humane Associa-
tion, Winn Feline Foundation, and CATalyst Council board of directors
“Darlene Arden puts her usual writing flair into The Complete Cat’s
Meow. Accurate, well-researched, and full of useful and fascinating
facts, this book provides what the title promises: complete information.
Think cats can’t be trained? Think again. This book will teach you a
great deal, whether you’re a beginner or have been cat-owned for many
years. Although all sections of this book are accurate and well written,
I was particularly impressed with the section on handling and social-
izing kittens, as this is vital to their growing into well-behaved and
loving adults. The section on understanding cat behavior is equally
noteworthy, since so many problems can be avoided if one understands
how cats relate to their world. The section on popular cat breeds is spot-
on accurate, for those of you who wish to share your life with a pedi-
greed feline. A must-have for any cat lover!”
— J. Anne Helgren, author of six cat books, including Barron’s Encyclope-
dia of Cat Breeds and Communicating with Your Cat, as well as hun-
dreds of articles on cats and cat breeds
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“In thirty-plus years of living and working with cats as a veterinarian, I
believe people become cat lovers by finding the specific cat that fits
their personality. The Complete Cat’s Meow is full of information enhanc-
ing the human-cat bond and ensures loving cats is a lifelong pleasure.”
— Vicki Thayer DVM, DABVP (feline); president-elect, Winn Feline Foun-
dation; past president, American Association of Feline Practitioners
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THE COMPLETE
CAT’S MEOW
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THE COMPLETE
CAT’S MEOW
Everything You Need to Know
about Caring for Your Cat
DARLENE ARDEN
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This book is printed on acid-free paper. ∞
Copyright © 2011 by Darlene Arden. All rights reserved.
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011922017
ISBN 978-0-470-64167-5 (paper: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-118-02456-0 (ebk.)
Printed in the United States of America
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Book design by Lissa Auciello-Brogan
Cover design by Wendy Mount
Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Composition Services
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To the memory of my mother and her fi rst cat,
Susie; to my little muse and her last cat, Aimee
(GP Sinaye’s Plaisir d’Amour of Ajolie); to the late
Barbara Royer, who insisted I should write a cat
book as useful as my small dog book; to Dru
Milligan and Jolie Stratton for entrusting me with
Aimee; and to the memory of my friend Kari
Winters, taken from us far too soon under
mysterious circumstances, who rescued and
rehabilitated more cats than anyone will ever
know. This book is dedicated to each of you with
my love and grateful thanks.
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