I liked the idea of the book but it doesn’t seem like an overly scientific explanation for cat sounds. It says she mostly used her own cats to get the sounds to interpret herself. So the sample size doesn’t seem good enough. She constantly reinforces that she works in the field of phonology and repeats things. I didn’t like the constant inclusion of phonetic transcriptions (phonology was my least favorite part of linguistics courses due to the transcriptions, to be fair). There are too many theoretical elements of the book and too many stories about her own cats. Also, she keeps saying that there are links at the end of the book to understand her examples but it’s not as convenient as it would have been if she’d put the links on the same page as her examples. The whole thing felt more like a case study than a real quantitative study with sufficient participants

Drawing upon her phonetician toolbox, in The Secret Language of Cats, Schötz explores and explains her scientific analysis of the noises her favoured felines make. Are these sounds considered language? Can we develop a sound-based dictionary and grammar to help derive meaning for what a cat may be attempting to convey? The answers to these questions and more are found inside the delightful read.

I enjoyed Dr Schötz's ingenuity combining her academic research with her other interests. Her dedication to the topic is apparent in the diligence and care she's taken to trying to figure out what that chirrup at a bird might mean.

My Shadow cat has changed his communication methods over his time with me, and we are both pleased when we each communicate properly to the other. I think the understanding this book has provided me would have helped us to forge a common language much sooner in our relationship.

This is a valuable book for the reader who lives with a cat and those who are curious about the communication methods of other species.

An interesting look at "cat language" from a Swedish phonetics professor. She attempts to explain the various growls and mews cats make, and interprets them for pet owners. Includes adorable illustrations and a handy table of cat sound interpretation.

As a life long cat lover I was very pleased to review this book for the publisher and Net Galley. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.
The author is a trained highly educated phonetician who specifically explores here how cats communicate to us and to each other. She quotes numerous studies and research on the language cats use,
This is very scientific and quite informative analysis . I found it extremely interesting as someone who has had cat companions my entire life. Its particularly useful as i now have a Himalayan with a large vocabulary that i adore communicating with.

I highly recommend this book for all who are owned by a cat and all who love cats. This is highly educational and a enjoyable scientific read.

The Secret Language of Cats: How to Understand Your Cat For A Better, Happier Relationship
by Susanne Schötz, translated by Peter Kuras
Hanover Press, 2018
Nonfiction; 272 pgs

My love for cats is obvious by just one look at my blog. And so when I was asked if I was interested in reviewing The Secret Language of Cats as part of the TLC tour, it did not take long for me to say yes. I grew up with dogs and was well into adulthood when I took in my first cat. I have had cats in my life for just over sixteen years now. I think I am fairly good at guessing some of what my cats want by the sounds they make and their body language and behavior. I am by no means an expert though.

In Susanne Schötz's novel I found both validation and also new insight into my cats and the various sounds they make. Dr. Schötz has the advantage of being a linguist, with an ear for variations in sound quality, syllables, melodies and prosody. She is a professor at Lund University in Sweden, and has extended her interest in human phonetics to that of cats. Her interest in cat sounds and language grew from her love for cats as well as her love for research. As I read her book and even after, I find myself listening more carefully to the sounds my cats are making, trying to discern some of the detail in the sounds they make. It isn't easy for someone with an untrained ear, but hopefully with time it will get easier.

Cats and humans do not share the same language, and while research has shown cats do have common identifiable sounds, there is variation between cats. While some sounds are universal, others may not be. Cultural, geographic and breed-based differences exist. Just how much cats pick up from their humans and to what degree they adjust their language to be understood by us is still under investigation, but the belief is that this does occur.

I liked that the author went into detail about cat behavior along with the different sounds they may be making. The two go hand in hand and can make the difference in what a cat may want or be trying to convey. The author also gave concrete examples of a variety of situations, many of which are based on her experiences with her own cats.

Dr. Schötz is as methodical in her research as she can be. She understands that studying cat language is a challenge in and of itself. I appreciated her techniques and preference for conducting any research in a cat's natural setting, not to mention putting as little stress on them as possible. No labs or invasive medical procedures were used. Simply the home environment and recording devices--and lots of time. You cannot expect a cat to purr contently in while in a stressful laboratory, after all.

Dr. Schötz hopes that her research will not only give us a better understanding of cat language, but also how that understanding can improve our relationships with cats both on the home front and in such areas as animal therapy, veterinary medicine and animal sanctuaries.

Towards the end of her book, Dr. Schötz talks a little about her current project, Meowsic, which deals most specifically with using cats in animal therapy. While dogs tend to be the go to animals because of their high train-ability and excellent noses, cats have proven to be good companions too.

Although at times a bit dry due to the detailed descriptions and breakdown of the various vocalizations a cat can make, I enjoyed Dr. Schötz's The Secret Language of Cats and found it to to be a fascinating read. Perhaps some of what I have learned in this book will improve my own relationship with my cats.

"Every cat develops a systems-together with their humans, as well as possibly with cats they are close to-that allows them to communicate in a unique and special way."

Well researched and on-going in-depth study into understanding how domestic cats communicate with humans. The study "Melody in Human-Cat Communications" (Meowsic) explore various sounds, situations in which they occur, variation and personal experiences with the aid of video and audio recordings.

The Secret Language of Cats was a far more complex that I imagined when I selected it. While the academic approach with thorough examples and outline of the linguistics, phonetics, and animal behavior aspects of the study are appreciated, I found it quite cumbersome to read and digest so much information. I think going online to the research study's Meowsic site would be much more helpful to hear the sounds described rather than attempting to read the sounds.

A very interesting read, especially for any cat owner, but be prepared for a more scholarly read than easy non-fiction about our beloved domestic cats.

Absolutely delightful book and so full of wonderful research and studies about cats. I had no idea that cats had such language and ideas to share. I believe this book will assist cat owners in being better caregivers and find more satisfaction in sharing life with their cat. The cover is so cute. I am sharing this book as a gift to my favorite cat loving person and I know she will be delighted with it. If you are not a cat lover there is lots to discover her and it is easy to just give some of the studies a guick glance and move on to the fun interactions and stories.

Thank you to Net Galley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. Initially, I did not know what to expect from this book. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author leverages her knowledge as a phonetician to decipher cat language. I was truly fascinated with the book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a scientific approach to how and why their cat acts/ talks and not just anecdotally.

Princess Fuzzypants here: There is no secret language of cats. I, for one, am quite direct with my humans whom I have trained reasonably well. They understand the nuances of my various vocalizations and I reward them with a few human words sprinkled into my feline vocabulary. However, this is an interesting book that gets very deeply into the phonetics of the sounds we make.
I am afraid I skiffed over that part of the book as it got a bit too detailed for me. I am a cat. I know how I make the sounds but I can see why some humans might need this instruction. Where the book got really interesting was when the author talked about the experiences she had with the various cats in her life. As she talked about their reactions to events and other creatures and how they expressed themselves, I can see where a human who is not tuned into their cat could benefit from her observations. And boy, has she observed. I thought my humans were intrusive pawpawrazzi with their constant picture taking. They are pikers compared to her taping. I liked the way that she understood when her cats reacted in a certain way, they were not trying to be difficult. They were reacting in a totally feline way. Just because our humans do not get it does not make it wrong.
I was rather amewsed that the various sounds she said we cats make were the very ones that readers of my Princess Fuzzypants blog recognize. Every post I finish with “Purr, trill, coo, chirp, warble, chirrup”. Those words have deep meaning for me. Now everyone can understand why.
I give this four purrs and two paws up

Wow, you can really tell that Ms. Schotz is very passionate about her work in the study of cats and they way they communicate. She is a pure cat lover. I am a dog lover. Yet, when I was younger there was some cats that graced our family. A true cat lover will really appreciate this book. In fact, it would make the perfect gift for the cat lover in your life. Whereas, to be honest, because I am more of a dog lover, I did like this book but maybe not as much as I should have. So, you may ask why did I read this book. It is because I did find the premise of the book intriguing and wanted to check it out.

After reading this book, you can say that I became more educated as well as well versed in all of the different expressions of the vocabulary that cats use. Ms. Schotz explains her research in a very easy and understandable way. As I said previously, I learned a lot about cats that I never knew before. Although, as much as I did like the information in this book; I did find that it seemed to be lengthy and after a while, I found it hard to focus at times. Kind of skimming at times the book.

This is an interesting and well-researched book though perhaps a bit more serious than many would expect from the title. Schotz really DOES try to decipher the secret language of cats. Alas, my cat is aggravatingly silent though he definitely has his way of communicating with me without sounds. I guess that's his own 'secret language'.

I am a cat lover and owner. I talk to my cats frequently and sometimes they answer back. I was really interested in reading this book because I often wonder what my cats are saying. The Secret Language of Cats is the author's attempt to crack the code on what cats are trying to tell us. I will admit, I thought this book would be a bit lighter and less dense than it ended up being. The author has done a ton of research and it shows in the book. At times, I did find myself skimming the book, especially when it got bogged down in the science of her studies. I enjoyed the anecdotal parts about her own five cats as well as some of the tops she included in how to change your cat's behavior. I recommend this to anyone curious about language and cats.

Couldn't resist this one.....what is my Maggie telling me when she sits at my feet and stares, when she blinks when I tell her how pretty she is, when she says "raaaaaah" as I scratch her belly or when she chatters watching a bird outside?

Well, supposedly, "Every cat has their own secret language."

Susanne Schotz is a professor at Lund University in Sweden and a Phonetician by profession. She studies sounds of human speech, and in THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF CATS has analyzed cat sounds using the same phonetic methods as with humans.

While informative, found scientific research a bit dry and repetitive, but thoroughly enjoyed the personal experiences of author with her own cats and tidbits of information relating to cat sound variations and meanings....and OMGOSH....so agree with the never again syndrome. Have felt the dread and despair of putting down an old beloved feline friend way too many times in my lifetime, but always end up adopting another one....or two after a while.

Many thanks to Hanover Square Press/HARLEQUIN and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

With over 95.5 million domestic cats in the US alone, there is a real need for cat owners to learn the Secret Language of Cats.

The author is a cat-lover with five cats of her own. She is also a phonetician at a Swedish university. This gives her the exact skills necessary to determine what cats are saying. There are three different types of cat sounds: murmurs like purrs and trilling, meows, and defensive sounds such as growling and snarling. The book provides a look at what each sound means by looking at when it is used by real cats.

If you love and own cats, the Secret Language of Cats verifies what you already thought your cat was saying. It is a good weapon against a spouse or friend that doubts your interpretation of your cat’s sounds.

The book would be a perfect gift for the cat fancier in your life. Though the phonetic symbols were somewhat confusing, the author provided a website, meowsic.info, that has videos of the author’s cats making the sounds. It is fun to see if the interpretations in the book match what you see with your own furry children. 3 stars.

Thanks to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for an advance copy.

This book spoke to my nerdy side along with my cat loving soul. While the text may prove a bit dry for some, I found it interesting to read about all the research that went into this book, especially with my most recent adoption of a cat with more vocal range of chirps, squeaks grunts and meows than any other I've ever lived with. Not only does the author cover the range of vocalizations, but I also enjoyed the stories about her own cats. I don't think this book is a perfect fit for everyone, but any science-loving cat aficionado would enjoy it as I did.

Thank you to Harlequin – Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Secret Language of Cats is an intelligent and well-researched take on cat communication. While some of the ideas contained in this book reinforced things I already knew (e.g., a cat growl is not a friendly sign!), I learned many new things and gained greater understanding of my cat who is a valued and integral member of our family.

The Secret Language of Cats is written in an approachable and easy-to-read style with the author being a fellow cat lover and frequently referencing her own cats’ behavior. Practical tips are contained herein as well, and overall, I found this an enjoyable and insightful read and one I plan to reference regularly.

Thank you to Harlequin/Hanover Square Press for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love cats. About people I am “meh,” but I love cats. The author of this book, Susanne Schotz, loves cats too, as is evident on every page. At the time this book was written she and her husband had five, and the stories of those masters of her household are plentiful. If you love cats too, or even just like them, this book is fun to read.

By profession Schotz is a phonetician, that is, she studies the sounds of language and works to explain their importance in spoken language. I need to disclose now that I did my graduate work in linguistics, and I found her technical descriptions of the sounds cats make, and how they affect their verbal interactions with humans and each other, fascinating. If this does not interest you, I think it would be easy to skip over these sections and just enjoy reading her wonderful stories of her cats, and those of her friends.

If the technical side of cats’ verbal expressions does interest you, this book is fascinating. A scientist in my family would describe a lot of the “field work” as anecdotal since Schotz uses her own cats at home for her study. But anyone who knows cats knows perfectly well no cat is going to behave normally in a lab. You are lucky if they feel like behaving normally at home. Schotz makes it quite clear that she would be unable, for various reasons, not least the feline propensity to always do what they want, and not what we want them to do, to have gathered her research materials anywhere but at home. As it is, with her professional ear and recordings, Schotz has assembled a great deal of information, and professionally transcribed and interpreted it.

Another good thing about this book; although the author is a Swede, she wrote this book in German, and it was translated into English by Peter Kuras. The translation is excellent; smooth and flowing, he did a wonderful job. Would that every translated book be graced with such a proficient translator.

I am glad to have read this book. I learned a lot and enjoyed the cat stories along the way. If you are interested in cats, or in non-human verbalizations, give “The Secret Language of Cats,” a try.

This was a fun book, however I found it VERY redundant.

She described the sounds cats make and the opening of their mouth a few times, and gave examples of when they make the same sounds repeatedly.

The author is obviously a very smart woman and very skilled in phonetics, but I am not sure it was enough information to fill a book.

I did however really enjoy her writing style. And really liked the stories she told about her cats. She is clearly a very caring person who loves animals.

Even though I didn't think there was a lot of information in the book, I really enjoyed reading it.

In The Secret Language of Cats, Susanne Schötz offers a crash course in the phonetic study of cat sounds. She introduces us to the full range of feline vocalizations and explains what they can mean in different situations, and she gives practical tips to help us understand our cats better.

As someone who is two cats away from being a crazy cat lady, this book was a purr-fect read for me! I loved reading about the different chirps, meows, tail flicks, and the meaning behind it all. There were plenty of examples of all the sounds they make and easy to understand descriptions to help you understand your cat(s) better.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheSecretLanguageOfCats
Pub Date: 06 Nov 2018

This book is really fascinating. The idea of analyzing cat speech with phonetics is so interesting. Reading about the difference in tone and inflection, I’m really noticing the correlation with my own cats’ behavior. I also really love that links to the recordings the author used are available so you can really hear the things she discusses. I don’t know that the book has changed my communication with my own kitties, but it has certainly given me food for thought!