While the majority of this information wasn't new to me, it did a great job of covering the various aspects of living with a cat or multiple cats. From things to do with your new kitten or cat (getting them used to a kennel, being handled, being groomed, etc) to how to keep them happy, healthy and safe, the book covers it all. The authors did a good job of reinforcing the fact that cats are not in fact low maintenance pets if handled correctly. It frustrates me to no end when people think it's okay to leave their cats alone for days or even a week without anyone checking on them and doing the bare minimum of making sure they have food, water and clean litter boxes. Quite a few anecdotes are shared throughout, illustrating various points. Very good resource for anyone new to being owned by a cat or thinking about it.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Mariner Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It was very interesting read. Though since growing up with cats i did know most of it, but it was interesting to read it and the facts, whys , do`s and don`ts.

A very useful insight to my two rescue cats. One a purebred Birman the other is semi feral. Interesting to understand behaviour lbs

Comprehensive manual for the whys of cat behaviors written in interesting style aimed at cat owners, in the belief that understanding their natures and how influence the behaviors will help keep cats happy and in their homes, not back in shelters. While aimed at new owners there us plenty of nuggets to hglp even the most experienced owners.

Each chapter is written by a veterinarian that specializes in cat behavior - chapters on:
Body language;
How to set up your home for a cat and provide enrichment for your cat;
How cats socialize and how to create a happy multi-cat home,
How cats learn;
Why are cats agressive at times and what can you do about it;
What to do if your can is not using its litterbox and other troubling behaviors;
Why is my cat constantly grooming.

A complete resource for your bookshelf .... whether you are thinking about getting a cat, already have a cat (or a houseful of cats).

I RECEIVED A COMPLIMENTARY ADVANCED READER COPY OF THIS BOOK THROUGH NETGALLEY. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS REVIEW ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN.)

I’m a huge cat lover and while I can understand a lot of what my cat is saying to me there’s a lot of his mannerisms I didn’t understand and I’ve always wondered but this book was amazingly helpful and I understand him an awful lot better now! A marvellous book for any cat lovers out there!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the arc of Decoding your Cat my review is honest and unbiased in any way

If you're wondering why your cat does something--and how you can train them not to do it--here's a comprehensive manual of cat behavior from a veterinary institution. Includes lots of charts, sidebars, and photos illustrating different behaviors and techniques. A good volume for a mid-sized library collection (such as the one where I work, and plan to add this to our shelves).

This is an incredibly thorough guide to cats, probably the best I've read. It's written by a number of different vets affiliated with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and uses a combination of anecdotes, facts, vocabulary terms, charts and in-depth essays to teach you about everything from how to introduce a new cat to your household to how to deal with litter box issues to why your cat may suddenly scratch you when you think you're having a nice petting session. It's very thorough, and the end of each chapter summarizes the key points since there is so much information. Highly recommended.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

This is the purrfect book for cat lovers ! i have had cats all my life and with a particular rescue Himalayan with PTSD from abuse I need all the help i can get to understand how to help her. This is very well written to all cat parents and should be required reading before adoption. The author has behavior, how to change bad behavior and encourage good behaviors, health and personality traits of cats. Care of cats is here for those new to owning cats. All you need to understand your cat is here and more. I highly recommend this book for all cat parents and give it 5 paws up ! Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own and also that of my Himalayan. Meowtastic 1

I thought this was SO informative - it gave me knowledgeable information as a new cat owner. Highly recommend! It will be a gift I buy for my friends as they start adopting animals!

For both new and experienced cat owners, cat behavior can sometimes be mystifying. First of all, cats, just like people, have a wide variety of personalities. Just because your first kitty was a well-behaved cuddle-bug doesn't mean your next kitty will be. And all bets are off if you introduce your happy singleton kitty to a new kitty or kitten. "Decoding your Cat" looks at behavior without anthropomorphizing cats. The various authors examine and explain normal, and aberrant, cat behavior and provide strategies for helping cats and their owners get along peacefully, how to introduce new cats to one another, or to a dog. They also have thoughts on introducing a new person, or how to help your cat adjust to the departure of a family member (death, going away to college, divorce, etc), which can cause your cat to grieve. Additional topics include what to do when your cat's natural behavior drives you mad.

A useful resource for cat lovers seeking to manage and understand their kitty's ways.

I received a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to read this book. I love learning about how cats function with humans and other animals, as well as why they maintain certain behaviors in varying situations.

However, I am providing a lower rating than I would like because I found a couple errors that should have been corrected prior to publication or explained a bit further at the very least. Even the citations the professionals used as support seem to counter the claim. To clarify, most houseplants are toxic to cats and two of the plants listed as edible plants are not safe for cats to eat. The ASPCA, the organization linked to in the chapter, states that both parsley and mint are toxic to cats. I have seen other opinions claiming parsley is okay in moderation, but it concerns me as parsley was an issue in my own cat’s health. Please talk to your vets or consult solid resources on any changes you make to any pet or other animal’s environment.

This book should be required reading for anyone who's adopting a cat! I'm an adoption counselor for a cat shelter and have seen all sorts of reasons people give for returning cats. If they'd only read this book first, they might still have their cats. Written and edited by veterinary behaviorists, it contains expert advice on all sorts of problems, caused by both physical and environmental factors. The first few chapters focus on observation of cat behavior. In particular, they focus on the human viewing the situation from the cat's perspective. That's very important!

Each subsequent chapter begins with a story about a situation, then the experts talk about what it means and how to successfully counteract that behavior. Text is supplemented with boxes containing important definitions, tables to organize behavioral traits, and an end-of-chapter summary ("What did we say?") Photos of cats exhibiting certain behaviors are also included.

This is truly an "owners manual" that could be so helpful for anyone who lives with a cat. I highly recommend it!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Attention humans! As a literate Maine Coon, I highly recommend this book for any kitty minion. It is hard enough for us to try and train you but we have a better chance if you will just read this book.

It sets out, in clear and simple language (you are only human!) ways for you to understand our communications. As an viewer of Jackson Galaxy knows, any problem and it is clearly the fault of the human. We are, in fact, quite clear. It is your interpretation that falls short of the mark. You need to perk up your powers(pfft) of observation. While we are not as overt as dogs, failure to comprehend our more subtle messages is up to you. Thank Bast, there are books like these that will give you a paw up. You need all the help you can get.

It goes through several “behavioural” issues and also the medical problems that might have set them off. Barring a medical reason, you are often the cause of your own and our misery. So please take notes. There may be a pop up quiz...after my nap.

Five purrs and two paws up!

As an owner of 2 cats, I really enjoyed reading this. The content, especially the behavior charts, was really helpful for understanding some of the behaviors of my cats. The authors also debunk some myths about cats, such as the myth that cats like to be alone and are 'unfriendly.' I've personally never had that experience with cats and in fact, I learned that cats can be very social creatures and form deep connections with owners and other pets in the house.

Very informative and well-organized chapters. I will for sure be using this book as a reference in the future with any cat problems I come across. Great for new pet owners and people who have been around cats their whole lives. Both will learn something new!

This book tries to cover a wide base of information, with multiple authors sharing insights as well as anecdotes. As a result, it can feel a little disjointed, and some good information gets buried in the middle of chapters. The information on where to get a cat feels quite unnecessary, as it's not really related to behavior and most of us have too many possible places to obtain a feline friend. The most interesting parts to me were the behaviors that are actually self-protecting or even hiding pain, and also how genetics plays a part in what traits are ultimately passed on to kittens. It changed how I plan to relate to my geriatric cat from now on.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Decoding Your Cat is a useful tool for those seeking more information about owning a cat.

I've had cats my entire life, so a book like this was super intriguing to read. I did learn some new information (like the fact that training cats can be possible, although my cats rule the roost so I doubt that will ever happen), which made this book quite pleasurable to read. It's thorough and helpful for new and old cat owners and lovers alike. It has information about health, behaviour and communication, and more! If you're seeking a beginners guide to understanding cats, grab this book! It's super helpful.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I read a lot of books and articles about cats, but this started teaching me a few things I didn't know pretty quickly. For example, highly bred cats who are bred for temperament gets theirs from the father cat. Who knew?

The one big disappointment in this book was when it came to talking about cats who don't get along over a sustained period, it told me to ask my vet. My vet would just say re-home one of them which isn't an option! I was hoping they could give me some insights on how to get two cats at war in the same house to make peace, or at least manage to tolerate each other. To be fair, it did mention there are medications that might help.

There was some good related advice about making sure each cat has their own space and places to hide. The information was laid out in bites that made it easy to read, although it was sometimes repetitive and a lot of the information is already known by cat enthusiasts, but people new to cat ownership will certainly benefit from it and some things that seem obvious sink in better when put in writing. I'm not sure how the format will work with referring back to specific information but perhaps a paperback would be easier to flip through for that.

Overall it is a valuable source of information with something for cat veterans and a wealth of information for new cat owners. It would probably be my first choice for books I should have read when I first became a cat slave.

As much as I love my cat, reading a nonfiction book about cats was surprisingly dry. A lot of the book kept referencing the other chapters, which would've been nice if I hadn't just read what was happening.