Filled with practical tips, this book is highly recommended to anyone who owns a cat or, even better, who has plans to take a feline companion, As a long time cat lover, I can testify to the veracity of most of advices. Many real life examples makes it more interesting to read, while nicely organized structure helps to find desirable sections. Cat's are showed here as they are - highly intelligent, curious and social creatures, who are commonly misunderstood and even vilified, but who - with little human effort - can bring a lot of joy to every household.

Thanks to the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was informative and provided useful information as to why my cats behave the way they do. The book also provided information on the physical, as well as the psychological reasons behind their behaviors.
It is written by a group of experts who provide of a variety of insights and interpretations, that I found fascinating, I did not think it was too 'sciencey' as the information was practical and useful. Cats are mysterious creatures, and this book emphasized the value of understanding your cat,on a deeper, more meaningful level.
Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was a pleasure to read!

This a wonderful book for all cat owners, be they current or prospective. Inside the book you will find how-to information, what to look for when looking a new cat, be they young or adults.
If you have or are getting a cat you need this book. This should be required reading for first time “owners” (cats don’t have owners., they have staff )

Decoding your cat is a very interesting read for any of us cat lovers. It includes many examples that can easily remind us of moments when our cats did something that now has an explanation.
It's not a book one reads fast because you just one to hold onto everything and maybe comment with your fellow cat owners. Whenever I read something interesting, I told everyone. I highly recommend highlighting parts to go back to whenever you might need them.

Because this book is written by veterinarians who are also certified in caT behavior, this is the best book on cat care I have ever read (and I have read many). It's easy to read and full of great advice on taking care of all kinds of cats, at any age.

Each chapter is structured the same way giving the book great consistency, even though the chapters are written by different vets.

Appendices and resource lists give even more information.

A very interesting and informative book for anyone with cats or who just want to know more about them. I have taken a lot from this book to help with my own cats and can see how it can be invaluable in some cases. Very well written and easy to follow and to understand. It covers pretty much all the areas you need to keep your cat safe and ultimately understood!

Highly recommended to all cat owners.

Thank you Netgalley.

This book by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists has proved incredibly helpful to us as we navigate what it means to be the new parents of two active kittens adopted when they were only around ten weeks old. The shelter-lady deserves a ton of credit, since they were incredibly well-socialized to begin with—they were up for cuddles on their very first day at their new forever-home, don't seem to shy away from visitors, diligently use their litter boxes, and have kept their scratching where it belongs, sparing our furniture (well, the curtains have been given up as a lost cause, but to be fair, they get unintentionally tangled up in them when tussling with each other or retrieving their toys, which seem to always end up in those corners, without fail). We are very lucky to have seemingly hit the jackpot with such well-behaved young cats, but I still lapped this book right up in just a few sittings; Decoding Your Cat is there to help you understand and shape your cat's behavior, from kittenhood to old age.

Each chapter has a similar structure: It begins with an anecdotal example, terminology used in the chapter is concisely explained, and then scientific facts are used to dispel common myths, and to help understand where the unwanted behavior stems from, as well as offering tips and methods on how to effectively change it. The solution that worked for the anecdotal example is given towards the end, and the chapters end with a bullet-list summarizing the most important takeaway points. Among other things, the book covers feline communication, how to create an enriching environment for your furry friends, how to socialize them (among themselves, with other pets, and humans), and how best to train them to do all sorts of things—using their litter box, only scratching their cat tree, and not being afraid of the carrier are just a few of them. Due to its structure, there is some repetition within and across chapters, but I didn't mind, since this seems like the sort of work one might use as a reference book. Everything is well-sourced, but despite the scientific approach it's an exceptionally engaging and accessible read—it even had some rather funny moments!

The book eased my anxiety as a new parent by confirming that what I am doing is good, and how to be even better by helping me see the world from a cat's perspective, and thus understand my fur children's motivations and needs. We have already applied some of the many useful tips, and this book really opened our eyes to the benefits of clicker training, which we will be trying.

Decoding Your Cat is an indispensable read for anyone who wants to provide their cat with the most fulfilling life and promote their physical and mental well-being, all while building and strengthening a loving and trusting relationship with them.

368 pages

5 stars

I've been waiting for ages to read a book like this one. I have always had cats and have four right now. I seem to collect strays. We live in a very rural area (we have only one business in the entire county – and it is not a gas station), and people choose our area to dump their unwanted kittens and cats.

My cats get along most of the time, but have occasional arguments that I didn't understand. While it still drives me crazy, I think I can decipher what they are doing now. I just don't want anyone to get hurt. (It has happened before, especially to eyes.)

This book is remarkably valuable and chock full of interesting and useful information. I am so very glad I was chosen to receive an advanced copy. I love it! I am sure I will refer to it over and over.

I want to thank NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for forwarding to me a copy of this very valuable reference work for me to read, enjoy and review.

As a cat owner and lover, I loved this book! I thought it was very informative! It also had some humorous parts which I enjoyed quite a bit.

I think that the book is titled perfectly because you really do learn how to decode your cat!

Overall I think this is a great book and found it quite interesting!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book!

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

I just adopted a cat about 3 weeks ago, so it was excellent timing for me to discover this book. This handy guide, written by veterinary behaviourists, helped answer the questions that I had and eased my anxiety as a new cat owner. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about adopting a cat or anyone that already has one, yet finds themselves baffled by the things their pet does.

This book tackles different myths about cats, for example, 'Is it true that dogs have masters and cats have staff?' and 'Is it true that cats can't be trained?' and offers advice about what do when your cat pees/poops outside the litter box, sits on your kitchen counters or hates going to the vet (as well as many other cat behaviours).

I particularly enjoyed the anecdotes about actual cats as this showed real-world examples of common feline behaviours and how to effectively manage them. I also found it helpful to understand why cats behave in certain ways and how they perceive the world around them. This was a very useful book and one I would keep and turn to often!

I’ve been around cats my entire life, but the motivations of my latest fur kid have been a big mystery to me. Fortunately, Decoding Your Cat Is making it much easier to understand where he’s coming from and what his needs truly are.

This handy guide includes sections about pretty much any cat situation you can imagine, and it’s all backed by science. Despite the scientific approach, it’s written in a way that’s easily accessible to the average reader.

My only complaint is that there’s some repetition in the book with the chapter recaps and summaries, but I think that would actually be helpful for many readers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and the author(s) for the gifted review copy. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own

As a cat parent I was really interested in reading this. It's chalk full of humor along with loads of information and great techniques. It's everything a cat owner needs.

4****

Decoding your cat is an apt title for this book as it literally does just that. As a cat owner I was very interested in having most of my own theories confirmed and learning more on top of that. I like how the books presented and this would be an excellent book for any cat owner. It would make a good gift for a cat lover as well.

I am an avid lover of cats and loved this book. I have had cats my entire life, so I did not learn anything new form reading this book, but it reinforced that I am doing what is best for my cat! Although the book was very repetitive, this quick read was very helpful for those lookin at maybe adding a car to their family and those already with cats.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley!