The Reader's Digest Illustrated Book of Cats - Hardcover

Based on a book first published in France, this publication is divided into six major sections. The first considers the history of the domestic dog and its ancestors. Then there is a portion on dog identification by physical characteristics and on classifying breeds. The central section of the volume follows--an alphabetically arranged, well-illustrated catalog of more than 150 dog breeds from affenpinscher to Yorkshire terrier that are recognized by kennel clubs in the U.K., Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Europe. Entries consider each breed's background, development, and physical and temperamental characteristics. This section also includes a discussion of unofficial breeds and consideration of mongrels. The section entitled "You and Your Dog" considers choosing a dog, hygiene, canine psychology, and training. The fifth area discusses a dog's anatomy, physiology, and medical care. The final section has information on international kennel clubs and show criteria and competition. The book concludes with a glossary and an index.

Compared with the 1989 revised edition, the jagdterrier has been dropped and the Jack Russell terrier and shar-pei have been added; the information on the Shetland sheepdog has been shortened. The Jack Russell terrier and shar-pei were listed in the 1989 edition under "Unofficial Breeds"; the former is still not recognized by the American Kennel Club. British spelling continues to be used. Measurements are in metric and imperial. The format and the color drawings and photographs of dogs are attractive.

This easy-to-use reference will be helpful to those deciding on a dog and to dog owners, although those who want to show dogs will need to consult the American Kennel Club's Complete Dog Book [RBB O 15 92].

Maybe the cat "chose to become domesticated, just as it chooses to do as it pleases today," suggests the Reader's Digest editorial team in this attractive, double-columned compendium of facts and a few whims. You can find out, if you want, about the mouth and pharynx of the cat; you can learn how to "immobilize" it; and apparently you can try to reform its behavior, although you may lose this game. Under the heading "Fiction and Fact," we are reminded that Dr. Samuel Johnson fancied cats, and that his biographer James Boswell once caught him slipping oysters to a favorite, named Hodge. Then, in a sidebar titled "The Law Versus Cat," we discover that Adlai Stevenson, then governor of Illinois, vetoed a proposed 1949 law seeking to make cats stay at home: "It is the nature of cats to do a certain amount of unescorted roaming," the governor said. It is in the nature of the reader to roam through these pages, pausing to face the baleful glare of Persians, and the wobbly wrinkles of a hairless breed named Sphynx ("soft, pliable, and warm," the Reader's Digest people insist). Illustrated.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.