Feral Cats Changed Our Lives

Feral Cats Changed Our Lives

Author: Janet E. Swinehart

Publisher: Dorrance Publishing

Published: 2021-08-25

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 1637641230

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Feral Cats Changed Our Lives: Adopt the Challenge By Janet E. Swinehart and David A. Swinehart While writing this book, Janet E. Swinehart looked to God and knows He has given these wonderful creatures, these feral, rescued cats, Summer, Snippy, and Katie, to her and her husband David to love. Janet and David’s story tells about the patience, love, and disappointments that these friends have brought to their lives. Feral cats are not ordinary cats, and they have a strange nature. On many occasions, Janet found herself praying for herself and her husband, because at times her patience was thin. Summer, Snippy, and Katie are true feral cats, and though Janet was told in books never to try to train them (because it’s almost an impossible mission), she was determined they were going to become cute, cuddly, and friendly babies—but you will soon see that became a significant challenge! There were some very funny, as well as very scary times, and parts of the story may make you want to cry like she did. Though certain things could have been done differently, experience over time helped Janet and Dave to be more successful in their endeavors. Walk with them on this journey of raising feral cats, and learn from these episodes. The Swineharts believe that God gave them pets to keep them company and give them a release from the seriousness of day-to-day life. Hopefully, reading this book will inspire you to find a companion of your own to enrich life by caring for a future friend who needs a helping hand. So, put your kitty boots on, and be on your way!


Cat Wars

Cat Wars

Author: Peter P. Marra

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2016-09-20

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 0691167419

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Why our cats are a danger to species diversity and human health In 1894, a lighthouse keeper named David Lyall arrived on Stephens Island off New Zealand with a cat named Tibbles. In just over a year, the Stephens Island Wren, a rare bird endemic to the island, was rendered extinct. Mounting scientific evidence confirms what many conservationists have suspected for some time—that in the United States alone, free-ranging cats are killing birds and other animals by the billions. Equally alarming are the little-known but potentially devastating public health consequences of rabies and parasitic Toxoplasma passing from cats to humans at rising rates. Cat Wars tells the story of the threats free-ranging cats pose to biodiversity and public health throughout the world, and sheds new light on the controversies surrounding the management of the explosion of these cat populations. This compelling book traces the historical and cultural ties between humans and cats from early domestication to the current boom in pet ownership, along the way accessibly explaining the science of extinction, population modeling, and feline diseases. It charts the developments that have led to our present impasse—from Stan Temple's breakthrough studies on cat predation in Wisconsin to cat-eradication programs underway in Australia today. It describes how a small but vocal minority of cat advocates has campaigned successfully for no action in much the same way that special interest groups have stymied attempts to curtail smoking and climate change. Cat Wars paints a revealing picture of a complex global problem—and proposes solutions that foresee a time when wildlife and humans are no longer vulnerable to the impacts of free-ranging cats.


Late Migrations

Late Migrations

Author: Margaret Renkl

Publisher: Milkweed Editions

Published: 2019-07-09

Total Pages: 187

ISBN-13: 1571319875

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From the New York Times columnist, a portrait of a family and the cycles of joy and grief that mark the natural world: “Has the makings of an American classic.” —Ann Patchett Growing up in Alabama, Margaret Renkl was a devoted reader, an explorer of riverbeds and red-dirt roads, and a fiercely loved daughter. Here, in brief essays, she traces a tender and honest portrait of her complicated parents—her exuberant, creative mother; her steady, supportive father—and of the bittersweet moments that accompany a child’s transition to caregiver. And here, braided into the overall narrative, Renkl offers observations on the world surrounding her suburban Nashville home. Ringing with rapture and heartache, these essays convey the dignity of bluebirds and rat snakes, monarch butterflies and native bees. As these two threads haunt and harmonize with each other, Renkl suggests that there is astonishment to be found in common things: in what seems ordinary, in what we all share. For in both worlds—the natural one and our own—“the shadow side of love is always loss, and grief is only love’s own twin.” Gorgeously illustrated by the author’s brother, Billy Renkl, Late Migrations is an assured and memorable debut. “Magnificent . . . Readers will savor each page and the many gems of wisdom they contain.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)


Citizen Canine

Citizen Canine

Author: David Grimm

Publisher: Public Affairs

Published: 2014-04-08

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1610391330

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A pet-lover and award-winning journalist traces the history of cats and dogs and the changing social attitudes that transformed these furry creatures from pests and hunting tools in the middle ages to their current status as beloved family members. 30,000 first printing.


Dadcat University

Dadcat University

Author: Marie Phillips

Publisher: Author House

Published: 2011-09-30

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 1463441150

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One night in August 1991 I noticed two tom cats rummaging in a dumpster at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where I worked. That observation led to the discovery there were feral cats secretly living on campus in a community governed by the illustrious Dadcat. The Dadcat's wife, Ashes, who allowed me to join their private world, and I immersed myself in their culture - the Jane Goodall of feral cats - determined to find out if they could ever trust a human. Dadcat University is a true story about my incredible friends and the journey we embarked on in forming lifelong, trusting relationships that exceeded any of our expectations.


Taming Me

Taming Me

Author: Cathy Unruh

Publisher: Collage Books

Published: 2012-10-01

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9780938728153

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"Born in the wild, on a tropical island where food is scarce and predators are plentiful, a tiny kitten struggles to stay alive. When she is captured by humans and taken from her mother, Lucy Miracle's rags-to-riches adventure begins. In this epic tale told by Lucy herself, you will feel her terror when she is trapped in a cage. See through her eyes as she is nursed back to health from the brink of death, and share her joy as she accepts the love of her new human family. Will Lucy ever see her mother again? Can she and her human friends stop the man who wants to murder every cat on the island? If she decides to live in a house with humans, will she miss the freedom of the wild? Experience life as a feral cat in Taming Me."--From back cover.


Cat Sense

Cat Sense

Author: John Bradshaw

Publisher: Basic Books (AZ)

Published: 2013-09-10

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 0465031013

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Cats have been popular household pets for thousands of years, and their numbers only continue to rise. Today there are three cats for every dog on the planet, and yet cats remain more mysterious, even to their most adoring owners. Unlike dogs, cats evolved as solitary hunters, and, while many have learned to live alongside humans and even feel affection for us, they still don’t quite “get us” the way dogs do, and perhaps they never will. But cats have rich emotional lives that we need to respect and understand if they are to thrive in our company. In Cat Sense, renowned anthrozoologist John Bradshaw takes us further into the mind of the domestic cat than ever before, using cutting-edge scientific research to dispel the myths and explain the true nature of our feline friends. Tracing the cat’s evolution from lone predator to domesticated companion, Bradshaw shows that although cats and humans have been living together for at least eight thousand years, cats remain independent, predatory, and wary of contact with their own kind, qualities that often clash with our modern lifestyles. Cats still have three out of four paws firmly planted in the wild, and within only a few generations can easily revert back to the independent way of life that was the exclusive preserve of their predecessors some 10,000 years ago. Cats are astonishingly flexible, and given the right environment they can adapt to a life of domesticity with their owners—but to continue do so, they will increasingly need our help. If we’re to live in harmony with our cats, Bradshaw explains, we first need to understand their inherited quirks: understanding their body language, keeping their environments—however small—sufficiently interesting, and becoming more proactive in managing both their natural hunting instincts and their relationships with other cats. A must-read for any cat lover, Cat Sense offers humane, penetrating insights about the domestic cat that challenge our most basic assumptions and promise to dramatically improve our pets’ lives—and ours.


The Lion in the Living Room

The Lion in the Living Room

Author: Abigail Tucker

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-10-18

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1476738254

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A New York Times bestseller about how cats conquered the world and our hearts in this “deep and illuminating perspective on our favorite household companion” (Huffington Post). House cats rule bedrooms and back alleys, deserted Antarctic islands, even cyberspace. And unlike dogs, cats offer humans no practical benefit. The truth is they are sadly incompetent mouse-catchers and now pose a threat to many ecosystems. Yet, we love them still. In the “eminently readable and gently funny” (Library Journal, starred review) The Lion in the Living Room, Abigail Tucker travels through world history, natural science, and pop culture to meet breeders, activists, and scientists who’ve dedicated their lives to cats. She visits the labs where people sort through feline bones unearthed from the first human settlements, treks through the Floridian wilderness in search of house cats-turned-hunters on the loose, and hangs out with Lil Bub, one of the world’s biggest celebrities—who just happens to be a cat. “Fascinating” (Richmond Times-Dispatch) and “lighthearted” (The Seattle Times), Tucker shows how these tiny felines have used their relationship with humans to become one of the most powerful animals on the planet. A “lively read that pounces back and forth between evolutionary science and popular culture” (The Baltimore Sun), The Lion in the Living Room suggests that we learn that the appropriate reaction to a house cat, it seems, might not be aww but awe.


Cats in Australia

Cats in Australia

Author: Chris Dickman

Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING

Published: 2019-06-01

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1486308457

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Across the world, cats are loved as pets or are kept or tolerated for their role in controlling some animal pests. But cats, both pets and feral, also kill many native animals and this toll can be enormous. Cats have been remarkably successful in Australia, spreading pervasively across the continent and many islands, occurring in all environments, and proving to be adept and adaptable hunters. A large proportion of Australia’s distinctive fauna is threatened and recent research highlights the significant role that cats play in the decline and extinction of native species. Cats in Australia brings this research together, documenting the extent to which cats have subverted, and are continuing to subvert, Australia’s biodiversity. But the book does much more than spotlight the impacts of cats on Australian nature. It describes the origins of cats and their global spread, their long-standing and varying relationship with people, their global impacts and their ecology. It also seeks to describe the challenge of managing cats, and the options available to constrain their impacts.


The Cats on My Block

The Cats on My Block

Author: Valerie Sicignano

Publisher:

Published: 2014-10-06

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13: 9781502745859

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The Cats On My Block, is a delightful new children's book written by animal welfare veteran Valerie Sicignano and illustrated by Jayne Sayre Denny, teaches children about feral and stray cats, often referred to as "community cats". Through conversation among the story's characters, readers of all ages gain insight into a basic misconception about feral cats. When Luke asks Willow if the cats are homeless, she replies, "No, the outdoors is their home." The book features an introduction to the cats on Willow's block with illustrations, names, and descriptions, allowing young readers to get to know them as more than nameless strangers. Willow introduces Luke to a neighbor, Keith, who cares for the cats through daily feeding and monitoring, and by providing shelters to offer protection against the elements. Keith explains how he carries out "trap-neuter-return" (TNR) in the neighborhood to have the cats spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and left-eartipped to identify them as having been "fixed," and then returns them to their outdoor home.A glossary of feral catology offers readers a vocabulary to broaden their understanding of the cats.The Cats On My Block is published by The Humane Society of New York (HSNY), and all profits from the sale of the book will be donated to fund HSNY's Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Program.