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The Inner Life of Cats [2018, PDF/EPUB, ENG]

by Thomas McNamee

(272 ratings)
Book cover
Our feline companions are much-loved but often mysterious. In The Inner Life of Cats, Thomas McNamee blends scientific reportage with engaging, illustrative anecdotes about his own beloved cat, Augusta, to explore and illuminate the secrets and enigmas of her kind.

As it begins, The Inner Life of Cats follows the development of the young Augusta while simultaneously explaining the basics of a kitten's physiological and psychological development. As the narrative progresses, McNamee also charts cats' evolution, explores a feral cat colony in Rome, tells the story of Augusta's life and adventures, and consults with behavioral experts, animal activists, and researchers, who will help readers more fully understand cats.

McNamee shows that with deeper knowledge of cats' developmental phases and individual idiosyncrasies, we can do a better job of guiding cats' maturation and improving the quality of their lives. Readers' relationships with their feline friends will be happier and more harmonious because of this book..
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Book details


  • Author : Thomas McNamee
  • Publisher : Hachette Books; Reprint edition
  • Published : 03-26-2018
  • Language : English
  • Pages : 288
  • ISBN-10 : 0316262900
  • ISBN-13 : 978-0316262903
  • Reader Reviews : 272 (4.6)
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About the Author


Thomas McNamee


I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up there and in New York City. I studied writing at Yale under the tutelage of Robert Penn Warren.

I am the author of The Grizzly Bear (1984); Nature First: Keeping Our Wild Places and Wild Creatures Wild (1987); A Story of Deep Delight (1990); The Return of the Wolf to Yellowstone (1997), Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution 2007), The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance (2012), The Killing of Wolf Number Ten (2014), and, my latest, THE INNER LIFE OF CATS: THE SCIENCE AND SECRETS OF OUR MYSTERIOUS FELINE COMPANIONS (2017).

My essays, poems, and natural history writing have been published in Audubon, The New Yorker, Life, Natural History, High Country News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Saveur, and a number of literary journals. I wrote the documentary film Alexander Calder, which was broadcast on the PBS 'American Masters' series and received both a George W. Peabody Award and an Emmy. Many of my book reviews have appeared The New York Times Book Review.

After twenty-three years in New York City and five in rural Montana, I have lived in San Francisco since 1998--albeit with frequent returns to New York and as much of every summer as possible in Montana.

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Reader Reviews

J
Juice Inla
Best book on Cat behaviour out there. McNamee GETS IT
Reviewed in the United States on 08-24-2018
This book is easy to read, but delves into all the science and research and weaves it all with delightful personal anecdotes and observations and McNamee really is spot on in his observations and conclusions.

Backing up his personal stories with the science made this a brilliant MUST read for me- I have read it through twice and will be buying it for all the cat people in my life, although I should buy it for all those people who don't get cats. They need the help!

I love this book and am so appreciative of his work. THe only downside to reading this book is that, while reading, I constantly felt the nagging guilt of knowing I should just be playing with my cats and giving them all the attention and joy I possibly could. Ok now, off to try and make my three Kits lives more active and meaningful!.
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J
Miles Chapin
Celebrating Cats In Our World and Theirs
Reviewed in the United States on 04-08-2017
Author Thomas McNamee's infinite appreciation of the natural world, his diligent research skills, and his agile pen combine delightfully in this short book that should be on your short list if you're among those billions of people who consider themselves Cat People. While dogs may be obvious to us, cats are mysterious - it's a large part of their allure - but are they totally inscrutable creatures? Not if you're as sensitive, observant, and patient as McNamee. Framed as the story of the deep bonds formed between McNamee, his wife Elizabeth, and an abandoned kitten who literally walked into their life one fine day, the book alternates between science and poetry, between the head and the heart. His explorations are as much about the human soul as the feline paradigm. And he shares his insights, along with the fruits of his awesome research, with the reader in a manner that acknowledges his subjects' essential wildness at the same time as he proclaims the symbiotic connections between humans and cats in our civilized world. Whether you own a cat, are thinking about getting one, or grieving the loss of one, this book will offer you comfort, wisdom, and not a little emotional wallop..
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J
MLR
Emphasis on the Science
Reviewed in the United States on 06-24-2020
The sample offered online proved to be an anecdotal account of a wayward kitten who wormed its way into the lives and hearts of some Montana ranchers. It was engrossing and adorable, and so I ordered this book thinking it was a light read that would be perfect for hiding out at home during the pandemic. The content was well written but I was dismayed that it seemed to be more of a study of...well...studies of cats. Not the cats themselves, but a study of studies..about cats. I kept waiting for the subject matter to return to the adorable kitten, but it was only mentioned in passing. I finally gave up on page 78. Mind you the subtitle does say: 'The Science and Secrets'. The word 'Science' is given priority. However, the sample provided smacks of a 'bait and switch' tactic, since they did not use a sample of the science to lure in a reader..
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