Your Cat: The Owner's Manual: Hundreds of Secrets, Surprises, and Solutions for Raising a Happy, Healthy Cat

by Marty Becker, Jane Brunt (Foreword), Gina Spadafori (Primary Contributor)

Dr. Marty Becker has become known as "America's Veterinarian" because of his educational and entertaining shows and columns. For more than ten years, Dr. Becker has been the popular veterinary contributor to ABC-TV's Good Morning America and is now a member of Core Team Oz on Dr. Mehmet Oz's show.

Dr. Becker will help owners solve problems and enhance their bond with their cats through a tip-filled book on everything from finding the right cat to preventing health problems and bad behavior. He will start owners off on the right foot, whether they buy a kitten or adopt an older cat, showing them how to solve the most annoying behavior and cat-care problems--from scratching furniture to not using the litter-box. (Surprising fact: did you know that black cats shed more than light-colored cats?) And he advises owners how to make their own cat toys, and how to save money on medication, both traditional and alternative.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cats, Animals

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

"First of all, it's not true that cats are aliens who have enslaved us to do their bidding" OH REALLY? ARE YOU SO SURE?

Okay jokes aside, this is a book with a lot of helpful information. That being said, as someone who grew up with cats and has owned my own for 5+ years, there wasn't much in here that was new; I think this book would be a great resource for a first-time cat owner. He also has a tendency to repeat himself (I think wand and food puzzles were mentioned and described about eight times in the course of the book), and I don't know if that's to hammer points home or just lazy editing. Overall though, definitely useful, especially for new cat parents.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book at the library and checked it out to see if there was information within that could enhance my cat's life. This book was very well written and contained tons of useful information. I didn't find answers to my cat's behavior and I've never seen a cat with his personality. He is extremely shy and will only come out of hiding for me. If the doorbell rings or anyone enters the house he's nowhere to be found and only emerges after the "threat" is gone. With me, he's the perfect cat and I love him so he and I will happily continue on.

[Dr Goon Taco Supreme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the library in the hopes of learning to be a better “cat mom” to my kitties.
I learned quite a lot, including the fact that I am supposed to brush my cats teeth 🤔, and that while I love fat cats, it’s terribly unhealthy for my cats to put on too much weight so I’ve got to slim them down a bit before they develop health problems that could shorten their life spans.
The book was quite good, although at times it was repetitive. The author also clearly dropped the names of various items he sponsors which, at times, made me a little suspicious of his message.
On the whole I’m glad I read the book. It took a lot longer to read than I thought it would, so if you’re a slow reader like I am don’t get too many library books out of the library expecting this book to just take a day or two to read.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book, but with lots of information I already read in earlier volumes, and some that isn't relevant to Wisp. Adopting kittens, for instance, is a moot point now. But if it had been the first book I'd picked, I'd have found it useful.
The section on training cats had stuff I hadn't read before, though.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very useful for someone like me who never had a cat and knew nothing about cats. Got me through tje complicated world of car stuff available out there and made me pretty ready for the kitty we just adopted. Recommended.

[Vivien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really needs to be updated, but overall quite helpful for the general basics.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a cat owner for as long as I can remember, I always want to make sure I stay on top of not only their care, but their well-being too. I want to make sure that I am doing all I can to make sure that they have the best life possible. Now that we live in our home, we've adopted 4 cats from our local shelters and can say it's always a learning experience with them since each of their personalities are unique and as individual as you are.

When I got the opportunity to review Your Cat: The Owner's Manual, by Dr. Marty Becker, the resident veterinarian from the Dr. Oz show, I knew I wanted to check this one out to see if I was missing anything and boy did I found some interesting things your cat magazines and websites won't tell you.

This book contains almost everything you need to know if you are a cat owner or considering purchasing one soon, from choosing the right cat or kitten for your family, preventing health problems, solving what to do with regards to scratching furniture or using the litter box and saving money on medication and treatments both traditional and alternative as well as which pet products really work.

Here is just a sampling of what I learned from this wonderful book; did you know that garlic and onions are toxic to cats? They can lead to anemia in your feline and is great to know when you consider giving them real food as an alternative to canned or dry pet foods. I also learned that despite claims that laser pointers make great cat toys, it can actually stress them out because they can never "get" the light. There is no reward once it's caught. Another thing is my cat's fascination to drinking from our sinks or showers and found that you can purchase a cat fountain from your local retailer that generates an interest in them drinking more water which is actually healthier for them than simply drinking out of a bowl.

I received Your Cat: The Owner's Manual by Dr. Marty Becker compliments of Grand Central Publishing for my honest opinion and have to say, if you own a cat or are thinking of getting one, please pick this up. There is so much information for even a seasoned cat owner to take away from this book, that if you want to give your cats the very best this is a MUST HAVE! For that reason I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and now look forward to all the different ways our cats "talk" to us that I never knew before!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really learned a lot about being a cat custodian. Helped a great deal.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, easy read chock full of helpful information. No clear bias or covert marketing from Marty which I've found other pet books to be like. Highly recommend.

[Liz]

Yeah, this happened. Who have I become?