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Text and photographs present the anatomy, behavior, habitats, and other aspects of wild and domestic cats.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
9 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Juliet Clutton-Brock
44 books2 followersJuliet Clutton-Brock, FSA, FZS was an English zooarchaeologist and curator, specializing in domesticated mammals. From 1969 to 1993, she worked at the Natural History Museum. Between 1999 and 2006, she was the managing editor of the Journal of Zoology.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 29, 2023
Always a great fun read, these books always teach me something new. Beautiful pictures throughout make these a please for the eye and the brain. Highly recommended
August 29, 2020
A great book ....pictures and informations are top class.....!!!
August 11, 2025
I couldn’t help myself; this updated (2022) edition of DK Eyewitness Cats was in a donated pile of books to go into my Little Free Library, so I had to check it out. Brand new, too. Honestly, as a cat lover, rescuer, and photographer, it’s hard not to be drawn to any book about cats. I had an earlier edition of the book many years ago.
The book presents a lot of very interesting information about domestic and wild cats, big and small, from prehistoric times to present. As with all DK Eyewitness books, this is jam packed with great photos of cats, tigers, leopards, lions—every kind of cat that exists—to go alongside facts, historical and scientific information, as well as diagrams and artwork.
I’m in awe every time I see photos of tigers or lions, then I read about the similarities with my own cat. I enjoyed reading about the cheetah’s hunting prowess, and how humans came to tame the cat (or at least, how we think we have). There are great sections on Myths and Legends, and about cats’ hunting and climbing techniques. There’s also a decent amount of material about how the larger species of cats are endangered due to habitat loss and centuries of hunting, some to the point of near extinction. The only thing I think was missed with large cats and their declining populations was mentioning traditional Asian medicine, and the ownership of exotic cats in the US. Aside from these areas, I feel as though this book covered the ways that large cats have been become endangered, quite well.
There’s a section called Street Life which contains some information on Trap and Neuter programs, and feral cats (and actually references the Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw), but only gives one sidebar on a later page about Stray Cats, which mentions one rescue organization, Best Friends Animal Society (there are countless organizations because the problem of ‘unwanted cats’ and overpopulation is so huge). There are no real facts laid out about the overpopulation problem that plagues rescues and shelters; there is also one sentence, “Most people get their cats neutered” in the Caring for Cats section. This was an opening for more than one sentence on the subject in the entire book. No mention of adoption, just cute pedigree kittens.
(And no, every cat does not “need to be allowed outside to explore its territory and also to eat blades of grass that help its digestion.” A cat will certainly not live to that golden age of 20 with the advice in this book.)
In contrast, there is a large amount of information on pedigree cats and suggests joining cat clubs and going to the Cat Fanciers’ Association cat show. While I understand that a modern reference book about cats, for any age group, should present all of this information, I feel it irresponsible to not point this out when there is a decent amount of wild cat conservation information in this book, but the topics of domestic cats in rescues and responsible ownership are given proper consideration. Kudos for pointing out the negative effects of selective inbreeding, but that’s because of that’s thanks those pedigrees. When mentioning cat claws, there is no mention of the modern view that declawing is not recommended (the practice has also been performed on large cats in roadside petting zoos).
I believe the target audience and age group is intellectually and emotionally equipped to understand facts around the necessity for spay and neuter, and adequate healthcare (there’s one sentence about getting vaccines). There’s also very little about diet, in general. If you can show photos of animals mating, you can write about shelters.
Animal-loving children (I was one of them), are intelligent and compassionate, and are curious and accepting of the truth. They also deserve it.
*A young person may want to read this to learn more about adopting, caring for, and owning a cat. This book lacks in these areas.
DK Eyewitness has been a consistent source of excellent children’s non fiction; they’re always fun, interesting books. I had a lot to say about this particular one because it was a book about cats; perhaps DK can update this one again with more contemporary information regarding domestic cats, and possibly, new numbers and info for the endangered species.
The book presents a lot of very interesting information about domestic and wild cats, big and small, from prehistoric times to present. As with all DK Eyewitness books, this is jam packed with great photos of cats, tigers, leopards, lions—every kind of cat that exists—to go alongside facts, historical and scientific information, as well as diagrams and artwork.
I’m in awe every time I see photos of tigers or lions, then I read about the similarities with my own cat. I enjoyed reading about the cheetah’s hunting prowess, and how humans came to tame the cat (or at least, how we think we have). There are great sections on Myths and Legends, and about cats’ hunting and climbing techniques. There’s also a decent amount of material about how the larger species of cats are endangered due to habitat loss and centuries of hunting, some to the point of near extinction. The only thing I think was missed with large cats and their declining populations was mentioning traditional Asian medicine, and the ownership of exotic cats in the US. Aside from these areas, I feel as though this book covered the ways that large cats have been become endangered, quite well.
There’s a section called Street Life which contains some information on Trap and Neuter programs, and feral cats (and actually references the Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw), but only gives one sidebar on a later page about Stray Cats, which mentions one rescue organization, Best Friends Animal Society (there are countless organizations because the problem of ‘unwanted cats’ and overpopulation is so huge). There are no real facts laid out about the overpopulation problem that plagues rescues and shelters; there is also one sentence, “Most people get their cats neutered” in the Caring for Cats section. This was an opening for more than one sentence on the subject in the entire book. No mention of adoption, just cute pedigree kittens.
(And no, every cat does not “need to be allowed outside to explore its territory and also to eat blades of grass that help its digestion.” A cat will certainly not live to that golden age of 20 with the advice in this book.)
In contrast, there is a large amount of information on pedigree cats and suggests joining cat clubs and going to the Cat Fanciers’ Association cat show. While I understand that a modern reference book about cats, for any age group, should present all of this information, I feel it irresponsible to not point this out when there is a decent amount of wild cat conservation information in this book, but the topics of domestic cats in rescues and responsible ownership are given proper consideration. Kudos for pointing out the negative effects of selective inbreeding, but that’s because of that’s thanks those pedigrees. When mentioning cat claws, there is no mention of the modern view that declawing is not recommended (the practice has also been performed on large cats in roadside petting zoos).
I believe the target audience and age group is intellectually and emotionally equipped to understand facts around the necessity for spay and neuter, and adequate healthcare (there’s one sentence about getting vaccines). There’s also very little about diet, in general. If you can show photos of animals mating, you can write about shelters.
Animal-loving children (I was one of them), are intelligent and compassionate, and are curious and accepting of the truth. They also deserve it.
*A young person may want to read this to learn more about adopting, caring for, and owning a cat. This book lacks in these areas.
DK Eyewitness has been a consistent source of excellent children’s non fiction; they’re always fun, interesting books. I had a lot to say about this particular one because it was a book about cats; perhaps DK can update this one again with more contemporary information regarding domestic cats, and possibly, new numbers and info for the endangered species.
December 7, 2025
This book says, “Every cat should be allowed outside to explore and establish its territory.” FALSE. There is no reason a cat needs to go outside. Going outside will put them at risk of injuries and diseases from other cats, getting hit by cars, and abuse from humans. Ask me if you’d like to know what I’ve seen. Also, cats’ hunting of birds and other small animals can be decimating for local wildlife populations. Wild animals did not evolve with domestic cats, therefore they have no defenses. Other that that this book is pretty great.
September 12, 2022
I looked through this book with a young cat-loving friend one evening. While we enjoyed the illustrations, I found the print almost too small to read, and a lot of the information went over her head. I would suggest this book might be more appropriate for middle to upper grade students to study on their own, as opposed to a read aloud for younger children.
August 23, 2024
Came as part of a keep-sharp memory kit the library will offer to patrons. It's nice but short, since it's really geared towards children. Still, I learned a few things, like the fact that cheetahs can't retract their claws.
January 29, 2018
DK Eyewitness Books are the perfect ratio of photos to facts. There is one on every subject, created for children, but adults enjoy them, too. I know I loved this one.
February 9, 2023
A wonderful reference guide for young readers interested in cats.
May 5, 2013
I'm a fan of the Eyewitness format. DK learned the best of what they could from magazine graphic design and has applied a powerful template. My son Alma loves this series, including the videos.
This book and Jenkins' Dog & Cat book both presented incorrect information about the cat's collarbone. I found the right answers on wikipedia and other internet sources. This was disappointing. What kind of research standard is there here?
KOBO: The ereader displays only half the double spread at a time, which interrupts the Eyewitness formula of one dominant central image that crosses the gutter and takes up most of the page. This is an awesome format, and cutting it in half just doesn't work. I don't have much hope right now for the ereader, especially where informational text is concerned. Putting a full double page spread on a 7" screen is just too small an image, especially when there are captions, diagrams, and text vignettes in smaller print.
Who will be the first company to come out with a double-page ereader that has a book-like gutter?
This book and Jenkins' Dog & Cat book both presented incorrect information about the cat's collarbone. I found the right answers on wikipedia and other internet sources. This was disappointing. What kind of research standard is there here?
KOBO: The ereader displays only half the double spread at a time, which interrupts the Eyewitness formula of one dominant central image that crosses the gutter and takes up most of the page. This is an awesome format, and cutting it in half just doesn't work. I don't have much hope right now for the ereader, especially where informational text is concerned. Putting a full double page spread on a 7" screen is just too small an image, especially when there are captions, diagrams, and text vignettes in smaller print.
Who will be the first company to come out with a double-page ereader that has a book-like gutter?
August 29, 2017
The book had lots of good information about, and stunning photographs of, cats -- all cats.
October 31, 2021
These books are aimed at young readers, so don't expect much scientific information like Latin names, or even basic stuff like physical dimensions. What this big and vibrant book did, what DK excels at is using stunning visuals to capture the imagination of children to learn more. Every page of this large format publication had a two page spread of a cat, wild or domestic, that leap out of the book with their life-like poses. The human dimension was covered, linking different types of cats and their association with our history and culture, using works of art as examples. Some of the info may be outdated or questionable (the strange organization of cats into 'leaping' and 'running' for instance), but otherwise it was a fantastic piece of work generally.
p.s. DK also published a pocket sized Cat book by a different author, which I reviewed separately here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
p.s. DK also published a pocket sized Cat book by a different author, which I reviewed separately here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 1, 2019
What a beautiful book. My 12&10 year old sons loved it
February 27, 2024
I didn't actually read this entire book, but the information I got from it was very helpful.
August 16, 2024
Too much cat info to take in at once! 2022 edition.
Read
March 1, 2017Read aloud to B -
May 6, 2012
Another one of the books I borrowed from the public library for my biology research. Sorry if I'm bombarding anyone with my similar reviews for all these books recently.
This book focuses specifically on the Cats (all the animals in the cat family). It talks about their characteristics, habitats, anatomy and introduces to us different types of cats. There are specific examples of cats in the pages of this book and it points out, with labelled pictures and diagrams, to parts of the picture they are refering to. I found it quite useful to understand some adaptations about these animals, especially about the ones they have selected to talk separatly about, such as the tiger, the lion, water cats, domestic cats in order to complete my write up for an biology assessment. There are also labelled diagrams/pictures for other members of the family such as cheetahs.
Useful research information.
This book focuses specifically on the Cats (all the animals in the cat family). It talks about their characteristics, habitats, anatomy and introduces to us different types of cats. There are specific examples of cats in the pages of this book and it points out, with labelled pictures and diagrams, to parts of the picture they are refering to. I found it quite useful to understand some adaptations about these animals, especially about the ones they have selected to talk separatly about, such as the tiger, the lion, water cats, domestic cats in order to complete my write up for an biology assessment. There are also labelled diagrams/pictures for other members of the family such as cheetahs.
Useful research information.
Read
May 24, 2022I didn't do a full read through, so not a rated review, but it looks good, as the series always has. However, the puma cub featured on three different pages has some *major* hair loss. It's really quite jarring. As a former animal keeper and vet tech, I know hair loss happens for a number of reasons and the animal can be perfectly happy and healthy while looking horrible, but that doesn't mean you need an image of it larger than your palm splashed across the page in a series that defined the genre.
January 31, 2011
We can't seem to stop reading this book in my house!
April 30, 2017
Unfortunately saddled with the usual Modern Nag stuff (things like "this coat looks better on the leopard than on somebody's jacket").
December 16, 2016
This book was very enjoyable. It was full of new information that I didn't know before. One of my favorite facts are that lions are the only cats that live and hunt together.
February 14, 2017
I thought it was really good and it had lots of facts about cats that I didn't know about.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews