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The Devious Book for Cats: Cats have nine lives. Shouldn't they be lived to the fullest?
Cats have nine lives. Shouldn’t they be lived to the fullest?
“Domesticated” does not mean “docile.” The ho-hum routine of sleep, eat, eat, and sleep is no way for any creature who ruled Egypt for a millennium to spend her day. It’s high time felines everywhere woke up from their cat naps and grabbed life’s strings with both paws.
The Devious Book for Cats offers today’s discerning kitties words of wisdom and advice on everything they need to know, from in-depth guides on cardboard boxes and catnip to a brief history of the Felinism movement. It provides fail-safe tips on waking a human when you want to get fed, choosing the purr-fect gift, staring like a pro, and making the most of superstitions. It also explains the undeniable allure of the Window, the terrifying specter of the Vacuum, and how you can groom properly in just the scant twenty-four hours allotted each day.
Cats: Discover the devious fun you can have when you’re the one in charge!
“Domesticated” does not mean “docile.” The ho-hum routine of sleep, eat, eat, and sleep is no way for any creature who ruled Egypt for a millennium to spend her day. It’s high time felines everywhere woke up from their cat naps and grabbed life’s strings with both paws.
The Devious Book for Cats offers today’s discerning kitties words of wisdom and advice on everything they need to know, from in-depth guides on cardboard boxes and catnip to a brief history of the Felinism movement. It provides fail-safe tips on waking a human when you want to get fed, choosing the purr-fect gift, staring like a pro, and making the most of superstitions. It also explains the undeniable allure of the Window, the terrifying specter of the Vacuum, and how you can groom properly in just the scant twenty-four hours allotted each day.
Cats: Discover the devious fun you can have when you’re the one in charge!
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
58 people are currently reading
952 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
March 16, 2013
This book gave me paws.
December 20, 2008
Oh my gosh, this book is hilarious!!
And the illustrations are priceless.
Cat owners will enjoy, written by "Fluffy and Bonkers", i.e. some co-editors of The Onion. Some examples of chapter titles are, 'Toying with Allergy Sufferers', 'Catfight! Five Moves you Should Know', 'Outsmarting Your Toys' and 'The Pros and Cons of Being Sullen'.
And the illustrations are priceless.
Cat owners will enjoy, written by "Fluffy and Bonkers", i.e. some co-editors of The Onion. Some examples of chapter titles are, 'Toying with Allergy Sufferers', 'Catfight! Five Moves you Should Know', 'Outsmarting Your Toys' and 'The Pros and Cons of Being Sullen'.
November 26, 2009
This is hysterical, and the authors really get cats. The funny is not a surprise; the authors write for "The Onion". However, it was a delight to read something that really did sound true to life for the ways cats think. I strongly recommend this for cat- and book-lovers!
October 10, 2019
Se os gatos tivessem um Manifesto (ou melhor, se nós soubéssemos da sua existência), seria este livro. Gatos, aqueles amiguinhos peludos que nós adoramos, e que nunca esqueceram que foram adorados como Deuses no Antigo Egipto.
Escrito de gatos para gatos, este livro ensina as novas gerações de "miaus" a viverem a vida ao máximo e aproveitarem todos os benefícios de terem humanos a cuidar deles. Ou melhor, a adorá-los como merecem e a providenciar todo e qualquer capricho seu. Se assim não acontecer, eles trataram, muito diligentemente, de ter o que querem. E pronto.
Esta paródia é, pois, um livro para relaxar no sofá e dar algumas gargalhadas. Recomendo especialmente para aqueles que têm gatos, pois vão rever-se em diversas situações contadas e ilustradas neste livro. E vão ainda lembrar-se que há um ou vários pestinhas algures, num canto escuro, a congeminar alguma asneira, enquanto esperam pela próxima hora da refeição.
Escrito de gatos para gatos, este livro ensina as novas gerações de "miaus" a viverem a vida ao máximo e aproveitarem todos os benefícios de terem humanos a cuidar deles. Ou melhor, a adorá-los como merecem e a providenciar todo e qualquer capricho seu. Se assim não acontecer, eles trataram, muito diligentemente, de ter o que querem. E pronto.
Esta paródia é, pois, um livro para relaxar no sofá e dar algumas gargalhadas. Recomendo especialmente para aqueles que têm gatos, pois vão rever-se em diversas situações contadas e ilustradas neste livro. E vão ainda lembrar-se que há um ou vários pestinhas algures, num canto escuro, a congeminar alguma asneira, enquanto esperam pela próxima hora da refeição.
January 9, 2011
I received this little gem as a Christmas present from my sister, and while I don't generally read much humor/parody, I knew I was going to love this book! With chapters such as "Reasons You Meant to Do That," "Kitty Litter Explained," "For Black Cats - Making the Most of Superstition," and ""Getting Away With It," The Devious Book for Cats is the perfect book for any cat lover (and her cats, of course!)
The authors have expertly captures most of the cat-isms and behaviors we all know and love, as well as some interesting insights into subjects such as cats throughout history (with a special emphasis on Egypt,) and the big cat relatives of domestic cats.
The Devious Book for Cats is freakin' hilarious! Word to the wise though: read it when you are alone, in the privacy of your own home. If you read this book in public, you will be pointed at and talked about, because there is no way to read it without loud chortling and guffaws - consider yourselves warned, people!
The authors have expertly captures most of the cat-isms and behaviors we all know and love, as well as some interesting insights into subjects such as cats throughout history (with a special emphasis on Egypt,) and the big cat relatives of domestic cats.
The Devious Book for Cats is freakin' hilarious! Word to the wise though: read it when you are alone, in the privacy of your own home. If you read this book in public, you will be pointed at and talked about, because there is no way to read it without loud chortling and guffaws - consider yourselves warned, people!
July 9, 2016
I was looking for something by Mr. Cox, but our library didn't have anything so I checked to see what there was at 636.8, and found this. It is written by comics so one shouldn't expect too much real advice for either cats or "persons" but there were some real bits of information: do not flush litter down the toilet and realise that that window is a source of unending entertainment even if kitty seems to be napping all the time. Entertainment for the indoor cat is vital since real hunting is denied them and those stuffed toys are referred to as "mousies".
The diagram of a cat falling several floors to the ground was entertaining and the rules for playing Shelf Swat were illuminating of the mental process involved in a cat's shelf activities.
It was fun.
The diagram of a cat falling several floors to the ground was entertaining and the rules for playing Shelf Swat were illuminating of the mental process involved in a cat's shelf activities.
It was fun.
March 23, 2009
In the process of reading this, I gave it five stars. I'm going to have to up that rating to 10 STARS. As a person to two cats ('cause you know you don't own cats, they own you), I can definitely relate to much of what's in this book. Also, it helped me to better understand the furry felines who have conscented to share living quarters with me. At last, at long last I know the truth about the vacuum... And why that closet door that is kept shut is such an obsession... And countless other things that, before reading this book, were a mystery to me. Fluffy & Bonkers explained it all.
A must read for any cat's person!!
A must read for any cat's person!!
June 14, 2017
A secret look into the cat lifestyle.
This book is all about how to live your nine lives to their fullest, whether it be about how to pick the purrfect gift for your human or how to annihilate the furniture despite being declawed. There's even a (short) chapter on dogs.
There's also some learning opportunities slipped in, such as a version of the legend of the Maneki Neko and information on how cats eat.
If you like cats, this book is laugh out loud funny. I highly recommend it.
This book is all about how to live your nine lives to their fullest, whether it be about how to pick the purrfect gift for your human or how to annihilate the furniture despite being declawed. There's even a (short) chapter on dogs.
There's also some learning opportunities slipped in, such as a version of the legend of the Maneki Neko and information on how cats eat.
If you like cats, this book is laugh out loud funny. I highly recommend it.
January 9, 2023
This is the lamest cat-humor book I've come across. The skits were dumb, the art wasn't very good (except for the OK cover). It's even a dumb title. Basically, this one failed me. Back it goes.
Caveat: I skimmed. But I've tried twice now on this turkey. Hell with it.
Caveat: I skimmed. But I've tried twice now on this turkey. Hell with it.
December 26, 2021
This book is a literary gem of cat fiction in which I swear my cat has taken upon her furry shoulders the nom de plume of Fluffy. Everything found within these pages resemble something that I find my cat doing quite often although the lack of hunting squirrels as they frolic outdoors was a noticeable lack in and of itself.
The book is set-up to be a guidebook to any kitties worldwide who may come upon it in their natural day-to-day activities. As such the authors are the voice to so many subjects such as how to groom yourself, introducing kitties of renown for things such as travel, how to survive high jumps and shelf-swat just to name a few. The page is started off with a clear header and then proceeds to provide the information for the subject in a very reader-friendly text that is quite quick to read.
There are a few illustrations of cartoonish cats to help get the point across to the reader and to lighten the reading text.
All in all this will make a great book present for cat lovers and cat companions alike. And it will most definitely be on my list to add to my library so I can keep a wary eye on my own sassy puss whose recent new twist on shelf-swat means taking the magnets off the fridge in the wee hours.
The book is set-up to be a guidebook to any kitties worldwide who may come upon it in their natural day-to-day activities. As such the authors are the voice to so many subjects such as how to groom yourself, introducing kitties of renown for things such as travel, how to survive high jumps and shelf-swat just to name a few. The page is started off with a clear header and then proceeds to provide the information for the subject in a very reader-friendly text that is quite quick to read.
There are a few illustrations of cartoonish cats to help get the point across to the reader and to lighten the reading text.
All in all this will make a great book present for cat lovers and cat companions alike. And it will most definitely be on my list to add to my library so I can keep a wary eye on my own sassy puss whose recent new twist on shelf-swat means taking the magnets off the fridge in the wee hours.
September 10, 2017
By cats, for cats. Funny.
January 3, 2013
Rating: 3.5
Ha! This book was very entertaining, and very funny. Now I know why my cat runs into walls, knocks things off my shelves, and tries to rip apart the furniture on occasion.
The Devious Book for Cats is a parody written for cats by “cats.” It’s essentially a guide for cats explaining what fun games to play, proper cat edicate, the history of cats, etc. It is a guide complete with tips and some (very funny) pictures.
This book would be a great book to give as a gift for somebody, or if you just need a good laugh.
Ha! This book was very entertaining, and very funny. Now I know why my cat runs into walls, knocks things off my shelves, and tries to rip apart the furniture on occasion.
The Devious Book for Cats is a parody written for cats by “cats.” It’s essentially a guide for cats explaining what fun games to play, proper cat edicate, the history of cats, etc. It is a guide complete with tips and some (very funny) pictures.
This book would be a great book to give as a gift for somebody, or if you just need a good laugh.
July 18, 2011
I think my cat has been reading this book, he certainly acts the way it tells cats to act in here. And I bet he found some comfort in the fact that he is not the only cat scared of the hoover. This book made me laugh out loud. With quotes such as "Shopping Bag:What's in that bag? Are you in that bag? If not, get in there!" and the chapter on dogs which is one line "Some people seem to like dogs. Your guess is as good as ours." This is a must read for any cat lovers :)
March 2, 2009
Penned by Fluffy and Bonkers, this book is a soliloquy of the life of a cat. Cat lovers will appreciate all the inside facts and hilarity, replete with diagrams and how-to illustrations. I was laughing my head off. The chapter on dogs is one line long. SImple as that. If you like cats, read this book. Now.
August 22, 2009
I enjoyed some parts of this book more than others. The chapter on how to pick proper boxes was funny, and I enjoyed the part on catnip. Some of the other chapters, though, were just humdrum. Luckily, I think this is a book you could pick and choose your way through, and the chapters are short enough that you won't feel like you've wasted your time anywhere.
February 24, 2011
This was a short, funny book. I was very amused. Even though it was a short book, it was still longer than I expected. I especially loved the chapter on Dogs, and the chapter on litter boxes really made me laugh since my mother's cat is currently going through one of the phases.
Read
July 27, 2011This book gave me many nights of giggles. Every time I read a new page I was compelled to seek out my own two cats to see what they were up to and to compare their behaviour. Very cute and easy read for anyone who is a cat lover and who loves their cat's quirky personality traits.
March 22, 2015
Entertaining and funny. Nothing too surprising if you've ever shared your home with a cat.
October 15, 2015
Cute. Great for a pre-teen. The "parody" is about as sharp as butterknife and as original as that simile.
April 25, 2018
After finishing this delightfully witty book, it was little surprise to me that the collaborators of this book were all past or present writers for the Onion, as this book shared that magazine's delightful blend of plausible fiction and devious insight into fact that make so many of their stories plausible even when one knows them to be parodies. And this same quality is present in this book, a witty and sophisticated volume that is better the more you enjoy cat humor and a knowledge of cats in history [1]. To be sure, this book is aimed at a higher audience than the usual meme audience of other contemporary cat humorists, but the same idea is in mind here when it comes to viewing cats as humorous animals and playing to their reputation as bossy creatures who think they are in control--what better way to lean into that reputation than to write a satire where cats really are in control and are seeking to translate their masterplans and ambitions and struggles into human so as to be better understand by people. The vein is a rich one and this book mines it for plenty of laughs.
Admittedly, this book is more than a little bit scattered in terms of its approach. While it is consistent in writing about the relationship of cats with other beings, especially but not only humans, it casts a wide net in looking for humorous material that scatters from one point to another, making this a book to savor in small bites rather than one to read all at once. Including are several discussions of extraordinary cats in history, other which talk about feline clumsiness, the tradeoffs of living in cat condos or out in the barn where one is knocked up periodically by a commitment-phobic tomcat, stories about stowing away to travel, how to hunt wild game, cat relatives, and so on. Quite a few of the stories carry a fair amount of dark sarcastic bite like the legend of the crazy cat lady, while some of the stories are justifications of the things that would appear to an unbiased observer as cat "mistakes." Other pieces look at the relationship of cats and dogs, cat careers, how to toy with allergy sufferers, how to booby trap a house, enjoying a vacation, overcoming the disability of being declawed, and some looks at cats in other cultures like Egypt and Japan. There are dozens of smaller pieces in this book that are quite entertaining and that are rather scattered in their approach.
Overall, this book is a funny one, and also a book that makes one think a good deal. If cats could speak for themselves about their own greatness and nobility, they could scarcely find more appealing writing than that present here. Part of the interest of a book like this one is trying to determine the line between fact and fiction. Without a doubt the authors take pains to include news stories or their own personal experiences into account and have a tight enough grasp of what is plausible to make stories that sound real even when they are not, and that manage to put human anxieties about making a living and dealing with the pressures of life into the mind of cats. To be sure, this is a book for devious cats, but it is also a book that represents the anxieties of life for human beings as well, as many people will be able to ponder the search for human dignity and having a comfortable place of one's own here just as cats do. Indeed, since cats cannot speak their own stories, it is fortunate that they have so many friends willing to do it for them in enjoyable books like this one.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
Admittedly, this book is more than a little bit scattered in terms of its approach. While it is consistent in writing about the relationship of cats with other beings, especially but not only humans, it casts a wide net in looking for humorous material that scatters from one point to another, making this a book to savor in small bites rather than one to read all at once. Including are several discussions of extraordinary cats in history, other which talk about feline clumsiness, the tradeoffs of living in cat condos or out in the barn where one is knocked up periodically by a commitment-phobic tomcat, stories about stowing away to travel, how to hunt wild game, cat relatives, and so on. Quite a few of the stories carry a fair amount of dark sarcastic bite like the legend of the crazy cat lady, while some of the stories are justifications of the things that would appear to an unbiased observer as cat "mistakes." Other pieces look at the relationship of cats and dogs, cat careers, how to toy with allergy sufferers, how to booby trap a house, enjoying a vacation, overcoming the disability of being declawed, and some looks at cats in other cultures like Egypt and Japan. There are dozens of smaller pieces in this book that are quite entertaining and that are rather scattered in their approach.
Overall, this book is a funny one, and also a book that makes one think a good deal. If cats could speak for themselves about their own greatness and nobility, they could scarcely find more appealing writing than that present here. Part of the interest of a book like this one is trying to determine the line between fact and fiction. Without a doubt the authors take pains to include news stories or their own personal experiences into account and have a tight enough grasp of what is plausible to make stories that sound real even when they are not, and that manage to put human anxieties about making a living and dealing with the pressures of life into the mind of cats. To be sure, this is a book for devious cats, but it is also a book that represents the anxieties of life for human beings as well, as many people will be able to ponder the search for human dignity and having a comfortable place of one's own here just as cats do. Indeed, since cats cannot speak their own stories, it is fortunate that they have so many friends willing to do it for them in enjoyable books like this one.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
October 28, 2019
A very cute and humorous book "written" by cats with the assistance of their human underlings concerning teaching other cats how to "properly regain control of [their] sovereign destiny" and learn to "pull the proverbial strings in [their] households." From learning how to swipe food and properly playing the "I meant to do that" as well as the "what's in there?" game with cardboard boxes as well as getting away with things and choosing the perfect gift for their human (mouse, bird, insect, ballpoint pen cap and, of course, themselves).
There are a few things I thought were taken too lightly--downplaying the barbarity of declawing (and "how to do damage anyway") or explaining the importance of finding the proper scratch post--height, material, horizontal/vertical as well as mentioning the suggestion of "urinating outside of the litter pan if it's not clean enough". These are the two main reasons that cats are sent to (and often euthanized in) shelters. Downplaying it may be "cute" for the book--but it's dangerous.
Fortunately, there is more humor than these downsides and mostly only real "cat people" will probably read this book and will laugh at the truths they see in their own cats. "The wonders of the cardboard box", "the guide to proper napping", the varying adaptations of the Suck Monster (vacuum cleaner) and many other things.
I truly did enjoy, and laugh, at many points as I *did* recognize so many things about my own cats and I think many others will too. I am just concerned about those few things that I thought were taken too lightly and could endanger cats (although I truly hope that anyone who would purchase this book know and love their cats enough to know better).
There are a few things I thought were taken too lightly--downplaying the barbarity of declawing (and "how to do damage anyway") or explaining the importance of finding the proper scratch post--height, material, horizontal/vertical as well as mentioning the suggestion of "urinating outside of the litter pan if it's not clean enough". These are the two main reasons that cats are sent to (and often euthanized in) shelters. Downplaying it may be "cute" for the book--but it's dangerous.
Fortunately, there is more humor than these downsides and mostly only real "cat people" will probably read this book and will laugh at the truths they see in their own cats. "The wonders of the cardboard box", "the guide to proper napping", the varying adaptations of the Suck Monster (vacuum cleaner) and many other things.
I truly did enjoy, and laugh, at many points as I *did* recognize so many things about my own cats and I think many others will too. I am just concerned about those few things that I thought were taken too lightly and could endanger cats (although I truly hope that anyone who would purchase this book know and love their cats enough to know better).
April 10, 2019
I found this volume in a secondhand shop and purchased it because of the note inscribed on the endpaper and flyleaf in ink:
"Christmas 2008
Dear Dr. Appel,
The game is up! I have seen through your pretence of visiting a sick friend, when ACTUALLY you have come to gaze upon MY grace and beauty, and to partake of MY wisdom, the wisdom of centuries, the wisdom of ancient Egypt. Those were the days...we were Gods!
I shall have to teach you to worship ME, as I have taught the female of your species. It is but the work of a moment, as even the lowliest among you recognizes our superiority. The superiority of THE CAT. How very sublime.
I have enclosed the manual by which we teach our young how to attain the superiority and total perfection of their elders in order to help you understand and emulate us.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. And remember this: I like to be scritched under my chin. DON'T FORGET. My claws and my memory are long. Love ya!
They call me -- MISTER Pookie"
"Christmas 2008
Dear Dr. Appel,
The game is up! I have seen through your pretence of visiting a sick friend, when ACTUALLY you have come to gaze upon MY grace and beauty, and to partake of MY wisdom, the wisdom of centuries, the wisdom of ancient Egypt. Those were the days...we were Gods!
I shall have to teach you to worship ME, as I have taught the female of your species. It is but the work of a moment, as even the lowliest among you recognizes our superiority. The superiority of THE CAT. How very sublime.
I have enclosed the manual by which we teach our young how to attain the superiority and total perfection of their elders in order to help you understand and emulate us.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. And remember this: I like to be scritched under my chin. DON'T FORGET. My claws and my memory are long. Love ya!
They call me -- MISTER Pookie"
October 12, 2025
I had to really “paws” and think about how to rank this one (sorry!) It’s not going to ever rank as a classic but, hear meowt (again, sorry!) it’s just so daft it’s entertaining and worth a read. I got through this really quickly and, although most of its ridiculous, I still found myself going back to finish it off. It’s essentially a parody of the “adventurous books for boys” series written as though by cats for other cats. There are some hilarious illustrations and it just makes a great gift for other cat lovers. 3 stars simply because I wouldn’t re read and it is good but not purr-fact (you can kill me now!)
November 27, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! It was wonderful and warm hearted, looking at things from the cat's perspective rather than a human's. I kept looking at my cats (who were found when only a few weeks old and I subsequently adopted from a cat rescue charity) and thinking that they'd had some input to this book, it was so accurate.
Light reading, full of belly laughs and chuckles. It gave some refreshing light relief away from every day life and I would highly recommend, even for those who don't have cats.
Light reading, full of belly laughs and chuckles. It gave some refreshing light relief away from every day life and I would highly recommend, even for those who don't have cats.
February 7, 2025
It’s great to see cat authors writing for the benefit of other cats. Fluffy and Bonkers address so many topics that are of importance to cats trying to live well: cat condos, cardboard boxes, allergy sufferers, napping, and staring. Fluffy and Bonkers, as cats, understand the superiority and dominance of the cat in relation to humans and can thus give their advice from the correct vantage point. If you, like me, live with a cat, you will be greatly entertained and enlightened by the feline wit and wisdom in this book.
March 21, 2020
Cats: discover the devious fun you can have when you're the one in charge! Offers the cats advice on everything they need to know, from in-depth guides on cardboard boxes and catnip to a history of the Felinism Movement. It provides tips on waking a human when you want to get fed, staring like a pro, and making the most of superstitions. It explains the allue of the window, the terrifying spectre of the vacuum, and extraordinary cats in history.
May 27, 2021
Written from the perspective of a cat, like a self-improvement book for young cats, advice on how to cat. Very funny with plenty of laughable moments. Favorite chapters include "Cardboard Boxes", "What's in There?", "Shelf Swat", "An Illustrated Guide to Napping", "The Window", "Outsmarting Your Toys" and much much more! Highly recommended for all cat-lovers.
June 12, 2023
As a person who has been owned by cats most of my life, this book was highly relevant. Features include ways to demand attention, heroes of the cat world and the one and only cat to use all nine of his lives. (So glad I uprooted my lilies this spring when I learn of their toxicity)
And, of course, I was constantly marked as I read.
SO enjoyable.
And, of course, I was constantly marked as I read.
SO enjoyable.
September 18, 2017
Great book for car lovers
Anyone who has ever been owned by a car will appreciate this book. While you are busy laughing you will also be nodding your head. You will know your cat was thinking the same way. Quick read, humorous. A delightful piece of brain candy.
Anyone who has ever been owned by a car will appreciate this book. While you are busy laughing you will also be nodding your head. You will know your cat was thinking the same way. Quick read, humorous. A delightful piece of brain candy.
August 20, 2018
Purrfect for understanding Cats
This book was like cotton candy a fun read without having to think much. I love the narrative from a cat’s viewpoint. I give it 5 paws and tell all cat lovers to enjoy the journey.
This book was like cotton candy a fun read without having to think much. I love the narrative from a cat’s viewpoint. I give it 5 paws and tell all cat lovers to enjoy the journey.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews