Why Cats Do That: A Collection of Curious Kitty Quirks

by Karen Anderson

Why do cats get stuck in trees? Why do cats bring us their latest catch? Why do cats always land on their feet? Why do cats torture their prey? These and 36 other curious cat behaviors are informatively and lightheartedly answered in the handsomely illustrated Why Cats Do That. An original pen-and-ink drawing illustrates each insightful explanation of odd but characteristic cat actions, social graces and sometimes kooky quirks.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cats, Science, Reference, Animals, Trivia

94 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Born 1958
per Library of Congress website

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book - for the coffee table or read as a book, great for cat lovers and everyone else - great illustrations as well.

[Thomas B]

A coworker bought this book for me at a garage sale over the weekend – I think that’s rather touching! It’s a sweet little book, and the illustrations are lovely. I love my cat (Ripley), and sometimes I get a little worried that maybe she actually hates me, and I’ve googled things like, “how to tell if your cat likes you” in the past, I’ll admit it. So, this book does sort of speak to me. The Big Rip is sitting right behind my head, on top of the couch, as I type this.

Last week I had one of the worst days of my professional career, and I came home and went straight to bed. Ripley curled up right next to me and I fell asleep petting her. Cats are special. I’ve had Ripley for approaching ten years now, and I can say honestly that I wouldn’t be alive otherwise.

[That Weaver Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend of mine put this into my hands after I recently adopted a kitten. Overall the book is informative about several things that I did not know- cats rub up against you to create a co-mingled scent that tells them who you are in relation to them. Adorable!

As enthusiastic as I am about my cat though, cats in general do not fascinate me as they do, apparently, the author of this book. I like my "books o' facts" to be a bit more fact-y, and a bit less fangirl-ish. Every time the author made commentary about "the mysterious world of these regal felines" it made me really embarrassed for her.

This was a good coffee table read, and a good supplement to your "learn something new everyday" category, but nothing really earth-shattering. I give it a B-.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book mainly for my daughter since we recently got a kitten. I've had several cats in my life and have read several books on cats so the information really wasn't new to me. Still it was easy to read and even a non-reader like my daughter should be able to skim through it and understand the bits of wisdom it offers.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little question and answer book about typical and normal cat behaviors. It is illustrated with beautiful black and white illustrations of cats by Wendy Christensen. This charming little book for cat lovers answers simple questions like "Why do cats scratch the furniture?" and "Why do cats seem so aloof?" It gives good and accurate answers along with some gentle advice for accepting less pleasant behaviors.

However, this is NOT the answer to serious disruptive issues with cats. And, that is really okay. I honestly did not think that it would be. I picked it up because I found the cover illustration charming and the cat on the cover reminds me of my Calico cat, Kebechet. I also was curious to discover whether the book contained any new information that I wasn't already aware of regardless of whether it would help my current situation of behavioral issues with Kebbe or not. As it turns out, I did learn a couple of new things. But honestly, even if I hadn't, I enjoyed the illustrations so much that they made it worth my time to read it. If I owned a copy of this book, there's a reasonably chance that I'd take out several pages and frame a few of the illustrations to put up around my home as art. But, I'm a sucker for a good illustration and if I framed everything I came across that I felt the same way about as some of these, I'd have little wall space left!

My only criticism of this book is that I would like to have seen a disclaimer that stated something along the lines of 'if your cat's behavior has recently changed significantly, please contact your (or a) veterinarian for professional advice.' In the answer to a question about why cats urinate in places other than their litter box, part of the answer is given as a potential urinary tract condition and yet, the author doesn't directly state that a vet should be consulted early on to determine if that is the case. Urinary issues are a common occurrence in cats that can frequently be treated and resolved with a change in diet.

All in all, it is an enjoyable and informative little book worth reading if you like cats and want to understand them better.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about the eccentricities of cats. It's definitely written by a cat lover so it's very kind to them (almost too kind in some cases).

It's arranged as a series of very short topics like "Why does my cat groom himself so much" and "Why does my cat knead me?" Some are more commonly discussed and some are more unusual topics. I learned a few things, although most of it was either stuff I've heard before or figured by common sense. Some of the explanations seemed a little far fetched to me, but the author admits to some wishful thinking/conjecture.

What I really liked (and what may make me keep the book even though I was planning to donate it) were the illustrations. They're simple, black and white drawings but I was really impressed with how the artist captured the cat's expressions and poses - definitely some of of better/best drawings of cats I've seen. The illustrations are so sweet and realistic that I hate to part with the book.

[Rex Libris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An explanation of why cats do the things they do. The most interesting explanation I found is why cats bring you there kills. I thought it was just to share with you, but the explanation says it goes beyond that. What the cat really wants to do is to teach you how to hunt also. Kitty is showing you that you can have these too, let me show you how. I guess the fact that you do not want to just confirms for the cat that you are the idiot in the relationship.

[Melanie Fair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this as a gift from my grandmother who knows I love cats. I've had and been around cats for the majority of my life... Which is why this book wasn't for me. Most of these are either things I've picked up on or are just theories of cat lovers. Not to say it's not a cute short read, just don't go into this expecting a fount of knowledge if you're a crazy cat lady.

[Mark Horvath · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read on some cat basics. Some interesting information is stored here, apt for beginner cat owners or seasoned friends of felines that are curious about how kitty ticks. A tad heavy on the superlatives, this is still an easy-to-digest small informational book that cat owners should consider, even if just to leaf through the stunning illustrations.

[MKF · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a bit confused on why this is shelved in the adult non-fiction because it looks and reads like a kids book. The drawings are wonderful but the photos of the cats are a bit boring and none stood out as great. After a few pages I started skimming because the information is the exact same information found in almost all cat books.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute little book! The pictures are cute and the stories about "why kitty does" X, Y, and Z are fun to read. Definitely a fun read and helped me understand my cats better. I don't know how factual it is, but that's not really the point of the book

[Morgan Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting and a great quick explanation of many cat actions. Personally not many of the explanations surprised me- for i have heard some of them before. But i always enjoy illustrations and this book was filled with wonderful pen and ink sketches.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a humorous book; it would ask a question about cats, and then illustrate and answer it. I found it funny, but very helpful, because it answered all of the questions about why my cat does the peculiar things she does. Recommended.

[Marci Koski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick, easy read. Good short answers about many common cat behaviors, if a little bit anthropomorphic at times. :)

[Cherie Kephart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and fun facts about our feline friends. This is a great gift for those who adore cats and want to understand them better.

[Geo Hendrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pictures are wonderful.

[Terry Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice pictures

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book on why cats do the things they do.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, but it made me wonder....how did the author actually know what the cat means when they do certain things.

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little book to explain some of the weirder quirks of cats. Now if I could just get a detailed book on my own cat’s weird behavior (he acts more like a dog than a cat 😝)

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

8/15/2023 because

[Ender Campoverde · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book that helps you understand your animal friends just a little more.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this years ago

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read that answers, or tries to answer, a lot of those niggling questions that cat owners have. The general tone of the writing wasn't entirely to my taste, but it was interesting, informative, and a quick read.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny!

[Hilary]

Recommended at the BYU Symposium.

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tid-bits of info.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neat little tidbits on understanding your kitty. Beautiful illustrations/drawings.

[Phyllis M. Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now there are some things I didn't know!

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whimsical short read with cute illustrations. Sometimes information was actually incorrect.