Catwatching: Why Cats Purr and Other Feline Mysteries Explained

By Desmond Morris

This book, the first in the popular Watching series, explains everything from why cats purr to why we say it's raining cats and dogs. 26 black-and-white photographs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307806277

Reviews for Catwatching

[angelajmaher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not a big book, but a gem of a book filled with information you don't see elsewhere. Even I learned things from this book, despite having a zoology degree of my own, and having lived in close proximity to my cat for the last decade. This book will renew your appreciation of what wonderful creatures cats are, and you will probably find yourself watching them even more closely.

[kaida46_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Catwatching by Desmond Morris (4 stars)If you are a cat or animal lover, you will probably like this book. This was an oldie I had sitting on my shelf for several years and I am glad I finally got around to reading it. Filled with interesting information about cat behavior, explanations for why they do certain things and what different types of behavior represent from the study of animals. The author is a good observer of behavior and explains it in an interesting way to the reader. He’s written other books about dog and primate behavior, and even one about people watching. Older book, but still relevant.

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What we can learn about and from our feline friends and their ancestors.

[giovannigf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating, convincing, and well written. My only complaint about this wonderful book about domestic cats is that it's so brief.

[izze6t · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was expecting more from this book. There were a few relivant tid-bits here, but I found it pretty light on usable information.

[brendanus · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In about 60 very short chapters, in question and answer form, Desmond Morris, explains the natural and adapted behavior of cats in terms that even dog-people can understand. Watching cats and trying to relate their behavior to basic science and bahavioral principles has been the famed zoologists passion since childhood; the breadth and depth of his understanding of animals is evident. This is not a 'cat care' book, it is merely a collection of random bit of information - but fascinating and informative nonetheless. Except for a couple of inappropriate and irrelevant remarks (as on page 11)he makes the cats behavior understandable, hopefully to the benefit of both the cats and we, whom they let live with them. [** because it is not an organized text, just a collection of Q & A.]