Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us

A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us
A Cat Is Watching a Look at the Way Cats See Us
Author: Roger A. Caras
ISBN: 222853
Publication Date: 1989
Pages: 238
Rating:
  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
 1

3 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Write a Review

11 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

katlupe avatar reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 104 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I loved this book and have read it a number of times. If you love cats like I do, you will enjoy this book. It's easy to read and just full of cat tales. From the back cover:
"Through a winning combination of biology, psychology, and personal anecdotes, renowned wildlife authority, Roger Caras shows us how cats view the world around them and the people in it. He offers insights into the secret of catnip, the mystery of cats' iridescent eyes, and the true meaning of purr. He explains cat vocabulary and the startling phenomenon of psi-trailing (a cat's abillity to find it's way home even after being transported miles away). He introduces us to the fascinating felines in his own life, helping us to see how they select people and homes to adopt.

Beautifully illustrated with photographs and drawings, A Cat Is Watching will charm every cat lover, cat watcher and cat person."
reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
That automated book detail is ridiculously wrong. This book is about how cats view the world, how they hunt, their ability to find their way home, and other things pertaining to the intricacies of cat life. An interesting perspective.
reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 53 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
An interesting mixture of fact and speculation from a cat lover and animal expert about those enigmatic creatures with whom we share our homes and lives.
reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 27 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This book tells of the way cats see us.
bookaddict avatar reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on
A scientific, well-written book about the sensory world of the cat.
reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 109 more book reviews
n a cat's view, contends Caras ( A Celebration of Cats ), we have neither fur nor feathers; our skin tone registers as rather gray; and our everyday voices and movements prove far from diverting. Given the dullness apparently inherent in humans, it's a wonder cats haven't turned to another species for the gratification of their "obvious desire to be the ultimate hedonistic materialist." How, then, have we managed to occupy the feline attention for 4000 years? Caras, a wildlife reporter for ABC and the proud owner of 10 cats, seeks the answer to this question in fascinating detail. Among the facts he unearths: cats like snuggling up to our faces and necks because the sound of the carotid artery pumping blood comforts them. But paradoxically, Caras points out, the neck "is one of the places a cat would be likely to bite you if you were mouse-sized and it was hungry. Not wanting to bite you there as expressed by cuddling up and listening to the target may be a way of expressing friendship, and the human partner in the exercise may in fact be inadvertently expressing a measure of submission."
harmony85 avatar reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 982 more book reviews
This book was so good I read it all in one day. If you're a cat lover, this is a book you will thoroughly enjoy.
reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 28 more book reviews
This is a wonderful book full of real life cat stories along with some educational tid-bits about our feline friends.
buzzby avatar reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 6062 more book reviews
Some drawings, and black and white photos. All adorable, naturally.
reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 11 more book reviews
From Library Journal:
To explain how cats perceive and interact with humans and other animals, Caras explores feline physical and psychological makeup, including such phenomena as "Incredible Journey" talents (cats can find their way home, even when they've been transported miles away) and ESP abilities. A knowledgeable, experienced animal writer, Caras surveys familiar behaviors scientifically and appreciatively. He balances clinical/technical data with a variety of tales that will appeal to cat devotees.
reviewed A Cat Is Watching: a Look at the Way Cats See Us on + 190 more book reviews
A look into a cats life.