How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want

Crazy about cats? Fine. But even consummate cat lovers may have trouble with a book that makes suggestions like ``Experiment with calling the little furball on the phone and leaving a message on the answering machine. Some cats love to hear your voice and know Mommy or Daddy is talking to them. . . . '' and probes the issue ``Can Kitty have a midlife crisis?'' (Yes, Kitty can. The authors recommend surprising her with a new litter box or taking her on a picnic to ease her through the trauma.) Writing in collaboration with his wife, Eckstein, a pet psychologist who has ministered to pets of the stars, chides owners insensitive enough to amuse themselves with jokes at their pets' expense; discusses how to shore up a cat's self-image; and addresses the dilemma of the forlorn ``latchkey kitty.'' The Ecksteins also offer useful information on litter training, on convincing cats to stop scratching furniture, on teaching them to walk on a leash and even to ``sit'' or ``stay.'' But the cumulative impression the Ecksteins leave is that cat owners should devote nearly all their waking hours to the improvement of their pet's life. The volume merits a warning label: for fanatics only. (June)