The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats

Readers whose cats have behavior problems will find this book enlightening and reassuring. Dodson (The Dog Who Loved Too Much) is a veterinarian and director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. Here, he addresses three chief feline behavioral problems: aggression, emotional disorders (fear, inappropriate elimination, furniture clawing) and compulsive behavior (wool-sucking, eating disorders, hair-pulling). Dodman illustrates each problem with engaging case histories. There is Ashley, biting the hand that feeds him; Mindy, severely depressed; Thomas, a screamer; and McTavish, a scratcher. The solution for scratching is not declawing, says Dodman, who regards that practice as pure mutilation. In many cases, Dodman and his clients have found success through behavior modification, environmental enrichment and medication. This is a book for ailurophiles, but also for the sort of general naturalist who enjoyed Elizabeth Marshall Thomas's The Tribe of Tiger. (Sept.)