Think Cat is a British guide
to feline behavioral problems, but fortunately British cats are much like cats
all over the world.  It is set out in four main parts, on typical feline
behavior, major features of a cat’s life, health and behavior problems that
often occur in cats, and finally, training cats.  There’s plenty of overlap
between the different parts, and the book is best dipped into rather than read
from start to finish.  The writing is straightforward and each part is divided
into easily digested sections with a few additional shaded boxes of points of
special interest.

Author David Taylor is a veterinary
surgeon and so presumably the information he provides is informed by the latest
research, although there are no references to any scientific literature.  He
often gives his own perspective and opinions, which seem quite reasonable, at
least to those who are already cat lovers.  For example, he says that he thinks
that cats are able to detect people’s moods, and so he disagrees with the view
that cats are no more than machines (a view defended by Rene Descartes,
although Taylor mistakenly attributes it to Thomas Aquinas). 

The book goes over expected topics
such as feeding, territory, hunting, sleeping, scratching, breeding, and
neutering.  Some topics are more surprising: Taylor explains that cats can
grieve the loss of long-term companion (human or feline) and getting a new
kitten can help them.  He does not recommend antidepressant medication.  Other
problems, such as "madness," over-grooming, bullying, and
difficulties in using the litter box are dealt with fairly thoroughly.  Often
behavioral problems are linked to physical causes, and solutions are generally
quite simple.  A few problems are more complex, but usually some combination of
changing the environment, playing with the cat, making sure it is physically
healthy, and a few inventions of technology can generally provide a solution. 

Think Cat is a relatively
helpful short book for cat owners who want to understand and help their cat. 
There are plenty of other books on the market about pet psychology, and
different readers will have different needs.  Taylor’s book could be a good
starting place for those looking to educate themselves. 

© 2005 Christian Perring. All
rights reserved. 

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