CATS ON THE COUCH: The Complete Guide for Loving and Caring for Your Cat

This latest psychologically-oriented cat care primer is a distinct improvement on Manhattan cat therapist Wilbourne's three earlier books (Cats Prefer It This Way, The Inner Cat, Cat Talk). True, she's still saying that ""A happy spirit promotes a happy [cat] body""--but in a much less coquettish tone (and there's less childlike rhapsody too). Much of the general information is recycled from the earlier books: how to recognize and exorcise stress and anxiety from a cat's daily life; how to choose the right cat; how to introduce a new cat, baby, or spouse to an already cat-occupied household. But there are fresh examples, and the whole approach has been transformed. The straight q & a format works well, as does the interspersal (rather than saturation) of long-winded cat case histories in the chapters. There's knowledgeable advice on all the basics--from diet, health and grooming, to how to bathe a cat, give pills, and build scratching posts and catnip toys. There's a whole chapter on litter box problems--with solutions. Also: a sensitive and appropriately anecdotal one on The Senior Cat, which examines the special needs of geriatric cats like 16-year-old Timmy who has chronic health problems, and 13-year-old Jimmy with stiff joints. A balance of sound cat care tips and anecdote, with just a tad of cutesy Wilbournese.