What is the greatest creature on Earth? The cat, of course, say authors of "The Big Book of Cats." If you happen to agree, you'll also probably like what Doris Lessing has to say: "Delicious cat! Exquisite cat! Satiny cat! Cat like a soft owl, cat with paws like moths, jeweled cat, miraculous cat! Cat, cat, cat, cat." And find truth in Mark Twain: "A home without a cat -- and a well-fed, well-petted and properly revered cat -- may be a perfect home, perhaps, but how can it prove its title?"
Are we talking your language here? If you speak cat (or have someone on your Christmas list who does), this season's cat-alog of books will tickle your fancy. And, for those who speak that other language, there are new options, too. May we present three cats and a dog . . .
THE BIG BOOK OF CATS, edited by Susan Fever, Andrews and McMeel, $9.95 paper, 623 pp.
This could be called the little big book of cats; it only measures 4-by-6 inches. But at nearly two inches thick, it packs in a lot of fun and information about these fascinating felines: facts, trivia, anecdotes, quotations, poetry, names, history, care and keeping, different breeds, even a list of apropos Web sites.
Did you know that members of the cat family have been around for nearly 45 million years? And that those sensible and amazing ancient Egyptians worshiped this animal? That's included here, as well as the story of how cats were persecuted during the Middle Ages in Europe -- much to the detriment of the world. Because cats were killed, the rat population grew. The rats got fleas, the fleas carried disease, and half of Europe died from the bubonic plague. So, let that be a lesson to you.
Did you know that Winston Churchill and Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway had cats, but Hitler, Mussolini and Napoleon were all cat-haters? There's another lesson.
Did you know you can name your cat Botticelli or Cassatt if you have an artistic bent; Paderewski or Pizzicatta if you like music; or Banquo or Rosencrantz if you favor Shakespeare; but never, under any circumstances should you name a cat Boxer, Fido or Snoop Doggy Dog?
Quaint little drawings by Ana Cica Pinto decorate the text. And you just might agree with the authors who say "there's never before been so much cat information in one place."
CATS, by Kathryn and Ross Petras, Workman Publishing, $9.95, "fandex" format.
Not exactly a book, this fan-like field guide highlights the appearance, history, personality and lore of 47 of the most popular breeds in the cat family. Each cat gets a striking die-cut photo of its face as well as a couple of other photos to show body shape and coloring. Each "page" also features a history of the breed and a chart of major characteristics as well as a list of personality traits.
Look at the amazing variety, and you can easily see why cats are our most popular pets -- more than 57 million households in the United States boast at least one cat. Many of those cats are not purebreds, of course, note the authors. "And what does it matter? Flipping through this guide, we can see that our pets have many of the same traits as the champions. Often, in fact, our cats represent the vigorous, hardy best of several breeds." But if you were looking for a specific breed, a guide such as this could help you figure out which one would fit best with your lifestyle and family.
From Abyssinian to Turkish Van, from Cymric and Egyptian mau to Persian and snowshoe, this guide offers a delightful look at the world of cats.
HERO CATS: True Stories of Daring Feline Deeds, by Eric Swanson, Andrews and McMeel, $14.95, 144 pp.
Hero what? Aren't cats supposed to be aloof, independent and even, some might say, a little selfish? Eric Swanson sets out to disprove that notion with this small collection of feel-good cat stories.
We meet Scarlett, who repeatedly went into a burning building to rescue her kittens. And Salem, who found a way to ring and ring a bell to alert neighbors to the fact that his elderly owner had fallen and broken her hip. And Midnight, who alerted his owners to the fact that their newborn baby had almost stopped breathing.
Swanson has collected stories of cat bravery in wartime, and cat action in disasters. He tells of cats with special empathy and healing powers. He delivers tales of special bonds between cats and dogs, such as the one that developed between Pod and Aegis. Pod leapt out of a tree squarely on the back of a marauding German shepherd that was about to attack the smaller, and tethered, Aegis. And Tramp, who led his owners to find their Lady, who had been caught in a fox trap in the woods.
How can you not love such charming and delightful members of the feline family?
COOKING WITH DOGS, by Karen Dowell, Two Dog Press, $19.95, 64 pp.
We must hasten to assure you, in case the tone of the story thus far might lead you to think otherwise, that this is not a cookbook. Not for dogs; not WITH dogs. Rather, this is a collection of exquisite little vignettes and anecdotes that capture the quirkiness and delight of living with dogs.
Dowell has two dog "sons," two labrador retrievers, that like to plunk themselves in the middle of the kitchen floor whenever food preparation goes on. And, of course, there's their general attitude toward food: "One should eat to live, not live to eat, or so said Moliere . . . not that my puppies care. The musings of dead French playwrights don't move them as much as a well-deserved treat."
Dowell talks of dogs that love their toys too much; dogs that insist their own beds are too hard, too cold, too lonely, who promise to curl up at her feet -- and then forget. And, of dogs who speak English as a second language: "And if I don't understand his words, spoken with the intensity of haiku, he, like a boorish American on vacation in Europe, barks louder."
Dowell's kibbles and bits are accompanied by whimsical illustrations from eight different artists.