Dr. Marty Becker - Your Cat: The Owners Manual: Hundreds of Secrets, Surprises, and Solutions for Raising a Happy, Healthy Cat

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

The information and medical advice in this book is not intended to replace the services of a veterinarian. You are advised to consult with a veterinarian regarding matters relating to your cats health and behavior, and in particular regarding matters which may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Copyright 2012 by Marty Becker

Photographs copyright 2012 by Richard Schmidt. All other photographs copyright 2012 by Quicksilver Studio, Coeur dAlene, Idaho.

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

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ISBN 978-1-4555-1095-5

For my wife, Teresa. Always.

I f you love cats as I do, then you need this book. In it, youll find everything you need to know about caring for your cat, and even if you think you know everything, Im here to tell you that you probably dont. And neither do I!

But Dr. Marty Becker knows a whole lot! And he wants to help you and your cat.

Ive long known of and admired Dr. Becker for his advocacy on behalf of pets and the people who love them. In this book, Dr. Becker offers just what this doctor ordered, with surprises and solutions on every page to address the many joys and occasional challenges of keeping a cat with less time and less space than our forebears could ever have imagined. Backed by more than thirty years of hands-on experience, along with an unquenchable desire to know the best veterinary medicine has to offer, Dr. Becker puts it all down on paper in his own lively and entertaining style.

The result is truly as advertised: An owners manual that covers it all, from nose to tail and inside and out. A modern guide to the modern cat lovers life, using an educated, science-based, and cooperative approach to keeping everything going smoothly with your cat.

Do you really need the help? As a veterinarian, I can tell that what I see every day suggests that you probably do. Cats are just not getting what they need. Studies show that pet lovers spend more time with their dogs, and dogs see the veterinarian far more often than cats do. When it comes to preventive carethe kind of visits that save money and prevent miserycats really lose out. And thats just wrong: if I could see cats when theyre healthy, I can often help keep them from getting sick.

Thats why Im so happy to see Dr. Becker turn his talents to our feline companions. Knowing what makes a cat tick and how to recognize when things just arent right is the key to having a long and happy relationship with your cat, and youll find that stressed time and time again in this wonderful book.

So sit down, snuggle in with your cat, and read on. Youll both be better off for it!

Dr. Jane Brunt

CATalyst Council Executive Director

American Association of Feline Practitioners Past President

Dr. Brunt is one of the countrys leading experts on feline care and is executive director of the CATalyst Council, an educational organization advocating for better, more knowledgeable care for cats. Dr. Brunt founded the Cat Hospital At Towson (CHAT) in Baltimore, Maryland, the first feline-exclusive veterinary hospital in the state. She is frequently featured in the media as a cat-care expert and regularly serves as a spokesperson for initiatives regarding cat health and welfare.

I m going to start off with a confession: growing up, I never used to think that much about cats.

Before you put this book down and wonder why Im writing about cats now, let me tell you two things: first, it has been decades since I felt that way; and second, you have to know that I grew up on a dairy farm.

The animals on our farm were all well-treated, they all had jobs (so did us farm kids), and they all worked as hard as we did to survive. And while we worked pretty closely with many of our animals, the cats were well, independent contractors. They were barn cats, and they hung out because a farm is a good place to live if you like to eat rodents, which is what barn cats didand still do, in many places. This relationship has endured for thousands of years, ever since people started farming. Our farming attracted vermin, and our vermin attracted cats.

As humans, we have domesticated many animals, but you can argue that the cat domesticated himself; hanging with us was a choice cats made, not the other way around. Even though they chose us, cats drew the line at how far domesticated they would be, which is why so many cats still live wild today. No other animal works both sides of the wild-tame line as well as a cat.

Growing up as a farm kid, I appreciated cats mostly for the job they did. But in the decades since I left farming and became a veterinarian, I learned to appreciate them as companions, and to love them as well. As a veterinarian, I became a strong advocate for cats, in terms of their health and their safety, and I have dedicated much of my time to making their lives better, so the people who love them can enjoy their companionship more.

Ive written a lot about cats over the years, and shared many tips with my TV, radio, Internet, and print audiences. But with this book, Im doing what Ive wanted to do for years: put everything cat lovers need to know all in one place.

So what do you need to know? Youd think after so many thousands of years together, people would have cats all figured out by now: how to choose and feed one, how to train one, how to choose supplies, how to manage basic home care, how to recognize a veterinary emergency, and how to get a veterinarians help. And, as is so important in these get-thrifty times, how to spend well and wisely.

Yeah, we ought to know all of that by now. Really, we should. But we dont.

I can tell you this from my side of the exam-room table as a practicing veterinarian: many cat lovers really dont know everything they need to about their cats, except for the one thing we all knowwe love our cats, and our cats love us.

Ive spent more than thirty years as a veterinarian, and half of that as an expert on Good Morning America and, more recently, on The Dr. Oz Show. All of this experience, and I still get many of the same questions I did my first day of the practice. Im still answering those questions every day, not only from people who see me at the veterinary hospitals (yes, I still practice, because I love it), but also from people who recognize me in an airport (I travel about half my life) and even from friends and neighbors.