Book Review: CAT FACTS: The Pet Parent’s A-to-Z Home Care Encyclopedia by Amy Shojai

From the publisher: THE PERFECT CAT BOOK!

More than 86 million pet cats today are kept in forty-five million U.S. households. Now, from one of the most trusted cat care authors of thelast twenty-five years comes the definitive reference for adopting, keeping, and maintaining a healthy, happy cat. CAT FACTS: The Pet Parent's A-to-Z Home Care Encyclopedia is designed to answer all your questions. How do I choose the right cat? What holistic help and preventive care should I give? Why do cats act the way they do, and what cat behavior indicates illness? What constitutes an emergency, and how/when can I safely treat my cat with home care and first aid? Inside you'll find:

An alphabetical A-to-Z listing, with more than 200 entries and 160+ cute cat photos and illustrations, covering everything from abscesses and hairballs to whiskers and zoonosis

Charts that list symptoms for a particular condition, the corresponding home care or first aid, the comparative veterinarian and holistic treatments, and preventive advice

A symptoms/conditions table that helps you identify what ailments might be bothering your cat

Breed-At-A-Glance chart to compare personality, looks, care challenges and other issues when choosing your pedigreed cat

A comprehensive, easy-to-use index that makes quick reference a snap

Contact information for dozens of cat organizations and veterinary resources

Accessible, yet comprehensive, CAT FACTS can be used with ease and trust. And doesn't your cat deserve the very best?

Some books are destined to stay on your "keeper shelf" forever. One such title for me is Amy Shojai's "Complete Care for Your Aging Cat". I think my copy must be a first edition because I've had it for years and years and it has proven to be an invaluable resource to me throughout my last few cats' senior years.

"Cat Facts: The A-Z Pet Parent's Home Care Encyclopedia" is another title that will remain on my keeper shelf for as long as I'm a cat mom. In other words, forever. It covers every medical and behavioral issue you can possibly think of in alphabetical order with symptoms, first air, home care, holistic help (LOVE THIS FEATURE!!!), vet care and prevention. I've actually already had the opportunity to use it when I started to suspect that Mudpie's "hairball issue" might actually be asthma.

While initially appearing to be a reference guide, this book is so, so much more. Color photographs, graphics and charts accompany the text along with cross references in an easy-to-read and understandable format. It might not be a book that you read cover-to-cover (although many of us interested in "all things cat" may very well do that), it's a book to always have within easy access for when an issue occurs. And pet owners know, things often "pop up" when you least expect it so it's important to be prepared.

I have tons of cat care guides in my home and this is without question the most well-researched and comprehensive title I've found. You owe it to your cat to add it to your library today!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.