For the Love of Cats: True Stories of Amazing Cats and the People Who Love Them
264
For the Love of Cats: True Stories of Amazing Cats and the People Who Love Them
264Paperback
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Overview
The closer we get to our cats (or the closer they let us get to them!), the more we find to love about them. For the Love of Cats celebrates this complex bond, revealing, with heart-tugging emotion, how cats transform our lives in both spectacular and subtle ways. For example, BB, a sweet grey kitten, helps a hearing-impaired boy connect with the silent world around him; Queenie, a cat rescued from war-torn Afghanistan, proves that the universal love for an animal can transcend cultures and politics; and Motley, an intuitive feline, helps a grieving mom over three catastrophic losses, showing her that she can find joy again.
With chapters on Cats as Teachers and Healers, Furry Family Members, Love and Loss, and Mischief and Mayhem, this is a must-read for all of those people who unabashedly declare themselves "Cat People." It's a fitting tribute to our favorite felines, who—through their snuggles, meows, and playful pats—make the world a better place.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780757316951 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Health Communications, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 09/04/2012 |
| Pages: | 264 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.90(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.60(d) |
About the Author
Carol Kline is an animal welfare advocate and serves on the advisory board of the Noah's Ark Animal Foundation, in Fairfield, Iowa, a volunteer effort that saves lost, stray and abandoned cats and dogs. A freelance writer for fifteen years, she has coauthored several books on a variety of topics, including the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul, Happy for No Reason, and Love for No Reason.
Gina Spadafori coauthors, along with Dr. Marty Becker, an award-winning, nationally syndicated, weekly column on pets and their care and is a contributing pet-care writer for Parade magazine. She is a bestselling author of several pet books including the New York Times bestseller Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet? and Dogs for Dummies. The first edition of Dogs for Dummies received the President's Award for the best writing on dogs by the Dog Writers Association of America. She has served on the board of directors for both the Dog Writers' Association of America and the Cat Writers' Association of America. Gina lives in Sacramento, CA.
Marty Becker, DVM, is passionate about his work fostering the affection and connection between animals and people that he calls, "The Bond." He has given talks to enthusiastic crowds of veterinarians and pet lovers around the world, and is in demand as a keynote speaker. Dr. Becker is regularly featured on ABC-TV's, Good Morning America and is the resident veterinarian on The Dr. Oz Show. He is a contributing pet-care writer for Parade magazine, and frequent veterinary contributor to The Martha Stewart Show. He also co-writes the award-winning weekly column on pets and their care, PetConnection, which appears in newspapers across the United States and Canada through the Universal Press Syndicate. Becker is also the host of "The Pet Doctor" on PBS. He has been named Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year for the U.S. by the Delta Society and the American Veterinary Medical Association, and also coauthored fourteen pet books that have sold over six million copies including Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, bowWOW and The New York Times bestseller Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet? Marty and his family enjoy life in Northern Idaho and share Almost Heaven Ranch with four barn cats, three dogs, and four Quarter Horses.
Mikkel Becker is a resident pet expert for Scholastic Magazine and has been a contributing author to Parade magazine, Knight-Ridder newspapers, House and Home, and Cat Fancy magazines. She is an honors graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers at the San Francisco SPCA, the Purdue University Dogs course, and the Karen Pryor Academy, who avidly applies her knowledge and science-based training methods to all species.
Read an Excerpt
Acknowledgments
It takes a talented team working behind the scenes to make the magic in a book happen. There are dozens of people, each with a specific niche, who brought For the Love of Cats from conception, to creation, to its place on your favorite booksellers' shelves.
Our biggest thank-you goes to our cats—past and present—for their patience while we learned how to love, nurture, and care for them, and appreciation for them letting us into their world.
We especially thank our publisher, Peter Vegso, who believes in us and supports us in myriad ways, for publishing our last eight consecutive pet books. With HCI Books there is harmony, joy, trust, flexibility, excitement, experience, professionalism, can-do-ism, and a shared love of both pets and people. We tip our hats in sincere appreciation and respect to every member of the HCI team whose efforts allow us to show these books off with pride!
We owe a huge amount of gratitude and love to our story editor, Cindy Buck, whose enormous talent and commitment are only rivaled by the beauty of her heart, mind, and spirit. Cindy, we couldn't have done it without you—nor would we have wanted to.
On a more personal level, we simply cannot do what we do without the support of our families and friends.
Marty wishes to thank his beloved wife Teresa, son Lex and daughter Mikkel for their love and support. The Becker family shares Almost Heaven Ranch in northern Idaho with a menagerie of four-legged family members—dogs, cats, and horses—that are a constant source of joy. Worthy of special mention is his colleague, mentor, and friend, Dr. R. K. Anderson, one of the cofounders of the Delta Society, a world-renowned veterinary behaviorist, inventor, and the founder of ABRIonline.org.
Gina's love and appreciation goes out to her brother Joe, who is her very best friend, and her parents, Louise and Nino, her brother Pete, his wife, Sally, and their bright and talented children, Kate and Steven. Thanks to Christie Keith and Morgan Ong, friends who are really family. And, of course, to all the animals who continue to teach the lessons of love and acceptance.
Carol thanks her husband, Larry, who is the love of her life and who not only makes it possible for her to spend all of her time writing and editing, but makes it all worthwhile. Thanks also to her wonderful stepchildren, Lorin and McKenna, and to her mother Selma, brothers Jim and Burt, and sisters Barbara and Holly, and their families, for being her favorite people in the world. Big belly rubs and lots of w-a-l-k-s for dogs Beau, Beethoven, and Jimmy-pop, and perennial love and fascination for the cats of the world.
Mikkel foremost wants to thank God for his love and blessings. Her children (pugs), Willy and Bruce, keep her entertained with their wrestling and cuddling. And special thanks to her family cheerleaders, who have shared her accomplishments and achievements: Marty, Teresa, Lex, Valdie, Rockey, Virginia, Joan, Pete, Mike, and Joanie, for their enduring love and support.
Marty Becker
Gina Spadafori
Carol Kline
Mikkel Becker
©2012. Marty Becker, Gina Spadafori, Carol Kline, Mikkel Becker. All rights reserved. Reprinted from For the Love of Cats. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Acknowledgments 5
Teachers and Healers
Love Pats Mitzi Flyte 11
George and Gracie Suzanne Thomas Lawlor 16
Prayers for BB Susan Farr-Fahncke 24
Healing Each Other Jeanna Godfrey, DVM 29
Morning Coffee Jack Frye 38
Molly's Baby Mary Lynne Hill 43
Just Do It B. J. Taylor 49
¡Caliente! Marty Becker, DVM 55
The Cat Who Breathed for Me Marcia E. Brown 60
Furry Family Members
A Hemingway Tale Lisa Finch 67
Leader of the Pack Felice Prager 75
Itty-Bitty Kitty Nancy Edwards Johnson 80
Homecoming Queen Vanni Cappelli 87
Fallen Angels Isabel Bearman Bucher 96
Celebrating the Bond
You're Invited to a Kitten Shower! Roberta Beach Jacobson 107
Eight-Pound Privilege Teresa Hoy 112
The Not-So-Calico Cat Comes Home Gina Spadafori 118
Kitty Bonds Samantha Ducloux Waltz 124
Pookie Sue Vogan 132
Smitten Cindy Buck 136
Feline Love
In Their Own Way Sabrina Abercromby 145
Cat Envy Carol Kline 152
Heaven-Sent Dolores Kozielski 158
Home Is Where the Kitties Are Beth Cato 163
The Cat from Hell's Kitchen Gregg Mayer 170
A Penny for Buttons Susan Boskat Murray 175
Loving Leslie Sandra L. Toney 180
Cat Rustlers Lucyann Murray 186
Casey, My Little Cartoon Cat Rick Capone 192
Feline Mayhem, Mischief, and Mystery
The Formative Years of Mikey the Carnival Cat Judy Merritt 201
Meows, Medicine, and Mishaps Amy Mullis 209
Shotsie, Career Cat Judi Moreo 214
Wild Cat, Think You Love Me Janet Vormittag 219
The White Cat Diane M. Ciarioni 227
Inseparable Bettina Kozlowski 233
The Writers 241
The Photographers 249
The Authors 251
Copyright Credits 253