Did you know that housecats are classified as one of the world’s 100 Worst Invasive Species?
Or that one of the earliest cat shows was won by a ring-tailed lemur?
Or perhaps that house cats have made virtually no evolutionary changes to adapt to a human environment?
Written by Smithsonian magazine writer Abigail Tucker, The Lion in the Living Room, serves to enthrall, and digs deep into the growing culture of housecat-keeping. (Or do they keep us?)
I read this while seriously considering acquiring a kitten, and kind of hoped the book would cement that idea – when in fact, it was a pretty unbiased account, given that the writer is an avid cat-lover.
The Lion in the Living Room adds to my small but growing list of non-fiction books that read easily and engagingly. As much as I like science, I have neither the time nor the patience to plough through something that drags along. Tucker strikes a magical balance between fact and humorous musings, and I loved the book – even if it did make me doubt my love of cats and make me feel like a traitor!
Anyway, here I am, a month after finishing the book, and I have a kitten after all! His name is Fawkes (a la Harry Potter), and I adore him – even though he may have befuddled my brain and tricked me into loving him.
Congratulations on the new cat! I have two of them, and they are a joyful pain in the butt.
Thanks! That’s a lovely way of describing it. Especially when he chews on my toes in the middle of the night!
Thanks for introducing me to a new book to add to my reading list. Congrats on giving a kitten a home, and a little orange one.
That is such an adorable kitten
What an adorable cat (with a fantastic name)! I love cats, but as a cat-auntie and not a cat-owner, I don’t really know much about their behavior. sounds like an interesting book to add to the TBR list!
It’s a FANTASTIC book, try it 😉
Excellent. On the book review and especially the kitty. I’m sitting at my immunologist’s office having a reaction to the increased dose of immunotherapy to rod me of my cat allergy. Cats are their own beings.
*rid. Apparently histamines impair typing accuracy. 😉
I’m sorry you’re allergic! I get a little bit itchy around them sometimes but nothing debilitating.
added to our tummy rub tuesday blog roll for week 139! 🙂