How to understand the lion in your living room, by a vet psychiatrist

_{Photo: Jackson Galaxy}

A book that will be treasured by cat companions trying to understand their feline friends has been published this month. “The Interpretation of Cats” is by Claude Beata, a French veterinary psychiatrist. Jean Cocteau put it well: “I love cats because I enjoy my home and little by little, they become its visible soul.” Anyone with a cat at home knows the animal enhances the family’s love. A companion to care for and talk about, beyond ourselves.

Beata’s book is “a guide to being the best humans we can for our cats”. Sante Magazine: “Beata demystifies the highly complex behaviours of our little tigers, so that we can better understand them and live more harmoniously together . . . A fascinating book charming to read and bursting with anecdotes.”

Amazon summarises the book: “The relationship between humans and cats has never been simple. Cats are mysterious, contradictory, independent predators”. Our cat, Bella, regularly presents with a half-chewed mouse, bird, or lizard.” My wife says, ” Isn’t she lovely? She’s brought us a present.” I say,” No, she’s warning us that if we don’t give her her favourite food, we’ll end up just as dead as this mouse.”

_{Claude Beata}

Amazon continues: “The true nature (of cats) continues to elude us and their subtle and complex behavioural problems can often seem incomprehensible. Charming, surprising and offering illuminating insights into a range of disorders, Beata’s book calls for greater compassion and provides a new way of understanding cat psychiatry so we can care for the mental and physical wellness of our pets.”

“Interpretation” answers our questions: How can we tell if a cat is suffering? What are the root causes of feline aggression? How can we treat patients who cannot speak for themselves?

Beata’s Book, translated by David Watson, is in the tradition of books such as “The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed us and Took Over the World” by Abigail Tucker, a bestseller. “A house cat is not really a fur baby, but something rather more remarkable: a tiny conquistador with the whole world at its feet.”

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1668070650
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668070659
• https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668070650