All cat-egories of feline life covered; healing power of pets, and of their owners lovingly told
by Larry Cox on Dec. 19, 2008, under Family
‘It’s a Cat’s World . . . You Just Live In It: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Furry Feline’
By Justine A. Lee, DVM (Three Rivers Press, $13.95)
This delightful book answers many of the questions that have puzzled cat owners almost since the beginning of time.
Among the questions she answers:
• Why do cats purr?
• Do they have bellybuttons?
• Why do they sleep so much?
• Why do they arch their backs?
• Why do cats follow their owners into the bathroom?
• And, is one “cat year” equivalent to seven human years?
Lee, an emergency and critical care veterinary specialist and associate director of veterinary services for the Pet Poison Hotline, also sets the record straight about many of the more popular myths about the mysterious and wonderful world of cats.
Written in a question-and-answer format with wit and insight, this guide offers helpful, sane advice about the care of the family pet. This book is an excellent choice, both for cat owners and those who may be considering adding a feline to the family.
‘The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood’
By Nadine M. Rosin (Wheatmark Books, $21.95)
Anyone who has ever experienced the death of a pet knows how emotionally devastating it can be.
Rosin, a student of alternative healing for more than 30 years and a holistic body work practitioner since 1996, shares her life-changing experiences with Buttons, a dog that shared her home for almost two decades.
When Buttons cancer was diagnosed, Rosin explored the world of holistic pet care in an attempt to find treatment alternatives for her canine friend. In this beautifully crafted book, Rosin documents the care she found for Buttons, his struggle and eventual death, and how she coped with the loss. In dealing with that loss, she was comforted by the fact that her “spiritual connection” with Buttons continued long after his death.
“The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood” underscores the fact that the bond many of us develop with our pets is an incredible, inspirational thing that does not necessarily end with loss. This highly readable, intimate book is nothing less than a testament to that attachment.
‘Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform’
By Karin Winegar; photography by Judy Olausen; foreword by Jane Goodall (Da Capo, $25.95)
The incredible stories in this book, gathered from throughout the continental United States, reveal how rescued pets manage to do a bit of “rescuing” themselves.
Winegar, an award-winning journalist, and photographer Judy Olausen traveled coast to coast visiting people who care for animals one-on-one, and others who raise money and awareness. Winegar documents forgiveness she saw animals, including beaten horses, tortured dogs and abandoned cats, extend to people.
She also shows that when abused and neglected animals are rescued, the new friendships that develop with humans work both ways. For example, a wheelchair-bound woman in an Arizona nursing home explains the special friendship that she has cultivated with a mongrel who visits her: “I have a lot of depression, and he helps me.” Another, a retired pipe fitter who lives in southern California, claims that animals can even take away profound emotional pain. After losing his son to drugs, the man found sanity and comfort through the therapy of riding his horse. Animals are God’s gifts to us, indeed.
The 28 essays in this collection are inspirational, compelling and poignant. The heartfelt stories underscore a simple fact, namely that love has the power to rescue us.
‘The Daily Coyote: A Story of Love, Survival, and Trust in the Wilds of Wyoming’
By Shreve Stockton (Simon & Schuster, $23)
Stockton has connected with people throughout the world through her immensely popular blog, The Daily Coyote, an outlet that chronicles her life as a city-girl-turned-Wyoming-denizen and Charlie, the orphaned coyote pup she adopted.
In this beautifully written story, Stockton documents the first 12 months that she shared with her beloved companion.
Living in a one-room log cabin in rural Wyoming, Stockton writes about the difficulty of finding the right balance between the coyote’s nature and the requirements of domestic life. During the time Stockton and Charlie spent together, Charlie was able to teach his adoptive parent about nature, love and even life itself.
This true account brims with lasting beauty and unexpected surprises.
Tucsonan Larry Cox’s “Shelf Life” reviews of fiction and nonfiction books and his “Treasures and Trends” antiques column run Thursdays in Calendar Plus. For more, go to tucsoncitizen.com/calendar. E-mail: contactlarrycox@aol.com
