Publisher's Synopsis
The author established a licensed rescue shelter in 2002 to handle the burgeoning problem of loose cats in her community. She quickly discovered why the problem was so large and not being solved. Here it is: People do not understand cats. They don't know how to handle them, so, when problems arise, they simply "throw them away" - by the millions every year in the U.S. They are abandoned outside, left at shelters, and often simply killed. All for the flimsiest of reasons. While the euthanasia rate at most shelters is extremely high, the death rate in the "wild" is also high but isn't noticed because the cats just "disappear," leaving many to believe they are living large on mice and birds. But that is a myth. They are not seen because they are dead. However, most are not neutered when abandoned and they reproduce, creating a feral population that grows and grows. In an effort to stop the killing and cruelty, the author created a website to teach people how to handle The Problem Cat in their lives. To reach a wider audience, she then wrote this book to teach in more detail how to succeed with a cat, interrupting the cycle of disposal and replacement in the hope of eventually finding the perfect cat. People want cats, but they generally do not know how to make it work, and they blame the cat. The author has worked with more than 1,000 cats at her shelter, developing techniques to achieve happy relationships, and it's working. Many satisfied readers have sent completely unsolicited comments and letters to say so. This book is not about a crazy cat lady playing with her "hoard" of collected cats. The book starts with her personal successes with cats she rescued then adopted to good homes. She then moves on to case studies of cats she helped without even meeting them. Through consultations by email and telephone, many cats have been saved. Warning: these techniques work, so be careful what you wish for. This book won't help if you a.) don't read it or b.) hate cats.
