Whence this feline other?

August 15, 2012 7:41 AM

Please help me learn about the evolution and cognition of house cats.

There are ten dozen books, articles, and documentaries about the evolution of dogs, but I want to learn about cats! Thus far everything I've found is overly-narrow ("they were in the Fertile Crescent!") or Cat-Lady vague and creepy ("I wuv their purrdy lil' genes!"). The only books out there seem to be about training your cat, which isn't really what I'm after.

Are there any good, comprehensive texts or documentaries that will help me learn more about how house cats think and act? Thank you in advance!

posted by farishta to pets & animals (5 answers total)

Wikipedias has several article-collections that can be downloaded as their own e-book; their Cat collection looks like a pretty good start. If the articles themselves are lacking, the references at the bottom will probably have you down many, many rabbit holes. Or cat holes, as the case may be.

If you want to include other stuff in the e-book, there are ways to sort of build your own as you go. Very useful feature, that.
posted by jquinby at 8:11 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

It's been ages since I read it, but I remember Tribe of the Tiger as having some of what you are looking for.
posted by Cocodrillo at 8:20 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

my top three:

1. The Cat's Mind by Bruce Fogle
2. Cat Culture: The Social World of a Cat Shelter by Janet and Steven Alger
3. The Domestic Cat by Dennis Turner

and this one is less about behavior, but very charming (not in the sappy way you fear):

4. Cats Are Not Peas: A Calico History of Genetics by Laura Gould
posted by lefty lucky cat at 9:06 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thanks so much for all of the great sources so far! My love of science and kitties combined!
posted by farishta at 10:44 AM on August 15, 2012

...help me learn more about how house cats think and act?

Hee hee hee! When you get that figgered out, com'on back here to AskMe and post it so we'll all know. Right now I think the consensus is: Cats Are Weird.

Seriously, seconding Tribe of the Tiger as a good read.

Lefty lucky cat(!) Cats are not Peas sounds pretty interesting.
posted by BlueHorse at 5:24 PM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]