[.ca] Good Cats, Bad Habits: The Complete A To Z Guide For ... (ISBN 0684811138)

Could have been better............:
I feel that although Alice Rhea presents alot of good, common-sense ideas from her long association with cats (hers included) and their owners, she falls short in some parts of this book when it comes to judging the cause or the solution to some of the behaviors mentioned. Her "if-all-else-fails" attitude of locking a cat inside a carrier for the night (and placing the carrier in another room) is, in my opinion, downright abusive, CRUEL, and traumatic for the cat. Even if the carrier were big enough for a litterbox, and at least a dish of water (which kitty could tip over in his frantic efforts to get out), it would still be cruel. When getting out of bed in the middle of the night, what are the odds that the cat owner will GENTLY place the cat in the carrier???? And once kitty is locked up in this jail cell of a carrier, suppose there was a fire, or an equally urgent emergency that would cause the residents to leave the home abruptly -- what would happen to kitty, locked up in a carrier in a remote part of the house or garage??? Whether remembered and or forgotten, kitty stands to lose its life!!!! And although she makes a good point about "Bad Breath" (may be a sign of serious dental disease), she doesn't pick up this thread in the "Messy Eater" section -- messy eating could also be a sign of diseased gums or teeth. "Bed Lying on" does not even mention the SIMPLEST approach to keeping or getting cat hairs off the bed (in addition to locking the cat out of the bedroom buit NOT in a carrier) -- 1) Daily Brushing and 2) daily use of lint rollers, available in any drug store or pet store. My 3 cats, two of whom are longhaired (and who love being brushed every day) are welcome on my bed -- and so is the lint roller. I was disappointed with those specific parts of the book -- with all those years of contact with cats and cat owners (and being, herself a mutli-pet owner), Ms. Rhea did her readers (many of them not familiar with cat behavior) a disservice in those specific areas of her book, by not pursuing a less abusive way of dealing with these problems.

Help with a smile:
This book brought a lot of smiles and laughs of recognition. As the "pets" of 2 homebound felines, we gained a world of understanding about how our companions viewed us and our shared home. The startle-can trick works wonders for keeping cats off furniture, even when we "alpha-cats" are not around. Handy habit-troubleshooting guide and clear explanations of what underlies the behavior. Have already shared the book with other cat-companions and they are getting their own copies for continued future reference.

Good Owners, Bad Habits:
All in all, a fantastic book! I have recommended this book to tens of people already ... if you want clear, common sensical and effective ways of (re)training your kitty or want to understand why your cat is peeing in your bed/lounge/laundry ... then this is the book for you. Yes, it is written in a simple, good natured way, but if you are actually willing to put to work the advice given, it is a god-send. This is not a book for people who want a quick-fix, sell me a pill type solutions!! All the recommendations in here work - I have two living examples - but they all take some effort and time ...

Everything you need to know about your cat...in simple terms:
Being the "protector and slave" of 8 cats, I thought I had a fair amount of knowledge on how to deal with feline behavior! I had also read a large number of books over the years on the subject. However, I was really surprised at how useful Alice Rhea's book is and how much more I have learned about cats from it. A huge variety of problems are answered in the book in a clear and simple style which outlines the problem, explains why it happens, suggests ways of stopping it, and details how to stop it from ever happening in your household. Ms. Rhea writes in a most entertaining way and obviously is a great cat lover. I have recommended this book to many friends, including to experienced cat breeders. It is a most comprehensive book at a bargain price. Highly recommended.

Disappointing.:
I wanted so much more from this book. I felt that the information contained was mainly common sense, and the writing seemed to be aimed toward a small child. Not only that, but the quality of this print is pretty bad - cheap paper and binding. There are so many better books out there, with creative and innovative techniques described that WORK. My kitties required that I try another title: "Is Your Cat Crazy?: Solutions from the Casebook of a Cat Therapist" by John C. Wright. I found this title to be much more helpful. I gave this book two stars because a child might benefit from it, or even just someone who simply has not spent much time around cats.