[.ca] National Geographic:Caressing (ISBN 6304474008)

From Amazon.com:
Cat owners have long been aware of the dual nature of their pets: affectionate domestics one minute, feral hunters the next. This tape spends an hour investigating how closely little 4-pound Cleo is connected to her 600-pound tiger sister half a world away. The feline-centric British have actually conducted studies on barn cats that reveal the similarity of group relationships to lion prides, both in the care females give to each others' young and in the viciousness of males taking over a group. The result is some disturbing footage of a lion killing his predecessor's kit and a graphic tale of a tomcat doing the same. Their gentle side is also explored in segments about cat therapy for the elderly and autistic. This video is crammed with beautiful footage and solid information for the feline fan, from why cats land on their feet when they fall to the strengths and weaknesses of their vision. Early on the host sums up the paradox of cat ownership: "To share one's life with a cat is to invite a bit of wildness indoors." --Kimberly Heinrichs

great for cat enthusiasts, but NOT FOR CHILDREN!!!!!:
An excellent video for an adult to learn about cats and their linkage to the big cats. Great footage and stories of cats' amazing abilities. However, disturbing footage of a male lion killing a cub in front of the cubs siblings causes me to remove a star. I felt including this footage unnecessary to enriching my knowledge of cats. Because of this scene and others which detail male cats killing kittens, I would consider this video totally inappropriate for children (especially if they love cats). I think it should not be listed in the "children & family" section on Amazon.

Great video:
The highlight of this insightful video was a study of farm cats. The study revealed that when living in groups, the domestic cat behaves much like the lions in a lion pride in the wild. Just a really fun view of the world of cats and their wild relatives.

Cats rule:
I'm an avid viewer of National Geographic's old specials. Being a major cat lover, I think they really did a wonderful job here. The studying of farm cats and their comparison to their wild relatives was very interesting, not to mention cute (that little kitten being lost just about broke my heart). There's so much more to cats than their seemingly lazy and independent lifestyle. However, I'm taking off one star for the very, very morbid scene of an agressive male lion slaughtering a poor cub. I personally thought it was rather sick of them to put that in. I can't even bear to watch it.