June is Adopt a Cat month! Check out one of these nonfiction books about how cats can make a difference in our lives and how we can make a difference in theirs.


Compiled by:
Elizabeth G.
Brain Games for Cats: Learn How to Stimulate Your Cat by Using the Power of Play

Claire Arrowsmith
Adult Nonfiction - 636.8083 Arr

In Brain Games for Cats, each game or trick has been specially photographed in a step-by-step format that provides clear guidance on how it should be approached. A reward-based teaching method is used to shape behavior -- the mutual trust that this engenders benefits all aspects of the cat's relationship with its owner. The games are appropriate for cats and kittens, helping to keep them fit and stimulated at all ages. T


Cat Sense:  How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet

John Bradshaw
636.8 Bra

Renowned anthrozoologist Bradshaw takes us further into the mind of the domestic cat than ever before. Bradshaw shows that although cats and humans have been living together for at least eight thousand years, cats remain independent, predatory, and wary of contact with their own kind, qualities that often clash with our modern lifestyles. Cats are astonishingly flexible, and given the right environment they can adapt to a life of domesticity with their owners but to continue do so, they will increasingly need our help. If we’re to live in harmony with our cats, Bradshaw explains, we first need to understand their body language, keep their environments sufficiently interesting, and become more proactive in managing both their natural hunting instincts and their relationships with other cats. A must-read for any cat lover, Cat Sense offers humane, penetrating insights about the domestic cat that challenge our most basic assumptions and promise to dramatically improve our pets’ lives, and ours.


The Cat: A Natural and Cultural History

Sarah Brown

Of all the domesticated species, cats have enjoyed the most complex relationship with people―one that still leads to arguments about whether you can truly call the cat asleep by your fire "tame." The Cat is a comprehensive, richly illustrated exploration of the natural and cultural history of this much-loved pet.


Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!)

Jackson Galaxy
636.8083 Gal

Cat owners know the struggles of creating living spaces that are both functional and stylish for owner and cat. Don’t just go to your local pet shop and adorn your home with unattractive cat towers and kitty beds. In Catification, Jackson Galaxy, the star of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, and Kate Benjamin, of the popular cat design website Hauspanther.com, walk readers through a step-by-step process of designing an attractive home that is also an optimal environment for cats. This gorgeously designed, full-color book includes more than twenty fun DIY projects, from kitty beds and litter boxes to catios (cat patios) that will be sure to make readers—and their cats—purr in approval.


Felines of New York: a Glimpse into the Lives of New York's Feline Inhabitants

Jim Tews
636.8 Tew

Based on of the Instagram account of the same name, this playful photo book documents cats around New York City's five boroughs in a style many will recognize from Brandon Stanton's photography project and blog, Humans of New York. In this feline edition, Tews ascribes snarky tidbits to select members of Gotham's cat population, describing their extensive days of napping, sunbathing, and casually manipulating their human counterparts. Close-up color portraits of each feisty feline accompany the clever blurbs, which aim to affectionately satirize cats and urban dwellers alike. Tales of window watching and vet trips are peppered with the occasional piece of sage advice, and some of the cats' quirky observations may ring eerily true for two-legged readers. A simple, charming book that will keep any cat lover entertained.


The Good Luck Cat: How a Cat Saved a Family, and a Family Saved a Cat

Lissa Warren
636.8009 War

Lissa Warren’s father needed a retirement companion while his wife and daughter were at work. Enter Ting, a seven-pound Korat who changed his life, and the life of the family. All kittens are mischievous, but Ting “the cat grenade” was real trouble. She was also smart, endearing, and the soul of the Warren family.  In late 2008, Lissa’s father died of a heart attack. Less than a year later, Ting was diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart condition. The only option was to have a human pacemaker implanted in the cat—a procedure even the best animal hospital in Boston hadn’t performed in a decade. Determined not to lose another family member, they embarked on a medical odyssey on behalf of the gray cat who had been her father’s shadow—a journey that would prepare one of them for her own serious diagnosis. A gorgeously written memoir about grief, hope, and how pets both complicate and enrich our lives, The Good Luck Cat is a testament to the power of the human—and the feline—spirit.


The Good, the Bad, and the Furry: Life with the World's Most Melancholy Cat

Tom Cox
636.8 Cox

The Bear, the melancholy cat of the book's subtitle (and whose mournful visage peers out from the book's cover), does not blithely let the universe revolve around him. According to author Cox he examines each molecule of the world intently and anxiously. The Bear is the center of this laugh-out-loud memoir of the period after Cox's breakup with his longtime partner and the start of a new relationship. The ongoing relationships are those he has with his cats; along with The Bear, we become friends with Ralph (who announces his name, preferably at 5 a.m.), Shipley (who only relaxes when turned upside down), and Roscoe (whose nemesis is her doppelgänger in the bedroom mirror). Add to the mix the author's father, whose offers extremely loud—and often screamingly funny—comments and opinions and Gemma, Cox's new love, who announced that she was more of a Dog Person than a Cat Person but declared when she met The Bear that she felt like he knew all of her secrets.


Lil Bub's Lil Book: the Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet

Mike Bridavsky
636.8 Bri

Bloomington’s own Lil Bub has her very own book. Lil Bub is a star. The adorable “perma-kitten” might look a little different than other felines, but her tiny size, toothless mouth, and extra toes have made her the darling of cat lovers around the world. Aided by her human, this celebri-cat is finally satisfying her demanding public with a book. Showcasing 100 captioned full color photos of Lil BUB traveling through space, exploring the Earth, flying in hot air balloons, napping, and even skateboarding Lil Bub’s Lil Book is exactly what her millions of fans want. Sure to please fans of LOLcats and Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog, Lil BUB’s Lil Book is the perfect book for anyone who needs more cute in their lives.


The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World

Abigail Tucker
Adult Nonfiction - 636.8 Tuc

Cats are incredible creatures: they can eat practically anything and live almost anywhere. Tracing their rise from prehistory to the modern cat craze, Abigail Tucker presents an adventure through history, natural science, and pop culture. With keen reporting and lively wit, Tucker investigates the way house cats have used their relationship with humans to become one of the most powerful animals on the planet.


The Old Man and the Cat: a Love Story

Nils Uddenberg
636.8 Udd

The Old Man and The Cat is a story of how Nils Uddenberg, retired Professor of Psychology, became a beloved cat owner even though he had never wanted a pet of any kind. One winter morning the author discovered a cat--whom he would later find was homeless--sitting outside his bedroom window, staring at him with big yellow eyes. Slowly but surely the cat worked itself into his life. This former professor could not stop himself from going deeper into the cat's inner life. Does she have a sense of humor? Is it possible to attach human feelings to her? And the trickiest question of all: Is our little cat actually interested in our attachment to her? With humor and self-awareness, Nils describes how his existence changed after the cat moved into his house. The feelings she stirs up are a surprise to him and he quickly finds himself falling in love with this speckled grey-brown little lady.


On Cats

Charles Bukowski
811.54 Buk

“The cat is the beautiful devil.” Felines touched a vulnerable spot in Charles Bukowski’s crusty soul. For the writer, there was something majestic and elemental about these inscrutable creatures he admired, sentient beings whose searing gaze could penetrate deep into our being. Bukowski considered cats to be unique forces of nature, elusive emissaries of beauty and love. On Cats offers Bukowski’s musings on these beloved animals and their toughness and resiliency. He honors them as fighters, hunters, survivors who command awe and respect as they grip tightly onto the world around them: “A cat is only ITSELF, representative of the strong forces of life that won’t let go.” Bukowski’s cats are fierce and demanding—he captures them stalking their prey; crawling across his typewritten pages; waking him up with claws across the face. But they are also affectionate and giving, sources of inspiration and gentle, insistent care.


Playtime for Cats: Activities and Games for Felines

Stefanie Sigl
Adult Nonfiction - 636.80887 Sig

All cats, young and old, need plenty of playtime. Daily activities help safeguard their well-being and physical and mental fitness, and work to prevent the development of behavioral abnormalities. Unfortunately, cats are frequently bored and can suffer from their owner’s lack of imagination. This comprehensive guide offers a host of creative ideas that will add diversity and excitement to all play. Special attention is paid to developing a "fiddling board," a special device that will provide hours of entertainment once it is adjusted to the tastes and needs of owner and pet alike.


A Street Cat Named Bob

James Bowen
921 Bowen Bow

James is a street musician struggling to make ends meet. Bob is a stray cat looking for somewhere warm to sleep. When street musician James Bowen found an injured cat curled up in the hallway of his apartment building, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London, barely making enough money to feed himself, and the last thing he needed was a pet. Yet James couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent but very sick animal, whom he named Bob. He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining that he would never see him again. But Bob had other ideas.


The Trainable Cat: A Practical Guide to Making Life Happier for You and Your Cat

John Bradshaw
Adult Nonfiction - 636.80835 Bra

The idea of training rarely crosses cat owners' minds, and we often assume that cats can't and don't need to be trained. But in The Trainable Cat, bestselling anthrozoologist John Bradshaw and cat expert Sarah Ellis show that not only can cats be trained, but they absolutely must be in order to strengthen the bond between pet and owner, reduce their anxiety, and maximize their happiness.