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Illustrated in various styles with line drawings, sketches and black and white photographs, A Cat I s Watching by Roger A. Caras offers a smooth blend of anecdote, analysis and personal opinion. The author invites readers to ponder how a six foot man might appear to a tiny kitten, why a pride of lions might view safari humans in their car the same way we view zoo animals, and just what that cat staring solemnly over the fence might have in mind.

The cat’s mind is different from the human’s of course, and the author does an excellent and truly intriguing job of suggesting how the senses (not necessarily five) interact, how instincts are formed and informed, and how, in fact, cats aren’t half as independent as they appear.

I have to confess, I’m more of a dog person myself. But A Cat Is Watching could easily hook me on cats. If only one were watching me so I could give it a home.

Disclosure: A friend loaned me this after a visit to a cat cafe. ( )

A book for any cat lover - and perhaps for some who aren't sure. Cats a mysterious creatures and the author thinks that because they have only been "domesticated" for four thousand years may be the reason. We just haven't been around them long enough to really know them well. This book goes along way though to give us a good insight, or this author's sometimes humorous take on the beast. ( )

An examination of what we know, what we don't know, and what we surmise about the way cats think. The writing is serious without being boring or heavy-handed. The author uses cats of his own acquaintance to illustrate his points. The science may be just a bit dated, but his ideas about a cat's sensor array, and senses beyond human ken are fascinating, and - as far as I can tell from my own cats - spot on. ( )