Product Description

Stefanie Schwartz was raised a dog person, but she was introduced to cats while in vet school and fell in love. Affectionately nicknamed "Dr. Cookie" by clients who observed her tendency to spoil her patients with pet treats, she has become so closely associated with the name that it's her trademark. Veterinary behavior is the equivalent of psychiatry in human medicine, and is the fastest growing field of interest in veterinary medicine and among pet owners worldwide. Using anecdotes gathered from all aspects of her career, she addresses these topics among many others: understanding temperment differences between pets managing your allergies how cats show affection hallucinatory play in cats how to sleep through the night and still love your cat in the morning secrets behind your cat's daily rhythm of activity and how to synchronize your circadian rhythm with your cat's internal clock "hissy fits" and feline aggression litter box problems sex-related problems understanding your cat's golden age

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #955794 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"Happiness is living with cats," writes veterinarian and pet behavior specialist Stephanie Schwartz. To ensure readers will agree, she provides a wealth of information designed to facilitate feline-human cohabitation. Dr. Cookie's Guide to Living Happily Ever After with Your Cat begins with hints about interpreting a cat's tail, progresses to "hallucinatory" play (when a cat races about a room, chasing something invisible to its owners), kitten socialization, destructive behaviors, nutrition and grooming matters, and ends with mourning the loss of a beloved cat. Anecdotes illustrate Schwartz's reasonable and straightforward advice. 16 inexpert, almost creepy, drawings.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Dr. Stefanie Schwartz is a board certified specialist in veterinary behavior, is on the teaching staff of Tufts University's School of Veterinary Medicine, and is a consultant to the Boston Animal Rescue League. She lives in Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Good advice
Dr. Cookie's book is full of helpful advice for cat owners (although when it comes right down to it, you can't really "own" a cat at all), and demystifies lots of behavior that might otherwise puzzle us. Her writing is down to earth and enjoyable to read. I have to agree with the editorial review posted here, though, about those weird, amateurish cat drawings in the book--they're really awful. Otherwise, though, this is a solid cat guide.

great cat book!
Dr. Schwartz has written a real gem! Her insight into cat behavior is presented in a warm, welcoming, and very entertaining way. The book is well organized into specific chapters and is filled with anecdotes about cats she has known in her years of behavior practice, and her own pets, too. This is a lady that writes from the heart with a sense of humor, a great deal of expertise, and a tremendous love for cats. The line drawings are LOVELY, a few are more cartoon like, but clearly this is a talented lady who has studied her subject well! The chapter on pet loss is written with real tenderness. EVERY cat owner should read this book. If you really want to understand cats and learn to Live Happily Ever After With Your Cat, Dr. Cookie's book is one to read over and over, and give as gifts to other cat people you know!

Mandatory Reading!
This is book is fabulous and helps explain lots of cat behaviors and how to live (happily ever after) with them. She writes in a sensible, straight forward manner. I think this book should be mandatory reading for all cat "owners", whether they've always had cats, or whether they are first timers. Since shelters are always getting animals because their former owners can't understand or don't want to deal with behaviorial issues, shelters should consider offering the book to people who adopt cats/kittens. As for criticism of the drawings, people need to get off the dot and focus on the extremely helpful info.