Cat

(Paperback)

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Description

Traces the relationship between humans and the cat from its original domestication in ancient Egypt c.2000 BCE, where it enjoyed high status, through to its present status as a companion on a par with the dog. Long before people valued cats as companions, however, they recognized something special about them. Cats' ease of negotiation in the dark, their silent movements, their self-detachment even as they live in our homes, their refusal to defer to humans, seem to indicate strange, even supernatural powers.

Reviews

[a] beautifully illustrated history . . . A perfect read for ailurophiles. * The Guardian *
Reaktions reliably stylish and intelligent series of illustrated books about animals in culture goes from strength to strength. Cat unites a typically broad and fascinating set of images with Katherine Rogerss elegant survey of the way humans have seen and thought of home-based felines. * The Independent *
It requires a wealth of knowledge and some ingenuity to write a book about cats that has a fresh approach and provides unusual information, which has not been repeated from innumerable previous publications. But, as with all the books I have in the this fine new series, this is what Katharine Rogers has achieved in Cat . . . [this] book has a very balanced approach and is written with great empathy and understanding. * Anthrozos *

Author Bio

Katharine M. Rogers (1932-2021) was a freelance writer living in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. She was the author and editor of numerous books and anthologies including Cat (Reaktion, 2006) and Pork: A Global History (Reaktion, 2012).