Cats and the Mysterious Behavior - Book Report/Review Example

Cats and the Mysterious Behavior The Book The reason for the choice of the book is that cats and people have almost similar levels of intelligence, hence a good reference in studying psychology. The book is titled, “The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats” written by Nicholas Dodman. It is a book which looks into details about reasoning and reactions of cats to various stimuli. The publication has been a best seller around the world especially among animal lovers. Psychologists also have used the book in carrying out studies especially when trying to establish how the human mind reacts to various stimuli. This study will comprehensively look into the detail of the book and base all the arguments from the dimension of the writer. The psychological reactions of human beings are almost dependent on stimuli both from the external and internal environment. Some studies such as reflex actions done by vets on cats yield similar results as those done on human beings. The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats” is a book that is a must read not only for this study but also for the general understanding of human and animal psychology. The author of this book is a renowned professor in Tuft university School of Veterinary Medicine where the he specializes in animal behavior and reflex action especially concerning the attitudes, emotions and the psychology of the cats. With many years of experience, Dodman has succeeded in mastering the ways that animals relate to each other as well as with the human beings around them. In this book, he has divided the cats’ behavior into aggressive behavior, emotional behavior and compulsive behavior. Through a candid look, Dr. Dodman has analyzed each of these three segments with a keen interest on the observable traits of the cats. Overview of the Book The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats” is a book that was published in the late 90’s by a vet, Dr Dodman, who had done a comprehensive study into animal psychological therapy. In this fourteen chapter publication, the author looks into day to day activities of cats and how they act in several situations. He gives conclusive information based on observation that he made on the kittens as they grow up. There are several intriguing observations which any reader may make when relating the authors’ position on human psychology with that of cats. The book is classified into three sections namely ‘aggressive behavior” where the author dedicates five chapters to discuss situations which make cats behave in the said manner. He narrates on how deals with a certain ‘patient’ who is a cat that was showing aggression to his owner. The second segment which Dr. Dodman looks into is the ‘emotional behavior’ where the main incident is where the tile of the book comes from namely “the cat who cried for help”. It is an emotionally packed narrative which the doctor uses to show many aspects of psychology. The author shows how certain experiences can make animals that are gentle to develop aggressiveness. The third and final segment of the book which takes the final four chapters looks at the “compulsive aspect “of cats. The author uses the experience to show how cats can have a compulsive behavior similar to that of humans. In other words, he observes that cats have their own way of depicting obsessions and attachment to certain things. Like many animals, the obsession for food and comfort is also seen in the situation of cats. Therefore, the book depicts a superb example of animal socialization. Part 1- Aggressive Behavior The first chapter that Dodman introduces the aggressive behavior is tilted ‘Biting the hand that feeds”. It is about the author receiving a certain patient who is a cat that displays aggression towards the owner. According to Dodman, (3) Mr. Johnson who is the owner says that he can not get the cat out of the carrier because of the dangerous behavior it displays. As a matter of fact, the cat had scarred the owner’s hands so badly. This makes the vet begin a through examination of the cat and the circumstance that may have made him begin to have such aggression. According to Mr. Johnson, the cat whose name is Ashley was a normal cat with beautiful features and normal behavior like any other cat. However, after being neutered his levels of aggression become extremely high (4). This might become extremely unusual for the owner to handle the animals because of the fact that they are not familiar with the way to react to the situation. In the preceding pages of this chapter, the owner seems to be offended because of the feeling that the animal was biting the hand that fed him. Such is the aggression that makes people let go of their pets because they can not handle the situation. The second chapter is ‘give peace a change’ where the author through real life experience talks about the importance of having a proper remedy to the problem. This is through peaceful and clever resolution of the circumstances. This is because of the fact that many of the owners of the pets react by either chaining the animal in their houses or simply throwing them out (24). The author gives an insight on how owners are able to handle their cats in such a manner that they can peacefully coexist. In the third chapter covering aggression, the author looks at the case of mistaken identity and the ‘Devil you do not know’. This chapter takes a narrative of cats such as Jonathan and shows how they are able to relate with their owners on differently. The first reaction of aggression that all the r showed was repulsive meaning that they were emotionally affected by the sudden reaction especially in the beginning pages. Ashley is described in these chapters as a boss-cat who literary bites the hand of the person who feeds her. This shows that cats can be aggressive even to the bosses. All the narrative shows that cats react to different stimuli in aggression because of different reasons.  The case of Ashley shows that the act of neutering (4) makes cats to have hormonal divergence. In other words, the internal body composition changed causing   the cat have aggressive behaviors not only to the owners but to the other cats. Mr. Jonathan also talks on several incidents when the cat could suddenly spring up when being petted and attack (6). The response to psychogenic medicine is one contributing factor to aggression. According to Dr. Dodman, cats my react to the issue of pain and injury. This is because of the fact that the expression of the animals to stimuli of pain is simply by involving aggression. The book also indicates indirectly that a cat may react in such a manner because of its urge to guard its territory. If the cat is entitled to space and certain privileges, it can turn into beats when defending the territory it ‘owns’. Therefore, it can be the "devil you do not know" because one moment it can be the little sweet pussy and the next a tyrant. While summarizing this part, the author succeeds in looking at various ways which cats are socialized. The cats used in the study are real and their aggressive behaviors easily identified with by many of his readers. Though he uses a narrative without specific highlighting a point, a reader can easily relate to what he tries to communicate. Ultimately, Dodman (8) shows that a peaceful reaction can make the cat react in a similar manner. From this point, he seeks to look into the emotional behavior of the cats which are often seen. Part 2: Emotional Behavior Just like human beings, cats often have the soft side in their makeup. In this segment, Dodman dedicates almost five chapters to explain the emotional aspects that cats can portray in one way or another. He narrates about his own experiences on several cats including Thomas who was remarkably soft and ‘cried for help’ at one point.  Therefore, he showed that cats can have emotions such as stress, depression, anxiety and even fear when in certain circumstances. The author manages to heal all these cats through proper techniques and ideas that he has leant throughout his career. The beginning chapter of this segment shows the extent which cats can be emotional. Dodman (85) shows the haunting experiences that the cats may have had in the past which may make them display a range of emotions. Cats are intelligent animals which have a very strong sense of instinct. The author implies that a similar event in the past can make the animal develop a strong instinct especially towards that stimulus. For instance, if a cat experienced pain at some point in its early life due to its environment, it may show signs of being anxious when one places a similar environment. They do this by relating smells, sounds and physical features of that environment. The doctor offers a workable solution that may make the owner reverse the behavior or reaction of the cat in a certain way. According to Dodman (91) it is essential for the owner to identify what situation makes the animal behave in the manner which it does. Through such efforts, it can be possible for a proper diagnosis even before making a visit to the veterinary office. The knowledge which the author gives  pet  owners always looks invaluable and can be used by any reader to fix their own issues. Chapter seven of the book also gives a look at the signs and symptoms that the cats may display when displaying emotions. The author names the chapter ‘writing on the wall’ (101) which shows the various signs that the cat portrays to indicate that they are going through some emotional turmoil. Dodman gives some examples which that include tail wagging to indicate amusement as well as coiling of it when in deep comfort. He also shows that sometime cats might raise their tails when in a mood of rage (103). When in a rebellious mode, the cat can purr and groan likes a tiger. These are the writings on the wall which the author advises the owners not to ignore and look for solutions before the cats become tigers. Sometimes the cats can cry and give a very emotional display of character. Thomas is the cat Dodman (122) uses to explain this situation. When cats are in helpless situations such as intense pain or despair, they can show signs that indicate the situation like shedding of tears. An example is when a cat loses its young ones or a close thing and feels upset it can cry. These are the explanations which the author gives that makes one relate their experiences with cats and come up with personalized solutions. The last two chapters which are 'Rebels without claws' (139) and the 'heat of the night' (153) indicate the other emotional dimensions which animals can display when in certain conditions. The cats can be made to be emotionally stable according to the author in simple ways. Exercise, quiet environment and proper diet are some of the factors which influence an anxiety free cat (140). Cats can also be rebellious without a cause that is external. This may be brought about by the drugs which are administered to the cats for various reasons. Ultimately this part of the book can be said to be one of the most informative since various techniques are offered well by the author. As a summary of the emotional part of the cats, Dr Dodman cleverly puts across the delicate aspect of the cats behavior. It is a self expressive narrative that places the reader in a position to know what the author had in mind. Part 3- Compulsive Cats Cats can suddenly develop queer behaviors such as obsession with causing damage to things made of certain fabrics. Dodman takes the last four chapters of his book to show real life experiences of cats with obsessions that owners  find hard to deal with. According to him, sometimes cats can have irresistible and immensely strong urge to pluck and suck clothes and other things that are made of wool. This is a sign of compulsiveness and can be reversed if the owner takes the necessary steps which include visiting a qualified vet. The first chapter is Lucky the wool sucking cat (Dodman, 171) which narrates how the cat was obsessed with tearing apart anything made of wool. To some extent, the cat was beginning to eat some of the wool in growing quantities. This situation can be harmful to the cat because the stuff cannot be digested or absorbed. Lucky is one cat that the author uses to show how compulsive behavior can be dangerous to cats and owners alike. According to him, some people may ignore some of the signs by thinking that they might go away but that may be just the beginning of a bigger complication. Some compulsive cats may over groom to some extent that they lose some of their hair and hurt their claws. Dodman (185) narrates the case of ‘hair today, gone tomorrow’ where similar circumstances happened to the cats. It is therefore vital that the owners understand some of this behavior so that they can correctly diagnose the problem. The most admissible explanation to the aspect of compulsion is that cats which have frustrations or stress are bound to do things which are equally aggressive. As stated earlier, cats are very intelligent and use instinct hence any sensing that they may not be getting what they want may lead to compulsiveness. The obsession that Lucky the cat may have been experiencing was as a result of diverting its attention to some other avenues. There is another explanation that the author also speaks about in chapter thirteen and fourteen that indicate that cats weaned too early can be a cause. Lack of proper nutrition in the infancy stage may lead to the cats having a craving for such things as wool and fabrics. This is the case of Jonathan the cat who could never get satisfied with food. Dodman manages to heal Lucky from the situation by applying several techniques that he acquired in his many years as a vet. Some of the ways that the author uses to curb the compulsion include restriction of the cat from the fabric made of wool or similar materials. A complete change of diet and environment can also be helpful in one way or another. Conclusion The book, “The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats” written by Nicholas Dodman is narrative rather than a step by step manual that veterinary officers use in their work. What makes it tick is that it is a real life experience which Dodman incorporates his day to day life activities into his profession. He gives an account of cats such as Ashley, Lucky, Hyde and Jonathan that displayed various emotional and attitudes that are common with cats. His publication is cleverly grouped into three segments that the exercise has explained above namely emotion, aggression and compulsive. Ultimately, the reader is taken through a journey into the world of cats and how they are socialized in their environment. It is a fascinating book. Work Cited Dodman, Nicholas. The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats. New York: Bantam Books, 1999. Pp 1- 256 BOOK Review Of The book: The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats This Review’s format was borrowed from rubic.com (2012). Needs to Improve Satisfactory Good RESEARCH Effective Use Provides few examples from book Provides some effective examples from book Consistently provides effective examples from book PRESENTATION Title Page Non-existent Present but not complete Provides complete information including titles and name e Neatness Shabby Moderate Word processed Grammar Many errors Few errors No errors Spelling Many errors Few errors No errors Language Level Many errors Few errors No errors Contractions Many errors Few errors No errors Sentence Structure Many errors Few errors No errors Paragraph Structure Many errors Few errors No errors -Introduction Poor topic, summary or thesis Minor problems with elements Topic, summary & thesis effectively done -Topic Sentences Non-existent Unclear intent of the paragraph Provides clear intent of paragraph -Transitions Non-existent Occasional absence of transitions Provides seamless transitions - Conclusion Poor summary of thesis, arguments and no attempt at thoughtful concluding line Missing some elements or insufficiently thoughtful Thesis, summary and finale effectively done and thoughtful Organization Poorly organized, jumps around Some minor organizational problems Thoughtfully and consistently well organized Quotations- Form No attempt to intro. Or explain quotations Minor problems with intro, and explanation of quotations Quotations are properly introduced and explained Introduction Sets In Context Little recognition of context or its importance Partially sets in context with some understanding of its significance Fully sets in context and reveals a good understanding of its significance Identifies Author's Purpose. No recognition Somewhat identified Clearly identified Identifies Audience No recognition Somewhat identified Clearly identified SUMMARY Thesis Not identified Minimal identification Clearly identified & displays a good understanding Structure Not identified Minimal identification Clearly identified Conclusions Not identified Minimal identification Clearly identified " sources Not identified Minimal identification Clearly identified EVALUATION . Clear Thesis Unclear and lacking insight Clear, but awkward or less insightful Clear well stated & reveals insight Considered Throughout Self-contradictory Some inconsistencies Consistently well argued Logically developed Poorly reasoned or developed Some logical leaps or problems Logical and well developed Evidence - effective use Few solid examples, badly used Satisfactory use of examples Good use of solid examples Assess strength/weak. Ignores strengths or weaknesses Examines both but inconsistently Fairly examines Strengths & weaknesses Assess contribution No attempt to examine the book’s contribution Some attempt to examine the book’s contribution Examines effectively the contribution of the book Read More