The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats: A Journey Into the Feline Heart - Hardcover

Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345448820 ISBN 13: 9780345448828

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 2002

Synopsis

In the hugely popular New York Times bestseller, Dogs Never Lie About Love, provocative psychoanalyst Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson brilliantly navigated the inner landscape of “man’s best friend.” Now he delves deep into the secretive, playful world of cats, revealing emotions, debunking myths, and honoring the feline’s evolution from solitary jungle creature to human companion.

Drawing from literature, history, animal behavioral research, and the wonderful true stories of cat experts and cat lovers around the world, Jeffrey Masson vividly explores the delights and mysteries of the feline heart. But at the core of this remarkable book are Masson’s candid, often amusing observations of his own five cats. Their mischievousness, aloofness, and affection provide a way to examine emotions from contentment to jealousy, from anger to love.

Consider the question: Are cats selfish? While human egocentricity is defined by how little a person cares about others, the cat’s narcissism is not like that at all. Cats may appear self-centered, but they watch us all the time, taking us in. They see us; they notice us–a far cry from vanity.

Cats are curious, a trait that rarely kills them. On the contrary, it gives them the chance to assess, in their own idiosyncratic way, whether we are worthy of their attention. Cats are happy to be themselves. What they think of us is a different question entirely. “We need cats to need us,” notes Masson, “It unnerves us that they do not. However, if they do not need us, they nonetheless seem to love us.”

The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats will captivate readers with its surprises and insights, offering a new perspective on the deep connection shared by humans and their feline friends. This is the book that Masson’s many fans and cat lovers everywhere have been waiting for.

About this title

Review

Non-cat people frequently describe cats as selfish, unfriendly, and frustratingly independent, while a true cat lover can see these same traits and wax poetic. The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats is truly an ode to the wonderful and mysterious behavior of our furry friends--even when the behavior at hand is narcissism or jealousy. Author Jeffery Moussaieff Masson (Dogs Never Lie About Love) explores the lives of his five cats as they relate to his family, each other, and the world around them, filled as it is with such interesting creatures as butterflies, automobiles, and visiting humans.

Each chapter is devoted to a study of a particular emotion, ranging from love to playfulness to anger. While there are interesting tidbits of animal science, such as "cats look away or blink when feeling friendly," the majority of the book revolves around the author's observations of his own pets. When he suggests answers for mysterious behavior like the grooming that instantly turns into a bloodthirsty brawl, he is never absolute, but merely offers one among many possible explanations. Kind and thoughtful, Masson's entertaining tales and wise musings will be appreciated by any cat fancier. --Jill Lightner

From the Back Cover

“An affectionate, completely engaging book full of new insights into the emotional lives of cats. Of course, all cats are interesting, but Masson’s five felines seem particularly so–and you don’t need to be a cat lover to enjoy them via these pages.”
–ELIZABETH MARSHALL THOMAS
Bestselling author of The Hidden Lives of Dogs and The Tribe of the Tiger

“Jeffrey Masson delivers a fascinating and revealing cat’s eye view of life among the human animals. Clearly written by a man who listens, watches, and waits, much like the cats who warm his heart and satisfy his curiosity. Educational, useful, humane, and respectful. I recommend this book to any readers who wish to expand their knowledge of life in all its diverse forms.”
–INGRID NEWKIRK
President, PETA

“A wonderfully thoughtful–and thought-provoking–book about the feline mind.”
–DESMOND MORRIS
Author of The Naked Ape and Catwatching

About this edition

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0345448820
• ISBN 13: 9780345448828
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288