For the Love of Cats (Paperback)

The ultimate cat-lover's guide!

• The perfect resource to read in preparation for bringing home a rescue cat
• Real-life stories of shelter cats finding their forever homes
• How to choose the right cat for you, with information on personality traits and the questions to consider before adopting
• Training tips including litter-training, clicker training, appropriate scratching, and healthy socialization
• Problem behaviors and how to prevent and solve them, from litter problems to aggression
• Choosing a veterinarian to help keep your cat happy and healthy

Every cat deserves a loving home. Whether you're considering adopting a cat or already have, this comprehensive guide will help you and your new feline friend live in harmony!

The perfect read before you bring your rescue pet home, For the Love of Rescue Cats is a witty and informative book on all things feline-related. As adorable as it is enlightening, this essential resource features 200 stunning pictures of cute cats, illustrates the many facets of their personality, provides tips on training and helping them transition to your home, and explains the best ways to care for a rescue cat.

With over 220 pages of valuable insight on shelter cats, bringing them home, encouraging bonding with children and other pets, socialization, training, solutions to problem behaviors like aggression, and so much more, this essential, one-of-a-kind resource on all things feline-related is the key to learning everything you need to know about raising and caring for a cat. Inspiring, real-life stories—called "Mewsings" and "Happy Endings"—of shelter cats finding their forever homes will prove that adopting a cat, whether they were abandoned, surrendered, or rescued, is not only important and worthwhile—it's lifesaving.

Inside this book, you'll find a complete guide to caring for and training a rescue cat, real-life shelter stories, interesting "Did You Know?" facts, helpful recommendations and advice, and essential information on: understanding cat behavior and communication; developmental stages and socialization; choosing the right cat for you and your family; preparing for and bringing home your new cat; creating safe interactions between cats and children and cats and other pets in the home; litter-training; fulfilling scratching needs; clicker training; toys and enrichment; keeping your cat safe and healthy both indoors and out; choosing a vet; preventing and solving a wide variety of problem behaviors; caring for special-needs and elderly cats; and more! This informative handbook makes an excellent gift for someone considering getting their first cat or who has just adopted their first cat, shelter volunteers, and anyone who loves cats.

Learn how to give your rescue cat the life they've always wanted, with For the Love of Rescue cats!

"From choosing the right cat to keeping your new family member happy and healthy for the rest of his or her life, this comprehensive guide is a must-have for first-time and seasoned cat owners. Beautifully illustrated with gorgeous full-color photos and plenty of 'happy ending' stories, this book will educate and warm your heart."
—Ingrid King, award-winning author and publisher of The Conscious Cat

Tom Colvin has been instrumental in the state of Iowa for animal protection since 1974. He has been director of the Cedar Bend Humane Society and shelter director of Animal Rescue League of Iowa. Tom has been president of the Iowa Federation of Humane Societies since 1981. He is the current executive director of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

Carol Griglione has worked on a wide range of animal issues in Iowa over the past 20 years, including those affecting animal shelters. She has been involved in such areas as making animal torture and dog fighting a felony in Iowa. For the past 15 years she has specifically focused on cats. She is president of the board of directors of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Inc., is on the board of the Iowa Federation of Humane Societies and regularly speaks on cat behavior on local radio stations.

Mick McAuliffe joined the ARL staff in 1990. He has worked extensively in canine training and served as Director of Animal Behavior and Training for the R.S.P.C.A. Queensland, Australia. He believes training should be fun for you and your pet and he stresses positive reinforcement techniques, eliminating the need for physical or verbal correction or training equipment that can cause injury. Mick educates owners on how to train their pets with patience and understanding, resulting in a well-mannered pet and life-long bond.