Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, Fully Revised and Updated

One of my Medical Fellows in training called this "the best medical text ever written" as domestic felines are that much of abhomogenous gene pool. Do peruse the dichotomous key on the covers. Getnused to triaging quickly. BELIEVE the advice:Take your cat to a Vet.

Many years ago I bought a veterinary book for dogs and it served as a wealth of information over 30 years caring for my 2 dogs throughout their lives. Now I have cats and wanted to be able to also have a wealth of information at my fingertips for emergencies (it seems emergencies always happen on weekends or after hours when the vet offices are closed or no emergency vet is available), basic first aid and home care (when it is safe to not see a vet).In life, I also wanted to be a veterinarian, because my connection with animals is so strong. Such as life does not always go as planned I did not fulfill my dream but still have a strong connection with animals and every now and then will foster a homeless kitten or nurse a sick kitten back to health.This book is not necessarily outdated, as it was published in 2008. I bought the hardback copy and am impressed with the quality of this book being printed on nice paper that is not thin, the print is dark and readable and there is a table of contents in the front and an index in back for quick reference.Like some reviewers have suggested there are pictures of sad, sick cats that are in black and white (my guess is that color photos would be greatly traumatic to view as the black and white versions are heartbreaking enough to view). The pictures, no matter how sad are necessary for properly knowing what illness your cat may have in an emergency situation and these are what makes the book even more valuable.In my experience, it is better to be prepared than not. If you think about it, don't most homes already have a first aid kit and if you have kids, you have supplies on hand for cuts, coughs, and other minor first aid emergencies - so why not do the same for your fur babies?After caring for both of my dogs from puppyhood (one bottle baby) till their old age I learned many things about emergencies and preparedness. Now that I have cats, I am also learning that cats are not as resilient as dogs are and at least being able to understand the basic first aid of cats gives me some comfort that if I ever needed to, I will know how to respond.*Note* In my photos I took the paper cover off the book, but it does arrive exactly as shown in the description pictures Amazon shows. I just don't like the paper cover because they never stay in place when the book is open.

Cats have been family members for all of my 70 years. Over time I’ve collected a library of “pet owner” books and references about feline behavior, health and medicine including the classics “The Well Cat” and “The Cornell Book of Cats”. Although these texts cover the basics, they are old publications and don’t address the significant advances made in feline medicine over the past 2 decades particularly with respect to cancers, infectious diseases and geriatrics. Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook, Third Edition greatly helps to fill that gap. While not an actual textbook for veterinary practitioners, it does assume that the reader has a desire for definitive information about feline health. This book doesn’t dwell on happy talk or chit chat about the joys of owning your pet cat Fluffy… it focuses on straightforward medical discussions of topics relevant to your cat’s health and behavior. I relied on this book during my 13 ½ year old cat’s recent battle with concurrent diabetes, congestive heart failure and kidney failure. The vets and specialists were all caring and knowledgeable, but there just isn’t the time at a large very busy animal hospital that staff could devote to answering my never-ending questions and concerns about Sam’s ultimate prognosis. I read Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook almost daily and always found what I needed to know in a clearly presented and understandable manner. However, the reader must recognize that although this book is described as “fully revised and updated”, this 3rd edition was published in 2007. And the science of feline medicine continues to evolve. For example, this 2007 edition states that the human drug Clopidogrel (Plavix) was, at that time, being investigated for possible prevention of platelet aggregation (blood clots) in cats with heart disease. Currently, in 2021, this drug is now regularly prescribed by veterinarians for this purpose. But I really shouldn’t quibble about finding minor historical issues in this 626-page book. Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook, Third Edition is a great reference book.

A wonderful resource book, full of easy-to-read explanations; plenty of pictures & drawings that help simplify feline veterinary information. Really glad to have it in my personal library!

Not quite as good as "The Merck" but still a good read. It is easy to read, especially for those that don't read often enough and are out of form. You don't need a more developed vocabulary and the book is based on general concepts for pet owners with expanded detail on the most important topics. There is little specific medical information supplied with a breakdown of each illness, instead the book focuses on the needs of your cat, what to look out for in terms of health issues and what actions to take when things are looking that great. The authors are both medical/veterinary doctors who have put together a great book that can help any layperson look after their fur baby with confidence. That is, with a better understanding of both their general Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, Fully Revised and Updatedhealth and medical needs to ensure they have a happy life that compliments their owners.