As noted yesterday, I am reviewing one book each day until Christmas, in no particular order.
Each choice is special in its own way. All would make great gifts for your cat addicted book lovers. Or your book addicted cat lovers. I will focus on books that are quick reads with plenty of photos, because that format makes a great stocking stuffer or add on gift.
Why cat books? Several reasons, really. I adore cats. Cats appear in most of my fiction. And I enjoy promoting cat books for the holidays, because I frequently give or get them as gifts myself. And finally, so many people have a cat, that cat themed gifts are an industry. You can’t go wrong.
“Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics” by Heather Busch and Burton Silver, is my second pick for this series.
This book is an oldie, but if you’re a cat lover, you do NOT want to miss this one. It debuted in 1994. I have had it since it came out, and I seriously love this book.
This book explores cats that paint. Yes, you heard that right. Now we all know that cats will swipe their paws around in the litter. Some cats swipe their paws on the floor outside the box. I even had a cat who wiped down the walls around his cat box, which was what interested me in this book. Swiping in paint is evidently not as far of a leap for cats from swiping in litter as one would think. The book abounds in examples of cats who will make marks with paint on walls or on paper. These are “cat artists,” if you will.
The authors explore the idea that the swiping behavior may be more than a territorial thing and there’s actually an aesthetic component. Either way, it makes for fun reading and viewing.
The book covers the historical perspective to set the groundwork. They discuss the theories behind feline marking behavior, and they show us twelve feline “artists” and their work. This was the part that captured my imagination. There are photos of the cats marking with paint and photos of the “artwork.” They even categorize the cats’ art into genres, such as abstract expressionism, or peripheral realism.
Whether you take the feline aesthetic theory seriously or just want to enjoy the whimsy of cats as artists painting with an aesthetic, this book is utterly charming. It’s a keeper, and your cat lover will adore it. They may even get art supplies to see what their cat is capable of. Note: I did. My cat who wiped down the walls around the litter box had NO interest in paint. Oh well. If you try this, I take no responsibility for the…messes you might end up with if Fluffy is the next feline Picasso.
I’ll sum it up by reiterating that this is an oldie, but such a goodie!
