As a reminder, 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.
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.
Today I am reviewing “Shake Cats,” by photographer Carli Davidson, published in 2015.
I adore cat photography books. Well, I adore all cat books, but there’s just something about looking at cat photos captured by talented photographers. They have a special artistry that gets my attention and pushes my “cute” button or grabs me with their humor. This is both, but especially the latter. This book is hilarious.
The detail in these photographs is impressive. Davidson captures these cats mid-shake and the silly, wonky expressions turn into priceless still photos where you can see every curled whisker and twisted ear. I think it is because cats have inherent dignity, and the photographs catch them in that split second when dignity lapses. Feline weirdness is on full display, frozen in time.
There are 67 individual cats and two photos of each cat in a double page spread. Davidson shares how she got the cats to shake their heads for the photo shoot. It involved treats, catnip, and plenty of time to get used to the photo studio so they were comfortable, and a complimentary ear cleaning that many needed anyway to induce the shaking behavior. A professional vet tech with plenty of experience with ear cleanings was involved to make sure the cats weren’t harmed.
All of the photos are amazing and you’ll have fun deciding which you like best. Each brings out the personality of the cat in question. I had a hard time picking which I enjoyed most, but my favorites included Diego, a black and white tuxedo cat who looks like he’s smelled something sneeze-inducing, Binx, a sphinx who sprays threads of water because he doesn’t have fur to catch it all, and Lorax, a white Persian with a glorious expression of disgust.
One thing I really enjoy about this book is that Davidson puts in a strong plug to support animal adoption, neutering and spaying cats at the beginning of the book. She strongly supports shelters and adopting shelter pets, and this also makes me excited to support this work.
This book has a proud place on my cat book shelf, partly because of the photographic skill, partly because of the adorable cute factor, and lastly because of the message.
Get this book for yourself or as a gift. This one is a winner.