Reading Time: 3 minutes

I recently got a copy of “You Know Your Cat Loves You Because…The Sweet, Silly, and Scientific Ways our Cats Show Us How Much They Love Us.”

The premise of the book is that, in spite of some scientists claiming that cats simply befriend us because it helps them get food and shelter, cats really do love us as shown in 49 illustrated pages.

The book is written by Jeff Parks, a freelance writer and editor, and Nina Brissey, who acts, directs, writes, and more. Not surprisingly, the book is dedicated to their cats, whom they credit with inspiring the project.

Interestingly, Parks didn’t become a cat person until he was in his 30s, according to Community Cats Podcast. According to the same source, at the same time, he became intrigued by the ways cats show their affection:

“Finding mostly scientific answers, he began using his comedy background to come up with funny ways cats show their love that wouldn’t be found in any official studies. Soon, he decided to pursue the idea as an illustrated book and began working with a co-writer and illustrator,” states the site, which also notes that Parks wanted to look beyond the typical stereotypes of cats being aloof when writing the book.

I was hooked after the very first reason, which is shown below, and made me laugh out loud since I have had cats all my life and pretty much none of them have ever been able to handle the idea of a closed door, no matter what the reason:

Here’s another one of my favorite reasons, with which I can also strongly identify, having picked my fair share of shredded toilet paper up off the bathroom floor.

As you can see, the illustrations, depicting humorous ways cats show their affection for humans, are full of clever details from Mark Sean Wilson, an award winning contributor to The New Yorker.

There are also many more cat behaviors and situations described in the book that cat lovers can identify with, including the difficulty of giving oral medication and showing up for work in clothes covered in cat fur. As I read through the first 10 or so pages, I thought of about six people I could give a copy of the book to as a gift because I knew they could also totally relate to what I was reading. And the cost is under $10, ($2.99 for the kindle version), so it’s definitely going on my list of gifts for birthdays and holidays.

Finally, true to Parks’ goal of looking beyond the aloofness stereotype, there are plenty of touching reminders of how special the relationship between the feline and human can truly be.

For an interview with Parks at Community Cats Podcast, click here: https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/episode-337-jeff-parks/

For more about the book, you can visit: https://www.facebook.com/You-Know-Your-Cat-Loves-You-Because-448559955735845/

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