A collection of stories from Egypt, India, Japan, Scandinavia, Ireland and other places that portray cats as goddesses, guardians, tricksters, warriors, magicians, and more.

The cat has symbolized a host of concepts: good and evil, light and darkness, religion and black magic. This intriguing book traces the history of these fascinating creatures — from vampire and clairvoyant cats to cats in heraldry, as sacrificial objects, and idols of secret sects. Includes 50 black-and-white illustrations.

• A fascinating, illustrated exploration of the integral roles cats have played in our myths, legends, and history. • By the highly acclaimed author of over 30 books on magic and folklore, including the bestselling Goddess in My Pocket. • Examines the mythological significance of cats in our legends and folklore, and provides an overview of cats and feline imagery in spiritual traditions around the world. • Presents the feline connection to magic, including amulets, charms, spells, and rituals. In German they are called ket, in French, chat, in Arabic, quttah--but with little concern for what name we've assigned them, cats have sauntered into almost every corner of human society and history. In ancient Egypt a cat-faced goddess was worshiped and immortalized in the art of Egyptian tombs. In Scandinavian lore, Freyja, a goddess of the night, rode in a cart drawn by cats. Cats appear in our folktales and in our literature, even in our everyday speech. In Cat Magic, Patricia Telesco takes us on a fascinating tour of the different roles cats have played in human experience, with over 150 illustrations documenting the appearance and importance of cats in our mythology, in the spiritual teachings and religious practices of our ancestors, and in totems, spells, and other rituals of magic. Cat Magic tells of cat ginii and of charms of protection. It explains astrology for determining your cat's personality, creating magical blessings, and using crystal and color therapy for the feline in the house. Mysterious and independent, cunning and fierce, gentle and affectionate, cats continue to win our hearts and imaginations, providing a link to our past and present, and to ourselves.

Filled with beautiful color photographs of these furry friends, this book reveals virtually everything needed to appreciate this mysterious, lovable companion.Chapter One, "Evolutionary Cat," traces the domestic feline back to the Paleocene Era, then introduces its big cat relatives. Sidebars highlight the fascinating evolutionary differences between big cats and small cats, which clearly explain why the smaller kitties became household favorites. Cats have been both revered and scorned throughout history. Egyptian law protected sacred cats, and the beauty of Egyptian women was measured by their resemblance to the cat. But the cat's spiritual heyday came to a halt in the Middle Ages, when the Christian church crushed the worship of cat-gods. Yet, in the seventeenth century, cat popularity rose again as the French aristocracy welcomed the cat back into polite society.Chapter Two, "Cultured Cat," is a survey of artistic homage paid to the cat. From Aesop's fables to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, cats have been featured as analogy, metaphor, and hero. From the Egyptians to Leonardo da Vinci and beyond, the cat has been featured in paintings and other media. Notable cat lovers include Winston Churchill, President Lincoln, and President Roosevelt, whose cat, Slippers, often attended White House dinners. Enemies of the cat include Hitler, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon.Chapter Three, "Physical Cat," is a guide to understanding and caring for your cat. First, each of the cat's senses and physical attributes are described, to reveal how they see the world. Important cat care issues are discussed, such as whether you should get your cat "fixed" (definitely!) and what ailments your cat is likely to suffer from. Also provided are tips for proper training, advice on when to vaccinate, and information about choosing and caring for kittens.Cat Life closes with a "Gallery of Breeds," a parade of fascinating cat types with descriptions of their unique personalities and special characteristics. Overflowing with endearing photographs and enlightening, entertaining text, Cat Life is sure to capture the fancy of ailurophiles everywhere.

The Way of Cats is a way of playing games with our cat. These communication, training, and affection games are fun and easy to learn. Then we have well-behaved and happy cats.

In this collection, Katja Alves retells some traditional Swiss myths—exciting, funny, and sometimes gruesome tales from all four regions of the country. The exquisite illustrations were created by nineteen young artists who hail from Switzerland. Illustrations by: Anda, Carole Aufranc, Silvan Borer, Paloma Canonica, Anna Deér, Lucie Fiore, Gregor Forster, Lea Gross, Sara Guerra Rusconi, Mira Gysi, Rina Jost, Patricia Keller, Rahel Messerli, Jakob Näf, Camille Perrochet, Eliane Schädler, Pia Valär, Adam Vogt, and Anna Weber.

Gathered together for the very first time between the covers of a single volume, be prepared to be thoroughly amazed and totally captivated by a spellbinding array of truly extraordinary, exceptional cats of every imaginable - and unimaginable - variety. Surveying an eclectic spectrum of feline anomalies existing both within and far beyond the perimeters of cryptozoology, here are homing cats and demon cats, king cheetahs and woolly cheetahs, ligers and leopons, winged cats and horned cats, belligerent nundas and evanescent marozis, the mythology of the tailless Manx cat and the origins of Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat, latter-day sabre-tooths and feline deities from around the world, dream cats, snow cats, and psychic cats, displaced panthers and out-of-place pumas, Janus cats of the double visage and the lost constellation of Felis, marsupial lions and Queensland tigers, green kittens and Runcible Cats, albinistic leopards and melanistic tigers, servalines, cheetalines, aquatic yaquarus, even a cat-headed serpent or two - and much, much else besides.