Cats exceed dogs in their numbers as companion animals in the U.S. and much of Europe, despite them not filling working roles. In the past, their prowess as mousers on farms sometimes made them essential, but these days, many cats lead leisurely lives in people’s homes. What accounts for them becoming such appreciated family members? What are their behaviors that are so enticing? Exactly how do they respond to us? When are they preferred companion animals, more than dogs? What do we know about cultural differences in views about cats? Their growing popularity, and the relative paucity of data about owned cats living in homes, emphasizes the importance of monitoring their welfare. The anthrozoological research literature on companion animals includes extensive studies of dogs, while contributing relatively few close looks at the special behaviors and traits of domestic cats that make them so desirable as companions. We know little about the dynamics of our interactions with cats and the attachment shared with them, which may differ in some ways for those we have with dogs. Nor have we identified the specific contexts where cats are particularly or uniquely compatible. How does the type of attachment affect and shape the bond/relationship between human and cat? How are cats as emotional support animals for people with special needs, especially autism? What new information do we have about the cognitive abilities of domestic cats, and how these abilities shape cats’ behavior and relationships with humans? How do early life experiences of cats influence their behavior as adults, or their successful integration into human households? Do cats fit best in certain residential settings, or with specific types or ages of people? This Research Topic provides an opportunity to update our understanding on the special qualities and behaviors of cats, and to scrutinize our mutual interactions with these companions.

This exploration of the newly emerging, diverse, and controversial area of animal lawpresents a basic survey of the laws designed to protect animals, analyzing and critiquing them, and proposing a future where the legal regime properly recognizes and protects the inherent worth of all animals.

Across the world, cats are loved as pets or are kept or tolerated for their role in controlling some animal pests. But cats, both pets and feral, also kill many native animals and this toll can be enormous. Cats have been remarkably successful in Australia, spreading pervasively across the continent and many islands, occurring in all environments, and proving to be adept and adaptable hunters. A large proportion of Australia’s distinctive fauna is threatened and recent research highlights the significant role that cats play in the decline and extinction of native species. Cats in Australia brings this research together, documenting the extent to which cats have subverted, and are continuing to subvert, Australia’s biodiversity. But the book does much more than spotlight the impacts of cats on Australian nature. It describes the origins of cats and their global spread, their long-standing and varying relationship with people, their global impacts and their ecology. It also seeks to describe the challenge of managing cats, and the options available to constrain their impacts.

Veterinary Clinical Parasitology, Eighth Edition, prepared under the auspices of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP), emphasizes the morphologic identification of both internal and external parasites of domestic animals. Focusing on the tests and information most relevant to daily practice, the book describes accurate, cost-effective techniques for diagnosing parasitic infections in animals. Including clear, easy-to-find information on the distribution, life cycle, and importance of each parasite, Veterinary Clinical Parasitology offers more than 450 images to aid with diagnosis. The Eighth Edition includes a new chapter on immunologic and molecular diagnosis, increased coverage of ticks and new sections on identification of microfilariae and larvae in diagnostic samples. The new edition also features expanded information on quantitative egg counts, detection of anthelmintic resistance and identification of ruminant strongylid larvae. Additional improvements include many new images throughout the book, revised taxonomic information, a new layout featuring tabs by section to improve user-friendliness, and a companion website offering the images from the book in PowerPoint at www.wiley.com/go/zajac. Veterinary Clinical Parasitology is a highly practical benchside reference invaluable to clinicians, technicians, and students.

Paperbound reprint of a 1991 work providing information about the 37 or so species of the world's cats. The author is curator of mammals and birds at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR