Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy
Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by Zazie Todd, with a foreword by Pam Johnson-Bennett, is a BC bestseller. The hardback is out now and the paperback will be published on 6th June 2023.
Purr is published by Greystone Books and is available in hardback, ebook, and audiobook.
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In Canada, signed copies of Purr are available from Black Bond Books via this link: https://blackbondbooks.com/purr
We all love our cats and we all want them to be happy. But making our cats happy isn’t about buying them lots of things—it’s about finding out what matters to them. In Purr, animal behavior expert Zazie Todd addresses every stage of your cat’s life and offers surprising and effective advice for even the most experienced cat owner, all with the science to back it up.
Cat lovers will also discover how to:
- Enrich your cat’s life through play and exercise
- Reduce anxiety and fear around your absence, visitors, and trips to the vet
- Train your kitten or cat without causing harm (i.e. don’t use a spray bottle!)
- Provide for special needs like asthma
- Make senior cats comfortable
- And so much more!
Praise for Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy
"Full of great science delivered with genuine warmth and heart; I just couldn't put this book down. Through Wag and now Purr, Zazie Todd has united dog-people and cat-people in a single goal: to make the lives of animals in our care richer and healthier—mentally, physically, emotionally—than we ever thought possible."
Jules Howard, zoological commentator and author of Wonderdog.
"Purr is a must read for anyone who shares their life with a cat and wants to provide the most fulfilling, enriched, and happiest existence possible for them."
Kate LaSala, Rescued By Training, certified trainer and behavior consultant.
“If you know a cat owner who is having difficulties with their cat, give them this book. It will help them and their cat."
Celia Haddon, The Salisbury Review.
“[Purr] is accessible, practical, illuminating (for both first-time and long-time cat guardians) and even celebratory of the historically sacred cat."
K. Holden Svirsky, Pet Professional Guild BARKS magazine.
“Zazie Todd has created a must-have guide to improving your cat’s life.”
Modern Cat Magazine
"Although of clear benefit to people about to embark on life with a cat...there is much in the book that would be of use to existing cat owners — even those who pride themselves on having a deep understanding of their pets."
The British Columbia Review
"Practical, entertaining, and thorough. Purr explores every aspect of a cat's life with evidence-based information, handy tips, and a very useful checklist. Cat owners are in good hands with Zazie Todd."
Lucy Jane Santos, author of Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium.
“Purr is cat-centered, so much that it feels like a very smart cat wrote it! Starting with the most recent scientific findings, Zazie Todd explains with clarity what cats enjoy, what is good for their well-being, and how we can build a strong reciprocal bond with them. Indispensable reading.”
Dr. Carlo Siracusa, co-editor of Decoding Your Cat and board-certified veterinary behaviorist, UPenn Vet School
“Purr is an absolute must-read for all animal lovers! This fantastic, evidence-based guide is bound to influence cat-guardian relationships for the better.”
Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere, Director of the Thinking Dog Center and Assistant Professor at Hunter College (CUNY)
"A wonderful, evidence-based guide with concrete suggestions for cat owners to improve the lives of the cats they live with. Purr is a welcome and exciting addition for every cat lover's bookshelf."
Mikel Delgado, PhD, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and co-founder of Feline Minds.
“Pet expert Zazie Todd’s new book, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy, is a delightful, informative—and much-needed—compendium on how to have a wonderful relationship with your favorite felines. Cat lovers learn the science behind cats’ petting preferences; the multiple meanings of purrs, chirrups, and meows; how to best satisfy the scratching and stalking desires for indoor cats; and even how to keep both cats and wildlife safe if your felines spend time outside. Zazie Todd, a companion animal psychologist, also provides a fun section on—wait for it—how to train your cat. Yes, you can! If you love cats, you’ll love Purr."
Cat Warren, author of the NYT bestseller What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World.
“Founded in science and fueled by a clear passion for cats and their welfare, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy covers all the essentials to ensure we are raising our cats right! From adoption to senior care this book challenges the status quo and encourages an elevation in the standard of care for our feline companions. It’s time we recognize that cats are not content to simply hold down the sofa, they have needs. Viewing the word through the feline lens, this book provides a clearer understanding of how humans can better meet those needs.”
Ingrid Johnson, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, Fundamentally Feline, Atlanta, Ga.
“What a gift to applied animal behavior is Zazie Todd. Purr is both packed with the latest findings and eminently readable. I could not recommend it more highly.”
Jean Donaldson, The Academy for Dog Trainers.
“Purr is an easily readable, thorough, and fascinating read about what cats need. It’s full of accessible science and practical advice.”
Dr. Patricia McConnell, author of books including The Education of Will and The Other End of the Leash.
“Zazie gives you all the tools you need to be a better observer of your cat and help you figure out what they need to thrive.”
Julie Bond, Sweatpants and Coffee.
“This book has something for everyone whether you are beginning your feline journey or are an experienced cat owner.”
Rachel Woodisse, Portsmouth Cat Sitting.
“In Purr, animal behavior expert Zazie Todd addresses every stage of your cat’s life and offers surprising and effective advice for even the most experienced cat owner, all with the science to back it up.”
Anne Cater, Random Things Through My Letterbox.
Podcasts with Zazie Todd about Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy
Get your cat's consent before petting, Cat Chat, 29 Mar 2023
Live From The Ranch Episode 61, Karen Pryor Clicker Training, 1 Dec 2022
Does your cat even like you?, Cat Chat, 2 Nov 2022
Respect your elders - What do old kitties need?, Cat Chat, 12 September 2022
How to better understand your cat, Psych Crunch podcast, 6 Sep 2022
Leave the hiding cat alone!, Cat Chat, 6 July 2022
Happy cats with Zazie Todd, Pod to the Rescue, 2 July 2022
PURR-cast with Anna Webb, A Dog's Life, 12 June 2022
The cat's nose knows, Cat Chat podcast, 2 June 2022
Dr. Zazie Todd shares her newest book: Purr, Your Family Dog podcast, 24 May 2022
A book with ways to keep your cat purring, Cat Chat, 5 May 2022
Radio and TV interviews with Zazie Todd about Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy
North by Northwest with Sheryl MacKay, CBC Radio, 5 Nov 2022 (interview starts around the 53 min mark).
More ways to make your cat happy, Radio New Zealand Sunday Morning, 25 September 2022
How to make your cat happy, Radio New Zealand Sunday Morning, 18 September 2022
The science of making your cat happy, Breakfast Television, 9 May 2022
The science of making your cat happy, CTV Your Morning, 5 May 2022
Ask an expert: Cat happiness, Global BC News Morning, 1 May 2022
The Morning Show, Global National, 28 April 2022
This is just a selection. A full list of Zazie Todd's media interviews is here.
Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, and also has a column at Psychology Today. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and two cats.
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