Meow!

I am delighted to report that my 106th audiobook hit Audible yesterday.

Rod Phillips' Cats: A History was not quite the story I expected. Cats have really only been considered pets, and valued for their companionship, since the Enlightenment. Throughout recorded history, cats have existed near the periphery of human habitation. Though every household had cats, they were seldom remarked on or written about, instead primarily seen as a way of dealing with the rodents drawn to humans' food storage. Unlike dogs, who evolved clear features of domestication like floppy ears and shorter muzzles, cats changed very little to adapt to humans. They were quite prolific, producing litters more than once a year. This was not necessarily good for the cats, as it may have influenced man's estimation of them. They were considered useful but not much more.

Egyptian civilization was an exception to the common treatment of cats. There, they were revered, sometimes even mummified as companions for the afterlife. Cats were generally treated well in Asia. There were other stories of friends to felines, like the lovely one of the Irish monk who wrote a poem to the cat who was his companion as he transcribed and illustrated books. But much of the history of cats is either unremarkable or unpleasant. Their association with witchcraft is well known. They were even blamed for spreading the plague—a counter-productive superstition since they could help control the actual plague-vectoring rats. It was only since the eighteenth century that cats assumed the role they enjoy today, as valued members of our families.

As with all of my audiobooks, if you would like a free review copy, PM me and I'll get you a promo code. (Also, just between you and me, this book has a secret. If you listen very carefully to the closing credits, you might be able to hear Sushi-cat complaining that I have been in the studio long enough and she wants some attention. I couldn't help myself; I left it in the edit. Don't tell anybody.)