Sign-In
Cart
Cats: A History
Hardcover
General World HistoryOther AnimalsPets: Cats
Publisher Price: $32.95
ISBN13: 9781421454184
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: Jun 2 2026
Pages: 456
Weight: 1.68
Height: 1.46 Width: 6.25 Depth: 9.26
Language: English
A sweeping and fascinating history of cat-human relationships.
For more than 10,000 years, cats have prowled at the edges of human life. But, starting only a few decades ago, hundreds of millions of them became pets. In Cats, Rod Phillips shares a sweeping cultural and social history of felines, tracing their shifting place across societies and centuries, from ancient Egypt's revered hunters to Europe's suspected familiars of witches and from shipboard rodent controllers to cherished internet icons.
Phillips illustrates how cats have always occupied spaces both familiar and mysterious and how their perceived independence and disruptive nature--and their associations with women, the supernatural, and outsiders--have shaped humans' attitudes toward these fascinating creatures. Cats have been lauded as companions and vermin-killers, reviled as threats to moral and ecological order, and cherished for the very qualities that make them hard to control. This richly textured portrait of cats explores their significance in religion, politics, gender, literature, warfare, and pop culture. It also provides profound insights into our relationships with other animals, especially dogs and rodents.
The many roles that cats have played throughout history illuminate a variety of contradictions in humans' perceptions of them: as affectionate yet aloof, adorable and evil, ordinary and exceptional. This book is the definitive story of the feline presence in human history--an elegant study of how we live with animals whom we see as living by their own rules.
Also in
Other Animals
The Ghost of the Mountains: Unraveling the Secrets of the Snow Leopard
Suryawanshi, Kulbhushansingh
Hardcover
Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research
Kaplan, Melanie D. G.
Hardcover
Horse Country: Inside the World of Equestrian Style and Sport, from British Dressage to Western Riding
O'Shea-Evans, Kathryn
Hardcover
Heart of the Jaguar: The Extraordinary Conservation Effort to Save the Americas' Legendary Cat
Campbell, James
Hardcover
The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles
Lipton, Bruce H.
Paperback
Mammals: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-To-Use Guide
Zim, Herbert S.
Hoffmeister, Donald F.
Paperback
The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis
Letts, Elizabeth
Paperback
The Ultimate Book of Big Cats: Your Guide to the Secret Lives of These Fierce, Fabulous Felines
Winter, Steve
Hardcover
The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals
Tuttle, Merlin
Paperback
Animal Tracks of the Northeast: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
Start with a Bear: Humans, Grizzlies, and the Power of Stories on a Crowded Planet
Alagona, Peter S.
Hardcover
What the Bears Know: How I Found Truth and Magic in America's Most Misunderstood Creatures--A Memoir by Animal Planet's the Bear Whisperer
Erskine, Chris
Searles, Steve
Paperback
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Neon Jungle (28 Images to Sticker)
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Brain Games
Paperback
The Handbook Of Nature Study in Color - Fish, Reptiles, Amphibians, Invertebrates
Comstock, Anna
Paperback
Dead Moose on Isle Royale: Off Trail with the Citizen Scientists of the Wolf-Moose Project
Holden, Jeffrey M.
Paperback
Stowaway: The Disreputable Exploits of the Rat - A New Scientist Non-Fiction Book of the Year
Shute, Joe
Paperback
Connection Training: The Heart and Science of Positive Horse Training
Weston, Hannah
Bedingfield, Rachel
Paperback
Color & Frame - Horses (Coloring Book): Featuring 31 Adorable Coloring Pages
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Paperback
Bringing Up Beaver: Two Orphaned Beaver Kits, Their Humans, and Our Journey Back to the Wild
Aberth, John
Hardcover
Path to Pet Wellness: The Holistic Vet's Guide to Thriving Pets and Empowered Pet Parents
Feinman, Jeff
Paperback
The Story of the Mammals in 25 Discoveries: Amazing Fossils and the People Who Found Them
Prothero, Donald R.
Hardcover
The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
Owens, Mark
Owens, Delia
Paperback
The Odyssey of Kp2: An Orphan Seal and a Marine Biologist's Fight to Save a Species
Williams, Terrie M.
Paperback
Theodore Roosevelt and the Smithsonian Expedition to British East Africa, 1909-1910
Goodyear III, Frank H.
Hardcover
Think Like a Horse: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Empathy from an Unconventional Cowboy
Golliher, Grant
Hardcover
Pacific Coast Mammal Finder: Identifying Mammals by Their Tracks, Skulls, and Other Signs
Russo, Ron
Paperback
Horse Anatomy for Performance: A Practical Guide to Training, Riding and Horse Care
Higgins, Gillian
Hardcover
Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion, A Memoir
Hornocker, Maurice
Hardcover
The Art of Making a California-Style Vaquero Bridle Horse: Second Edition, Softcover
Bridges, Mike
Paperback
Animal Tracks of the Northwest: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals; Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates
Estes, Richard D.
Paperback
Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey Into the Secret Life of North America's Most Fearsome Predator
Grange, Kevin
Hardcover
The Secret World of Red Wolves: The Fight to Save North America's Other Wolf
Beeland, T. Delene
Paperback
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-Mile Horseback Journey Into the Old West
Grant, Will
Hardcover
The Wild Horse Effect: Awe, Well-Being, and the Transformative Power of Nature
Hanson, Chad
Hardcover
For the Love of Bats: Exploring Nature at Night with the West's Flying Mammals
Desautels, Niki
Paperback
Mark of the Grizzly: Revised and Updated with More Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned
McMillion, Scott
Paperback
Taming Wild: The Compelling Origins of Freedom Based Training and the Promise It Holds for Horses with Humans
Sinclair, Elsa
Paperback
The Tao of Equus (Revised): A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation Through the Way of the Horse
Kohanov, Linda
Paperback
Felids and Hyenas of the World: Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Pumas, Ocelots, Caracals, and Relatives
Castelló, José R.
Paperback
Grizzly Bear Science and the Art of a Wilderness Life: Forty Years of Research in the Flathead Valley
McLellan, Bruce
Paperback
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals about Human Stupidity
Gregg, Justin
Paperback
Red Pandas The Ultimate Book: 100+ Amazing Red Panda Facts, Photos, Quiz & More
Kellett, Jenny
Hardcover
Bovids of the World: Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Relatives
Castelló, José R.
Paperback
Greyhound: The Remarkable Story of the Legendary Racehorse Who Inspired a Nation
Eriksen, Cheryl
Paperback
Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo
Burns, Kenneth
Duncan, Dayton
Hardcover
A Dog's Devotion: True Adventures of a K9 Search and Rescue Team
Elshult, Suzanne
Mansfield, James Guy
Paperback
Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures
Pyenson, Nick
Paperback
Animal Tracks of the Rocky Mountains: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
Wildlife Out Your Window: Fascinating Facts About 100 Animals Commonly Seen in the Midwest U.S. States
Timm, Brad
Paperback