Elizabeth Thomas seems to know a lot about cats and if you can force yourself to read this book you will undoubtedly learn a bit about felines large and small. However, prepare yourself for a slog. The tone suggests that she is a little too impressed with her many field trips to be good company and she belabors much of her telling. I received this as a Christmas gift in December 2007 from a friend aware of my long history with and love of cats (I have lived with cats since 1964.) I have picked up and put down the book multiple times over that year and finally decided I am not going to finish it. Life is too short.
Beyond the purr. This delightful little book explains why your cat is a kitten indoors and a lion in the garden.
Much better than expected
I heard of this book not long after I had read "The Hidden Life of Dogs", and was initially skeptical of how much better this book could be. I needn't have worried--"Tribe of Tiger" is nothing like its predecessor. Starting with the incident involving the cat and the loaf of bread in the book's introduction, it is packed with interesting (and sometimes hilarious) stories about real felines, whether they be housecats or cougars or circus tigers. As usual, the anthropomorphism can be a bit much sometimes, and some of the conclusions drawn from these stories seem far-fetched, but all in all it is definitely worth it. I first read a copy I had borrowed from the library, and finished it in a day and a half; after I had to give it back, I went out and bought my own copy. If you have even a casual interest in animals, you're bound to enjoy it.
