The book of Flow

The Essential Cat by Caroline Davis

Publisher: Bounty Books, 2007

Available at National Bookstore

It has been roughly three weeks since I became a cat owner, and things are going well so far. Flow, my cat, knows how to use his litter box, doesn’t scratch the furniture, and hasn’t marked his territory anywhere (yet.) I guess one could call him “behaved.” That the little fur ball is spoiled rotten, mischievous, and thinks himself a king above his human “pet” (me,) however, goes without saying; but I don’t mind. Having an animal that you can hang out and play with at home is a great stress buster.

I adopted Flow from Jaymie Lomibao, a walking encyclopedia for cats and everything about them, and the wife of my very good friend Chase. One of her cats gave birth and she asked me if I wanted to take care of the single living survivor of that litter. When I went over to their house to see it, I was simply smitten by this kitten. What greeted me was a marmalade rascal covered in stripes. That pretty much sealed the deal. I’ve always wanted an orange cat.

I waited about a little over month before taking Flow home, just to make sure that he was old enough to eat solid food and not look for the mama cat’s milk. Before leaving the Lomibaos that day, Jaymie gave me a book. She said that it would help and that if I had any questions, the book would most likely have the answers. Since then, The Essential Cat by Caroline Davis has been my bible.

It has everything a newbie cat owner needs to know and then some. Major points to remember are neatly arranged in every chapter: from selecting a cat, identifying cat characteristics, cat health and upkeep, home remedies for cats, addressing emergency situations, keeping a healthy living environment, and much more. The entire book is hefty, so it’s handy as a go-to reference because of the very readable print and large pages. Flow likes the book, too. He gnaws at its corners.

The Essential Cat is also loaded with photos of happy-looking cats doing cat things. The great thing about the photos is that they are very practical shots; more specifically, shots that have a connection to the text on the page. The section on cat characteristics, for example, has a single cat giving different looks including “scared” “annoyed” “bored,” “content,” “playful,” and the like. I actually see some of those reactions in Flow. Because of accurate photos, I’m able to tell what he’s thinking. Well, most of the time. Other times he’s retarded and I just don’t understand. Like, for example, when he makes his litter box a cat-bed. I don’t get that. Whenever he does that, it’s straight to the sink with him.

Aside from the information and the photos, I also like how the book itself is laid out. It begins with a chapter on selecting a cat, and ends with enjoying the twilight years of your feline friend. In between it feels like a working journal with you every step of the way as your cat gets older. This format is functional and very practical.

Flow is roughly two months old and in relation to the book, that’s about a fourth of the way through. Technically, I’m still at the “this is what your kitten is like at this age” part of the book. Still, I can’t stop myself from reading ahead. The idea of being prepared comforts me. With Flow and all his clowning around, I need all the help I can get.

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 I started a blog for Flow, sort of like a photo-a-day kind of thing. Please check it out at flowdacat.blogspot.com

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Email me at enricomiguelsubido@gmail.com.