Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: June 29, 2023 by Crystal Uys
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We’ve all had that experience: you’re petting your cat, enjoying mutual moments of bliss. Until you don’t, because your feline friend has decided that you’re doing it wrong. In How to Pet a Cat, artist and illustrator Angela Staehling offers super cute instructions and diagrams to help you better understand your feline charges and learn how to pet them properly.
Staehling briefly covers different cat personalities, body language and sound, and then delves into the two most important sections of the book: Petting Methods That Your Cat (Usually) Likes and Petting Methods That Annoy Your Cat.
From the Royal Crown Pet to the May the Force Be with You Pet to the Don’t Trigger the Alarm System Pet, Staehling covers 26 different petting methods.
The instructions are accurate but also tongue-in-cheek (“You may be forced to give up other activities so you can stay home and pet your cat more,”) but it’s the artwork that really makes this book utterly delightful.
The illustrations are absolutely wonderful and you can’t help but smile your way through the entire book.
A wonderful gift to yourself and the cat lovers in your life, How to Pet a Cat is available from Amazon.
Interior images via Angela Staehling’s Facebook page
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
My little cat just loves a long stroke from the top of her head, down her back and all the way to the end of her fluffy tail.
I think Miss Lulu needs an instruction book all of her own. She’s the most unusual and moody cat to pet. Just have to do it on her terms.
Well, she is a tortie!
She definitely has that “tortitude”! I love this little girl so much. She really is special.