Cats Rule the World

Statistics show that people are keeping cats at home more and more often. What’s the secret of their appeal? A cat can turn coming home to an empty apartment into the feeling of truly coming home—and it seems this fluffy little mini-predator becomes the pet of the future. No wonder cat videos consistently top social media charts and gather millions of views worldwide: cat charm needs no explanation or translation.

Human affection for house cats goes deep into the shared history of people and these animals. Did you know that in Ancient Egypt women shaved their hair and declared mourning when their cat died? Or that sheltering a respected cat from the Hermitage’s “mousetrap service” could earn you the right to free visits to the museum? Or that in the early 20th century New York newspapers printed cat chronicles alongside reports of the biggest political events?

This journey through the cat world tells about famous Siamese cats near Thai temples, about cats “officials” from Downing Street, about Ernest Hemingway’s six-toed favorites, about Roman cats allowed to climb on monuments—and even about tailed heroines of naval and land battles.

The book contains a thousand and one stories and adventures of amazing creatures who have fascinated people for about ten thousand years. Egyptians worshiped the cat as a sacred animal, and, according to legend, the prophet Muhammad cut off his sleeve rather than wake a cat sleeping on it. There are countless cat stories, and of course not all of them fit under this cover—but the authors have enough stories here to melt the heart of anyone who loves cats.