Marge Says: Must-Have Books for Pet Lovers

My cat Marge loves a gift. It doesn't matter whether she's giving or receiving, as long as there is one. Some of my favorite offerings from her are animal related books that I can read to remind me of how fabulous it is to share my life with a cat.

Marge thought your four-legged companion (or two-legged) might want to give you something good to read so she's recommending a few books that will put a smile on any animal lovers face.

When it comes to ways to while away the hours, it's hard to beat a good book. I've enjoyed many an afternoon curled up on the couch with Allen while he reads. That's why I make sure there are plenty around. Of course my favorites are about cats. Allen always gives me extra attention when he's reading a book about cats.

Whether you are a chicken, dog, fellow cat or something else I suggest you get your person some books so that you too can snuggle up while they read. Here is a list of a few that are sure to send them straight to the couch and a long afternoon of relaxing.

Book Old Dogs
  • Old Dogs: Are the Best Dogs
  • Gene Weingarten with photographs by Michael S. Williamson
  • 160 Pages
  • ISBN: 1416534997

Fabulous photos and witty biographies of dogs who have reached their golden years.

Book Flawed Dogs
  • Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound
  • Berkeley Breathed
  • 48 Pages
  • ISBN: 0316713597

While I'm WAY too young to remember Bloom County, I can still appreciate cartoonist Berkeley Breathed's amusing book about the last chance dogs at the fictitious Piddleton Dog Pound. The artwork is amazing and hilarious.

Book Dewey the Small Town Cat
  • Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
  • Vicki Myron and Brett Witter
  • 228 Pages
  • ISBN: 0446407410

This is the story of the internationally famous cat Dewey Readmore Books, his life at the Spencer Public Library in Iowa and the life of the librarian who raised him.

Book Dog Joy
  • Dog Joy: The Happiest Dogs in the Universe
  • Editors of Bark
  • 192 Pages
  • ISBN: 1605297305

Over one hundred pages of smiling, grinning, snickering and laughing dogs. Anecdotes and funny musings accompany the photos.

Book The Complete Cat
  • The Complete Cat
  • Cleveland Amory
  • 812 Pages
  • ISBN: 1884822282

A compilation of Cleveland Amory's three books about his cat Polar Bear: The Cat Who Came for Christmas, The Cat and the Curmudgeon, and The Best Cat Ever. It's a poignant and witty look into the relationship between a cat and his cranky owner.

Book All Creatures Great and Small
  • All Creatures Great and Small
  • James Herriot
  • 448 Pages
  • ISBN: 0312330855

If your person hasn't read the tales of James Herriot a country veterinarian living in Yorkshire around WWII, well shame on them. This book will keep your person on the couch all day with stories about dealing with people and animals in the English countryside. Mr. Herriot manages to be both thought provoking and hilarious at the same time.

Book All I Need to Know I Learned from my Cat
  • All I Need to Know I learned from my Cat
  • Suzy Becker
  • 96 Pages
  • ISBN: 0894808249

Pearls of wisdom from a most wise feline. The life lessons are short and sweet and accompanied by hilarious illustrations.

Share this articlePrint this article
Related articlesSave this article in your favorites

Comments

more book advice

by susan boushon on April 4, 2010 03:27
Thanks for some great book ideas. Try this one: The Cat, The Quilt and the Corpse by LeAnn Sweeney. A great mystery with my favorite animals....cats!
Reply to this comment

Marge

by Elise Beron on March 6, 2010 08:25
Marge, I love your suggestions of books. I've read all of them except one. Enjoy spring in Allen's garden, and give him my best wishes. Thank you, Meow
Reply to this comment

Cat Books

by Karen O'Neil on March 6, 2010 03:51
Dear Marge, I really love your column. Please let me add another good kitty book to your list. For Christmas, my three kitty kids (Ellie, Emma and Joey) gave me "Yoga for Cats", by Christienne Wadsworth. It's hilarious !! Allan will see you on many of the pages, I promise!!
Reply to this comment

Cat Literature

by Carole on March 6, 2010 02:55
I am a fan of both cat and dog literature. We (my husband and I) have an adopted dog and a cat from a friend's cat's ltter (where are all these kittens going to go? ) Since I once raised Abysinians , I fell in love with the orientally clad runt of the litter who I called Jazzmine P. Cat. She is torti on her back, calico on the tum, and has a face only Picasso or Dalli could have painted. Our dogs are a Shi'tzu and a Chow (male and large in the latter case). They all love the garden (when we get to it in later March or early April, depending on Spring! Carole
Reply to this comment

Books on Animals

by Vicki on March 1, 2010 10:07
Thank you so much Marge for including this feature on your website. I love animals, especially cats, and found the books you recommended wonderful. I have already been to the library and got 3 of these books. Thanks again and please continue to include these types of articles.
Reply to this comment

Why Dogs are better than Cats by Bradley Trevor Greive

by Mary Trout on March 1, 2010 07:51
Basically our cat Freckles says that the dogs Jeffrey & Lizzy will do anything that a human says for a dog treat! :) Great pics with both dogs and cats together loving each other!
Reply to this comment

Animal Books

by Debbie on February 26, 2010 04:19
You must also try Wesely the Owl!
Reply to this comment

Re: Marge Says: Must-Have Books for Pet Lovers

by victheart on February 22, 2010 10:04
Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful gifts and your love of architecture, animals, gardening and nature. I have thoroughly enjoyed your television programs over the years.
Reply to this comment

Marge's Book Favorites

by Nancy, Layla, and Shamus -- oh yea, Dan, too on February 20, 2010 08:31
Hi Marge~ So glad that your person enjoys James Herriot's books; so do mine! They let us, too. When Layla was a pup, she would lie on the bed for our Nite Nite read, but she's gotten too large [Great Pyrenees], so she lies on her bed next to the "big bed." Since I'm a Cairn, I get to sleep on the bed. Our uncle has cats in his barn along with his horses. They seem to like it there, but OH NO -- not us! ...almost forgot, we like cats; we had inside cats, and we really got along quite well. Really!! His name was Lennie. Our persons' REAL daughter took Lennie away with her, and we didn't get to say, "Bye Bye" Sad...... Keep your person reading, Marge, it's the only way they'll learn! See ya, Cutie
Reply to this comment

Re: Marge's books

by Marilee Snyder on February 20, 2010 03:37
May I suggest "Homer's Odyssey"...a true story by, and about, Gwen Cooper and her blind wonder cat. Simply wonderful, and one that I imagine Marge would really enjoy!
Reply to this comment

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

by CAROL SCHEIDEWIG on February 20, 2010 12:41
I HAVE READ THIS BOOK ON MANY OCCASIONS- IT IS WONDERFUL! JAMES HERRIOT HAS OTHER BOOKS , AS WELL, THAT ARE VERY GOOD! THANKS FOR THE REMINDER! i WILL START READING THEM AGAIN:-)
Reply to this comment

cat books

by Judith Turner on February 19, 2010 04:14
For those who like a light mystery -fiction - involving cats, Shirley Rousseau Murphy's Joe Gray series is good reading.
Reply to this comment

Burgess Animal Book for Children

by Linda on February 19, 2010 10:50
My favorite children's book was written nearly 100 years ago. Fourty years ago, I read it to 5th grade classes and they loved it, too. It starts with Peter Rabbit having an argument with Jenny Wren about a cousin "in the Sunny South" swimming and liking it. Jenny tells Peter to ask Old Mother Nature - and for the rest of the book, Peter goes to school. It is a bit outdated scientifically, but the eating and living habits are the same. Dover Press puts this out now.
Reply to this comment

James Herriott

by Stewart McLendon on February 17, 2010 03:01
You are right about All Creatures Great & Small. The series that follows also carries on with more stories about the life of a country vet. Delivering livestock, humorous and sad moments in the clinic, barn and field. Oh and the occasional pint from the pub. It is more amazing to know that they are all based on true stories! Very rewarding!
Reply to this comment

Gardening and such

by Paul Gallagher (Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York) on February 16, 2010 09:59
Hey Allen: I'm having such a great time and leaning a bunch from your website. I even get a good laugh or two. Thanks for all of your hard work. Respectfully, Paul
Reply to this comment

Great book

by Belle on February 13, 2010 05:51
I recently found the book Herbs for Pets by Gergory L.Tilford & Mary L. Wulff . This book is great because it tells you all about the plants and how the herbs can help your pet to improve his or her health.
Reply to this comment

More homes for our felines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Diane Brown on February 12, 2010 05:09
I read the book Dewey, and I just loved it. While I was reading this book I really wanted to get on the band wagon, to encourage business owners of all sizes to keep a mascot animal or two, inside their offices. Most people, at least in my opinion love to pet a kitty, and this might promote more business, and it certainly would create more homes for the thousands on thousands of animals left to fend for themselves, and that wind up being euthanized daily, all over America.
Reply to this comment

cats and dogs

by Darleen Harrigan on February 9, 2010 01:26
There is no better feeling than that of unconditional love from your pet. I feel I've been blessed with the love of my constant companion. He's filled the "empty nest".
Reply to this comment

Dewey, the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

by Linda Flanery on February 8, 2010 02:47
Excellent book!
Reply to this comment

Marge, Books about Cats

by Annie Swain on February 7, 2010 09:31
I love to read your column, Marge. I am definitely a cat person. I have three Persians that live outside. And I have a huge yellow tom that lives inside. All three of my Persians are Torties but one is a very small cat. For some reason she never really grew up. The other two are twins, Precious and Princess. Tucker lives inside with me. His mother was killed by a dog when he was only five days old. All of the kittens were killed except him. I love to read about cats and have the books mentioned in your column about cats. I also have an old book published in 1962 written by Mary Ellen Browning entitled Catnips. It is really hillarious and has many wonderful photos of cats. Keep up the good work, Marge.
Reply to this comment

"The Cat Who" series

by Jean Eckert on February 6, 2010 08:25
Definitely for cat lovers (or for lovers of old newspaper men), the 27+ tales in "the Cat Who..." series by Lilian Jackson Braun will keep you amazed and amused with the wit and wisdom of Koko and the darling Yum Yum, Jim Qwilleran's ("Qwil" for short) two precocious siamese cats. Caution: Quil does set the bar high as far as spoiling KoKo and Yum Yum--Marge might just expect the same!
Reply to this comment

Pet Books

by Pam Jones on February 6, 2010 06:42
Books about bunnies are also good. My humans like to read while I sit on the couch with them, or in Molasses bunny's case, snuggle around the neck like a scarf! Oreo Bunny
Reply to this comment

books

by sondra duck on February 6, 2010 04:47
I have all James Herriots books and they are all wonderful. The best books I have ever read. I also just bought the book "Dewey" and am looking forward to reading it after I am finished with a book by Dean Koontz called "A big little life" A memoir of a joyful Dog. A wonderful book also. Love the animal books.
Reply to this comment

Death of a cat

by Mary Marg Kellam on February 6, 2010 04:28
Love Marge's comments in the newsletters. My husband and I lost our family member- black cat to osteo-sarcoma in December.We felt it so unfair to her for the bone pain. Of course we still talk about her. Animals and nature,plants just go with life. Thanks for letting me email my tears. In kindred spirits Mary Marg Kellam-----Indiana
Reply to this comment

Good book

by D Lawrence on February 5, 2010 08:45
Another great book for animal lovers, especially for "dog people," (sorry Marge) is Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash. Tricia is an animal behaviorist and adjunct professor at the U. of Wis. Google the author's name to read more about her books.
Reply to this comment

A very good book

by Barbara Lacey on February 5, 2010 03:38
I highly recommend a good book by John O'Hurley that I loved reading. The name of the book is: It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump. It really is a very funny book to read about John O'Hurley's dogs in his life.
Reply to this comment

Marge's recommends in books

by Carol Avery on February 5, 2010 03:37
Marge, You know how to fill the hours on a snowy winter's day....a good book, a good nap and a good cat cuddle. Thanks for the book suggestions.
Reply to this comment

Also need to include "Homer's Odyssey" about a blind cat

by Adrienne Lynch on February 5, 2010 01:11
It is a fantastic book about a wonderful blind cat who has adapted well enough to chase after toys etc..
Reply to this comment

Dewey

by Suellyn Cota on February 5, 2010 11:17
Cat lover or not "Dewey, The Library Cat" is a must read for all animal lovers. Makes a great gift and a book to be shared. Thanks Marge!
Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.