Unraveling the Enigma: How Rebecca van Laer’s ‘Cat’ Whispers Secrets You Won’t Forget
Example: The first chapter of the book, “Cats vs. Dogs,” van Laer tells us, “I’ve heard it said that this is the key difference between pet owners: dog people wish their dogs were people; cat people wish they were cats.” What follows is fascinating research from texts like The Common Species Manifesto, an exploration of exhibitionism, and methods of nonverbal communication. Each chapter feels like this — a charcuterie board of reflection and research.
Another example: Chapter 4, called “Cats with Jobs,” begins with a story about a rodent infestation at the author’s home, and dives into the background of the idea that cats are meant to hunt small rodents, especially in their owners’ homes. This, it turns out, is a popular falsehood. While cats hunted like fiends when they were wild, their reputation for being relentless mousers died down once they got accustomed to the benefits of domestication, like ridiculously expensive wet food twice a day and nonstop head scritchies.
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