The Tribe of Tiger : Cats and Their Culture
By Elizabeth Marshall ThomasElizabeth Marshall Thomas has an instinct for animals and for what makes them behave the way they do. This time her subject is felines - housecats and their wild siblings. "As the cherub is to the angel, so the cat is to the tiger," she writes, "and although today we tend to put the relationship the other way around, saying that tigers are a kind of cat rather than that cats are a kind of tiger, the fact is that cats and tigers do represent the two extremes of one family, the alpha and omega of their kind."The story of this graceful, resourceful tribe begins with what cats are: meat-eaters, first and foremost. But as Thomas shows, within that stark equation abides an astonishing range of experience and expression. Contrary to popular belief, cats - even tigers - are not solitary beings, but are homebodies who "own" property much as we do and favor extended clans when food supplies permit. They communicate eloquently with one another and with us - although they interpret our idioms better than we do theirs. Like dogs, they include us in their family structures, but while dogs treat us as friends and equals, cats relate to us hierarchically, as parents or children, and we tend to reciprocate. Most crucially, cats are, like us, individuals who - instinct notwithstanding - pass on, adapt, and invent codes of deportment as circumstances require.Cats, in other words, have culture. Whether they live among us or in the wild, as solo hunters or in circus troupes, they sustain an intricate, elegant, ever-changing web of community with us, among themselves, and with the other creatures, great and small, who dwell in the world.
show more
Book details
- Hardcover
- 240 pages
- English
- 0671799657
- 9780671799656
About Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
elizabeth marshall thomas is the author of the harmless people, a non fiction work about the kung bushmen of southwestern africa, and of reindeer moon, a n Read More about Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
More Books By Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
People who bought this also bought
Age Happens (Retired Edition): The Best Quotes and Cartoons About Growing Older
Used Book
Taste of Life Cookbook : 200 Low Cholesterol Easy to Make Healthy Life Style Recipes
Used Book
Everyday Life in Bible Times / Great Religions of the world
Used Book
Talking with Artists : Conversations with Victoria Chess, Pat Cummings, Leo and Diane Dillon, Richard Egielski, Lois Ehlert, Lisa Campbell Ernst, Tom Feelings, Steven Kellogg, Jerry Pinkney, Amy Schwartz, Lane Smith, Chris Van Allsburg and David Weisner
Used Book
The Roaring 2000s : Building the Wealth and Lifestyle You Desire in the Greatest Boom in History
Used Book
Celebrating Marriage: Preparing the Roman Catholic Wedding Liturgy : a Workbook for Engaged Couples
Used Book
The Glory of Their Times : The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It
Used Book
Juggling Twins : The Best Tips, Tricks, and Strategies from Pregnancy to the Toddler Years
Used Book
Truthquest Getting Deep: Understand What You Believe About God and Why
Used Book