Legacy of the Cat

By Gloria Stephens and Stephens

Book Overview

With over 100,000 copies sold to date, Legacy of the Cat is a "must for every cat lover's library" (Cat World International). This completely revised and updated edition offers all new photographs and text, as well as detailed descriptions of new breeds. Scores of beguiling full-color photographs accompany in-depth information on the origin, classification, and temperament (always a surprise) of each of the different breeds. This comprehensive volume chronicles the fascinating evolutionary history of wild and domesticated cats worldwide, including an extensive explanation of feline genetics and the hereditary processes and combinations that determine fur color and patterns in the different breeds. Extensive advice and information on breeding and showing cats, as well as the judging criteria involved in these formal exhibitions, are also offered for interested readers. And for those just recently initiated into the world of cat fancy, the photographs and breed-by-breed descriptions are a thoroughly engaging introduction. This splendid celebration of our bewitching, bewhiskered friends will inform and regale both professionals of the cat world and cat owners alike.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811829103
• ISBN13: 9780811829106
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.4" x 0.6" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Wonderful book, Great Photographs

The book is filled with so many colorful photographs and is so descriptive. It helped my daughter identify what kind of cat her grandma owns. Wonderful book!!

Breathtaking Collection of Writing and Photographs

"Legacy of the Cat" is a must for each and every cat fancier. Not only do the photographs portray the breeds accurately, the writing by Gloria Stephens explains, enlightens, inspires, and furthers knowledge of the different breeds.

The best credentials, an excellent combination

I am prejudiced. I know both author and photographer which is why I bought my first copy of this book. But since then, I have purchased more as gifts to cat breeders and judges around the world. In fact, some have requested copies. Whether you are a cat's companion or cats' judge, you will find photography that is unparalleled in its ability to capture the essence of each pedigreed breed. You will also find uniquely insightful descriptions, because Gloria Stevens has observed and handled the best representatives of every breed as a judge for many years. The information in her book is conveyed in a way that all of us can use, reflect upon and enjoy.I especially appreciate that the photos have been selected to present excellent representatives of the breeds according to their respective standards. As a breeder, I visit this book for information. As an animal lover fascinated by The Cat, I visit it for the beauty of its photographs and the quality of its descriptions.

Beautifully done in every way.

My favorite cat book of all time. Beautiful photos Informative tips on everyting feline. Gives information on almost every of the known and accepted cat breeds. I recommend this book to any cat lover.

Fabulous photography, easy to read informative text

This book is a delight to the eye and satisfying to the inquisitive mind. If you are interested in cats you will love this book. Tetsu Yamazaki is a master at capturing the soul of the cat in his lens. The book is packed with large, full color photos of almost every breed recognized in the USA. Gloria Stephens' text is full of rich information for useful to both beginning cat fanciers as well as the veteran breeder and cat show enthusiast. It is a book written by someone who has devoted much of her life to the cat fancy and those wonderful felines.It would be a welcome present for those cat lovers on you list.