Tribe of Tiger: Cats and Their Culture
- Book Review,
by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
From Publishers Weekly
Anthropologist Thomas's (The Hidden Life of Dogs) probing of the minds and souls of felines, small and domestic as well as big and feral, spent six weeks on PW's bestseller list. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Intrigued by the hunting behavior of her pet cats and those in the neighborhood, particularly since they did not need to hunt in order to survive, Thomas has penned a study of the cat family that could well become a best seller like her Hidden Life of Dogs (LJ 4/15/93). Thomas was criticized for the dog-care practices and conclusions of that book, but her new work does not suffer from her unapologetically anthropomorphic view of the animal kingdom. In Part 1, Thomas engages in an entertaining and enlightening discussion of the history of carnivores, specifically cats. Part 2 focuses on the "culture" of cats, defined as a "web of socially transmitted behaviors." Part 3 explores the future of cats and addresses the issue of their captivity, particularly in zoos and circuses. One may not always agree with Thomas's conclusions or methodology, but her artistry is always engrossing and provocative. A delightful book for those who don't mind Thomas's sometimes wild observations.--Edell Marie Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., Wis.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Taking her title from Christopher Smart's poem "Of His Cat, Jeoffry," recognized anthropologist and writer Thomas offers an insightful look into the lives of various members of the cat family--small and large, domestic and wild, Old World and New. She begins with the evolution and spread of different feline species, explaining the physiology and behavior of cats, including house cats, as meat eaters, that is, in light of their hunting instincts. She then examines the changes over a period of more than 30 years in the culture (defined as a "web of socially transmitted behaviors") of different lion communities in several parts of Africa. In conclusion, she discusses the need for tiger conservation, analyzing the results of captive breeding programs in zoos, considering the life of circus tigers, which, perhaps surprisingly, she finds better than that of zoo animals, and, finally, commenting on the natural recovery in the wild of pumas in the U.S. This unusual study is based on extensive research plus a lifetime of careful observation and filled with personal anecdotes about Thomas' own and other individual felines. More extensive and detailed than her recent, best-selling The Hidden Life of Dogs , it will attract anyone interested in animal behavior. Barbara Duree
From Kirkus Reviews
Following on the paws of the bestselling The Hidden Life of Dogs (1993), anthropologist/novelist Thomas now focuses her keen sense of observation on felines. She explores in depth the physical and behavioral ways of various members of the cat family, both domestic and wild. We learn of the evolution of the world's 30-odd cat species, and that there is really little difference among them except for size and coloration and methods of hunting prey. Cats are all territorial, including house cats, who not only mark the boundaries of their properties, but even mark their ``owners,'' using special scent glands along their lips, to claim them as their own. ``As a wild cat owns a territory and the rights to hunt the mice or the deer thereon,'' says Thomas, ``so a house cat owns a human dwelling and the rights to the people. People are not prey...but we provide food even more readily than would a mouse population.'' According to Thomas, who has made long-term studies of pumas, tigers, and lions- -her first study of African lions in the Kalahari dates back to the 1950s--cats aren't, as has been long believed, strictly solitary animals, but rather live in elaborate cat societies. Rather than a hierarchy, she explains, their system ``is more like a wheel, with a high-ranking cat on the hub and the others arranged around the rim, all reluctantly acknowledging the superiority of the despot but not necessarily measuring themselves against each other.'' On another note, Thomas acknowledges the important role of zoos in preserving endangered cat species, but contends that tigers, at least, would fare better in circuses, where, as performers, they could lead a more stimulating life. Given the sometimes horrendous conditions in circuses, there may be many who disagree. A thoroughly engaging and deeply insightful study of the cat world. (Line drawings) (First serial to Atlantic Monthly Magazine; author tour) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
Booklist Insightful.
Book Description
From the plains of Africa to her very own backyard, noted author and anthropologist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas explores the world of cats, both large and small in this classic bestseller. Inspired by her own feline's instinct to hunt and supported by her studies abroad, Thomas examines the life actions, as well as the similarities and differences of these majestic creatures. Lions, tigers, pumas and housecats: Her observations shed light on their social lives, thought processes, eating habits, and communication techniques, and reveal how they survive and coexist with each other and with humans.
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