The Cat Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, by Sam Stall, Dr. David Brunner cover

The Cat Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips,

by Sam Stall, Dr. David Brunner

$11.43 on AmazonRead our full review

At a glance

First published2004
AudienceAdult
ISBN1931686874

About the Author

Sam Stall, Dr. David Brunner

1 book reviewed

The Cat Owner's Manual

Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips,

by Sam Stall, Dr. David Brunner

LuvemBooks Verdict

Best for: First-time cat owners who want approachable, veterinarian-backed answers to everyday feline behaviour, and gift-givers seeking something entertaining without being empty.

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The Cat Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips is a pet-care reference guide from Quirk Books that treats the household cat as a piece of "feline technology," organising hundreds of common owner questions into step-by-step instructions and schematic diagrams — all grounded in Dr. David Brunner's 25 years of veterinary experience at Indianapolis's ASPCA-accredited Broad Ripple Animal Clinic. The practitioner-plus-popular-writer pairing is what separates it from books that are either purely comedic or drily clinical, making it a genuinely useful dip-in reference for new owners and a lighthearted refresher for experienced ones. The key caveat: published in 2004, some veterinary guidance predates two decades of advances in feline nutrition, vaccine protocols, and enrichment research, so owners facing complex health questions should supplement it with current vet advice.
Is it worth reading?
For first-time cat owners and gift-givers, The Cat Owner's Manual delivers real value: the Q&A structure is genuinely well matched to how owners encounter problems — situationally, not sequentially — and Dr. David Brunner's credentials ensure the humour never comes at the expense of accuracy. More experienced owners are likely to find it a lighthearted refresher rather than a revelation, though the breadth of questions — spanning breeds, behaviour, grooming, and inter-pet compatibility — means most readers will encounter at least a few answers they hadn't previously considered. The main caveat is the 2004 publication date; readers with cats facing complex health decisions should verify current recommendations with a practising vet.
Similar books
Readers who enjoy The Cat Owner's Manual have several strong options nearby. Dr. Marty Becker's Your Cat: The Owner's Manual offers another vet-authoritative reference with an accessible tone. For readers more focused on feline behaviour and training, Pam Johnson-Bennett's Think Like a Cat and Jackson Galaxy's Total Cat Mojo both go deeper into the psychology of the domestic cat. Arden Moore's The Cat Behavior Answer Book similarly uses a Q&A structure for behaviour-specific questions. Pet owners with interest beyond cats may also enjoy Ferrets For Dummies by Kim Schilling, which brings the same practical, approachable format to small-animal care.
Who should read this?
The Cat Owner's Manual is best suited to first-time cat owners who want approachable, anxiety-lowering answers to bewildering feline behaviour, and to gift-givers looking for something entertaining without being empty. Its blend of schematic diagrams and humour-inflected instruction also makes it a natural fit for cat enthusiasts who engage with feline culture as much as feline care. More experienced owners may find it a lighthearted refresher, while readers needing deep coverage of feline medicine or behavioural science will want to pair it with more specialised resources.
Does the manual gimmick actually work?
According to LuvemBooks' assessment, the owner's-manual conceit does real structural work rather than functioning as mere window dressing. By framing common feline behaviours — scratch marks on furniture, dead mice on doorsteps, stray hairs on clothing — as 'troubleshooting' scenarios, the format lowers the anxiety threshold for new owners and creates a natural dip-in-and-out reference. Headcase Design's schematic diagrams reinforce the visual language throughout, and the Q&A structure is well matched to how owners actually encounter problems: situationally, not sequentially. The gimmick is anchored by Dr. David Brunner's genuine veterinary expertise, which is what separates this from a purely comedic novelty.
How credible is the veterinary advice?
The veterinary content is grounded in Dr. David Brunner's 25 years of small-animal practice and his operation of Indianapolis's Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, which has received the highest level of accreditation from the ASPCA. Dr. Brunner also co-authored The Dog Owner's Manual, meaning he had already applied his expertise to the same format before this volume. The division of labour — Brunner as the clinical authority and Sam Stall as the popular writer — is a deliberate structural choice designed to prevent the humour from undermining the accuracy. That said, the 2004 publication date means some guidance predates significant advances in feline nutrition science, vaccine protocols, and enrichment research.
Is this a good book club pick?
The Cat Owner's Manual is not a conventional book-club read in the literary sense, but its dip-in-and-out Q&A format and broad coverage of feline behaviour, breeds, and quirks could make it a fun shared reference for a group of cat owners. The comedic framing gives it social appeal, and the breadth of questions covered — spanning breeds, behaviour, grooming, and inter-pet compatibility — means most readers are likely to find at least a few answers they hadn't previously considered. Groups looking for a lighthearted, discussion-friendly pet-care pick would find it more rewarding than those seeking sustained thematic depth.
Summarize this book

Summarize this book

Published by Quirk Books in September 2004, The Cat Owner's Manual frames the household cat as a piece of consumer technology, styling itself after a product owner's manual complete with schematic diagrams by Philadelphia studio Headcase Design (Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum). Co-authored by veterinarian Dr. David Brunner — operator of Indianapolis's Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, which holds the ASPCA's highest accreditation level — and popular writer Sam Stall, the book addresses hundreds of frequently asked questions through step-by-step instructions, covering everything from breed compatibility with dogs to why cats drink from bathtubs. It is the third entry in Quirk Books' Owner's and Instruction Manual series, a format Dr. Brunner had already tested with The Dog Owner's Manual.

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Age & Reading Level

Recommended age

Adult

Reading level

Adult

Skip if you need in-depth coverage of feline medicine, behavioural science, or guidance through serious medical and end-of-life situations.

Editorial Review

Published by Quirk Books in 2004, The Cat Owner's Manual pairs the clinical authority of Dr. David Brunner — a veterinarian with 25 years of experience and operator of Indianapolis's Broad Ripple Animal Clinic — with the popular writing of Sam Stall to deliver a humour-forward yet genuinely informative reference guide for cat owners new and experienced alike.…

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