Our knowledge and understanding of felines have come a long way! Never again will they be considered just “small dogs.” Nor will reference material for cats be limited to a few chapters in a small animal text. On the other hand, Dr. Little has achieved the unimaginable task of compiling the current state of knowledge about felines into one volume. I found this book to be very user friendly and pleasant to read. It is very complete in its breadth of detail. Feline behavior and internal medicine topics are covered well, and the chapters on feline reproduction and pediatrics may well be very handy as such cases appear in clinical practice from time to time. I was most interested to see details on the feline genome although this mostly makes for background reading. Chapters on the fundamentals of a feline only practice and population medicine address changing attitudes towards care of cats in different settings. And finally, the most unique area of the text covered the management of concurrent and chronic diseases. So often we are treating multiple conditions together, and getting the balance just right can be a challenge.
The text is littered with photographs, figures, algorithms, tables, and boxes of key information. Material is organized by body system, using a logical stepwise plan through diagnosis and treatment. Common procedures are outlined in detail, using plenty of photographs. The text is also available electronically.
Dr. Little has drawn knowledge and expertise from over 60 well-respected veterinarians. Together they have produced a practical and helpful “go to” text. Dr. Little aims to raise the bar on the quality of feline medicine, and as she says, “cats do not give up their secrets easily”. It is her hope that this text will guide and encourage, and in my opinion, she has thoroughly succeeded.