I love my cats, so, when I saw this title on the library website, I just had to request it. Anthropology applied to cats. The problem is that there was more about cats and people than about the cats themselves.
For a book entitled The Tribe of Tiger, there is very little about tigers and almost none about them in their natural habitat. And what about jaguars and ocelots? Most of the book was taken up with anecdotes about the lions of the Kalahari, pumas in Colorado and New England, and bits and pieces about housecats and lynxes. The tiger portion of the book, what there was of it, focused on circuses and zoos. This is, of course, all part of cat culture, and was rightly included, but there was so much left out.
One interesting thing I read, and did not know, was the genetic relationship between cats and hyenas. I knew that dogs and bears were closely related, but not cats and hyenas. Although, when I thought about it, there is something about a cheetah that makes you think of a hyena. Physically, that is.
Last summer, I read this article, “The Evolution of House Cats“. I found the line of descent fascinating, but it was obvious to me that none of the study authors had bothered to study cat behavior. My cats are very social animals, and I remember some very pride-like behaviors in the clowder we had when I was a teenager.
The Tribe of Tiger is an interesting, informative read, but I wish it had been more diverse and well-rounded.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Unapologetically Nerdy 