I asked friends online, pet professionals and pet guardians, for their suggestions on books about dogs, cats, any pets—new books especially, but old favorites aren’t excluded. Books for professionals, books for beginners; books for kids, books for adults. Books to read, books to give.
Andrea Smith (New York) The Cat Who Came for Christmas. For anyone who has ever loved a cat.
Also The Dog Who Rescues Cats. It’s a very moving story, appealing to both cat and dog owners. By Philip Gonzalez.
Isabel Alvarez Arata (Texas) Dale Ward’s Raising the Worst Dog Ever is my go-to recommendation for new dog parents and gifts for dog lovers.
Anything by Pam Johnson-Bennett for cat parents. I especially love her book Cat vs. Cat for homes with multiple cats and those introducing cats.
Sheila Gomez (Washington) Mary Stone books are great if you like mysteries with murder involved. Sarah Driscoll does search-and-rescue missions with her Labrador; those are great for dog lovers.
Marcy Britt (Washington)
Togo by Robert J. Blake
Alaskan Sled Dog Tales by Helen Hegener
Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle
Togo and Leonhard by Pam Flowers
Bob Son of Battle by Alfred Olivant
A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz
Sarah Richardson (California) Dog Songs: Poems by Mary Oliver
Kelly Brouse (Ohio) Two books by Willie Morris. His memoir, My Dog Skip, is fairly famous thanks to its 2000 movie version starring Kevin Bacon.
But his book My Cat Spit McGee is equally marvelous.
Either book would make a wonderful gift (or both, for households with dogs and cats).
Amy Shojai (Texas) Uhm … I have a few, both nonfiction and pet-centric thrillers. https://shop.shojai.com
Kim Campbell Thornton (California) I really love the series The Dalai Lama’s Cat. (And the first one is on sale right now in a Kindle edition for 99 cents!)
Don Hanson (Maine) This year, the book I am giving my team and area vets is The Forever Dog by Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib. It’s a great guide to help your dog live a long, happy, and healthy life.
Sandie Hanlon (Massachusetts) Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine by Marc Bekoff, foreword by Jane Goodall.
Winnie Belle (California) A story about our journey into the world of K9 scent work: A Little Dog’s Adventures in a Big Dog’s World
Steven Cogswell (Colorado) Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon. It’s a heavier read and maybe a little dated, but it was an NPR Best Book in 2016.
Brad Waggoner (North Carolina) Rocket Recall
Lili Chin (California)
Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide To Understanding Your Cat
Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide To Understanding Your Best Friend
Em E Wolf (Vermont) Annie Phenix’s new book—Positive Training for Aggressive and Reactive Dogs: Proven Techniques to Help Your Dog Overcome Fear and Anxiety—is the dog book every dog guardian/rescuer etc. should have, IMO. Hands down. It’s a great book for all dogs. (The title is a misnomer, unfortunately.)
Annie Zeck (Washington) A Little Dog Like You by Rosemary Sutcliff. For anyone who has had a beloved dog die (in other words, everyone I know). 1987 and waaay out of print. If you can find a copy, pay any price. I used to buy it for everyone. Now I treasure my last copy. I am tearing up just looking at its cover.
Amy Suggars (Ohio) Good Dog, Carl
Do you have favorite new and old books about pets? Share them with friends and family! And don’t forget to check with your local public library to borrow books in person and online.
