Cats Rule the House: Feline Philosophy
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- Hans Sylvester's Cats of the Greek Islands was published by Thames & Hudson and documents the feral cat colonies living across the Cyclades.
- Jan Fook's Cat Tales: The Meaning of Cats in Women's Lives was published by Spinifex Press, an Australian feminist press founded in Melbourne in 1991.
- Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats opened on Broadway in 1982 and ran for 18 years, making it the longest-running musical in Broadway history at the time.
- Marshall Cavendish's Language of Your Cat belongs to the animal behaviour genre that emerged in the 1980s–90s as pet ownership became increasingly psychologised.
- Bernard Gunther's The Power of Meow was published by Hampton Roads, a Virginia-based press specialising in metaphysical and self-help titles.
Cats of the Greek Islands Daybook — Hans Sylvester
A sun-bleached masterclass in feline portraiture that doubles as accidental philosophy. Sylvester's lens follows Greece's most photogenic residents across whitewashed walls and turquoise shutters, capturing the idle magnificence of island cats who've perfected the art of doing absolutely nothing with profound intention. The daybook format means each page is a small meditation — part visual essay, part philosophical prompt. It's the kind of book you leave open on a coffee table in Newtown and guests immediately start flipping through. The photography is stunning, but it's the *attitude* of these cats — ancient, unbothered, fundamentally Greek — that makes this more than a picture book. Explore our current copy of Cats of the Greek Islands Daybook or browse more Philosophy books at Patina.Cat Tales: The Meaning of Cats in Women's Lives — Jan Fook
A rare feminist memoir collection that takes the cat-woman bond seriously as a site of meaning, not stereotype. Published by Spinifex Press (Melbourne's fiercely independent feminist publisher), this collection refuses to treat "cat lady" as punchline. Fook gathers essays exploring how cats function as companions, therapists, and co-conspirators in women's lives — particularly for women living alone, women recovering from trauma, women who've chosen independence over convention. It's academic without being dry, personal without being saccharine. As of August 2026, Patina's Philosophy collection leans heavily into these intersectional feminist texts that treat everyday relationships as philosophical terrain. Explore our current copy of Cat Tales or browse more Philosophy books at Patina.Language of Your Cat — Marshall Cavendish
The 1990s animal behaviour manual that taught a generation to read tail flicks and ear positions like scripture. Before the internet turned every pet owner into an armchair ethologist, Marshall Cavendish's practical guides were the gold standard for decoding your cat's semaphore. This one breaks down feline body language, vocalisation patterns, and territorial behaviour with the kind of earnest clarity that makes you realise how much you've been misreading Mr. Whiskers for years. The illustrations are charmingly dated, but the behavioural science holds up. It's the book you gift someone who's just adopted their first cat and needs to understand that slow blink means "I trust you," not "I'm plotting your demise" (though both can be true). Explore our current copy of Language of Your Cat or browse more Philosophy books at Patina.The Power of Meow — Bernard Gunther
A metaphysical self-help book that's genuinely charming about feline wisdom without tipping into twee. Gunther's premise is simple: cats have mastered presence, detachment, and self-care in ways humans spend decades trying to learn through therapy and meditation apps. He mines feline behaviour for zen-like lessons — the art of the nap, the refusal to perform, the commitment to personal boundaries — and somehow makes it work without feeling like a parody. It's the kind of book that sits comfortably next to Alan Watts or Pema Chödrön on your shelf, a reminder that wisdom doesn't always come from monks on mountaintops. Sometimes it comes from the creature ignoring you from the windowsill. Explore our current copy of The Power of Meow or browse more Philosophy books at Patina.Cats [DVD] — Universal
The Broadway juggernaut that turned T.S. Eliot's whimsy into a full-blown theatrical phenomenon — now available for home viewing. Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1982 adaptation of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats ran for 18 years on Broadway and redefined what musical theatre could be: plotless, movement-driven, unapologetically strange. This DVD captures the filmed stage version, complete with the uncanny cat costumes and "Memory," the power ballad that became an unexpected standard. It's not philosophy in the academic sense, but it's definitely *about* cats as metaphor — for identity, for outcasts, for the nine lives we all wish we had. Plus, watching it in your Inner West lounge beats paying $200 for a Sydney Theatre Company ticket. Explore our current copy of Cats or browse more Philosophy books at Patina. From Greek islands to feminist memoir to Broadway surrealism, cats occupy a surprisingly vast philosophical territory. They're companions, symbols, and — if you're paying attention — teachers in the art of living unbothered.What's the connection between cats and philosophy?
Cats embody several philosophical ideals without trying: self-sufficiency, presence, detachment from human approval. Writers from ancient Egypt onward have treated cats as symbols of independence and mystery, and contemporary authors like Bernard Gunther mine feline behaviour for lessons in mindfulness and boundaries. They're also frequent subjects in feminist philosophy — Jan Fook's Cat Tales explores how cats function as chosen companions for women living outside conventional family structures.
Where can I buy secondhand cat books in Sydney?
Patina Paperbacks ships preloved cat-themed titles Australia-wide from our Sydney base. Our rotating stock includes animal behaviour guides, photographic essays, and philosophical explorations of the human-feline bond. Browse the full Philosophy collection for current availability — titles move quickly, especially the visual essays like Sylvester's Greek Islands daybook.
Why do so many women identify strongly with cats?
Honestly, Jan Fook's Cat Tales answers this better than I can in a paragraph, but the short version: cats offer companionship without demanding performance, they thrive in solitude, and they've been culturally coded as "feminine" (often as a dismissive stereotype) for centuries. Fook's collection reclaims that bond as legitimate and philosophically rich — cats as chosen family, co-residents, and mirrors for women negotiating independence.
Is the Cats musical actually good or just culturally significant?
It's both, and neither, and it doesn't matter — Cats is an experience, not a conventional narrative. Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1982 production redefined Broadway by proving a plotless dance-musical built on T.S. Eliot poems could run for nearly two decades. "Memory" became a pop standard. The costumes are unsettling. The whole thing is deeply weird and undeniably influential. Watch the DVD and decide for yourself.
What makes Hans Sylvester's cat photography different from typical pet photography?
Sylvester treats his Greek island cats as subjects, not pets — they're feral, independent, and living in one of the most visually stunning landscapes on earth. The photography isn't staged or cute; it's documentary in style but philosophical in tone, capturing cats in moments of pure presence against whitewashed walls and azure water. It's closer to travel photography or anthropology than "here's Mr. Fluffington in a bow tie."