A Lion in the Living Room : How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World

A New York Times bestseller

House cats rule bedrooms and back alleys, deserted Antarctic islands, even cyberspace. And unlike dogs, cats offer humans no practical benefit. The truth is they are sadly incompetent mouse-catchers and now pose a threat to many ecosystems. Yet, we love them still. In this "deep and illuminating perspective on our favorite household companion" (Huffington Post), Abigail Tucker travels through world history, natural science, and pop culture to meet breeders, activists, and scientists who've dedicated their lives to cats.

She visits the labs where people sort through feline bones unearthed from the first human settlements, treks through the Floridian wilderness in search of house cats-turned-hunters on the loose, and hangs out with Lil Bub, one of the world's biggest celebrities—who just happens to be a cat. "Eminently readable and gently funny" (Library Journal, starred review), this fascinating exploration shows how these tiny felines have used their relationship with humans to become one of the most powerful animals on the planet.

A "lively read that pounces back and forth between evolutionary science and popular culture" (The Baltimore Sun), The Lion in the Living Room suggests that the appropriate reaction to a house cat might not be aww but awe.