In Shelter Cats, Karen Commings covers everything you should know to select and care for your next perfect pet. She discusses how to pick the right shelter and the right cat for your needs and personality. You'll learn all about cat care, including how to prepare for your new pet's arrival, what to do if she stops using the litterbox, how you can make inexpensive, entertaining toys, how to interpret your cat's behavior, and much more. Sprinkled throughout the book are charming photos and stories of successful adoptions. You can read these passages for entertainment and encouragement or skip ahead to the instructive sections.

Commings has volunteered extensively at several shelters and animal organizations. She is well equipped to help the layman understand how shelters work, how cats react to being in these unusual environments, and how you can make informed choices at a shelter. She even includes a chapter on the rewards of volunteering at a shelter. A true cat lover, she currently lives with four shelter cats.