Hilarious Gift Book Highlights Humankind’s Devotion &
Tireless Purr-suit for the Love of Their Cat
CATAKISM
A Humorous Purr-spective on Humankind’s Obsession with Cats
By Jeff Lazarus
Do you bow to the meow? Are you one of the 70 million people who devote time and income to grooming, feeding, coddling, photographing, praising, and “entertaining” Cats? Does your Facebook page have more photos of your Cat than of your siblings? Do you buy furniture for your Cat in hopes that one day, he’ll actually sit on it? If an anthropologist from outer space were to study our civilization objectively, would she not conclude that our devotion to Cat amounted to nothing less than a full-blown religion? Would she be wrong?
Catakism is mankind’s unending and near-fanatical devotion to Cat. In fact, a Catakist does not consider Cat a pet but rather a minor deity, no a MAJOR deity. In this furr-ociously funny gift book, author Jeff Lazarus tells how Catakism is a belief that recognizes felines as elevated beings worthy of mankind’s near-religious reverence and devotion. Catakists aren’t just fond of Cats – they extol them and plan their days/nights around the needs and wants of Cat. CATAKISM: A Humorous Purr-spective on Humankind’s Obsession with Cats by Jeff Lazarus, (Publication: November 7, 2017; Skyhorse Publishing; Pets; ISBN-13: 978-1510726451; eBook/Hardcover: $14.95; 40 Cat Photos).
Cat-a-kis-m (noun)
1. The deep and reverent belief in Cat as a master, guru, mentor, sage, and ridiculous ball of cuteness
2. The devotional beliefs and rituals practiced by Catakists
Filled with 40 photos of kitties perched and poised, Catakism is a whimsical, satirical celebration of the relationship between cats and humans patterned after a religious doctrine. Catakism will resonate with cat lovers from all walks of life and every litter. Each of the nine chapters reveal additional proof that humans have a deep need to revere and bow to their house cat. Devotees of Catakism will see themselves exemplified in the same system of rituals, practices and behaviors personified by other devoted orders the world over.
Behold the Nine Books of Catakism:
The Book of Whiskers – As whiskers are a cat’s guide in life, this is a guide to Catakism
The Book of Knead – Cats knead us. We convince ourselves that we need cats
The Book of Surrender – Converting to Catakism and declaring one’s own faith
The Book of Cattitude – Dictators of the fur: the master-servant relationship humans
The Book of Cat Posts – An exploration of purr-aphernalia
The Book of Purrs – Learning the purrfect conversation and a sacred mantra
The Book of Hair Balls – Accepting the thrills and rituals of Catakism
The Book of the Mouse –The mysterious connection between Cats and computers
The Book of Litter –Kitty litter, litters of kitties and acceptance into the litter of the faithful
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The veritable shrines humans build to their cats —in their homes, around their communities, and in the media —are proof positive that Cataksim is less about becoming the Crazy Cat Lady in your neighborhood and more about loving the exquisite blend of coolness, confidence, mystery and smarts exuded by cats. Have YOU been smitten to the kitten or been put under by the feline mind meld?
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About the Author:
Jeff Lazarus is a leadership coach, speaker, trainer, adjunct professor, and creative who innovates and builds roads not yet traveled. He has an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BA in interpersonal and organizational communication from California State University, Long Beach. He combined his passion for animals with his teachings on communication releasing Listen Like a Dog in 2016. Lazarus is an observer to the practice of cat worshipping and advocate. After finally having his Cat Mitzvah, way past age thirteen, he wrote the whimsical book Catakism. For more information about his books and other Catakism-themed products by Jeff Lazarus, please visit his website: www.Catakism.com.
CATAKISM: A Humorous Purr-spective on Humankind’s Obsession with Cats
By Jeff Lazarus
Publication: November 7, 2017; Skyhorse Publishing; ISBN-13: 978-1510726451; eBook/Hardcover: $14.95; 40 photos
For more information about publicity and/or to receive a review copy, contact Darcie Rowan PR: 347.407.0942 or email: Darcie@DarcieRowanPR.com
QUIZ: Are YOU a Catakist?
Do you count yourself among the millions of CAT worshippers? Have you been smitten to the kitten? Author Jeff Lazarus asks the reader to be honest with themselves. Are YOU experiencing these symptoms of Catakism:
You would rather saw off your own legs and crawl to the bathroom than remove a sleeping cat from your lap.
Every trip to Costco, your first purchase is four cases of Fancy Feast Mornings Souffle with White Meat Chicken, Garden Veggies and Egg. If you have any funds left over, you grab a five gallon drum of Kirkland corned beef hash for the humans
You devote 5 hours of every day to sleep, 6 hours to work and 13 hours to the posting of cat videos, cat memes, cat photos, cat GIFs, cat emoticons, cat apps and cat snippets of wisdom
After watching Extreme Cat Hoarders on TV, you turn to your mate and ask: “When are they going to get to the crazy stuff!?”
You are put off when your date/mate uses his fingers to grab a French fry from your plate, but think nothing of letting Simba buy his face in your ice cream bowl.
Only 25 percent of the surface area of your home is not occupied by cat trees, cat beds, litter boxes, scratching posts, cat hammocks, cat toys and cat swings. 100 percent of the surface area is covered with cat fur!
When you enter a home that doesn’t stink of litter box, you turn to your companion and whisper, “Does this place smell funny to you?”
** Did you answer “Yes” to any of these indicators? Give yourself a cat treat because you are the purr-fect Catakist !
Pet Dates to Remember:
November
Senior Pet Month
Pet Diabetes Awareness Month
National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week – 1st full week of Nov by The Humane Society of the United States
Adopt a Senior Pet Month. By ASPCA.
National Pet Awareness Month.
Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Sponsored by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) and the Animal Cancer Foundation.
Cat Fancier International Show – Portland, OR, plus numerous shows around the world: http://www.cfa.org/Shows/ShowSchedule/ShowCalendar.aspx
