Science Comics: Cats by Andy Hirsch is a graphic novel that explores cats, with their history, domestication, and distinct features that we may not know about. We learn not just about domestic cats, but also a little about wild cats. It follows the journey of a stray kitten named Bean who eventually finds a friendly group of stray cats and then a human to live with. Cats' physical features are discussed at first, with their jaws and claws, and fur adaptations. Later, their traits are discussed like how they balance themselves when falling, how they’re sometimes solitary but also social, and how they identify each other. We learn how important their sense of smell is, as well as their night vision. In addition, litters can mistake rats for their siblings. Finally, the end discusses a lot about genotypes and phenotypes in general, how this caused certain cats to be more easily domesticated than others, and how selective breeding works. The main question presented in this book is “Are cats truly domesticated?”
I found this graphic novel a fun way to learn many interesting things about cats. I learned so many things that I had never known before, like how their sense of smell has an equal importance as sight and hearing. However, the thing that surprised me the most was that cats are solitary, but they can also form groups, and sometimes, if a prey animal like a rat wander into a litter of cats, the mom will raise all of them together, including the rat, thinking it is part of their family. A few parts made me laugh since the book, although mainly meant to educate the reader, was told in a story style. Because of all this, I give this book a five out of five.