Desmond Morris
Desmond Morris is a British zoologist and behaviourist known for The Naked Ape and Catwatching; he reads cats through tail, ears, voice and posture and does not replace veterinary diagnosis.
Overview
Desmond Morris is a British zoologist and behaviourist born in 1927. He holds a DPhil in zoology from the University of Oxford and was formerly Curator of Mammals at London Zoo. He is known for The Naked Ape and for the popular cat behaviour book Catwatching.
In his cat writing he stresses reading tail, ears, vocalisation and posture rather than projecting human motives onto the cat. The framework is useful for everyday observation but does not replace an individual behavioural assessment.
Scope note: his work is ethology and science writing, not veterinary diagnosis. Pain, disease or persistent behaviour change should first be checked medically.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, Anefo / Dutch National Archives, public photo of Morris holding The Naked Ape (1969), CC0, source page https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Desmond_Morris_(Amerikaan)_met_zijn_boek_De_Naakte_Aap_in_Amsterdam,_Bestanddeelnr_922-9399.jpg.