The cat has been used as a subject for dissection in the study of mammalian anatomy for almost two centuries. The very popular Pictorial Anatomy of the Cat by Stephen G. Gilbert, originally published in 1967 and now in its 12th printing, has been used in countless laboratories as a guide to dissection and supplement to introductory textbooks.

Outline of Cat Anatomy is an abridged version of the original guide, modified for practical use in one-semester courses. It employs anatomical terms used in human rather than veterinary anatomy and includes illustrations of human anatomy that may be compared with those of the cat, especially useful for the many students who do not have access to human dissections.

Gilbert's earlier Pictorial Anatomy of the Cat is "an excellent, well-illustrated dissection guide for use in courses in comparative anatomy. The text is informative and accurate, and instructions for dissection are clear and helpful.... Highly recommended." -Choice