What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Set in "the future." Earth had gone to heck in a handbasket, but there was one boy left. He'd been raised by "parents" in an artificial world staged to resemble regular Earth (recreated by his memories?). He eventually figured out something was hinky, and that his parents were not really his parents/not really human.

Two of the clues that helped lead him to this discovery were that the slide rule on his desk, while visually correct had no measurements/numbers on it. [I think he remembered slide rules, but didn't know how to use one, so the aliens couldn't recreate it completely.] The other clue was that his dog had a prehensile tail. He knew it shouldn't have a prehensile tail, but he liked the dog so he refused to mention the tail for fear the dog would be taken away.

I want to say the aliens came clean and explained that Earth had been destroyed and they were trying to save the human race, but I may be just filling in my own idea because it's been so long since I read it. I want to think I remember them saying they had put in clues for him to figure it out, but I may be hallucinating there, too.

I think it was an Isaac Asimov story, but wouldn't swear to it in a court of law. It seems like it was rather short, so it may have been in an anthology (I was fond of them at the time, and doubly so if Asimov figured in it.)

I read this story in the early '90s, but I was reading tons of older stuff at that time. I want to say it felt like the book was from the late '60s or the '70s.

I have no real reason to find this book, other than after the tons of books I've read, it's one of the few that has just stuck with me and I'd like to share it with my kids.

Possibly Anthony, Piers, Race Against Time?

This was from 1974 and features a teen raised in such a situation.

"John Smith is a typical teenager living in a world he believes to be America in the 1960s, but the strange behavior he sees forces him outside forbidden boundaries to discover the shocking truth."

And regarding his 'dog'
""John Smith is just a typical teenager growing up in a typical American town in 1960... or is he? He has a dog - that can climb trees and understand very complex comands. He has parents - who watch him constantly, taking notes when they think he's not looking. He has a girlfriend - a girl he's never met, who he has been told he must marry."


Additional Spoilers in the following review:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

Oh, my goodness! That just may be it. I didn't remember it as an entire novel, but everything about it sounds right, AND I remember the book cover! Wow. Thank you, Brad. Now I have to get a copy of the book so I can reread it. Thanks again!

Brad wrote: "Possibly Anthony, Piers, Race Against Time?

This was from 1974 and features a teen raised in such a situation.

"John Smith is a typical teenager living in a world..."

Glad to be of assistance. I hope this turns out to be correct. Good luck.

I found the book - the CAT had a prehensile tail. Yes, this is the book. Thank you, Brad, for your help. How ever did you find it so quickly?

I am glad you were able to confirm this was it. I had read it many years ago when it first came out. Then happened to catch it again about 10 years ago after a friend mentioned he was looking for it. I just happened to remember the plot from that.