CHAPTER ONE<br >WHAT S LIFE<br >WITHOUT A<br >CAT<br > ITH CATS I NEVER KNOW QUITE WHAT TO EXPECT.<br > I ve encountered numerous cats on my tele-<br >vision show， Living with Animals， but there are no<br >duplications. Each has his or her own special quirks，<br >sensitivities， and tastes， and this endless variety and<br >potential for surprise are what I love about the cat<br >population.<br > My own interest in cats began at a very early age.<br >As one of seven children， I didn t experience a time<br >when there weren t several cats or dogs living in our<br >home. People actually used to drive by our house<br >and leave their cats in our yard because they heard<br >we were unreserved cat lovers. They were right.<br >Every cat that came through our doors was showered<br >with love and attention--though I certainly have<br >never recommended abandoning any animal in an-<br >