The Ulitimate Cat Lover Book
by Dr Marty Becker

Introduction to The Ultimate cat lover book.

Of all the animals who have shared our lives for gen­era­tions, we know the least about the cat.
That doesn't mean we love them any less; in fact, the air of mystery each cat carries is one of the reasons we love them so much. Cats have never changed to suit our desires. They play by their own rules, and we love and admire them for their independence of spirit.

Cats started hanging around with us because we were useful to them. Our switch from hunter-gatherers to farmers meant that we attracted lots of fat, little rodents to our grain stores. The cat has been welcome in our barns ever since, and by our hearths as well.

Few cats have to earn their living today, and many now have lives that keep them completely indoors, hunting for little beyond a warm place to sleep. More than twenty years have passed since the cat claimed the title of number-one pet over the dog, and the gap just keeps widening.

The closer we get to our cats, the more we find to love about them. Their company offers warm companionship, endless entertainment, and soothing comfort. Even science has documented the benefits: Pets in general, and cats in particular, are good for us in countless ways. They keep us busy, keep us from being lonely, and even help keep us healthier.

Those of us whose hearts are in this book are unabashed animal lovers. Animals are our lives, and it shows in the work we have chosen-whether as veterinarians, writers, or photographers. We cannot imagine living without them. We love cats, from the purr of a new kitten's greeting to the last sad good-bye of an aged friend. We love the snuggles on the couch while watching TV, the silly games with a string toy or laser pointer, the sharing of a joke or a secret or even a little bit of our dinner. Our cats are always with us, in spirit even when they cannot be with us in person.

We know we are not alone in the appreciation of all things feline. Every cat lover knows cats don't care who you are or what you look like. They love us, regardless.

Cats teach us, heal us, make us laugh, and break our hearts with their passing. We understand the benefits of feline companion­ship because we live with cats, love them, and care for and about them. Our lives are about helping others to find better, fuller lives with their pets. The strength of the human-animal bond and the growing importance of pets in our lives is why we wanted to compile this book.

The very best experts-including top veterinarians, trainers, behaviorists-were tapped to provide expertise on all manner of feline topics, but we wanted much, much more. We knew cat lovers had stories of feline love, loyalty, laughter, rescue, and courage, and we knew we wanted to share them, along with pictures that captured their varied personalities, magnificent beauty, and irresistable charm.

From thousands of submissions of stories and photographs, we have chosen the very best-the ones we loved, and the ones we hope you'll love, too. Please join us as we celebrate the cat.

Read one of the stories from the book called "LovePats"

©2008. Mitzi Flyte. Suzanne Thomas Lawlor. All rights reserved. Reprinted from The Ultimate Cat Lover by Marty Becker, D.V.M., Gina Spadafori, Carol Kline, and Mikkel Becker. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.

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