Cats: The Uncomfortable Truth.
Cats fascinate me, big and small; I love Felis catus , the house cat. In the 1970s, I spent five years of my life with Arsouille, my Siamese cat. I still vividly remember his feline and not so feline antics. I was born in a dog family which, later, became a cat family. My first baby sitter was named Qamra and I spent my infant years with her son Xao. Apparently, my busy mother often transferred her maternal duties to Qamra who was the family’s stay-at-home white poodle. My first baby steps were taken in a playpen in the company of Qamra’s puppies. She did not seem to mind having “um estranho no ninho”, a stranger in the nest; family records indicate that she coolly looked after her unusual brood. Obviously, I have no recollection of this unconventional chapter of my childhood. By chance, I have photos to prove it. Father had hounds but they were not allowed in the house. When both parents became...