Book excerpt: Cat Tales: Kitty Capers and More is a charming and heartwarming collection of stories, artwork, and personal reflections on pets and the positive effects they have on people’s lives. The first part of the book contains illustrations by the author and journal entries from a senior citizen named Ruth. Ruth chronicles the arrival of her diverse family of cats that she adopted—or did they adopt her? It all began when a half-starved stray cat came to Ruth’s door. Against her better judgment, she fed the cat and fell in love with not a “he” but a very pregnant “she,” whom she named Lady. Lady disappeared for a few days, returning with a tiny grey kitten, which she dropped at Ruth’s feet. A week later, she brought four more kittens—one day at a time. In Ruth’s words, “She must have been testing me to see if I would take good care of her first baby before she trusted me with the rest of her family.” The second section, Kitty Capers and More, starts with the many positive effects that pets have on a person’s health—both mental and physiological. The author includes compelling statistics such as pet ownership boosting oxytocin and lowering cortisol, which can reduce stress and ease pain. Love is the most important health attribute we have, and pets are one of nature’s best sources of love. Edick finishes with accounts of her own pets and those of her family and her friends, accompanied by artwork and photographs that tell the story of how pets have played an important role in her life, the lives of her children, grandchildren, great, and great-great grandchildren. Not just about cats, the book shares stories of special dogs, horses and even a pig named Leadbelly.