Book excerpt: If you have ever petted a cat, then you know technique is everything. Stroke a cat too forcefully and your subject will shrink from your touch, too lightly and your subject will barely acknowledge your attentions. At last, Know Your Cat's Purr Points takes the guesswork out of pleasuring your pet. This lighthearted guide to the art of cat massage identifies the precise locations of the classic "purr points" and the best ways to activate them. With the aid of humorous instructions and delightful illustrations, learn such techniques as the Inter-Whisker Sidestep, Knuckle Dusters, the Flamenco Guitar, and the Full Fluff, the application of which is said to take both subject and applicant to a new level of contentment. Each technique is rated on both the "Purr Register" for visual response, and the "Purrometer" for auditory effect ranging from a moped to a dump truck, which leaves few, if any, practitioners sitting.