If The Cat Fits

Book excerpt: Our family of animals, like the loaves and fishes, was showing a distinct tendency to divide and multiply... Initially we had tried rather half-heartedly to find homes for Carrots and Philby but after a few weeks we decided that they weren't going anywhere. They belonged with us. Suddenly we had five dogs and four cats, no longer such an even number...' In the first five years of their married life, Chrystal Sharp and her veterinarian husband encounter a variety of different creatures - feathered, furred and even scaled. Some pass through their lives, while others insert a toe in the door and hang on tooth and nail. Often literally. With many of them coming from what social workers might describe s 'dysfunctional backgrounds', a fair amount of chaos is to be expected. There is the greyhound who, unlike Greta Garbo, does not want to be alone. Then there are the cats - one suffering from delusions of grandeur, an epileptic, a snake collector and another recently discharged from a reformatory - not to mention peacocks of royal lineage, oiled penguins and a lost albatross. These are but a few of the creatures who find their way into the couple's home - and their hearts. A delightful and heart-warming book, If The Cat Fits... will appeal to animal lovers of all ages.