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Thinking of taking in a stray or feral cat? Make the most of your budding liaison with that free-roaming feline.

She had the kind of face you couldn't forget. Those gorgeous green eyes that looked right through you. They haunted you even after you got home. Lying in bed at night, you couldn't get her off your mind. The shy way she hesitated when you reached out to touch her. And at the same time the familiar look of one who has been around. You tried to resist her, but the pull was too strong. She's one in a million, but are you ready for the commitment?

Excerpts from a tawdry romance novel? In Animals magazine? Before you worry that you picked up the wrong publication at the newsstand, think again. The gorgeous green-eyed heroine of this story can be found in almost any backyard, alley, or barn--and she comes with her own fur coat.

She goes by many names. The stray tabby, neighborhood cat, little lost kitty--they are all variations on the same theme. Cats without homes, or without owners accepting full-time responsibility. And they are everywhere. They come in all colors and breeds. They range from sleek, well fed, and friendly to shabby, skinny, and petrified of human contact. The one characteristic they all share is a very real--if not always obvious--need for human support.

If you know one of these cats and you're thinking about making a commitment, you're not unique. Every year--in fact, every day--stray and homeless cats are romancing their way into new homes in communities across the country. The stories are as numerous as the cats themselves, and if you ask many of those who've taken the plunge, so are the rewards.

But before you assume that this new relationship will be an instant match made in heaven, think again. The casualness that launches many feline-human ties all too often foretells their end. Easy come, easy go is the tragic theme that describes how many people acquire--and eventually lose or discard--the family cat. And according to experts, it is one of the key reasons that the number of homeless and marginally cared for cats roaming our communities continues to grow.

# posted by Medical Information : 4:00 AM