Our cats' paws tap us gently on the face to wake us. They touch the ground silently as cats stalk their prey. They sheathe lethal blades of death — for mice, anyway. Beautiful, soft and deadly, paws ...

A couple of decades ago, one of my most favorite cats - though I guess they all are my most favorite - a solid black beauty with a white star on his chest, was the victim of a drive-by drop off in ...