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buildings, with farm animals on the loose everywhere. But what caught our attention immediately were the cats. I had never in my life seen so many cats. They were sunning themselves on top of fence posts, on branches of trees, on window sills, and just about everywhere else a person looked. As we walked to the front door, they swirled around our feet until we hardly dared take a step for fear of stepping on one. The old man opened the door in response to our knock, and invited us in. There were also cats everywhere inside, though not quite as many as outside. It looked like the house had been hurriedly cleaned. I could actually see clothes sticking out from under the couch, where they had been stuffed in preparation for our arrival. The smell inside the house was enough to quell anyone’s appetite, if not destroy it completely. Lest anyone think otherwise, I actually like cats. And I’m not talking like the bumper sticker I saw the other day that said, “I love cats. They taste like chicken.” I actually quite enjoy holding a small kitten on my lap, petting its soft fur, and hearing the purr of its satisfied little 30