In this time of technological complexity, real connections seem more difficult but more important than ever. In this memoir, author Alwyn Moss describes the unexpected relationships of her and her neighbors in a rural retirement settlement with a colony of feral cats. With the aid of committed volunteers and animal professionals, the residents' vision of harmonious coexistence becomes an amazing reality. The fear of wildness, so common in humans, is one of many obstacles the residents have to confront. Day by day, Moss and her friends come to know the cats as bright individuals and to accept them as worthy creatures who deserve to be cared for. Timid at first, the ferals slowly grow tamer as barriers of mutual mistrust are bridged and the shadow of mass euthanasia-the fate of so many feral animals in shelters-fades. So why should we care about creatures we don't own or control? What's in it for us? The human-animal relationship beyond pet ownership has much to offer. As the dark image of ferality is replaced with experience and understanding, these "cat ladies" learn courage and independence and come to experience more aliveness and joy. Read how Fluffy, Grumpy, Pet Pet, and others enrich Moss's life and the lives of her dear friends.