"This book is about "companion animals," the cats and dogs who live in our houses and are called "pets." For various reasons, we selected these two species to share our homes and our lives and the result is a mutual dependency. They rely on us for their well-being, and we on them for companionship, love, and even to boost our self-esteem. Sometimes there is a total misunderstanding between us, just as real any we have with our own kind."