Pamela Merritt, Cat Advice Columnist

Pamela Merritt — better known as "Dear Pammy" through her cat advice blog — didn't become a cat fan until she married one. At the time, she says, cats were really still second-class citizens in this country. There weren't any no-kill shelters, and she and her first husband rescued many cats themselves. Pam learned how to be a "cat appreciator" from her first husband, and she came to realize that cats are our equals, and that our relationships with them work best if we don't think in terms of a master-owner mindset. Pam did cat rescue for many years, and has now written a book, The Way of Cats, subtitled "How to use their instincts to train, understand, and love them." The book is currently available only in Kindle format, but a paperback version is in the works, as is a video channel. In the meantime, Pam also continues her cat advice blog on her website, where she tackles such topics as keeping cats off the kitchen counters. Pam feels that most "training" of cats happens naturally when we appreciate and care for cats properly. "If we do the cat a favor in terms of care," Pam says, "then the cat owes us a favor in terms of cooperation … and we can't make this magic happen unless we learn how to speak and read 'cat.'" To learn more about Pam and her cat advice, visit wayofcats.com or follow her under "Way of Cats" on the various social media channels. You can also find her book on Amazon.