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Fred in Love

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Just one look at the cute cover of Fred in Love will probably melt most reader's hearts. Encompassing everything that is charming and delightful about these extraordinary animals, author, Felice Picano has written a pleasantly entertaining and rather wistful tale of a young and energetic man who over the years had many different cats and many different experiences living with them.

In the late 60's and early 70's, Picano lived a bohemian, arty, and somewhat poverty-stricken life as a struggling writer in Manhattan. During this time, the author was blessed with a kitten that he managed to rescue from euthanasia. He named him Fred. Fred turned out to be truly remarkable animal; big and handsome, and masculine, "he even looked like a Fred," and he possessed an astute intelligence and a fierce independence.

This short story covers Picano's life with Fred as he tells a rather quixotic tale of how humans and cats, while learning to respect each other's space, take their time to build bonds and tolerate flaws in each other's characters. The author paints Fred as a type of "benevolent dictator," the indubitable boss in the relationship.

Fred came into the author's life at a time when he was depressed about his career, and worse, could perceive no future worth making any effort for. Picano even admits that he did have several boyfriends, which lets face it, "is hardly equal to having a good cat in one's life!"

Felice immediately trained Fred as a kitten, but Fred was also trained him. For Felice and Fred, learning to live together was a two-way street, and while other animals in the home eventually acquiesce to human bullying, Fred immutably proved that cats could be far smarter and slier. Fred slept inside, but he would also drink out of the toilet, would eat sporadically, and often disappear for days on end!

While the author's world became filled with dance, music, men, drugs, parties, and fun, Fred's life was full of scampering around the neighborhood and befriending the odd assortment of cat ladies scattered about the West Village. Fred obviously had a penchant for freedom, which was obviously reflective of Picano's own need to be freewheeling and heady. But of course, freedom ultimately comes with a cost.

Fred in Love is a more a chatty personal essay than a reflective, revealing memoir. It's also a funny, fresh and rather clever account of an era in New York where Picano lived amongst musicians, actors, curious characters, and even a famous British actress who moved in right next-door. (And if you take notice of the clues it was probably Vanessa Redgrave).

Fred isn't the only cat on the block in this book. There's also Miss Cat, a Persian who was full of quiet dignity, with a bulbous shape, flat leonine face, and long wild mane of hair. And Max, a big, neutered, yet not at all overweight cat with Siamese features suggesting he was a cross between that breed and a tabby.

But Fred is undoubtedly the star of the story; he's easily the one that had the greatest affect on the author and it was the relationship that was the most deeply connected. At times almost baffling and full of misunderstandings, the relationship between Picano and Fred was mostly about profound love and intense and powerful trust. Mike Leonard August 05.