In James Herriot's Cat Stories, the narrator Herriot is less prominent than in his earlier books. He is still the observer of human behavior and foibles, but in these tales about cats and their owners, he is less interactive, and lets the patients and their owners speak for themselves. Most of them are townspeople, and their animals are companions, unlike the more utilitarian, and often business-like relationships the Dales farmers have with their livestock. What interests Herriot is the relationship between pet and owner, which often takes on a mirroring quality. Thus, the owner of a little sweetshop who is quite a salesman, is supported by his cat Alfred. "And it had always struck me forcibly," says Herriot the observer, "that he was exactly like his master in that respect. They were two of a kind and it was no surprise that they were such devoted friends." A...