"It was love at first sight" and "I knew the minute I saw her!" are common phrases we hear in the adoption world. The cats that go home quickly are usually the ones that make eye contact with potential adopters and walk towards them. Admittedly, I can understand why some sort of interaction is preferable when you are looking for your next companion. That's exactly how I picked my own cat years ago. Once I began working in an animal shelter, I began to see homeless cats from a new perspective. I met Harriet my first day at my new job. She was huddled in her box, scared and striking out at anything that came near her. No one could pet her with a pole, literally. I had seen cats like her before in the previous shelter; I had helped over 40 of them overcome their defensive fears and go on to find loving homes. So when I first saw Harriet, I didn't see an angry cat at all. I saw a terrified cat. Harriet saw nothing at all. Being in a shelter is scary enou...