THE CAT WHO HAD TWO LIVES

How—shortly after freelance writer Huxley and her husband buy a country house in bucolic New Hope, Pennsylvania—a scruffy, half- starved white-and-black cat collapses onto their porch and wins over their hearts. Naming the stray ``Pip,'' the Huxleys slowly nurse him back to health, becoming in the process proud cat-parents. Before long, Huxley finds herself in constant touch with the local vet as Pip starts dining on mice, getting into fights with bullying neighborhood cats, and depositing assorted wounded creatures on the doorstep. Because they often leave Pip in the country while spending time in their New York apartment but still wish to keep tabs on the impish feline, the Huxleys install a phone in their groundskeeper/cat-sitter's house. When they list the phone under the cat's name, they're surprised and amused as ``P. Le Chat'' quickly gets a barrage of phone and mail solicitations for insurance, investment opportunities, and even a pre-approved bank card with a hefty line of credit. Other events detailed here include a wild drive to Canada with Pip—who hates car rides- -hanging upside down from the car roof before his knockout drugs kick in, and the addition of a springer spaniel pup named Nellie to the longtime ``only pet'' household. Finally, after a thoughtful chapter on the pros and cons of letting household pets roam outside, Huxley tearfully relates the events of Pip's death after being hit by a car, and the adoption of a new stray, Oliver, to help fill the void. Touching, funny, and generally appealing, especially for those with a soft spot for strays. (Photographs—not seen)