I never thought I would be a cat person. My mom, a staunchly anti-cat dachshund lover, was not shy about her contempt for all felines. She'd recoil when neighborhood cats would come to her for affection, and loudly point out any time she got a whiff of disgusting cat piss. Basically, I was taught that cats are unfit for human companionship. While I enjoyed the company of my friends' feline pets, I never felt the connection. Fortunately, humans have the incredible ability to change their minds,…