Leigh W. Rutledge

Leigh Rutledge pretty much grew up in his mother's bookstore in Saratoga, California, where he voraciously read everything from Snoopy Come Home to James Joyce and Agatha Christie. In the years since, he has lived in Reno, the Florida Keys, England, Los Angeles, and southern Colorado. During his younger years, he shared his home with 30 housecats -- all abused or abandoned animals -- as well as three dogs, a pet wolf, two goats, and a pet skunk. He currently shares his Vermont home with six cats: Pumpkin, Pretty Kitty, Dodger, Raven, Baby, and Dylan. However, his garden (which is the subject of much town gossip) is reigned over by the blue jays, chipmunks, bumblebees, and sparrows. He works primarily now as a successful photographer and artist. His books have been translated into half-a-dozen or so languages.