DEAR ABBY: I am an animal lover. When I was younger, I raised three kittens from birth. I fed them every four hours from a bottle. My husband doesn't like animals, but before we were married, he agreed I could have a pet. Well, it's been seven years, and he refuses to let me have a cat.
Abby, I love my husband dearly; however, I don't feel like a complete person without a cat. If I lived alone I'd have a houseful of them, but now I would be happy with just one. My heart breaks every time I visit a friend who has a cat or see one roaming on the street. Sometimes I even cry myself to sleep.
My husband knows I love cats. He even buys me calendars with pictures of cats, yet he denies me the one thing I love most besides him. I respect his feelings, but it hurts. What do you think I should do? -- CAT LOVER IN ILLINOIS
DEAR CAT LOVER: Unless your husband has a medical condition that prevents you from having a cat, go get yourself one. You don't need his permission. He's your partner -- not your parent.