Don't panic. Your .cat files are simply being "Associated" with some kind of Windows default, which means that if you double-click on them you'll get an error. The files themselves are fine and work with the games fine, just don't double-click on them. Or, if it matters to you, re-associate them so that .cat files are Associated with Petz games.

How do you re-associate them? Use Windows Explorer or My Computer.

In Windows 9x, choose View from the menu bar, then Options from the drop-down menu. In Windows XP, choose Tools from the menu bar then Folder Options from the drop-down menu.

XP
95

While you have the dialog open, you might as well do something else useful -- make it so that you can see the 3-letter extensions that are at the end of each file, because I bet you don't see them thanks to Microsoft's stupid defaults. So, in the View tab, un-tick "Hide MS-DOS file extensions" or "Hide Extensions". And tick "show all files" or "show hidden files and folders" while you're about it, then you'll not write to me later asking why you can't find some file or other mentioned in my tutorials.

XP
95

So now we'll re-associate those .cat files. Click on the File Types tab. Scroll down until you see Security Catalog, or whatever the darn thing is called. I already have it as Catz file in my Windows 95.

XP
95

Now click on the Edit or Change button.

XP
95

For Win 95, double-click on Open.

95

Click on Browse and navigate to where your Petz exe is, and choose the Petz exe.

XP
95

Hit Open, then OK on each of the dialog screens

XP
95

Until you're back to the first one. Hit the Close button.

XP
95

Now when you look at your Petz folders, you should see things more clearly, and not have to write to me about it.

If your .cat files still won't work with the game, then you must have corrupted downloads or an unzipper which somehow corrupts files when it unpacks them. If so, I cannot help you -- just try re-downloading, or get Winzip from www.winzip.com and use that.

Enjoy

Carolyn