in SL

Second Life is the leading virtual world development platform operated by Linden Lab for the creation of virtual goods and immersive, engaging and productive 3D spaces used by individuals, artists, corporations, governments, academic institutions and non-profits.

If you have never been to Second Life and want to set up an account in order to see the Cat-Tales Visitor Center (or anything else):

Go to the Second Life website.  If you have an older computer, you may want to check out the system requirements to make sure you can run the viewer. 

When you're ready to begin, click Join Now to create your free account.  The form is like a dozen other internet sign-ups, with two unique features:  First, you will pick a name for your avatar.  You select the first name you want and the system will give you a list of available last names.  You will also pick up a start-up appearance for your avatar.  Don't agonize over this, as every aspect of your appearance is customizable later.

Download a viewer.  In addition to those available on the Second Life website, you may wish to consider the Phoenix Third Party Viewer which offers all the features of SL's latest official viewer, but with their classic and traditional interface.  Other users are the primary source of help in Second Life, and the most experienced users will be able to help you if you have all the same menus that they are familiar with.

When you enter Second Life for the first time, you will see a very brief tutorial that gives you a snapshot of the basics:  moving around, moving your camera, chatting, interacting with the virtual environment, and customizing your avatar. 

Moving Around:
To move your avatar, use the arrow keys on your keyboard or pull up Movement Controls from the View Menu to have a set of arrows on your viewscreen.

Moving Your Camera:
To change where your view points, hold down the ALT key and click where you want to look, or pull up CAMERA CONTROLS from the VIEW menu for special arrows on your viewscreen.

Chatting:
To talk to a nearby avatar, click the CHAT button at the bottom of the viewer and type your message into the chat bar.  To IM an avatar privately, right click on the person and you will many ways to interact with them, such as Friending, Paying them Linden dollars, or Instant Messaging.  Choose IM to open a window for private communication.  

If the person's avatar is not present, you can still IM them by using the COMMUNICATE button (next to the chat button at the bottom of the viewer) if they are already a friend. 

If you want to contact someone who is not present and whom you have not friended, use the SEARCH button at the bottom of the viewer to find their user profile.  You will be able to IM them through that screen.

Interacting:
The primary method of interacting with your environment is through that right click, which will pull up a circle menu.  For other avatars, you will get a menu for interaction like friending and IMing, as described above.  For items, you may get the option to touch it or sit on it, which will activate it in some way.

Customizing Your Avatar:
Once again, I would not spend a lot of time tweaking your appearance, since most users who decide to stay in Second Life will want to buy pre-made hair, skin, and clothing (as well as animation override, called an AO, since the default one is affectionately referred to as "the duckwalk." 'Nuff said.)

If you do decide to become a long-term resident, there are a wide selection of freebie items to get you started, and a wider selection that can be purchased with the Second Life currency, called Lindens, which can be bought through your viewer. 

If you are already a Second Life resident, proceed directly to the Visitor Center.