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Cats & Blogs: What the Cat Read ( @LdySkyfire )
This is the first in a continuing series of posts about book bloggers and the cats they love. Or tolerate, depending. In Cat Girl’s Day Off, my main character Natalie can talk to cats (not that she always wants to). If you’re a book blogger and you’re owned by a cat (or more than one cat), send me an email if you’d like to be featured!
What the Cat Read: Three cats reviewing the books they love!
Because you know that the cats in bookstores and libraries have way more to say than they let on when we are around, What the Cat Read puts a new spin on the book review by offering it up from the perspective of our purrrfect feline friends. Maintained by Willow, Sara, Buggy, and human Cameron Yeager!
How long has it been since your first cat owned you?
My first cat, Midnight, found me in 1991 when I was 11 years old. She was a 9 month old shelter kitten and she provided years of love and affection until her passing in October of 2007. I couldn’t have asked for a better first time feline owner.
Tell me about your cats.
The current felines in my life are Willow (WillowWisp), Sara (Sarabear), and Buggy (Little Bug). However, instead of my telling you about them, I think it might be easier to let them do the talking. =^-^=
Willow – “I’m a Silver Tabby-Siamese mix and yes my eyes are crossed. Gotta problem with that? I love getting into mischief. If a door is closed, I want to know what is on the other side. If my humans are late in feeding me, I have no problems making my displeasure known by knocking things off shelves or smacking their face with my tail. In fact, my antics over the years earned me the nickname of “Cross-eyed Demon Child” and I proudly live up to it daily.”
Sara – “Murrr! I always say that when I’m happy. And since I’m always happy, I say it all the time. Murrr! When I was younger, a wild animal viciously attacked me and as a result, I have difficulty seeing out of my right eye. But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying my life to the fullest. Every day I play chase with my cousin Inari around the house, and though it upsets the two old biddies, I don’t care. I’m having fun! My favorite game to play with my human is “Spin the Kitty” and boy do I get dizzy. Murrr!”
Buggy – “My name may be Little Bug, but I’m far from little. As the oldest of the felines in the house, I don’t put up with any kind of nonsense. The humans may think that they are in charge of everything around here, but if they only knew how tightly I have them wrapped around my little paws, especially at mealtime. When all is said and done, I AM a feline equivalent of a Red Hat Society member. Female: Check (and Calico), Over 50: Check (10+ years old, you do the math), & Attitude: Heck ya! Just ask the dog. I like to spend my day’s lounging on the bed with a good book, basking in the sun, and getting in plenty of lap time with my humans. Oh, and did I mention I like hats?”
If they could read (I’m not saying they can’t), what do you think their favorite books would be?
As Willow said, she loves getting into mischief. As a result, she is very much a mystery novel lover. She currently is reading Lilian Jackson Braun’s “Cat Who” series. Her favorite series though is Carole Nelson Douglas’s Midnight Louie Mysteries. She’s got a serious soft spot for that street cat! Sara, being the youngest of the three, is really into the Young Adult and Fantasy genres. She really enjoys reading Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series and the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling. Buggy is more into the Classics. Her author of choice is Jane Austen and her favorite book is Sense and Sensibility by, whom else, Jane Austen.
If you could ask your cat(s) anything, what would you ask?
Why they feel it is necessary to try and trip me whenever I walk up and down the stairs? Actually, I don’t really know what questions I would ask of them.
What do you think the answer would be?
Willow – “If we told you the reason why we try to trip you on the stairs then our plans for world domination would be at risk.”
And here’s Cameron and all her furry companions:
P.S. Cameron, I can tell you the real reason why they try to trip you on the stairs. Because they can.
A Poem for Grace
Yes, I’m going to be maudlin and post the poem I wrote about my cat.
Grace
We named her Grace
because there was not a graceful bone in her body.
As a kitten, she would fall off of everything,
a skinny pile of soft black fur and big eyes.
She grew into herself
and became a diva of a cat
with a tummy that swayed as she swaggered
and moves that would put a wrestler to shame.
She was not a delicate cat…
no lithe, undulating tabby
padding through the night on tip-toe paws.
She was the opera singer of cats.
That is how I want to remember her,
larger than life,
vocal and insistent, but still sweet and soft,
always wanting to be near, but not too close…
A true cat.
Goodbye, Gracie
For those of you who don’t know, we had to leave behind our cat Gracie when we moved to London. She went to live with my Mom in Florida, where she immediately laid claim to a pile of pillows and my Mom’s lap. She’s been worming herself into my Mom’s heart since then.
Gracie hadn’t been in the best of health before we left (which was partly why we had to leave her behind). She used to be a 22 lb. Diva of a cat and was a measley 11 lbs. when we left. The vets weren’t sure what was wrong with her exactly, since her bloodwork always checked out. To make a long story short, I’d been talking back and forth with my mom and sister this week and it wasn’t sounding good for Gracie. She was no longer able to jump up on chairs and was having other issues. Yesterday she had her final vet appointment and a diagnosis of cancer. They put her to sleep yesterday.
Having lived through it with my cat Harley a few years ago, I expected the news. But it still makes me very sad. I will miss her. She was a good, true cat. At least she’s no longer in pain and I imagine her, somewhere, chasing dust mice and eating lots of treats with her own special pile of pillows.
At least she’ll live on in Cat Girl’s Day Off. The cat, Queenie, is based on her back in her former glory days.
Gracie
A Poem for Christina @clabahr
This poem is a little tougher since I don’t really know anything about Christina other than that she’s a) on Twitter and b) apparently likes cats (like the Cheshire cat). So, um.
I Don’t Know You
I don’t know you,
and you don’t know me.
That’s the beauty of the Internet, isn’t it?
Here we are, two strangers,
colliding, connecting
over twitter handles and hashtags
Two bits in cyberspace
running into each other out of nowhere
and forging a connection
however tenuous or small
It’s a virtual tea time,
minus the scones.
So, let’s have a chat.
You want to talk cats?
Vote for my fat cat Grace
I’m not even sure why I did, but I entered my cat fat cat Grace in the Cat Connection Cat of the Month contest. So, hey, go vote for her 
Cat Pictures. Just Because.
Gracie about to go medieval on somebody. Or, at least, it looks that way. It was probably just her getting up and leaving because Harley wanted the pillow and she didn’t want to fight. She’s a lover, not a fighter.
And here’s the two of them in their belly-up, worshipping the fire pose. They love to lay down in front of the fire. Note the two separate quilts for them to lie on. I made both of those and I guess they assume I made them for them.
