Let’s Talk About Cats and Dogs

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty; human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” 

Ernest Hemingway

My debut novel The Astonishing Thing is about a woman with mental illness, seen through the eyes of her cat. It was refreshing to look at the world from a cat’s point of view, because as Ernest Hemingway states, a cat has a candid perspective that is free of human assumptions and convention. My cat, named Boo, is genuinely perplexed as to why her mother behaves the way she does. Boo speaks in a voice that is stripped down to bare honesty in her assessment of human actions.

At the same time, Boo embraces her humans despite their faults. Even when she sees what goes on behind closed doors, privy to her family’s darkest secrets, she remains loyal. In The Astonishing Thing, Boo struggles to understand her mother’s mental illness, but she ultimately provides her family members with the love they need.

A 2016 study published in BMC Psychiatry found that people diagnosed with mental health conditions feel their pets provide security and connectivity. In interviews, participants stated that they considered their pets as within the “central, most valued circle of support”. Many pet owners would testify that this concept not only applies to people with long-term illnesses, but everyone. Pets are valued confidants and cherished loved ones, and we depend on their support in hard times.

Cats and dogs can provide comfort to authors in particular, as Hemingway would attest. Writers often have to work in solitary, and many of us count on our pets to provide companionship during those quiet hours. Authors may occasionally complain that a cat or dog will interrupt their work to demand attention, but all our animal friends want is to be acknowledged. It’s comforting to give your pet a reassuring squeeze when you’re alone with your laptop, and then get right back to work.

Friends and family are often not capable of providing the same kind of support. Humans interrupt and argue. They want to talk—on and on. Spouses and kids mean chores and errands. Spilled milk. A ride to baseball. A load of laundry that needs sorting. A chat about the PTO fundraiser. That’s not restorative—that’s just exhausting.

Furthermore, some authors can be shy, or ill at ease among our fellow humans. Some of us prefer thoughtful writing to spontaneous speaking. We may be more comfortable spending time with our fictional friends rather than have to deal with confusing and awkward real-world social interactions.

Pets, in contrast to humans, offer friendship without the fuss of talking and potential misunderstandings. They provide love without the condition of a similar political point of view, or a demand that we share the same taste in music and movies.

Walking a dog can provide a nice break from an intense morning of writing. Dogs have a unique way of looking into your eyes and understanding what you are feeling. Lock eyes with your dog, and your heart rate will calm. Dogs accept you just the way you are, and stand guard for when you need them.

Cats are the perfect size for cuddling and lap-sitting. They observe the world in the same way a writer does: quiet, curious, and perceptive. It’s easy to imagine a cat is smart and snarky, just like you are (if that’s your thing). Or if you’re writing fantasy, a cat may channel your desire to summon magic and commune with witches.

Dogs and cats are also perfect social media ambassadors for authors. Unlike sharing photos of human family members who have privacy concerns, pets couldn’t care less about what the Internet thinks of them. And there is no dog or cat who is going to complain that you are taking too many unflattering photos with the wrong Instagram filters.

Pets humanize us. They give writers a cuddly, friendly edge when we might otherwise come across as “academic” or aloof. They provide the unconditional love that we may not always receive in a creative profession where we are being critiqued by agents, editors, critics and readers. Pets are non-judgmental. They bring out the best in us, and reassure us that we are worth loving.

Our pets may even provide us with inspiration, as my cat Winnie did when I was writing The Astonishing Thing. A cat’s point of view turned out to be the perfect way to communicate the confusion and self-blame family members sometimes feel when a loved one has mental illness. Boo provided a way to communicate feelings that a human might hesitate to express.

 Boo would agree that humans can be perplexing sometimes: jealous, greedy, irrational, or selfish. Cats and dogs, on the other hand, are simple. Our pets are open-minded, emotionally honest, and completely devoted no matter our faults—perhaps reflecting what we would like to be, if only we were able.

—

Sandi Ward grew up in Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachusetts. She went to Tufts University, and then received her MA in Creative Writing at New York University.  She now lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband, teenagers, dog and a large black cat named Winnie. The Astonishing Thing is her debut novel.

www.sandiwardbooks.com

Twitter/Instagram @sandiwardbooks

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sandiwardbooks/

Pre-order THE ASTONISHING THING, the story of a troubled family seen through the eyes of their cat, on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mK6KoS

About THE ASTONISHING THING

In her inventive, sometimes bittersweet, ultimately uplifting debut, Sandi Ward draws readers into one extraordinary cat’s quest to make sense of her world, illuminating the limits and mysterious depths of love . . .

Pet owners know that a cat’s loyalty is not easily earned. Boo, a resourceful young feline with a keen eye and inquiring mind, has nonetheless grown intensely devoted to her human companion, Carrie. Several days ago, Carrie—or Mother, as Boo calls her—suddenly went away, leaving her family, including Boo, in disarray. Carrie’s husband, Tommy, is distant and distracted even as he does his best to care for Boo’s human siblings, especially baby Finn.

Boo worries about who will fill her food dish, and provide a warm lap to nestle into. More pressing still, she’s trying to uncover the complicated truth about why Carrie left. Though frequently mystified by human behavior, Boo is sure that Carrie once cared passionately for Tommy and adores her children, even the non-feline ones. But she also sees it may not be enough to make things right. Perhaps only a cat—a wise, observant, very determined cat—can do that . . .

Wonderfully tender and insightful, The Astonishing Thing explores the intricacies of marriage and family through an unforgettable perspective at the center of it all.

 

Tags: featured

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing