Writers And Cats

Ernest Hemingway, a lifelong ailurophile (or cat fancier), wrote “one cat just leads to another,” and he knew what he was talking about.

What could be a more natural companion animal for an author than a cat? Many writers and felines keep odd hours, often prefer solitude over socializing, and are known to become “testy” when our routines or precious hours of sleep are interrupted. We both like to chase shiny objects, cats literally, writers figuratively, (as in “the next project, not the one we’re mired knee-deep in at the moment and despair of ever finishing.”)

I was a happy dog owner for twelve years to a beautiful and intelligent cocker spaniel. Totally satisfied with any attention I gave her, in the form of walks, treats or playtime, she always seemed attuned to my needs and moods. Perhaps my two cats also recognize my needs, but the thing with them is…they simply don’t care.

I had a cat years ago but didn’t make these connections then. To be fair to myself, though, at the time, I also had a husband, a dog, and a regular job “in the real world,” so the correlation wasn’t as clear. Now, as a full-time freelance editor and writer working mostly from home and living with two cats, our symbiotic relationships both help and hurt me when I’m trying to keep to a schedule and get my work done.

Need someone to warm my lap on a cold evening? No problem. Need someone to leave me alone when I have a major project and a tight deadline I need to meet? Big problem.

Parents with small children know that they always need something just when it’s the least convenient time for you to have to get it for them. Cats are exactly the same way. It’s sometimes like having a two-year-old for fifteen-plus years. I can be watching a movie, completely available to give them attention, but they’re occupied snoozing in the other room. However, as soon as I open the laptop and pull up my current work-in-progress, I can be assured of looking over and finding at least one, if not both, little furry faces staring up at me.

How did I land in this predicament? I often ask myself that question. A few years after my cocker spaniel “crossed the rainbow bridge,” I wanted another pet, something alive and warm in the house besides me, something to care for a little but independent enough not to need me too often or for too long. I thought a cat would be ideal. They’re self-sufficient, don’t need early morning or late evening walks, can play by themselves if they like to play at all, and sleep sixteen hours a day.

Perfect, right? When I got my first cat from a local rescue group, I thought so. She asked for very little attention, seemed content with full bowls of food and fresh water, a litter box that was cleaned twice daily, some toys and the occasional hit of catnip. I spent my evenings happily writing and editing while she slept in her little bed tucked away under the coffee table.

But after a few months, she got bored and clingy. No problem. The rescue group still had three of her kittens that hadn’t been adopted, so I decided to get one of those. They would play together, I was sure, and sit side by side, amicably watching birds and squirrels through the big picture window in the dining room. I’d need to buy more food and there’d be an extra visit to the vet for an annual checkup, but those were minor inconveniences. Two wouldn’t be any more trouble than one, right?

Problem solved, I thought. How clever of me to enjoy their companionship while giving two cats a good “forever” home, and with the bonus of being able to take breaks from my hours of screen time to watch the two of them frolic together.

Until “frolicking” turned to chasing and play-fighting. At least, I hope they’re playing? They began to take turns wanting my attention, as if it were a competitive sport. The younger one loves to cuddle, which makes the older one, her own mother, either roll her kitty eyes or fix me with a “you brought her into this house, you take care of her” glare.

So, I’m now the one-person staff to two cats, but really, I wouldn’t have it any other way. For every moment of filling food bowls or trimming too-sharp claws, there’s a moment of deep purrs and affectionate head bunts. My floors are strewn with ping-pong balls and catnip mice, while scratcher toys sit in several corners. Neither one has ever met a cardboard box she didn’t like.

And when I’m not at their beck and call, I’m writing. My new series is sweet small-town romance about a family who owns a bed-and-breakfast in the central Texas Hill Country. Oh, and they also run a pet rescue because, like me, they believe that all of God’s creatures deserve to be loved and cared for. The second book in the series will be out in 2020, if my two lovelies will give me enough time to finish writing it.

And one of them will be the rescued pet featured on the cover.

***

Kadee McDonald now writes sweet & clean contemporary romance set in the Texas Hill Country, where love triumphs over the busy lives and multitude of problems her characters face every day. The first book in her new series, “PAWS for Romance,” is Rescuing the Single Dad.

Growing up in Texas, Kadee was a world away from London and the rolling hills of the beautiful English countryside. But she still loved all things British. Prior to writing contemporary romance, she attempted to do justice to the London ton with a traditional Regency romance, Choosing Will, and a Regency novella, An Arranged Valentine. In her previous life, Kadee worked in operations and on-air promotion for several local TV stations, Fox Sports and the Disney/ABC TV Group.

Website: https://kadeemcdonald.com

Twitter: @KadeeMcDonald

Facebook: KadeeMcDonaldAuthor

Instagram: kadee_mcdonald_author

***

RESCUING THE SINGLE DAD

Will Erin and Jason find their “forever homes” in each other’s hearts?

As the director of PAWS, the “Pearson Animal Welfare Society,” Erin Pearson stays busy helping stray and surrendered pets find the “forever homes” they deserve. The small-town animal shelter was the life’s work of her beloved grandmother, but when a million-dollar donation to a new building project is embezzled, Erin fears the scandal will be the end of PAWS.

The drive up from San Antonio to the beautiful Texas Hill County to adopt a dog for his daughter is no more than an inconvenience for financial advisor and single dad, Jason Blaine. That is, until he meets the lovely director of PAWS. When Erin later asks for his help in tracking down the consultant who made off with the donation, Jason couldn’t say no even if he wanted to. Erin is warm and approachable…everything his late wife Valerie wasn’t. But Jason is sure that Valerie’s wealthy parents won’t hesitate to sue for custody of their granddaughter if he starts dating again and not devoting every spare minute to being a dad.

Will Erin and Jason track down the missing million in time to save PAWS and her family’s good name? Caught between the fear of losing his little girl and the hope of a promising new romance, will Jason allow Erin to rescue him, too, even though he only has two legs instead of four?

Rescuing the Single Dad is book #1 in the clean contemporary romance series, PAWS for Romance. Book #2, Catering to Love is coming soon.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips