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| Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash |
I just adopted a cat—another one—and as I watched this new boy do his cat thing, it suddenly occurred to me why my writer’s lifestyle fits so fluidly with that of the clowder*. There are exceptions of course, like when Tyler thinks breakfast should be at five in the morning. I’m not an early riser and I don’t do anything before coffee. But in many ways, we are very much alike.
Crazy in the wee hours.
Writers are known to get some of their best story ideas in the middle of the night. My cat Tyler seems to think that’s a pretty good time to dash around the house like a mad thing—not so different from me typing feverishly on my laptop at 3:00 a.m.
Solitary
among others.
Cats are aloof, no matter where they are. There may be ten other cats in the room, yet each of them rests in their own little bubble. Though some writers are gregarious, many are introverts whose way of adapting to life with people is to create a personal space for themselves alone.
Tight focus.
Have you ever watched a cat go after a moth? They are fixated on their prey to such an extent that their skin twitches and their pupils dilate. It’s as if there is nothing else in the world. When I’m writing, I become so focused in my work that time ceases to exist. A gun could go off and I might not notice.
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| Photo by Bill Stephan on Unsplash |
Routine.
Anyone who knows cats has learned, one way or another, that cats thrive on routine. They have an established schedule and are unhappy when that schedule is interrupted or changed. Writers often share that respect for routine and can get very nasty when someone intrudes on their designated writing period.
Some people won’t like us.
Just as some humans suffer from ailurophobia, there are those who don’t like writers either. “Dislike” may be too strong a word. Perhaps “misunderstand” would be more accurate. There is a misconception that a writers’ life is easy, merely jotting down stories on paper and picking up million dollar checks. If that were truly the case, I’d be jealous too, but unfortunately it’s not.
Naps.
All creative endeavors require rest. Napping with
cats restores energy to both cat and human.
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| Photo by Tucker Good on Unsplash |
There are other ways writers are like cats, at
least I enjoy thinking it’s so.
That’s all for meow.
*Clowder: a group of cats.
Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the author of the Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, and the Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy where cats save the world. She also pens a bit of cat poetry.
You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: www.lecatts.
Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/
Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/
@MollieHuntCats
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Interesting post and so true.
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