With many more people now working from home due to the pandemic, pet ownership has grown both in the US and abroad. The internet teems with articles about the pros, cons, and costs of pets, how to remain productive if you’ve adopted a needy pet, and debates about dogs vs. cats.
Not long ago, my first-reader was trying to review my new manuscript to give me feedback and suggestions. She has a relatively young, high-energy dog. One day in frustration, she texted me, “I’m learning that it’s almost impossible to focus and have a dog that’s so demanding and energetic. An author would need a dog sitter.”
I responded, “That’s probably why most authors have cats.”
And now, work-at-home professionals in other fields seem to be discovering the joys of cats as well. I read online that in a town in Hertfordshire England, the popularity of cats has increased by more than thirteen times in one year. And it’s little wonder, as generally-speaking, cats are less expensive to maintain than dogs, more independent and relatively self-reliant (especially if you have two cats to keep each other company).
My husband recently brought home a book from the library (curbside pick-up) called, Writers and Their Cats by Alison Natasi, which testifies to the longstanding cat-author connection. The book includes photos of authors (some well-known, some less so) and their trusty feline friends, along with a few paragraphs about each author. Here are just a few examples:
Children’s author Beverly Cleary had several cats over the years, including one who sat on her typewriter keys and begged for attention while she tried to write.
Ernest Hemingway is famous for novels like The Old Man and the Sea and for his many six-toed cats, which he referred to fondly as “purr factories.” You can still see the descendants of his cats (well, if not for lockdown) at his home and museum in Key West. (We saw 40 or 50 of them during a trip there several years ago.)
Author Stephen King has also owned various cats, including a “rather crazed Siamese.”
And, Mark Twain once said, “When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction.”
Writers and Their Cats profiles many other authors, so if you’re interested, here’s a link to the book online.
Sadly, I am not featured in this book. 😉 And while I don’t have any illusions that I am even a tiny percentage as well-known as any of the above, here’s a photo of me with one of the many cats I have loved over the years. This is Socks, whose loud purring often accompanies the clickety-clack of my keyboard.
What about you: Are you pro-cat, too? Have you adopted a pet (of any kind) recently?
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What a great post! I loved seeing all these photos, and it doesn’t surprise me that cats have risen in popularity since the pandemic broke out. We used to be a dog family, but our last one, a pug, was so demanding he really did interrupt me way, way too much. I loved him and added a pug to The Mark of the King in his honor. But after he passed, we gave cats a try. We currently have four cats, and all together they are still less work than the one dog we had. I always have at least one cat on my desk (in its own bed) while I write. Sometimes I have three cats in the office at once and they are such good companions! We’ve been very fortunate to find very friendly, affectionate felines.
Our last pet was a cat. He adopted us when his family moved and left him behind. After posting signs in the neighborhood with no results, we took him to our vet, who estimated he was 6 months old. We gave him all his shots, and he became ours. At the time, we had a ten year old dog (only dogs for pets until then). The two got along fine after an initial adjustment. When Sandy passed, we never got another dog. Rascal was very easy to care for, especially if we needed to travel. We loved him and enjoyed him for 13 years until he died of bladder cancer.
Interesting post. We are a dog family but during the last 45 years on the ranch we also always had cats. Friends seemed to think our place would always welcome another litter.😬
Over the years a few of these sweet barn cats would decide life in the house was for them. Our daughter in particular adored and cared for these cats.
Over the years she and her brothers discovered that cats make wonderful pets while living in apartments or houses in large cities. When the time came for us to move to town our youngest son told us he would take the resident cat with him. Snowy, the cat, has lived in Africa, the Middle East, Minneapolis and now Washington DC. Interesting life for a former barn cat.
I’m absolutely pro-cat. Dogs are nice as long as they’re someone else’s. 😉
We currently have 2 cats. Mitten is semi-longhaired and is gray with white feet. She’s about as loving as she can be. Her favorite human is my husband. She often beats him to the couch so she can lay on him as soon as he’s down. Our other cat is Audrey. She’s a brown tabby and loves for me to groom her every morning. Then she goes to lay on hubby’s keyboard while he plays computer games. They were both adopted from a no-kill shelter. It’s been almost 40 years since I lived without a cat.
How interesting! I love the details and pictures you shared of these authors and their cats. It’s on my bucket list to visit Earnest Hemingway’s homestead in the key west. I’ve only ever had a single cat in my household, one currently named Ducky. Her independence over dogs is also helpful when I need to travel.
I have owned cats pretty much all my life. Gretchen was my childhood cat, a long-haired calico that I dressed up in doll clothes and pushed around in a pram. I had plenty of scratch marks to prove when she’d had enough. Princess Pinky (I got her as part of my cancer recovery, thus the Pink in her name) is my current cat, a shorthaired tuxedo cat. She is pestered horribly by my dog, so I often say, “Poor cat.” When the dog goes outside, Pinky jumps up into my lap, but as soon as the dog returns, she heads for higher places because Boo thinks my lap is solely her territory. It does make for an interesting household, that’s for sure.
Definitely a cat person! I’ve always had cats around. Currently we are living in an RV, so one cat. She’s a daddy’s girl, but I get the occasional scrap of attention. having a cat around is wonderful!
I loved your blog about authors and their cats. Since my husband is allergic to cat and dog dander, we do not have a pet. Some years ago I loved an outdoor Siamese cat that befriended me. I began to speak “cat language”, and the cat would respond to my attempts at friendship. She loved for me to pet her, and she loved the food and water I put out for her. We think she had feline leukemia because twice she became pregnant and her babies were stillborn. She was a gorgeous Siamese and a delight.
I recently adopted a 3 yr old rescue dog, a Boxer mix named Willa!
I am 100% a cat person, and yes, they are terrific company for writers. Our recently deceased Derek would lay on my lap like a long, fuzzy noodle and rest his head on my arm as I typed, and now Annabelle keeps me company because she likes listening to my music while I write. And my son gave me that little book last year for Christmas!
Absolutely pro-cat!! We got my cat Ringo because we were having mice (country life problems). He was my baby and I went through a lot with that cat. He passed shortly after I met my husband (who he approved of). Now, we have Popcorn. His mother, Peppermint, showed up at our house around Christmas 2019, and in March, we had a liter. We couldn’t keep all of the cats. We kept Popcorn so that Peppermint wouldn’t be sad or lonely. So, needless to say, I love cats!
Hi Julie,
I’ve always had a cat, but I like dogs too. Our almost 18-year-old cat passed away last fall, and since my husband is allergic to cats, I don’t expect we’ll get another one. He “adopted” my cat when we got married 12 years ago and has tolerated it ever since. I’ve been asking for a Golden Retriever for Christmas for several years now, but ever since my husband’s dog died a few years ago, he doesn’t want another to care for, his excuse being that he wants to travel sans pets. By the way, we went to Key West the week after Christmas and visited the Hemingway House and its current cats (55 total). Key West requires masks, so the house does too, plus the groups are limited to size and times to keep social distancing.
What a purr-fectly wonderful post, Julie! 🙂
I am definitely a cat lady—in fact, my son-in-law began calling me CatMom before he and my daughter married (over 10 years ago!) and the name stuck.
I LOVE cats, and share my home with 6 (all rescues) in addition to feeding any strays that visit my door. Needless to say, my cat food bill is high, but that’s okay.
Your cats are beautiful, and I love that photo of you and Socks!
Thanks for sharing this today (that book about authors and their cats sounds fascinating). 🙂
I am pro-cat. I am pro-dog. I’d be hard pressed to pick one over the other. Right now we have 5 cats and 3 dogs plus a friend’s dog who spends 4 days a week here while her mom works. I grew up not being allowed to have any pets so I guess I am making up for it now. We have also had many, many rabbits over the years that my daughter raised for 4H. Your cats are beautiful!
I was an anti-cat person until my kids found two kittens in our woods and brought them home. My husband is a cat person, and – three against one – I gave in. Two and a half years later, I am now THAT crazy cat lady. Are our cats good writing companions? I guess. It is very usual though for them to just plop down on (and block completely) my writing or book or keyboard. Not helpful. 😸
Fun and informative column, Julie. I’d say cats, too – and I’m not a writer. But my first love is a parakeet and I’ve had a few over the years. Easy to care for and they are every bit as devoted as our four-legged friends. Mine is currently sitting and watching me type – she believes computer key boards were invented for her personal enjoyment.