Where Fictional Cats Come From
Author’s cat lives on in story
Mitzi leaped onto my desk when I least expected it. She head butted me, walked on my keyboard, and laid down on it, her paws curled, the pose that made me pause, say ‘aw’ and give her belly scratches. I confess, she wasn’t the only cat in my life. I have another who is rather surly. His name is Bartholomew and he lives in my novella, “The Asteroid’s Daughter and the Serpent Handler’s Son”. He was born out of Mitzi’s inspiration
A Norwegian Forest Cat
Mitzi was a Norwegian Forest Cat. Well, I’m pretty sure she was. We rescued her from a shelter in Seattle, Washington, 17 years ago. She was an adorable, playful little kitten; that’s all we knew when we adopted her. The giant paws, hairy toes and ear tufts, we later learned, are typical of a Norwegian Forest Cat. If climbing the Christmas tree is proof, she was one. I liked to call her Miss Fluffy Pants. All that thick curly fur, you can imagine. A cold-weather cat, yet, she never set a paw in snow. Her ancestors may have served as mousers on Viking Ships sailing for Norway, but Mitzi never saw a mouse, however, I’m pretty sure she dreamed about chasing them.
Mitzi lives on
Mitzi crossed over the Rainbow Bridge a couple of years ago and I was heartbroken. Yet, she’ll always be a part of me, an author’s inspiration. I still imagine her underneath my desk while I write, the head butts, walking on my keyboard. Thank you, dear Mitzi. You were an author’s inspiration and you will live on in my heart and in my novella forever.
Tell me about you fur babies
Do you have a fur baby who inspires you? Post in the comment section below…
You’ll find Bartholomew, in Kate E Thompson’s novella, The Asteroid’s Daughter and the Serpent Handler’s Son, in the collection, New Halem Tales.
Seattle writer, Kate E Thompson, is looking for representation for her second book, a historical novel called A Matter of Principle, a coming of age story set in a bustling 1869 Salt Lake City, Utah. Thompson is also the author of Bigfoot Hunters Never Lie, and a novella, The Asteroid's Daughter and the Serpent Handler's Son. She’s an avid reader, is fond of reading old diaries and letters, and enjoys nothing more than searching through university archives and special collections.
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