Cats!
Gotta love them. The way they settle on your lap, all warm and purry;
the funny things they do. But as all cat people know, there is more to
cats than meets the eye. Cats love deeply, feel strongly, and live
courageously. They bond with their humans, even though they may manifest
their love by completely ignoring you. They are stoic and rarely show
pain. The signals they use to express stress may baffle us. Learning
about these wonderful characters is a lifelong journey.
In
my Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, I talk a lot about cats. The
stories are fictional, of course, and meant to entertain, but my hero
Lynley Cannon is a cat shelter volunteer, so topics such as fostering,
adopting, cat care, and cats with special needs come up naturally.
Lynley even has a registered therapy cat, Tinkerbelle, based on my own
beloved kitty! Also, at the beginning of each chapter, I include a basic
tip, trick, or fact about our feline friends. Here are a few from my
most recent book, Cosmic Cat:
~There
are many reasons that some cats dislike others of their species. Since
cats are independent, a certain amount of wariness is only natural. Many
behaviors can be modified with patience and training, but some cats are
best living as the only feline in your home. —Chapter 14
~Cats
need exercise, just like dogs (and people). It is in their nature to
run, jump, chase, hunt, and explore. For your indoor cat, you are
responsible for providing their daily mental and physical workouts. —Chapter 19
~According to studies, more cats are left-pawed than right. —Chapter 22
~A
cat’s innate instinct can drive him away from unexpected noises as well
as draw him back once the noise has ceased. The latter may be a result
of that famous feline curiosity. —Chapter 25
~The
first cats to go home from any shelter are the youngest. Kittens are in
high demand from pet lovers, but people should remember that kittens
grow into cats very quickly, and the adoption must be for life. —Chapter 26
And a few more from other books:
SHELTER STORIES
~Did
you know that black cats have the lowest adoption rate and are ignored
by many rescue groups because they are so hard to place? We don’t know
if it’s superstition or merely because black isn’t as exciting to most
people as the colors. Luckily a lot of cat people love black cats and go
the extra mile for them. —Cat’s Paw, Chapter 20
CAT PEOPLE
~A
Georgia family adopted a sweet white cat named Mr. Meowy from a local
animal rescue group; the next day, Mr. Meowy returned the favor by
saving the family’s home from going up in flames. —Copy Cats, Chapter 28
HEALTH & MEDICAL
~It
is important that a cat doesn’t suddenly stop eating. In a very short
time, the lack of food can start the body sending fat cells to the
liver, causing it to become clogged and begin to fail. This is known as
Fatty Liver Disease. —Copy Cats, Chapter 5
~Hydration
is a key element of cat health. Have water bowls in multiple places
throughout the house instead of only at the feeding station. Cats may be
distracted by the food and neglect the water. —Copy Cats, Chapter 21
~First
aid kits are as important for your cat as they are for you. When an
accident happens, having the necessary information and supplies within
easy reach may mean the difference between life and death. —Copy Cats, Chapter 19
HISTORY, MYTH & LORE
~In
ancient Egypt, cats were important members of society. Because they
controlled vermin, including snakes such as cobras, they were elevated
to divinity. In the event of fire, men would stand guard to make sure no
cats ran into the flames. When a cat died, its household would go into
mourning, shaving their eyebrows to signify loss. Killing a cat, even
accidentally, incurred the harsh penalty of death. —Copy Cats, Chapter 27
~Cats
are one of the oldest mammals on the earth. Fossils of African wild
cats from as early as thirty eight million years ago have been found and
documented. —Copy Cats, Chapter 24
~The
British proverb, "Curiosity killed the cat" warns that being
inquisitive may bring trouble. The rejoinder, "satisfaction brought it
back", tells the rest of the story. Cats exist in a constant state of
tension between caution and curiosity. As long as they don’t know, they
will be drawn to discovery. Once knowing is achieved, the game is over
and the cat can move on to something else. —Cat’s Paw, Chapter 1
~Some
superstitions claims that a black cat crossing one’s path bodes bad
luck, but the Scots look upon our black moggies differently. In
Scotland, an unfamiliar cat of black coloration suddenly appearing at
the front door is a sign of good fortune. —Cat’s Paw, Chapter 3
THE MYSTERIOUS FELINE
~Cats
know when their people are feeling poorly and may volunteer as a
companion, sleeping nearby until they are better. Some cats even sense
when a person is about to die and remain close as they take their final
journey. —Cat’s Paw, Chapter 28
~According
to medical studies, petting a cat can reduce blood pressure, slow heart
rate, and create feelings of well-being and comfort in their human
companions. The low frequency vibration of a cat’s purr is said to
induce bone growth, promote pain relief, and aid in the healing of
tendons and muscles. —Cats’ Eyes, Chapter 12
~Cats
can feel a change of weather. It may be that, with their superior
senses, they pick up the smell of rain, the percussive vibration of
thunder, or the shift in air pressure that signifies a coming storm. Or
it may be another sense we humans know nothing about. —Cosmic Cat, Chapter 12
I hope you find these tips interesting and useful. After all, for cat people, it’s all about cats!
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About Mollie Hunt:
Native Oregonian Mollie Hunt has always had an affinity for cats, so it
was a short step for her to become a cat writer. Mollie Hunt writes the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series 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.
Mollie
is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat
Writers’ Association, and NIWA. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her
husband and a varying number of cats. Like Lynley, she is a grateful
shelter volunteer.
@MollieHuntCats
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Cosmic Cat (Crazy Cat Lady Mystery) by Mollie Hunt
About Cosmic Cat
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Independently Published (September 28, 2019)
Paperback: 306 pages
When a superhero cosplayer falls to his death at a comic con, Lynley is left holding the bag-- and a cat!
Who killed Captain Cat? His tribe wants to know.
When the Captain is murdered at Bridgetown Comic-con and philanthropist Esmae Westhouse is arrested for the crime, sixty-something cat shelter volunteer Lynley Cannon steps out of her comfort zone and dons her Star Trek uniform to expose the real killer.
A decade-spanninglove triangle, a band of vigilante cosplayers, a shady pharmaceutical company,and an ancient black cat named Kitty tie into a puzzling plot that has Lynley running in all directions. The death of Captain Cat is only the beginning, and Lynley must stay one step ahead of a ruthless hit man if she is to make it out alive.
About Mollie Hunt
Mollie Hunt: Native Oregonian Mollie Hunt has always had an affinity for cats, so it was a short step for her to become a cat writer. Mollie is the author of THE CRAZY CAT LADY COZY MYSTERY SERIES, featuring Portlander Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip. The 3rd in the series, CAT’S PAW, was a finalist for the 2016 Mystery & Mayhem Book Award, and the 5th, CAT CAFÉ, won the World’s Best Cat Litter-ary Award in 2019.
Mollie’s sci-fantasy, CAT SUMMER (Fire Star Press) is the first in her CAT SEASONS TETRALOGY where cats save the world from an evil older than history—twice! Mollie also published a non-cat mystery, PLACID RIVER RUNS DEEP, which delves into murder, obsession, and the challenge of chronic illness in bucolic southwest Washington. Two of her short cat stories have been published in anthologies, one of which, THE DREAM SPINNER, won the prestigious CWA Muse Medallion. She has a little book of Cat Poems as well.
Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, Willamette Writers, the Cat Writers’ Association, and NIWA. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like Lynley, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.
Author Links:
You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: www.lecatts.wordpress.com
Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt
Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/
Fire Star Author Page: http://prairierosepublications.com/authors_2/mollie-hunt\
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7768987.Mollie_Hunt
Twitter @MollieHuntCats
Sign up for Mollie’s Extremely Informal Newsletter at http://eepurl.com/c0fOTn.
Purchase Links - Amazon Kindle - Amazon Print
Thank you so much for having me over to your blogsite!
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