{"id":81,"date":"2007-05-23T05:50:38","date_gmt":"2007-05-23T13:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=81"},"modified":"2007-05-23T05:50:38","modified_gmt":"2007-05-23T13:50:38","slug":"do-you-write-with-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=81","title":{"rendered":"Do You Write With Cats?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard of Dancing With Wolves<\/em>. Well, how many of you out there write with cats? By this I mean do you have cats around while you write. Do you sometimes have to move a cat in order to locate a project? Must you crawl around on the floor in search of your favorite pen from time to time? Do you frequently go to your cat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s favorite play spot in search of a sticky note with an important phone number on it? And does your tech guy scold you after he cleans wads and wads of cat hair out of your computer?<\/p>\n

Ah the inconveniences of writing with cats. <\/p>\n

But what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the alternative? I actually know writers who ban their cats from their offices. I, too, do this on occasion\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhen I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m attempting to take down information from someone on the phone and Sophie (our playful tortie) is chasing the pen. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been known to close my office door when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m doing an assembly-line job such as collating and stapling handout material, reorganizing my filing cabinet or hardcopy cutting and pasting a book, for example.<\/p>\n

Since our cats sleep much of the day and the morning sunlight doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come through my office window to lure them in here, our two fur kids don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t spend a great deal of time in my office while I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m working. So, mostly, I acquiesce when they do wander in and insist upon a little snuggle time. I just take care of tasks that I can do with a large cat curled up on my lap or a small one draped across my shoulders. Sometimes our kitties just sit on my desk watching the hummingbirds and yellow finches feed outside the window.<\/p>\n

While cats can be a distraction to a writer and even an annoyance, I prefer an open-door policy where Sophie and Max are concerned. I even allowed cats in my office when there were four. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll never forget the time that our Himalayan, Katy, deleted a book I was editing in one motion of the paw. In an instant, the entire book had vanished. Luckily, I knew how to get the file back. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had more than one cup of coffee spilled in my office. And since we adopted Sophie, now things go missing. You see, she is a kleptomaniac.<\/p>\n

Sometimes I weigh the pros and cons of allowing cats in the office. Without them:
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tMy computer (and my office) would need fewer cleanings.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tI would have to take full responsibility for any spills, losses or damage.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tThere would be no little nose smudges on my window.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tI could do my choice of tasks when I want to do them.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tThere would be fewer interruptions.<\/p>\n

So what do cats bring to a writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office?
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tA sense of Serenity. Cats are natural stress reducers.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tHumor. Cats cause smiles and even laughter.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tAffection. Is there anything more loving and cuddly than a cat?
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tSupport. A cat is there for the long haul.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tApproval. In a cat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes, you can do no wrong.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tIdeas for articles and books. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve written dozens of cat-related articles and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m even working on a book of stories inspired by my cats.<\/p>\n

I wrote this entire blog entry, this morning, while being entertained and snuggled up by our office kitties, Max and Sophie.<\/p>\n

Have you visited my web site, lately? I have tons of information, inspiration and resources for freelance writers and authors. I offer 3 courses on demand. I have some excellent books for sale. Check it out at http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard of Dancing With Wolves. Well, how many of you out there write with cats? By this I mean do you have cats around while you write. Do you sometimes have to move a cat in order to locate a project? Must you crawl around on the floor in search of your favorite pen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t