Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Cats and Writers...




Cats and writers. The two go together like margaritas and tortilla chips on a Friday night. While you certainly don’t need to have a cat to be a writer, it does make the journey less boring. Lots of famous writers obviously agreed because many of them kept cats as companions.


Raymond Chandler referred to his black Persian cat, Taki, as his secretary and even read his work aloud to her. I wonder how she critiqued his work.


While in Key West, Ernest Hemingway apparently made the acquaintance of a ship captain who had a six-toed cat. It’s said that Hemingway became so enamored of the cat that when the captain was to go back out to sea, he gave Hemingway the cat. The result, a generation of 6-toed cats inhabits the grounds of the Hemingway House in Key West, Florida.

Charles Dicken’s cat sat in his study as he wrote and when she wanted his attention, she would snuff out the candle he used to write by.
When Author/Artist Edward Lear moved to Italy, he constructed an identical house to the one he resided in so that he would not traumatize his beloved cat, Foss.

As for me, I can't imagine writing without my feline friends by my side, or by my computer.
Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reasons. ~ Robertson Davies

"A catless writer is almost inconceivable. It's a perverse taste, really, since it would be easier to write with a herd of buffalo in the room than even one cat; they make nests in the notes and bite the end of the pen and walk on the typewriter keys.” author Barbara Holland

Anon,

Nancy

15 comments:

  1. I loved this article!

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  2. So true! I have three cats and when I go into my office/guest room to write, one is on the human bed, one is in the cat bed, and one is on her special chair. They take turns walking across my keyboard and rubbing against my pen. BTW the cat with the special chair of her own takes over my seat every time I get up. Go figure.

    Mary Ingmire

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  3. Funny you would post about that today, just yesterday my cat sat on my lap desk right as I was trying to hole punch my notes from my writing class and put them in my binder, demanding treats several hours earlier than he was supposed to get them. :D

    But I wouldn't trade my boys for anything, even as pesky as they sometimes are.

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  4. Our dear Zelda plays with the mouse, attacks it when I play a video...she doesn't like it when it makes noise and today was lounging on the laptop while I was trying to write. A herd of buffalo sounds good to me. They are probably less tenacious.LOL

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  5. Cats are evil. I'll take my wonderful dog anytime.

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  6. Very cute post. It made me smile as I thought about how earlier today my little black cat was wandering over my desk as I wrote. Hubby and I are definitely writers. We have one cat each.

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  7. I love cats. Live in a five-story building, alone without a mate or pet now. I would love to have a kitten-2B-cat, but it would not be fair to leave it all alone all way. Maybe if I ever move down to ground level. It seems inhumane to leave a cat home alone all day all week. Thanks for making me think about this. ~Namaste, Peta-de-Aztlan

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  8. nice.
    :)

    http://hulahopa.wordpress.com

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  9. "They say the test of [literary power] is whether a man can write an inscription. I say, "Can he name a kitten?" And by this test I am condemned, for I cannot." -- Samuel Butler


    It took me a week to name my last pair of kittens. Were they complicated names? They're Jack and Daisy! This might make some comment on my literary prowess...

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  10. I couldn't agree with you more! I can't imagine trying to write without the *ahem* assistance of my cat - some of her typing is almost legible. Great blog BTW, I wish I'd discovered it sooner.

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  11. I find my cat great source of inspiration, she finds my writing inspirational too...sadly its chasing my pens inspiration

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  12. Thanks for all the great comments about your feline friends!

    -nap

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  13. HaHa! I love this post. I have two cats but ironically it is my big 100 lb dog that keeps vigil with me in my writing room. Thank God he doesn't feel the need to bang the keys for my attention. But the cats do dust the bookcases with their tails while resting there, which is handy.

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  14. Very, very true. My MamaFireCrazyBaby sits on top of the monitor while I write.

    Friend: Why havn't you invested in one of the flatscreen monitors? It saves so much space and-

    Me: WHERE WOULD THE CAT SIT??!!?!!?

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  15. I have a dog but I love cats! Good post!

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