Creature Comforts
On another author loop, a writer remarked that we seem to, collectively, own a LOT of cats and dogs. In thinking about it . . . that seems to be true. And in thinking about it more, I guess it's company for us solitary souls who write for a living.
I have a corgi. He looks like the one at left, only he is MUCH, MUCH fatter, much to my and his vet's dismay. He is like a corgi on prednisone. I also have two mutt puppies--adorable and a little crazy. And as a writer, no, I do not talk to them. Occasionally, I mutter to them in frustration, but I do like to write late at night with Chubby Dog snoring on the rug in my office. Actually, Chubby is named Chip. The other two are Cosmo and Dreamer.
I also have a pet python. He is actually my older son's pet, and I am not friends with Lydia (the snake). As a Buddhist, Lydia's preferred food choice of live rat pups really makes me squeamish and upsets me. But my son really loves Lydia, so . . . she is there in a tank in his room and I avoid her.
I also have a parrot. She is a cockatoo, actually, and she talks. She tells me she loves me all the time. This is nice because when I spend a lot of time alone, I start to wonder if anyone loves me. She confirms there is at least one bird on the planet who does.
Then there is Blossom. I talk to her. She is a Beta fish and sits on my desk. She sometimes mocks me when I don't have any good ideas, but she is usually supportive. She is full of wisdom.
Out on my porch, I have Zen, my canary. Love Zen! He sings sometimes. He is getting old for a canary . . . and I worry about Old Zen. I talk to him a lot. He knows ALL my problems.
And so that's my creature comfort. I do like the company. I love caring for them all. And I know, yes, as Americans, we own a lot of pets. But writers . . . well, we seem to have more than most.
So tell me about your pets if you have any.
So tell me about your pets if you have any.
Peace,
E
E
Labels: dogs and cats and writers, pets
posted by Erica Orloff at 6:39 AM
17 Comments:
I just posted a pic of my cat Sammy on my blog. :o
I also have a Beagle named Brian after the talking dog on The Family Guy. But mine doesn't talk. He just sheds. A lot.
They both keep me company when my husband travels.
We have a Chihuahua-Corgi mix. She has the same body as the one in the picture you've posted, but she has shorter hair and a longer tail.
When my husband and I decided to adopt a dog, I really wanted a Chihuahua (I had one when I was growing up) and he really wanted a Corgi...Then at the FIRST pound we walked into, we found her. I had never in my life heard of a Chihuahua-Corgi Mix, but there you have it!
She's been perfect for our family.
I have three Siamese cats. The mother, Jasmine, and her sons, Lightening and Storm. Once their mother gets past the evil mamma stage, I hope she'll return to her sunning place atop my desk. (If not maybe one of the boys will enjoy listening to me discuss my characters and plots.) Writing is a solitary journey, and my four-legged companions are great company.
Sebastian (aka Baz) and Toast (aka The Toaster with the Moster) are my cats, and they like to listen to my 'read aloud' drafts that I usually do toward the end of any book. They don't comment often, but an occassional loud meowr is taken as appreciation. :-)
I have a toothless cat named Cougar. He's 13 years old and just wants to sleep. Our other pet is a Jack Russell. Her name is Piper from the series Charmed. She's a real burger head.
I have 4 cats:
Choo-choo aka Ezri, a fussy and sensitive cat about 8 years old;
Dixie, a 4 year old who still plays like a kitten and drags her toys around the house like they're her teddy bears;
Caesar, a great big, loving lug who likes to plop on laps and get petted;
and the baby of the family, Ittle-Bittle aka Iggle-Biggle, a big, demanding two-year old baby who thinks the world revolves around her and food, and that her fifteen pounds will fit on my four-inch shoulder.
My cats, Norman and Gordon, are mutt brothers. I got them as 1 year olds and planned to rename them...but their names just fit them so well.
They are lap cats who hate it when I type because that means I cannot act as cat furniture!
Can't imagine what my life would be without them.
Jen
Heather:
LOVe that the beagle is named Brian!!! I would expect him to start chatting at any moment.
Michele:
It's fate!
We lost our beloved Honi--a cocker spaniel/border collie mix four or five years ago, and I can STILL cry over her. She passed away . . . and I still have her collar near my desk. It's amazing how perfect some pets are for our families.
kathy:
When I was 21, and a brand-new editor, I got a Siamese cat from a woman at work. I had never owned a cat before, but this cat became so important to me for the next ten years. It was a "he"--and was more like a dog. He liked to come in the shower with me (swear it!), and--don't read this while having breakfast--when I moved to a really, really rough neighborhood, my apartment was great (crown molding, fireplace) but lots of cockroaches. And he would hunt them down and kill them, and then leave them for me on my bed as a gift.
Okay. Hope you have recovered from reading that. But I loved my Siamese cat. :-)
E
michele:
That is so writerly and cool.
E
spy:
LOL. I am picturing the cat on your shoulder.
E
la:
Every time I see a Jack Russell, I think of Eddie on Frasier.
jk:
My puppies think that my lap is a fine resting spot. They are small mutts, but they are stocky--and get heavy after a while.
And yes, I cannot imagine a home without pets.
E
I have a tank full of tropical fish and a goldfish (who has her own tank). I talk to them while I'm writing since they're generally very receptive to my ideas.
My cat lives with my parents since I can't have pets in my rented house (the fish are allowed because they don't climb out of the tank and wreck up the place.) I adore my cat. My parents care for him but I know they don't find him very loveable because he's anti-social and a bit of a mess.
When I lived at home, he would sit on my lap while I wrote and drool all over me.
naomi:
It's amazing how perceptive those fish can be. :-)
E
Eegads, Erica! I'm never going to get that image out of my head! A pile of cockroaches on the bed?
Choo-choo watched me (with too much fascination) cry and rant and fuss for two hours, trying to get rid of a dead mouse she'd so proudly given to me. After that incident, she thoughtfully placed all her catches in front of her litter box (or mine), for easy disposal.
spy:
Believe me . . . It would GROSS me out. But then I would think . . "At least they're dead and not scuttling around my apartment." I lived two blocks from a crackden/the projects. It was creepy.
E
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