Writers and their cat muses

“I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat.”  ~Edgar Allan Poe

I own three cats–two orange brothers (Teddy Bear and Simba) and an older gray and white female cat (Precious Chase aka P.C.) who acts as their surrogate mother. Not only do my cats provide love, affection, and constant entertainment (I believe they were stand-up comics in a previous life) but they have, on occasion, acted as muses.

A few years ago, as I was finishing my thesis for my MFA program, I’d been having trouble with a particular chapter near the end of my book. I walked into our sunroom one day to find Teddy Bear, our 15-lb orange boy, literally eating my chapter–tearing it into little pieces and swallowing them. He made me see that the chapter had to go and instead of rewriting it, he was going to help me shred it.

Simba, his 20-lb part-Maine Coon brother, recently inspired one of the demon animals in my fantasy novel. One day as he woke from a nap, he stretched in a certain position with his tongue flicking away and in that pose I saw a flash of  a new creature–one with the body of a cat and the head of a snake. Viola! A creature was born for my story.

And P.C. reminds me when it’s time to play. Each night, after the boys and humans have gone to bed, she carries one of her cat nip toys around the house–hanging from the corner of her mouth–and meows as loudly as she can (which is VERY loud). It’s her way of unwinding and enjoying a little nip in the evening.

Here’s a few fun links to writers and their cats, including author Stephen King:

http://writersandkitties.tumblr.com

http://acatonmykeyboard.wordpress.com 

If you’d like to read stories of other women writers and their cats check out Cat Women: Female Writers on Their Feline Friend.

Have you ever had a pet act as muse or inspire you in any way as a writer? Please share!