Kitties, Kitties, Who's Got The Kitties?!? ;-)

Someone recently asked me if the kitty in my novel Taken By The Huntsman (and the one in my upcoming second novel) are based on my pet kitties. The answer is yes and no. Sir Fuzzalot, in Taken By The Huntsman, has attributes and characteristics of several kitties I've had the privilege to know over the years. I've had a couple of kitties who had the long, silver/gray tabby fur and the large, stocky Maine Coon body type. Ironically though, neither of them acquired the moniker "fuzzy" (or any derivative or version thereof) while in my keeping. My "fuzzy" (or rather His Royal Fuzzinessness) was a short-haired blue/gray kitty (sort of looked like a Russian Blue) who passed from this plain of existence while I was in the middle of writing Taken By The Huntsman. He was 13 years old at the time, and his passing was very sudden and unexpected. I was fortunate enough to meet him when he was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and he made two trips across the country with me during his lifetime.

Sir Fuzzalot was already a character in Taken By The Huntsman when my "fuzzy" died, but I now sort of consider the book a tribute to him; along with the two kitties I think of when I think of Sir Fuzzalot's appearance, one of whom died of feline leukemia virus when I was a teenager and the other of whom died several years ago of kidney disease. Sir Fuzzalot's personality is also a conglomeration of these three kitties and several more I've known over the years. All kitties show their affection and appreciation of the humans who are lucky enough to know them in different ways. I chose to use some of the most endearing methods I've been privileged enough to witness over the years and combined them in the distinguished personage of Sir Fuzzalot.

Mr. Spatz (who you've been briefly introduced to, though not by name, if you've read the first chapter of the second book that I posted) is also a combination of many kitties I've known. He's a young cat, not fully grown. Somewhere around a tween and a teen. So his personality isn't fully developed yet and he's a bit rambunctious, as you'll come to find out if you read my second novel. Having done cat rescue for more years than I care to contemplate (and having worked with quite a few rescue groups in my travels) I've known many kitties in this awkward stage, and I've learned they are often just as confused and misunderstood as human children in the same phase of development. I hope to reflect this awkwardness and uncertainty in Mr. Spatz's character. His appearance is as a short-haired, black and white, tuxedo kitty, which some people may consider a rather generic appearance for a cat. I assure you, once you've known more than one tuxedo kitty you'll learn that no two are exactly alike, and Mr. Spatz will have his uniqueness as well.

So, are the kitties in my books based on the kitties in my life? Well, yes....and no.