Bibliophile and Barbara E., you’re the winners. Please send your snailmail address to my cat, elailah AT yahoo DOT com, and congrats.
In celebration of receiving my author copies of BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN, I’m giving away two copies, here, today! I’ll pick winners at midnight EST (groan, I’m sure I’ll still be up) and post them at the top of this post, so check back in.
To enter, tell me what sort of Regency character your pet would be.
This is by way of a build up to a terrific event this Sunday, September 19, when Liz Carlyle visits here on her charity blogtour, not only giving away a signed copy of her latest ONE TOUCH OF SCANDAL, but HarperCollins has generously offered to donate up to $3,000 ($1 per person per post on the entire blogtour) to Liz’s favorite cat rescue charity, Cat Angels. Wow!
So, here’s my cat. (Liz’s, I assure you, are much cuter and there will be pics of them on Sunday).
This is her usual unpleasant expression, as she expresses concern that the landing really does need to be painted (I put undercoat on about ten years ago. You don’t want to rush these things). She was a stray who, as soon as she realized she was getting three squares a day, ignored us for the next eight years or so except when she was hungry.
You think she looks cuddly? Ha.
But she almost died a few years ago and suddenly got friendlier, realizing that possibly I had something to do with her recovery.
As she ages she is getting slightly friendlier and although not a big sitter on laps (or a “real cat” in my terminology) likes to cuddle up next to you. Every morning she wakes me by affectionately digging her claws into my face and then accompanies me to the bathroom where she gnaws on my shins while I tell her to stop it. When I put food in her dish, which I gather is the whole point of the claws, biting etc. she walks away and sits staring into space.
If you stroke her in the wrong way, absentmindedly, or too much, she bites. Sometimes she just bites for the hell of it. She is absolutely terrified of everyone except me, my husband, my daughter, and inexplicably one of my daughter’s friends a few years ago, who was photographed holding her. (He was also wearing my daughter’s prom dress. It was a strange evening, I guess.)
I think she’d make a good old-style virginal Regency heroine who lives in a gothic mansion. One of those shy ones who then gets mad and throws things. Yep, timid but morphing into a feisty, passionate one with fish breath.
What sort of Regency character would your pet be?
I have two pets, both male cockatiels. One would make a good emotionally wounded hero with trust issues who is nevertheless something of a flirt, while the other would be a rakish Corinthian type who likes to fight duels and gamble and enjoys good food and beautiful women.
Thank you, Janet! I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your support of this blogathon. I am a hopeless cat rescuer myself (my brood is now up to four, and I have forced so many homeless felines upon my family in the years I’ve been alive)! We just rescued another about two weeks ago. And my allergy prone husband, who bemoaned cat #3 fiercely, refuses to give up #4 (Goose, whose story you’ll hear later…)…
I’m calling everyone who participates in this blog event a furry godmother! Is that fair?
Cat rescuers unite! We have taken in so many over the years I have lost count, and they have all lead long, happy and healthy lives under our roof. That isn’t to say it was always easy (or cheap!) but the rewards are endless. Thanks to all that, like myself, help the animals without a voice.
I have a few feline rakes and damsels in my house right now, that is for sure!
Ahhh…I live in a petless home! Maybe a pet should rescue me? Maybe one of those feline rakes or damsels?
Our goldfish is a quiet type but a fighter. I am very proud of having nursed it back to health from what looked like a terminal case of fin rot (spending more on tank medications than I did to buy the fish).
We have a indoor outdoor cat named Blacky. I know we are not very creative at all. He’s all black and is going grey. It looks as if he has gotten himself into a can of paint! He also has a crooked tail. Not sure why his tail is kinked though he adopted us about 7years ago. We have been feeding him ever since.
He is very lazy and likes to loll around in the sunny spots around our yard and when he is not sleeping he is catching birds and mice and all sorts of other hapless creatures. We tried a bell collar but after he lost the 10th one we gave up on that idea. He is very affectionate and friendly and loves to snuggle up and scrath my couches! I have little kids so he tends to shy away from them sometimes. He follows us where ever we go especially at night when I go outside to put the chickens to bed. Its dark and kinda creepy sometimes in country and his company is alway welcome. I think he would make a very good hero’s best friend. Like the lazy but goodhearted friend that tags along wherever the food is! Loyal and friendly but when called to help out he is first in line giving aid to his best buddy!
eric250r@coosnet.com
Janet, I LOVE her. What is her name? She can come live at my house. Well, if Elliot agrees . . .
I don’t have any pets at present; my last cat Herbert died a few years ago. In the course of his too short life he was infected with FIV and there was no cure. He had a merry spirit, so I think of him as a sort of feline Rupert Alastair, riding off ventre a terre into adventure, leaping furniture and rooftops alike with great if not always well thought out enthusiasm. I will always miss his cheerful little self.
Oh, great blog post! I have three cats: His Grace, the Duke of Wellington, Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, and Blair-Buffy. I also have two dogs, a white Boxer mix named Mika, and a pureblood Boxer, Chase Utley. (I’m a Phillies fan!)
All five have wonderful, distinct personalities…I’m afraid His Grace, Welly, is not in the least martial…he’s quiet and affectionate..best friends with Blair-Buffy, they’re inseparable…he’s quite bookish in that he likes to nap on any book he can find…and he’s contemplative, always staring into the dustmotes as the sun shines in family room windows…so he’d probably be one of those scholarly vicars of a country parish who made a love-match with an aristocratic younger daughter and they’re wildly happy together but without two pence to rub together…
Smokey Joe, my long-haired gray cat, would be the pompous bewigged gentleman who would stand on the edge of society judging everyone and delivering set-downs to upstart society members. The older he gets the more he dislikes strangers but he enjoys hiding on a tall shelf when they over and observing them without them being aware. He is also demanding about the food so I imagine he would be slightly portly, enjoying the finer things in life.
Great post, it made me giggle!
I have one male cat who is fairly needy, but doesn’t like to be picked up. I imagine he would be a Vicar who desperately wants approval from his flock but doesn’t socialize much.
I have a rescued Brittany spaniel whom I absolutely love. Her first owner (a man) abused her and it took quite a long time for her to get better.
She would be a wounded heroine with trust issues who overcomes them to lead a wonderful and joyous life — at least I hope she considers living with me to be wonderful and joyous!
We have a gothic novel going on in our house.
Cat#1. The frail female – abused by the male cats in her life, she’s retreated to the kitchen table, only to become fiesty when they try to encroach on her space.
Cat#2 The Beta Male – Mr. Nice Guy, gets along with everyone. Has only one flaw – throws up hairballs.
Cat#3 The Alpha Male – Black Cat with a NYC attitude – picks a fight when he really only wants to be friends and play.
Cat#4 The Villain – constantly aggressive toward the female, but a coward underneath.
High drama….except when they are all asleep which is most of the time!
Clancy, my mastiff, is totally the “best friend” Beta hero. He’s sweet, and loyal, and funny, but a protective beast is lurking inside . . .
snort. A goldfish who is a quiet type but a fighter? Okay… how about the garrulous goldfish in the tank?
Aaw, Bibliophile, I love cockatiels.
Liz, I’ll trade my cat for a real one any time, but I don’t think you’d be happy with Elailah. I realized this blog title does in fact sound as though I’m giving away cats too (what a Freudian slip).
Diane, I always love hearing about your dysfunctional felines.
Pam and Tiffany, I applaud your rescue efforts and I love the term furry godmother. I’m using BFF (Best Furred Friends) for Sunday’s blog post with Liz.
Karen H, I believe Angel Cats is in Cary, NC, if that’s in your neighborhood. They have adorable kitties on their site, unlike mine (yes, Elailah, I’m talking about you).
Johanna, your cat sounds like a real character to make up for the name (when I was a kid our pet rabbits were named Blackie, Brownie, and Snowy. Bet you can’t guess what colors they were). I wonder if his tail was broken at some point?
Deborah, are your friends are surprised when you tell them that the Duke of Wellington sat on your lap for hours?
Sorry you lost your dashing hero, Janice. I expect some of these ladies could fix you up with a furry beast lickety split.
Novel Reactions, I hope your cat doesn’t take to dropping on visitors’ heads from his perch.
Barbara, your cat probably fears the congregation will not respect him if he’s found cradled in a female’s arms.
My black cat Pepsi would make a fine regency rake, he exudes confedience and walks with the grace of a predatory cat, oh wait, he is a cat! handsome too!
my pet would be a rake
Sorry I am late to the party, but I so enjoyed hearing about everyone’s pets !!
Janet, your cat sounds very like my 24 pound black manx – Bagheera. Everything is completely and utterly beneath him. His litter box must be scooped immediately after it is used. Dogs who have the temerity to sniff Bagheera’s bed get a swift cuff around the ear. Fortunately for them (and unfortunately for him) Bagheera has been quatra-declawed, but he does have paws the size of saucers. (He was declawed when a tornado forced his owner to move into a no-pets apartment. I think he would have to be Prinny !!
My tiger striped tabby, Rebecca Marie, would have to be the not-too-bright ingenue. She is a complete flirt and as silly as they come. Her best friends are actually my dogs!
Frodo the Horrible would have to be the villain. However, he would be a villain with one true love that he adores. The rest of the world would simply be his victims.
Looking forward to Sunday!
Jenny-cat is a rescue cat twice over – I rescued her from the folks who’d rescued her from the shelter. (They were divorcing, had moved out of the house and hadn’t quite gotten around to making arrangements for the cat.) She’s the eccentric spinster aunt, a little shy with the neighbors but affectionate and opinionated in the family. She likes to settle on my keyboard, or between me and my book, and is sulking on top of the scanner right now because I won’t let her sit in my lap while I’m trying to type.