Do cats work hard? They sure don’t act like it. After all, they’re rated the 9th laziest animal by pawnation.com, who should know a thing or two about all things pawed.
Of course, we know that cats do work hard, just in their own way. They kill enough mice and rats to keep us from swimming in vermin and that’s no small thing. I don’t think the title of this post will be seen in the New York Times anytime soon, but that’s not saying it shouldn’t be. Maybe they could pay taxes in rat tails or something.
Let me tell you about one cat who worked hard. Her name was Maya. She was more than a cat though: she was a lady. She had a job but had to keep out of sight because of health inspectors. She had an infuriating owner, a high-classed friend named Puccini, and a rakish tomcat brother named Gloves. She was also a writer, who tapped out her memoirs, one paw stroke at a time. These memoirs are collected in a small book called Notes from a Working Cat, by Susannah Bianchi. I recently interviewed her about the book.
David: First of all, let me say I enjoyed this book a lot. Where did you get the inspiration for it?
Susannah: Maya was an actual cat on the Avenue where I live. I first met her sleeping in the window after hours. She was the prettiest kitty amid the apples and oranges.
D: Who is your favorite character in this story and why?
S: Maya, of course, with Puccini as a close second for her glamor . . . pearls instead of a collar. If I come back as a cat, I’d want to be Puccini, the Liz Taylor of Pusses.
D: What was the hardest part about writing this book?
S: Not making a full-fledged book, thinking less would be more.
D: Do you have a set place and time you write?
S: I like writing at first light, when all is quiet and I have the world to myself.
D: Finally, do you have any insights or words of inspiration for other writers?
S: Just forget about fame and fortune. All that will come doing what you love. 
Notes from a Working Cat is on sale now at Amazon.com. Go check it out.
The Green-Walled Tower 
February 27th, 2015 at 7:25 am
Reblogged this on Finding Myself Through Writing and commented:
My friend Susannah has an interview up on The Green-Walled Tower about her latest book – ‘Notes From A Working Cat’. Great short read with lots of laughs for your weekend pleasure. It will warm your bones! ~Elle
March 17th, 2015 at 2:00 am
great post david.
May 19th, 2015 at 1:47 am
“They kill enough mice and rats to keep us from swimming in vermin” – I doubt this is true. The vermin will breed at a rate that takes account of food supply, life span, predator activity, disease, &c. For creatures with a short gestation, a dynamic equilibrium is achieved quite quickly. So removing the predators will give a brief increase but this quickly reduces to match the food supply.
May 19th, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Good point, although the potential food supply in a place like New York is arguably enough to support quite a larger number of vermin, not that I’d like to think about it.