Copeland - Really Important Stuff My Cat Has Taught Me

Really Important Stuff My Cat Has Taught Me Cynthia L. Copeland Workman Publishing New York For my favorite cat lovers: Julie, Lindsey, Leslie, and Gabe As always, Im deeply grateful for the guidance and wisdom of the best editor in the biz, Margot Herrera. For fifteen years, Ive trusted her instincts and welcomed her insights. She always makes my books better. Thank you to my amazing agent Dan Lazar of Writers House, who sealed the deal. And many thanks to those talented folks at Workman who helped with photo research, design, copyediting, and more: Anne Kerman, Michael Di Mascio, Ken Yu, Jean-Marc Troadec, James Williamson, Evan Griffith, and Kim Daly.

Contents Introduction A Laugh, a Cuddle, a Tonic T welve years ago, my daughter Alex came upon an ad in our local newspaper: A family in a nearby town was trying to find homes for a litter of kittens. We drove to their house (in a blizzard) to find just one kitten left. She had bright blue eyes and was a creamy gray color; the tips of her ears, her feet, and her tail were a shade darker. She was as soft and as fuzzy as a cotton ball. We named her Phoebe. Phoebe was a spunky kitten, able to hold her own against our enthusiastic yellow lab, obnoxious parrot, and the myriad other creatures that came and went in our house thanks to Alexs sister who was working after school in a pet store.

With a right jab that even Muhammad Ali would have envied, Phoebe earned her spot at the top of the animal heap. From the start, she taught us a lot about advocating for ourselves. Shes made a habit of self-confidence and never plays the victim. In many ways, Phoebes a typical cat (if there is such a thing). She often gallops through the house at midnight for no apparent reason, sneaks under the kitchen table at breakfast time to bite everyones toes, and seems to anticipate my work schedule, falling asleep on my computer keyboard just before I sit down at my desk to write. Phoebe claiming her rightful spot She also enjoys being an enigma: Catnip bores her and so does her bedshe prefers sleeping against a rock painted to look like a cat. Phoebe claiming her rightful spot She also enjoys being an enigma: Catnip bores her and so does her bedshe prefers sleeping against a rock painted to look like a cat.

The toe spacer thingy from my pedicure offers an hours worth of entertainment, while the overpriced cat toy covered with feathers that squeaks like a mouse is met with disinterest if not downright disdain. Considering that most of her time is spent napping and hiding from us, Phoebe still has a significant impact on our lives. Wherever shes stretched out with her eyes closed, whether its in front of the woodstove (her favorite spot) or in the dent shes made along the back of the couch (second favorite), she infuses the room with tranquility. Her mere presence is soothing. And now that the kids have all grown up and moved on, she gives the house lifeand gives the kids a reason to come back and visit. She fully embraces her importance in our world.

She knows shes needed. She knows shes adored. Hopefully shell be in our lives for another twelve years.