WRITING, CATS, AND THE MYTH OF PERSONAL SPACE

Writing suspense novels demands focus, quiet, and a clear mind to craft all those nail-biting chapter endings. However, Elmer, Felix, and Agnes have their own ideas about how a writing session should go, and I have little control over what they decide to do. Between sweeping my cats off my keyboard, correcting the random typos they create by spirited pouncing, and tuning out their persistent meows for attention, concentrating is impossible. But instead of wallowing in frustration, I choose to look at these moments as a source of daily comedy and unexpected inspiration.

Here’s a peek into the hilarious and sometimes maddening habits my cats bring to my writerly endeavors...and how I manage to keep my manuscripts moving forward anyway.

The Desktop Takeover

Writing disruption most often occurs when the cats decide my desk is the absolute best place to take a nap, sometimes with one paw carefully balanced on my arm. When I sit down to write, at least one of them immediately leaps onto my lap, or barring the lap, my desk. If the sun is spilling through the windows and creating a nice, warm, irresistible spot, I just give up and let them their way. I draw the line at the keyboard pounce, though, which leads to:

• Random typos and deleted sentences: I often find strange strings of letters or missing paragraphs because a cat walked across the keyboard.

• Forced breaks: I have to pause and gently remove them from my desk, only to have them return moments later. Yes, it's adorable they want to be close to me, but my desk is off limits. Kind of.

• Cuteness Alert: Sleeping cats have the power to mesmerize...especially if they're entwined around each other or sleeping on their backs. I have trouble getting back to my manuscript, because they're so darn cute.

Despite the interruptions, these moments remind me to take breaks and breathe. Sometimes, stepping away from the screen to scoop up a cat resets my focus better than coffee. However, all the scooping annoys Elmer and Felix, pictured above. They've learned to endure.

The Pounce and Play

Cats are natural hunters, and their playful pounces often target pens, paper clips, or even the cursor on my screen (if I dare to move it). This leads to:

Scattered notes: Papers fly off the desk as they bat at them.

Lost pens and stationery: I frequently find pens under the couch or behind furniture after a playful ambush. Underneath the couch in my "office" (the sunroom, really) is a gathering place for all manner of dead bugs the cats have mangled, jewelry that's been lost for months that they scooped off a tabletop, and grandchild toys they've dug out of the toy basket in the corner.

Interrupted thought flow: After many disgruntled sighs, I may have to leave my writing zone, walk ten paces, reach into a drawer, and find a cat toy to keep them busy. So annoying.

THE PLAINTIVE MEOW

My cats provide a constant soundtrack of meows, chirps, and purrs. Their vocal demands range from polite requests to urgent calls for attention. Two words. Ear. Buds. Or it might be one word. Earbuds. Whatever. I don't want to look it up.

CLIMBING & PERCHING

Cats love high places, and WINDOWS. Particularly my windows, outside of which hang several bird feeders they ogle with wildness in their eyes. Also, my office windows overlook our deck which hosts many squirrels during the day. My cats love squirrels more than birds and they'll soar through the air, heedless of my seated, irritated form in the chair, and land precariously on a windowsill to watch a squirrel. This habit causes:

Profanity.

Falling objects: Everything tumbles, creating mini-disasters. Woe unto me if I have an open water bottle in their way.

Disrupted workflow: I must mumble and complain and reorganize my desk. Again.

Unexpected inspiration: Watching their graceful antics sometimes frees my mind, makes me laugh. I write better when I'm loose and happy.

CAT NAP FEVER

When cats decide it’s nap time, the soothing rumble of purring and their cuddly, warm bodies make it tempting to join them. This leads to:

An emergency cup of coffee, or...

Comfort and calm: Stress reduction. Who doesn't love a purring cat? So reassuring.

I’ve accepted that some writing days will be slower, and that’s okay. Agnes agrees.

A LIGHT HEART

They remind me not to take myself too seriously.

The “helpful” editor: Felix loves to sit on the manuscript and stare at the screen, as if judging my word choices.

The surprise attack: A sudden paw swipe at my hand while typing.

The planned invasion: All three try to claim my lap at once, beginning a meowing session of epic proportions. Time to grab the earbuds.

As of this moment, I spy only one cat sleeping peacefully beside me in the room. I suspect the other two have wandered into my husband's office on the other side of the house to enjoy an entire wall of windows and the afternoon sun. In the end, the pages get written, but often with a slight coating of fur and the unsolicited editing of cautious paws.

If you enjoyed this post, you'll enjoy my latest release, too! Find out more here.