Meet Axel. This is him doing what he does best—sleeping. He loves me and gets moody if he misses out on sitting in my lap while I drink my first cup of coffee every morning, but he’s not too fond of other people. He drools when I pet him. I’ve never had a cat do that before. And he is super jealous when it comes to me and other cats.
You might have guessed it, but when it comes to dogs versus cats, I’m definitely a cat lover! I’ve had a few dogs over the years, but I’ve never in my life NOT owned a cat. But for all you dog lovers out there, no worries. I don’t discriminate when it comes to fictional pets. In fact, I’ve written more dogs to life than cats in my stories.
The first one, and probably the one with the most character is a Yorkiepoo named Winston from Heart’s Desire.
Winston sat on the couch, watching her every move. He probably wondered if he would be going bye-bye with her. She rubbed his fuzzy head and told him to be a good boy while she was gone. He knew those words were code for you have to stay here all by yourself—again. He laid down and placed his chin between his paws, giving his best sad-puppy look, but it didn’t work this time. Bailey picked up her camera bag and purse and walked out the door.
Cats and dogs are not the only pets I’ve written about. There are a pair of African gray-headed lovebirds in Upon A Dream. (part of the Once Upon a Christmas collection) It was fun researching about the birds.
Talia lifted the door and ran her fingers over Dunkin’s green feathers. He gently pecked at her hand searching for a treat. She shook the box of goodies and the noise became deafening as he excitedly hopped from one perch to another. After giving him his treat, she reached one further into the cage to where Frita sat in the nesting box. Familiar guilt settled over her as she doled out the dried fruit.
And of course, I do have cats. The Spencers in Waiting For You have a bunch of feral barn cats—all named Elvis. And Irresistibly Yours has a skittish tortoiseshell cat with a cropped tail named Ember. The cat learns the lesson of trust along with her new owner.
She watched as the speckled cat started up the steps toward her. “Good evening, Ember. Your supper awaits, but you’ll have to come past me to get to it. I promise not to touch you.”
The cat stopped midway up the stairs, her green eyes stretched wide. Then she darted past Vivian. It was the closest she had ever come before, and it felt like a victory.
Vivian jumped a little when an unexpected furry body rubbed against her elbow. The cat had doubled back to press against Vivian’s arm. She eased her hand out and Ember rubbed against her fingertips. This was proof that the cat didn’t start out wild. Someone had mistreated her, which had made her shy away from other people as a way of protecting herself from it happening again.
“You know what? You and I are a lot alike.”
The cat moved toward the railing away from Vivian. She wore a satisfied look now—almost like she was smiling. Then she darted on up to the porch to enjoy her meal.
Vivian’s skin tingled in amazement. She rubbed her arms, trying to dispel the goose bumps. It was as if God had sent the cat and let her experience this moment so He could show her a reflection of her own life. A man had deeply hurt her—one she had trusted and loved. But just as Vivian wasn’t anything like the one who had hurt Ember, every man out there wasn’t out to do the same to her.
What about you? Any pets? Are there any fictional pets that have left a memorable impression? One commenter will win an ebook copy of Heart’s Desire.
Each of Andrea Boyd’s series represents a different genre but all fall into the category of romance. All offer an element of her own brand of humor. And all are a tribute to God. Besides writing, she loves spending time with her family, quilting, going to car shows, and driving around in her 1968 Barracuda convertible. Andrea lives with her husband, Tommy, and at least a couple of cats in York County, SC.
I don’t have any pets at the moment but I did have a cat for 16 years. Cuddles loved to be on my lap and often would try to plop down on the book I was reading.
Hi Andrea! Enjoy having pets. Our family has had cats, Shelties, a canary winged bee bee parrot (similiar to a love bird) and a hermit crab. As a child I had several parakeets and a cat. At 70 with health conditions, a dog or cat might outlive us, so we enjoy our Sheltie grand puppy Ivy. Ivy visits several times a week, when the grandkids come to attend Oma’s Virtual Academy. One of the most memorable animals in stories are Shanna Hatfield’s Christmas series the Friendly Beasts of Faraday with Lolly the camel, Pete the donkey, Bacon the puppy, Ivy the calf, Shep the sheep, and Jasper the dove. Another animal is Valerie Comer’s Pansy the goat. This avid reader enjoys reading delightful comical stories about how unusual animals drive a story. Also read stories about a rooster, tortoise, pigeon. Best wishes and happy writing.
I have a rabbit. I love pets in fiction. They are often so sweet (:
I have had a number of pets over the years. On the farm I had: Goldie (palomino horse) Burgandy Rose (shorthorn cow) Squeak (boar raised him from a runt to 900 lbs.) there were more on the farm. and then there were all the house pets Lady (dog) Sharee (dog moms) numerous cats, Mobi, Honey etc. When I got married my husband was allergic to cats so…we had two birds (finches), many fish, Barney and Friend (two gerbils) Muffin (guinea pig) Penny (keeshond dog) When Penny died our kids got us a cat (thankfully my husband was not allergic to him) We had Shadow (russian blue/main coon) for thirteen years. Now we have two rescue kittens a year and a half old, Nickel (russian blue mix) and Feather (short haired) I love to read about animals in the books I read. One of my favorites is Amanda Flower who writes the cozy series An Amish Candy Shop Mysteries There is a pig named Jethro. He is such a hoot. (course I am partial to pigs)
Each of the stories I’ve written have included pets. Two sweet, loyal dogs and one naughty cat. Animals have always been a part of my life, so it feels natural to include them in the lives of characters I write. Great post!
Cats demand attention. He was letting you know that he took precedence over the book-and anything else, for that matter. lol
Wow, I’m impressed you remember the names of all those animals. I had to look up some of my own and I’m the one who named them! And as dogs go, shelties are one of my favorites.
Rabbits seem to be a more popular pet now than they used to be.
I bet you miss living on the farm. And I’m glad your husband got over his allergies!
Thanks!
We have 4 fur babies. My cats names are Marley, Toby, Lenny, Clyde.
We have fish :) and cockatiel who thinks he is a chicken and a rooster at once and can do both sounds LOL
I love it when their are pets featured in books. I like both cats and dogs, they add so much to your life.
Pets have always been a conundrum for me. I enjoy both cats and dogs but I’m allergic to both. Not so bad that I can’t visit someone who has a pet but living with them 24/7 can get to be pretty miserable. Having said that, there’s nothing like a kitty climbing in your lap and purring to beat the band!
In stories, I have enjoyed the role that pets have had in bringing characters together (Pansy the goat not withstanding :). One of my favorite puppies is Mr. Benny Hercules from Carol Moncado’s MOC story, “Discovering Home”. There is also “the dog the size of a Buick” from Jan Karon’s “At Home in Mitford”. In general, for literary pets, I give two thumbs up (and a good scratch behind the ears)!
I can’t have a pet during this season; however, I’ve been taking care of my neighbors two cats since the last week of July. I’m more of a cat person than a dog person, but I like both. I’ve about decided after taking care of these two cats that I will not be getting a cat because I don’t taking care of the litter box. The cats we had when I was growing up were both indoor and outdoor cats, but anymore, they’d have to be totally indoor. If I need a dog fix, I can go to my neighbor on the other side of my house, as they have three German Shepherds and a cocker spaniel. I love to read about pets in books, though!!
I am owned by two cats. (I say this cos I am their slave). Both were rescue cats Libby (short for Liberty) is about 3 now and a brat. She is also very skittish and if someone comes near the place she is out the door and hiding. Henry doesn’t like other people either and will run but he’s not quite as bad. If he is asleep and someone comes as long as they don’t go near him he will stay in the house. I have never had a cat (Libby) that has been so scared of things. her eyes almost look round with a tiny slit of the pupil and you can see the fear in her. She was dumped when she was pregnant. Henry was dumped with his brother who found a home straight away but because he too is weary and not the cuddle bunny when you first meet him (It became very clear he was abused) he was passed over for the friendly cat. I fell for him he was so sweet. He had been at the vets for 122 days when I adopted him and Libby (3 months for her) They came as a pair. Libby loves to sit on my lap and tries to steal my bed (I have a single bed) but doesn’t like to be held much. where as Henry won’t sit on the lap but loves to have cuddles and puts his head into me for more cuddles. Libby is a Tortie and Henry is a tabby.
In fiction I don’t mind most pets (in real life I am scared of dogs). But I do like to see a cat. Cheryl Wyatt’s first series book one we meet Psych a cat with character and a mind of his own. He is in other books in the series and he really made an impression.
I’ve had cats and dogs but presently we don’t have one. I’d love to have a cat and hubby would prefer a dog.
A really cute dog is in a book I’m reading now, it’s Daisy from The Sowing Season by Katie Powner.
Hi,I have a dog and he is half Schnauzer and he is 7 yrs old. He is a sweet and very good boy. He love to go on his morning walks , he is always ready and very excited to go on our walks. I love to read about different animals in books, I think pets make our lives much, much better in all ways. Thank you so much for the awesome post. (not entering the giveaway, but thank you) Have a Great rest of the week and stay safe. God Bless you and your family.
Due to allergies, we have no pets. I do have three sons.
I love dogs & grew up with them my whole life. My favourite type is a purebred Pekingese. I had two as a child till adult & now have one who’s 10 years old & her name is Lola.
I am a dog person. I’m allergic to cats. I grew up with them & always a big dog till now with my wife. My favourite type is a German Shepherd.
I love unique names!
Lol
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Sorry about the allergies! But glad you’ve found a way to enjoy pets- even if they’re fictional.
Axel is an indoor/outdoor cat. All of mine have been. Glad you’re able to enjoy your neighbor’s pets.
Sadly, Axel’s shyness around other people came after an injury. (I’m guessing a neighbor with a shovel) I worried he wouldn’t make it for a while but he pulled through. And other than his skittishness and a small, barely noticeable notch in his jaw, you’d never know it.
I know your kitties are thankful for the rescue and I am too!
My husband used to be the dog lover in the family, but he switched sides several years ago.
I agree and hope your week has been great too!
Sons are better than pets! I have two of them and a daughter- all grown and married.
We had a pekipoo when I was a kid named Precious. Loved that dog!
German Shepherds are one of my favorites too. I’ve had many over the years.
Samantha, a little ball of tortoiseshell fluff adopted me when I was a teen. We had many wonderful years together. She ran the street and even a couple of really vicious dogs were no match for her fierceness in protecting us. However she used to enjoy pouncing on my sisters leg and earned herself the nickname Fangus and a copy of 101 Uses for a Dead Cat that Christmas. Thank you for bringing forth such wonderful memories. Since then, alas, mostly where I have lived has been designated pet-free. We also had a fabulous dachshund Sam and between them there were always antics and Mum rolling her eyes!
Oh that is so mean. When Henry was first here he use to cower and roll over on his back like a dog. He was really timid. if I raised my voice he really cowered He is slightly cross eyed and someone said it could be cos he has hit as a kitten. I know he was yelled at alot and probably hit. it took around 6 weeks for him to really trust me. the two slept on the top of a cupboard together for awhile. I even put the cat bed up there for them.
Andrea! I looked up the animals names. Shanna Hatfield sent me a paperback copy of book 1 and a Christmas card with all the animals on the front. Since I like the series so much, I have a sticky note inside with the animals’ names. The Christmas card is on my nightstand. The only name that sticks is the dog Bacon. Glad to meet another Sheltie lover.
We don’t have pets in the house anymore, but we’ve always one dog & one cat (all shelter rescues). Our first cat together (just before I married my husband) was a 6 week old black fluffball, with a big purr! We named her Naomi after the Biblical person, it just seemed to fit her. We had her for 12 years when she passed away. In all, we’ve had 2 dogs & two cats who lived many years with us :-)
I adore animals in fiction. They bring their own personalities, quirks, and furbaby love into the story. It just adds an extra layer for me. I especially love reading about K-9 dogs & the bond they have to their human partner.
I have a Kooikerhondje dog (rare Dutch spaniel breed) and a tabby cat! ^_^
That book title- so funny!
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I’ve never heard of that bred! Sounds interesting.