A cat will do what it wants when it wants, and there’s not a thing you can do about it. ~Frank Perkins
Are you a cat lover? If you follow my blog or join the conversation on my Facebook page, you know that I’m a dog person. That doesn’t mean I don’t like cats. It just means that dogs trump cats in my affections. After all, I do have Oscar. But I enjoy cats. Both my sisters have cats. Beautiful animals with their unique personalities. You do have to admit cats have personality. That’s what makes them especially fun to drop down into my Hidden Springs mystery books.
When I was first adding a new cat to my upcoming Hidden Springs mystery, Murder Is No Accident, I decided to go calico and I asked for name suggestions. Boy, did I get name suggestions! Good ones too. Lots of Callies and some others that said anything but 
Callie. My sister said Martha since that’s the name of her calico cat. A good name. Here’s Martha. She could have posed for the cat on my new cover. If you want to know all the wonderful names suggested, you can check out my post from June 2015. I don’t know why the pictures aren’t showing up in that post, but if you click on those squares you can see all the beautiful calico cats that readers shared with me.
In the end or should that be beginning, I settled for a name my daughter suggested. Miss Marble. Marble because of the marbled colors of her fur and then Miss Marble to play on the nearness to the sound of Miss Marple, Agatha Christie’s cozy mystery sleuth. After all Miss Marble was going to play a part in my cozy mystery. The cat makes an appearance in the first chapter as a reason my young character, Maggie, has for coming to the Victorian house that turns out to be a setting for murder. The last lines of the first chapter mention the cat who at times seems a little mysterious herself.
When Maggie turned away from the house and looked around, she didn’t see anybody. Not even Miss Marble. She ran across the yard and ducked through the opening in the shrubs. She didn’t think about whether anybody saw her.
And so I lay the beginning of the mystery and Maggie’s part in it. Miss Marble has plenty of parts too. She is an independent cat who does what she wants, but then isn’t that how cats are?
Remember, I’m giving away a copy of one of my first two Hidden Springs mysteries, starring other cats, to three winners in the next few weeks. I’ll draw for the first winner on Sunday and then pick two more winners on the next two Sundays after that. All you have to do to enter is be at least 18 years old and leave a comment here on my blog posts. Each new comment on a new post gets you another entry. I appreciate all the great comments on the last post saying which book cover you liked best or whether you had either lived in a small town.
This time, how about telling me if you ever let a cat share your house or life? Was it a calico?
As always, thanks for reading.
Comments 26
I used to have indoor cats when i live in Ca. Now living in Ia we don’t as we have the chihauhuas which keep me busy but we have some strays that come to our land and one of the girls whose name is DeeDee she loves to mama anything. When she had her puppies she was a wonderful mama. Then we had her and another boy and she would clean him and look for him all the time. Now we have a puppy that adores Dee Dee and she cleans Daisy Mae all the time. She shows her how to do things and it is so fun to watch. They go running up to look for the strays and now they aren’t there but she sits at the front storm door and i have a pillow for her on sunny days we open our front door and the girls sit and watch everything that comes up our long windy driveway if it is a cat wow they go bananas . We watch to see if a mom had her babies under the shed again and this winter my husband built a cat house so that any strays wouldn’t be left out in the cold under the shed. So far all we found inside were possums and yuk that is not what we wanted to find. We told the girls once it is spring we will get some kittens up there again ! I talked to my husband about getting another black lab but he feels it is too soon for me as we lost ours 2 years ago he feels I won;t let it be an outside dog i would bring the dog inside like the 2 girls . I tried to convince him i wouldn’t but didn;t work one day we will once again get another big dog.(I hope)
Author
Sounds like your girls have a very good life with your, Peggy. I’ve always favored big dogs more but then when my granddaughter had the miniature wire haired dachshund, I fell totally in love with her. She was a peculiar little dog who didn’t like everybody, but she loved me and my granddaughter. So little dogs are fun too. We don’t have any cats now but I grew up around barn cats. Your husband was sweet to build the possum a house. 🙂 Maybe the right tenants will show up this year.
I was born a cat person 🙂 I started asking for one when I was almost 3, and my parents thought I was too young, so gave me a stuffed cat for Christmas. I quickly told them I wanted a REAL cat! They finally relented a year later, and I’ve had cats in my life ever since. I was always afraid I’d fall in love with someone who was allergic to cats, but the Lord was gracious and my husband loves them too 🙂
Oops – I forgot to say that I have had a few calicos among all those cats 🙂
Author
You sound like my sister, Margaret. I think she was born a cat person too. I was born a dog person. Wanted one from the time I can remember and fortunately have had at least one dog and usually more in my life ever since I was around 8. We had a dog before that but it wasn’t MY dog the way the others have been. I’m guessing that first cat of yours when you were four was a very special cat for you. So glad neither you or your husband developed any cat allergies.
My husband and I have a mother/daughter calico team, Cosie and Cally. Only the vet knows their names. At home, I call them for who they are: Momma and Baby Cat.
Author
Cosie and Cally. You might not use them, Kathleen, but they’re great names. Cosie would be a good name for a cat in a cozy mystery. 🙂 It’s been fun hearing about everybody’s cats.
I went with my mother to get a cat as she wanted on instead of a dog. We were called to the vet and we both feel in love with this calico cat..Mom didn’t know what to name her and I told her Jewel…My nickname for her was
Jeweltone as she had such different colored fur patches…she was such a great cat and I would come and feed her when my mom got sick…or when mom went on a vacation…we became fast friends. My husband does not like cats as they scratch up curtains and furniture and Jewel was no exception. She was so loving until the day she pass on just before my mom.
Author
Hi, Rory. Love that name for a calico. Jewel. Isn’t it fun how we can get so attached to our relatives’ animals? I guess you got to enjoy Jewel without having your husband having to put up with a cat. Sounds like Jewel was the perfect pet for your mother.
Author
Hi, Ola. Knowing my sister the way I do, I would have no doubt that the quilt might not have been made especially for Martha. I hadn’t noticed the cat on the quilt until you pointed it out. Your yellow buddies sound fun.
Hi, Betsy. Sounds as if you got some good barn cats. Somehow kittens have a way of engaging our hearts whether we think we’re cat lovers or not. Hope Bella and Mittens live long and well.
Hi, Phyllis. That’s what they say about those calicos. That they are all female. I looked that up when I was first coming up with the kind of cat Miss Marble was going to be. Can’t remember now whether there were the rare exception or not. That was definitely not the best place to have a litter of kittens – on a roof, but not all cats are the great mothers. And maybe she thought her babies would be safe from little girls’ hands up there. 🙂 I’m sure your Miss Kitty lived a long and happy life and perhaps had a continuing love of high places. Glad you like the name Miss Marble and got the hint of mystery with the likeness to Miss Marple.
Author
Hi, Sandi. Cats do have a way of multiplying. Did you consider gifting that vet with the two extra kitties? LOL. Sounds like you better stock up on the allergy medicine. But as always, your story has me smiling. I know, you’re not smiling. You’re sneezing. And poor Molly who had it made until that other cat showed up at the door.
Hi, Karen. Dude sounds like a cat a dog lover could love. I’m sure your husband thinks he’s the best cat ever and he sounds like he may just be. Politely meowing and all. Oscar is sort of like that. When he’s in the house, he will occasionally bark but he always uses his inside bark which is sort of muffled until I let him out the door. Then he can let out some big barks. I hope Dude dispatches the rats and squirrels before he brings them to the door. My sister has a cat who brings its mice inside but neglects that killing part. I guess he just wants to play with them for a while but then my sister has to try to chase the poor mouse down. And on top of Dude being such a great cat, he’s black. I always thought black cats were the prettiest.
Hi, Marji. I like the way you spelled Cali. Puts a whole different spin on that popular calico cat name. So glad you like the cover of the new mystery. Hope you’ll like the story too.
Hi, Connie Lee. Sounds as if at times, your house is a cat magnet. All those black cats sound fun, and I’m sure they settled into being barn cats with pleasure. Funny that then an all white cat showed up. My sister is sort of a cat magnet like that. She moved to town and before long several cats were hanging out on her porch. She has indoor cats but feeds those outdoor ones too. She loves her cats. But if I have to choose cat or dog, I’m going with the dog. I love those labs with their loving personalities.
Ann, I love the name Miss Marble for the cat in your newest mystery novel. I have to admit when I first heard the name I did think of Miss Marple, I love her mysteries! I had a calico cat when I was a little girl, we called her Miss Kitty, her mother had her and her brothers and sisters in the eves {spelling} of an old building, on the roof, strange place to have your babies I thought. It was the first time I had ever seen a marbled looking cat and I just fell in love with her. That was many years ago, over 50…and I cannot seem to remember what happened to her. I have heard that calico cats are all female! Not sure about this though. Phyllis
I have never been much of a cat lover but I did fall in love with the 2 little grey kittens that my oldest daughter gave to our youngest daughter to be “barn cats”!!! . We had the ” the privilege” of transporting them from NC to GA & they were good as gold on the trip down!!! My daughter’s family named them Bella & Mittens even though their cousins had given them other names which no one can remember at this point!!! Even though they have grown up to be good barncats they are still sweet kitties to me!!!
I have two yellow cats who rule around here. Love that quilt Martha is sitting on! Looks like it was made for her.
When I was growing up we had several cats , all outdoor cats with the exception of one that was allowed to come into the house for a while. I think the duties of the litter box once again made him an outdoor cat. While my husband and I have been married, we’ve had several strays to come up to the back yard looking hungry. If you feed them, they adopt you, and then bring all their family with them when they come back. We accumulated up to 10 all black cats at one time and had to give them to a farmer friend with several barns. Then there was the all white cat that came several years later and stayed long enough to have 2 litters of kittens, mostly all white also. Once again had to find a place for them. Most of these cats were tame enough to stay around to eat, but not tame enough to catch and take to the vet. I’ve not had any cats since. We have one dog, a yellow lab that we give our love and attention to.
I love the cover of MURDER IS NO ACCIDENT…..can’t wait to find out more about Miss Marble and Maggie.
I’ve had three wonderful rescued cats who owned me.
Jesse was part Siamese…..Cali and Rainee were both calico.
Miss Marble looks a lot like Cali ❤
Our cat Dude, named by my husband, is something else. He will be 14 years old this year and has slowed down a bit. He is an outdoor cat, but spoiled otherwise. He follows my husband around like a dog. When my husband stops to do a chore, Dude stops, lies down and waits for him to finish. When the task is over, they both walk away together. If and when it gets cold here, being an outdoor cat, we bring him into my husband’s large workshop that is heated on demand. The heat is turned on for him, but my husband swears us to secrecy! 😊 We had a cold spell recently, my husband was washing his hands in the workshop and Dude sat at his feet meowing his quiet meow (never has been loud and he only meows as a greeting to us or when we are speaking to him) until my husband spied his water dish was empty. The dish was filled, Dude went right to it, drank his fill and was satisfied that he was able to communicate his need. He has always been a great ratter and squirreler, bringing them to us at the back door. Squirrels??? They can be extremely distructive!!! He is not a calico as all calicoes are female, as I’ve been told. Dude is solid black without a white hair on him and weighs right at 16 pounds.
My daughter has four cats. She had one and a stray kept coming to the door…so we (she lives downstairs, but I have to agree to some things ) took in “Emilie.” We, first, took her to the vet to make sure she wasn’t pregnant or could get that way…and the vet told us she was “fixed.” We put flea medicine on her and left her out until it took effect…when we checked on her later that day, she had a friend and then the next day she had another friend…I use the term loosely. Anyway, a few weeks later (a very few weeks) my grandson was petting her and asked what those raised thingies were on her tummy. She had kittens about four days later. She is a Mainecoon cat…very big…and had four kittens…which have grown into huge cats. Ack! We found homes for two of them, thank the Lord, but we have Emilie, Molly (who was here first and hates the new additions as much as they hate her and unfortunately she is very small), Squeakers and Bubby. Did I mention that I am allergic to cats?
Author
Hi, everybody. I intended to include this in my post and let it slip my mind. Sometimes I think my mind is on a slippery slope!! Anyway, I need a few influencers for my upcoming Hidden Springs mystery, Murder Is No Accident. An influencer gets an early copy of the book that they promise to try to read in a timely manner. Then if the person wants to, they can talk up the book to their reading friends, perhaps leave reviews on on-line sites like Amazon, Christianbook.com, B&N, or Goodreads. They might suggest the title to their library or local bookstore or book club if they are part of one. If they’d like to have bookmarks to share with friends or their library, I’ll mail them some. However, there is no obligation in any way to do any of these things unless the person wants to. The book is a free gift with no strings attached. So if any of you think you might like to read Murder Is No Accident and perhaps talk the book up a little, send me an e-mail at annhgabhart(at)yahoo(dot)com. Thanks. First responses will get the extra spots. I need around ten. Some of you may already be on my list and I thank you for all the help you’ve given me.
Author
Hi, Joyce. Barn cats have a good life. We used to have plenty of those. Some were good mousers and had plenty of mice to keep them well fed. Mom always said she didn’t like cats that much, but then one of them must have gotten on her good side because she let Maggie come in the house. Maggie was white and gray and enjoyed the privilege of house living. Sounds like Tigger is enjoying inside life too. A few cat paw prints and a little cat or dog hair just make a house a home. Guess that shows I’m a complete lover of those pets inside. But my husband has never really liked any of them in the house. So far, he’s won out on the cats, but not the dogs. I enjoy having Oscar inside.
Hi, Luan. Love the name Sargent Tibbs, and he’s getting up there in age, isn’t he? Glad you and Tibbs became loyal friends. He sounds like a very good cat. Our four footed friends do find a place in our hearts.
Hi, Paula. It does sound as though cat person fits you well with all those furry buddies over the years. I’ve never been around a Siamese cat. All I know about them is that song from the Disney movie about Lady and the Tramp. They were mean kitties. But I’m sure there are a lot of great Siamese cats out there. Nowadays that picture of your cat sitting on your father’s shoulder while he shaved would go up on Facebook and go viral. LOL. I like all the great names of your cats. You’ve had some good friends over the years.
Hi, Pat. Bummer that you’re allergic to cats. Ending up in the E.R. is good reason not to go to cat country or invite them into your house. I’ve always been very glad I’m not allergic to dogs. Unfortunately one of my grandsons is, so when he’s here, Oscar has to stay at a distance.
Hi, Pam. Sounds as though you have plenty of cat visitors to keep you content. I have dog visitors, but no cat visitors. Oscar would have to adjust if a cat came into the house. He’s not real happy about the dog visitors. He’s a dog who doesn’t like sharing his space, but he adjusts. I have known a few naughty cats. Cats can have very different personalities and they don’t change to suit their humans if they don’t want to. 🙂
We have always had cats….barn cats…(which by the way, he buys cats food for them and they have hay in the barn to sleep on and fresh water and all the mice they can catch!) so they are well taken care of…we also always had outside cats around the house as we lived on a farm, we now live in a small village (I guess you would call it) so don’t have outside cats, well we had one and had her about 7 years and she did really well outside, we live on a main highway, but she never went across the road. Ever so often she would go away for couple days but always came back. One day, she didn’t come back!..She was a calico and was a wonderful cat. Now we have an inside cat name Tigger(short for Tiggerbelle). My husband went to an auction close by and the auctioneer told him there was a kitten outside that he should take home, etc….anyway he brought her home, I told him he had to take care of her and she had to sleep in the basement, eat there and litter box there. So, yes, she moved in and has been here now about 5 + years. She certainly is his pet!..Let just say that I don’t mind cats or dogs, but I am not a complete lover…I hate the cotton picken cat hair…I really think it bothers my asthma also, but we get along and she has done well….she is a very good cat other than getting g on the furniture and I can’t get her foot prints off the wood..any suggestions? She is a beautiful grey and white with just a little bit of black and some brown very limited, so she is almost a calico. I think calico are very pretty…..Best of luck wit h your book, would love to have it…
We have had Sargent Tibbs, the calico, for 17 years. Our daughter brought this little kitty home begging to be allowed to keep, promising to feed- groom-and litter box duty. Those duties were quickly transferred to me and suddenly Tibbs and I were loyal friends, daughter graduated from college and onto career with no thought of including Tibbs in her future. I really am amazed at the affection that grew between kitty and me and content that little creature stayed put.
I have had several cats over the years. One of my favorites was a Siamese named Shao Mao Tai Tai which means “little she devil ” in Chinese. She used to sit on my father’s shoulder while he shaved. After I got married and left home my parents got two more Siamese, Brother and Big Boy. My brother taught them to fetch a golf ball. When my husband and I lived on Guam, we had a beautiful tortoise shell cat we named Popoki, which is “cat” in Hawaiian. Her mother was a Siamese, also. We had orange striped cats and gold/brown striped cats, too. I guess I am a cat person. We’ve had a few dogs also.
Regarding cats, I like to look at them and I”m sure I’d like to pat them. The problem is if I do , I will be wheezing and could end up in the E.R. For some reason I’m allergic to them and go straight into asthma! So if I know I”m going to be where cats are or have been I take my allergy med. first and of course take my asthma inhaler with me!
I’m not a big cat lover but because of my other family members, I’ve shared my home with several cats over the years. None of them has been a calico. This past summer I took care of a couple of young cats for about a month while their owners were looking for pet compatible housing. Ebony and Midori were very sweet but it was a big adjustment for me to have them here. My daughter often brings her cat (who is rather naughty) when she comes for a visit. I’m content to just have cat visitors.