Cat Characters

So this weekend our friend Carole Wilbourn, who works in Manhattan as a cat therapist, came for a visit. Carole is the ideal houseguest -- independent and easy to please; in fact, she is a little likea cat herself!!

So we were discussing characters in fiction and I asked Carole to tell me about a cat who's a real character. She told me about her cat Orion who comes with her to take computer lessons at the Apple store on 14th Street in New York (that's Orion in today's pic). "I pet him whenever I feel tense during one of the sessions," she said. Afterwards, to reward Orion for being such a supportive friend, Carole takes him for a walk through the Meat Market district. "He loves to roll in a sunbeam. And he loves having an audience," said Carole.  (I love the picture of Orion rolling in a sunbeam, don't you?)

Carole says Orion is one of the most playful cats she has ever met. That reminded me of a segment I heard last week on CBC Radio -- a scientist was saying that play is an essential human need, almost as important as oxygen and food and sleep. So here's my plan for today: I'm going to PLAY (not work!!) on my manuscript. Hope you get in some playtime, too. And here's to Orion, and his "cat companion" (Carole prefers not to use the term "master")!