Mews With The Muses

A Note From Chris: 

I remember reading in one of my philosophy classes that cats do not have personalities (actually, this was a hot topic/debate especially among cat lovers). While I lean towards agreeing with this statement, since cats are not found in the same genus as homo sapiens, I do, however, feel that cats have behaviors that mimic people in many ways in a sort of 'Felis Catusality'. In the case of my cats (all 6 of them), each Felis Catus mimics a muse or a characterization all writers have studied and written about. So, I'll dedicate this post to briefly introducing the "muse" or the rough Felis Catusality of my characters through a cat's perspective, also known as 1st Person (or in this case, Cat) Point of View.

My human companions call me Patty-Boy. I'm the boss! I mark my territory every chance I get, fight with the other male cats if they dare to challenge me, and enjoy a good scratch around the ears or roll around in the dirt on a warm sunny day. 

Patty-Boy

Hisser is my name. Even though I was born before Patty-Boy, I prefer to blend in with the other cats. I know how to manipulate the human's affections by rubbing on their legs and sleeping on their laps. If you open a can of tuna, I'll be the first one there!

Hisser

I'm petite, dainty, and the only short haired one of the bunch. My human companions called me Tiggs. Often times I like to sit at the kitchen counter on a bar stool and eat my favorite treat, muskmelon, like the other humans. I have my special spots where I sleep and hide from the rest of the cat family, since I am the low "woman" of the pecking order. You would think I have a complex, but I'm a survivor.

Tiggs

I am the Queen! I answer to the name, Mama Kitty. Patty-Boy thinks he is the boss, well, even he bows to my sharp claws and loud hiss. I may be the shortest cat about town, but I know how to catch a full grown bunny or squirrel. I learned the hard way when I got lost and left my home for six months. Ah, but that's another story waiting to be told.

Mama Kitty

I heard around town that the Thompson's house would feed you and care for you, but I never imagined they would...well, you know...take away my man-hood?! But I survived and they call me Muddy-Buddy. I'm the clown of the bunch and love to play with silly things like string or even run up a tree just for the fun of it.

Muddy-Buddy

Huli is my name. The humans gave me a Chinese name, which means fox. I'm the baby. I don't remember my mamma, because after I was weaned, she left me in the hostas near the Thompson's door. Luckily, the youngest human took me in and kept me safe. One of these days I'm going to take over Patty-Boy's job! But for know, when I feel threatened, my shrill-fox-like noise helps keep me safe. 

Huli

Final Note From Chris: 

When I originally wrote each cat's description, I tried 3rd person point of view, but found that 1st person point of view illustrated a better depiction of the characters. So, when you are thinking about developing characters, think about which point of view works best for your story by writing a segment of your piece, using the different voices. Then, once you have experiemented choose which one conveys your story the best. More on "the voices" to come in a future post. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to view my blog, as I share a writer's journey through the perspective of one of my cats.