Ravenstone Press
Stories of Kansas and the Great Plains
|
Ravenstone Press
Stories of Kansas and the Great Plains
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
| Jerri Garretson, the author of
Imagicat, says she is often asked where she gets her story ideas.
Although she didn't begin writing this book until 1985, ten years after the
few months in 1975 that she had this rascal named "Whiskers," the little
cat must have put the beginning of the idea into her head. She can't
believe these are the only two photos she has of Whiskers, who disappeared
one day when she was only about six months old.They never found out what
happened to her.
Sleek, tiny Whiskers was quite a personality. Two of her favorite tricks were hiding behind things and wriggling into small spaces. She especially liked to crawl behind the books in the bookshelf and sleep there, nearly impossible to find. The most they'd see was a slight "bulge" in the line of books where she had settled down. She was very careful never to push any out. She was an accomplished screen door and tree climber, too. |
Whiskers was no tame little kitty. She was a roughneck
best played with while well- protected by leather gloves and her energy seemed
boundless. Woe to the person who allowed her into the bedroom while
they were under the covers. This was pounce time, when Whiskers attacked
anything that moved, not sparing toes, legs or arms from her sharp claws.
Yet, she could be affectionate and had a loud and contented purr. She came running when they came home, welcoming them more like a dog than a cat. Whiskers didn't like to be alone unless she was sleeping behind the books. This little cat was full of mischief and intelligence. They missed her terribly when she disappeared. Although she did none of the things Mortimer does in Imagicat, she and another one of Jerri's cats, Scamp, was Jerri's inspiration for a snippy black-and-white cat, and she did live in the same house Mortimer lives in. |
Last updated on October 31, 2003