Cats and Horses

by Linda Benson

Ah - the ubiquitous barn cat. Everyone has one, right?

Here is Lucy, our Barn Cat Extraordinaire, who single-pawedly kept our barn mouse-and-rat free for many years. (Now, arthritic and slow in her elderly years, she has moved into the house where she merely keeps the rowdy boy cats in line.)

Horses think cats are cool, right? They like to nuzzle them because they are soft. And cats often like horses, too for the same reasons.

Then there's this very naughty cat (whose video has been going around the internet the last couple of weeks) who thinks a horse's tail is made to swing from. (No seriously, you have to watch this.)




Actually, while this cat is quite bratty (and needs to be put somewhere safe and told to leave the horses alone) I think the owners are worse. Laughing and taking this video when this cat could have had its head kicked open. This dear horse, however, is a saint!

Cats have recently become a huge part of my writing career, though, believe it or not.

I have written five novels in all: two featuring horses (The Girl Who Remembered Horses and The Horse Jar) and three with dogs (Six Degrees of Lost, Walking the Dog, and Finding Chance.)

But most recently I have been writing short fiction called Cat Tales. I've been having a blast doing this and they are selling well. At only $0.99 each as ebooks on Amazon, they are quick, enjoyable reads. And after a lifetime with felines - barn cats, house cats, rescue cats, mama cats, spoiled cats, and feral cats - I find that I have no problem coming up with story lines.

Of course, horses often work their way into these stories, too, as in The Summer Cat. It's a bit of a mystery involving a cat named Spuds, who disappears from the barn, and all signs point to the horseshoer. If you like both horses and cats, I'd suggest you try this one!
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Cat-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B00KRPZLVQ/

and if you'd like to see them all, you can find them here:

http://www.amazon.com/Linda-Benson/e/B001K8G0X2/


So tell us about your cats - Do you have barn cats to keep the mouse population in check? Or spoiled house cats? Or both . . .