cat book

An Interview with Dena Harris, Author of Who Moved My Mouse

It is my pleasure today to introduce you to Dena Harris.  Dena has been a humor columnist for Cats & Kittens magazine and contributor to Chicken Soup for the Cat-Lover’s Soul.  The author of Lessons in Stalking and For the Love of Cats, Dena lives in Madison, North Carolina with her husband (aka, “The Tall Guy”) and their cats, Lucy and Olivia, in a home filled with expensive, never-touched cat stuff.  Dena’s newest book, Who Moved My Mouse? A Self-Help Book for Cats (Who Don’t Need Any Help) was published on October 19th.

I’m delighted to welcome Dena to The Conscious Cat today.

How did you get the idea for Who Moved My Mouse?

I had the idea for a cat to author a self-help book for people and was discussing it with friends when one of them suggested it would be really funny if there were a self-help book for cats. I loved the idea so much I ditched my idea and—with his permission—used his. Never undervalue the brainstorming power of a group of friends!

What made you decide that cats needed a self-help book?

They very idea that a cat would deign to admit they need help, let alone venture out to read a book on the topic, is so opposed to everything we imagine we know about cats that I knew I could get a lot of mileage out of the material.

I went to my local library and checked out every self-help book they had (which I’m sure caused more than a little gossip in my small town). For weeks I read about the power of positive thinking, affirmations, loving yourself, learning to stand up for yourself, accepting responsibility for your life, creating joy, and the whole time I’m picturing this forlorn feline reading all this material and thinking, “What the–?” and deciding to bag it and destroy the couch instead.

Tell us about your cats.  Did they have a paw in writing the book?

I have two cats. Lucy is my talker, a black-and-white who has an opinion on everything. (She twitters as @Lucy_Cat.) Olivia is a reserved tabby who most friends have never seen because she hides. Both were strays. I have really strong cat allergies and technically shouldn’t have cats, but I adore my girls.

Both are couch potatoes and didn’t do much with the book, except every now and then when I was stuck I’d look at them and say, “Do something funny so I can write about it” and then they’d wander into the kitchen so I’d stop bothering them.

You are a prolific writer – did you always know that you wanted to be a writer? 

No. I always assumed I’d be in upper-management at some business. But at my first job out of college, when I was promoted to supervisor I went into the ladies room and threw up. That was my first clue that maybe me and corporate life weren’t a great fit. I had a few different careers, earned a master’s degree, then started taking online writing classes. An instructor encouraged me to submit a story to a magazine; they accepted it and I was hooked.

What does a typical day of writing look like for you?

Oh Lord, it depends. I do a lot of client work and I have a hard time focusing on creative writing if I have a deadline hanging over me. I try to schedule my time in two-hour blocks, and divide it up among creative writing, client work, admin, and marketing.

What do you love most about being a writer?

Two things: how much flexibility I have with my time (I’m a morning person and am pretty much brain dead by 3 PM) and also that writing is something that I’ll never entirely master so I know I’ll never grow bored.

What do you like least about being a writer?

I sometimes get a bit defensive and feel the need to make sure people understand that freelance writing is hard work and I’m not just sitting around the house, goofing off.

Who or what inspires you?

Having worked at jobs where I was miserable, I’m inspired daily by this wonderful opportunity I have to do what I love. I get to work from home, I meet and interview interesting people, and with Who Moved My Mouse? I’m being paid to write about the world’s most magnificent creature, the cat. I am beyond grateful.

What is one of the most memorable experiences you’ve had at a book signing or event?

At a signing for my first book, this woman came up and told me this horrible story about how her cat was sitting in an open window and the pane fell on his tail and trapped him for hours and she just went on and on and she’s laughing as she’s telling me all this. The cat ended up being fine, but I just couldn’t see the humor in a cat being hurt and I had no idea what my reaction to her should be other than, “Get away from me.”

What are you reading at the moment?

The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brain by Nicholas Carr. It describes how the Internet is changing the way we read and process information and how we’re losing the ability for focus and deep thought. As I writer, I really relate. The only way I get any work done is first thing in the morning before I go near e-mail or online. Once I open up Facebook or Twitter, it’s all over.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, Dena, and much success with Who Moved My Mouse!

You can learn more about Dena and her books on her websites www.denaharris.com and http://selfhelpforcats.com and on her blog.

About the author

Book Review: Who Moved My Mouse? by Dena Harris

A self-help book for cats?  Any self-respecting cat would tell you that she is purrfect just the way she is, thank you very much, and she doesn’t need no stinking self-help book, even if it smells like tuna.   Despite this, Dena Harris went bravely where no author had gone before, and wrote just that – a self help book for cats.  Thankfully, she had the assistance of Mr. Nom-Noms, “America’s Most Know-It All Expert…On Everything,” to help her with this task, and Who Moved My Mouse?  A Self-Help Book for Cats (Who Don’t Need Any Help) was born.

From the publisher:

Filled with quizzes, exercises and insider tips, this indispensable guide empowers cats to make the twenty minutes they’re awake each day the best twenty minutes of their lives. With chapters that include “A Cat’s Conversations With God,” “How to Win Friends and Influence Dog People,” and “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… But Feel Free to Freak Out Over Anything That Moves Suddenly or Without Warning,” you’ll find the answers to the questions you’ve been asking. Get ready kitty… self-actualization is only a cat-nap away!

This delightful book made me chuckle most of the time, and laugh out loud more than once.  I don’t recommend drinking while reading – there are far too many “spew alert worthy” passages in the book.  From the incredibly detailed Purrsonality Profile (is your cat an SEBR – Snuggler Eager Bold Rebel or an LCBI – Loner Comatose Bold Innocent?) to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Cats, this wonderful parody will empower your feline charges to answer such deeply important questions as:  Who are we?  Why are we here?  Where are you going with that ham?

Aside from being super funny, this little book is a visual gem.  Illustrated with Ann Boyajian’s charming cat drawings, and beautifully laid out in two-color print, this is a book to be enjoyed over and over.  Don’t miss this one, and while you’re at it, treat your favorite cat lover to a copy or two – this book makes the purrfect gift.

Dena Harris has been a humor columnist for Cats & Kittens magazine and contributor to Chicken Soup for the Cat-Lover’s Soul.  The author of Lessons in Stalking and For the Love of Cats, Dena lives in Madison, North Carolina husband (aka, “The Tall Guy”) and their cats, Lucy and Olivia, in a home filled with expensive, never-touched cat stuff.

Dena will join us here on The Conscious Cat on Wednesday.  In the meantime, you can find out more about Dena on her websites www.denaharris.com and www.selfhelpforcats.com and on her blog.

This book was sent to me by the publisher.

About the author

The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats

This post contains affiliate links*

As those of you who’ve been following me for a while know, reading is as essential as breathing to me.  When I read a book that I find educational, inspirational, helpful, moving, interesting, or just plain fun, I want to share it with everyone.  I thought it might be fun to periodically  introduce and review some of my favorites here.

Today’s  book is The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats by Clea Simon.

This is one of my favorite cat books.  It’s a book for cat lovers.  It’s a book for women who love their cats.  And it’s a book for men who love women who love their cats.

Author Clea Simon examines the bond between cats and women from all angles – from history and mythology to interviews with cat women from all walks of life, the book is a compelling mix of facts about cats and the women who love them.  It’s also a memoir of the seventeen years Simon spent with Cyrus, the kitten she adopted as a young single woman.

This is a joyful book, celebrating the role cats play in womens’ lives.   If you are a woman who loves cats, or if you want to better understand a woman who loves cats, you will enjoy this book.

For more information about the book, click here.  For more information about the author, go to www.cleasimon.com

*The Conscious Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon and affiliated sites. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.

About the author