When author Clea Simon asked me if I wanted this guest post, I responded that I’d love to share it, but only if she sent a photo of her cat, Thisbe, that I could use with it. I think it’s appropriate that Thisbe get a little recognition for her role as muse for the piece. Thank you, Clea, and Thisbe.

Creature Comfort

I know I’m not alone when I say I don’t think I’d have made it through the last year without my cat. While Thisbe, who turns three this month, is undoubtedly an adult cat, this little tortoiseshell feline still acts quite kittenish. With her boisterous energy, she’s a far cry from her predecessor, Musetta, the fluffy tuxedo who loved laundry day, chin rubs, and – oddly enough – my husband’s violin practicing. But Thisbe is affectionate in her own way – and so full of personality it’s hard to believe she’s not even eight pounds.

Whether I’m throwing toys for her to chase or acknowledging her scrupulous inspection of (and claim to) every box Amazon delivers, Thisbe keeps me centered. Even as she leaps and flips, determined to bring down her fluffy toy bird, she keeps me grounded. While I am lucky to have had a human companion during these long months of fear and lockdown, it is this active and engaged creature who connects me most with life – imbuing our house with a vitality and a playfulness so sorely lacking elsewhere.

I know I’m not alone in my appreciation of my pet as a life force. One dear friend adopted a rescue dog this summer, and now credits Barney with making her get out and walk on even the coldest days. Another, more housebound, delights in her shelter kitty Marvin’s exploits – emailing me photos of him in all his classy gray tuxedo poise. 

In so many ways, animal companions – whether furred, feathered and finned – are bright spots in what might otherwise be an overwhelming darkness. Even beyond the stunning death toll, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on so many lives – and both the illness and economic upheaval have led to a surge in homeless pets. But it has also given rise to new interest in fostering (as this New York Times story documents). In other words, in caring for others.

Our new president seems to understand this at a very basic level. After four years of a pet-less White House, the Bidens have moved in with two dogs, one of whom – Major – is a rescue. In an early signal of the unity our new president has even expressed interest in adding a feline member to their menagerie. That’s what I call a bi-pet-isan approach!

Of course, pets are not a political issue, nor do I intend this as a political statement. What I am choosing to focus on in this shift is simply the humanity of the new first family. President Biden has been quite open about his own losses – of his first wife and daughter, and more recently of his son Beau. His love of pets doesn’t seem directly connected to these losses. Still, as survivors of heartache, Joe and Jill Biden seem to understand the joy of having that sheer animal energy around. The creature comfort of pets. 

As our country emerges from its dark winter, looking forward to a spring of vaccines and health, and of being able to gather with our fellow humans again, this shared passion signals both empathy and hope. An animal exuberance for life in all its glory.

I hope they get a cat.

Clea Simon is the author of nearly 30 mysteries, most recently A Cat on the Case (Polis Books). She can be reached at www.CleaSimon.com .

When a panicked stranger shows up at Charm and Cherish, Becca Colwin feels compelled to help. But when that stranger then disappears, leaving behind her heirloom violin the aspiring witch detective is drawn further into a web of deceit and intrigue complicated by a history that only Becca’s three magical cats truly understand.