You see, this is why I stick to Spaniels.
Cats are scary and clearly plotting to take over the world in a great furball apocalypse.
Katie

What sort of spaniels, Katie?

What I love about this site is the detail. How many sorts of spaniels are there? Are there Good Spaniels and Bad Spaniels? As cat staff (dogs have owners, cats have staff), I have to put up with paws sometimes resting on the keyboard- he has been known to accidentally send email) so I have to admit, cats are officially Bad for writers. Mostly.

This is a fascinating insight into the great British divide - cat lovers/staff vs dog lovers/owners. I'm sure cats are charming creatures with the right people, but they've never really taken to me.

And Dee, it's a 13yr old Springer Spaniel; deaf, mostly blind, unbelievably smelly (despite my mum's efforts with organic shampoo) but he was born on my birthday, (the 13th runt of the litter) and you should see him charge across the park chasing squirrels. Bless.

Apologies to anyone who came here looking for advice on query letters only to find themselves in the the middle of 'Animal Hospital'.
We were having a relatively serious discussion about the topic in question at one point. Honest.

Perhaps literary agents - and other such important people - should declare whether they are cat, dogs or squirrel people.
Who cares about the genre of the writing. We are after all a nation of animal lovers. Well ... the rest of you are!

John

I have got a Golden Cocker, and she is stupid as they come, and get this, we have grey squirrels that run along the back fence which drive her mental. In fact, when I'm bored, I saunter up to her, lift her furry ear and whisper, "Squirrel." The effect is immediate, and it gives me great joy to see my hound so focused. By the way, my brother calls her, Pointless.

How this discussion progresses.

Steve

In case anyone's still reading this thread, I don't have either a cat or a dog, but I've just sponsored a Golden Guernsey goat in Devon called Treacle. He's actually highly intelligent and has just sent me a very well-typed letter - it's amazing what you can do with hooves and a keyboard - and I suspect will be writing his memoirs any day now.

Do you think he'll be able to get an agent?!

)

Anne B
x

Now there's a unique selling point, Katie...