Welcome back! Here is another edition of Interview with a pet blogger! Today we’re chatting with Pamela Merritt, a famous blog owner who created the great blog - Way of Cats
Interview
1) What is the story behind the name, Way of Cats? Can you introduce Way of Cats briefly to those who have just known it for the first time?
When I started blogging my special brand of cat advice, I was looking for a name that would condense everything I had learned from years of rescuing cats.
I decided the key to my success was when I started "learning their ways." Combined with my love of the Tao, the Way of Cats was an perfect fit.
With my techniques, we aren't trying to impose anything on our cats. That's where people get stuck with their training and mess up their care, and then neither side is getting the love they want. We flow with our cat once we understand their nature.
My Way of Cats system teaches how I do that, and then people can do that with their own cats.
2) Way of Cats is a wonderful cat blog, which has inspired and helped many pet owners with a lot of useful articles.
What were your inspirations and purposes to start Way of Cats?
Thank you, I love to hear that. I was inspired by all the people who came to me for help and then would exclaim, "You should write a book!" I thought that was a good idea, and I did. But I could not get anyone in publishing to even look at it. I wasn't a veterinarian. I didn't have a TV show. I hadn't slept with a celebrity.
My system is also revolutionary. In the best possible way. But I was explaining cats in a way these publishers weren't used to reading about. My query letters weren't getting any traction, and I was getting a little discouraged. So I decided to go on the Internet as a blogger and see if cat people liked my cat advice. Which they did.
I want people to enjoy their cats as much as I do. This is a great way of helping people and cats. I think I've rescued more cats with my blog than I could possibly do in my own lifetime. That's a great feeling.
3) Are you now pet parent to any cats? Can you share us an interesting memory between you and your pet?
My husband and I currently have four rescue cats; Reverend Jim, Princess Olwyn, Sir Tristan, and Mithrandir the Magician. They make sure I never run out of things to write about.
We call Reverend Jim "the cat who started it all." I wound up falling in love with this totally pathetic kitten who was being held as evidence in an animal abuse case. I had to call the police to get him sprung from the shelter, and it was an hour away, and I had to make two trips, and then the poor little guy got an eye infection that holiday weekend.
I was at the Animal Hospital first thing when they opened, and I got the newest vet, who hadn't met me before. It wasn't until he gave me some serious side-eye that I realized he was worried I had put this kitten in such a state! I never dragged adoption paperwork out of my purse so fast!
He's magnificent now. You'd never know he had such a rocky start, and he's an absolute love. So I started the blog with his adoption, and everything has been a "teaching moment" from there.
4) What is the most important thing you have learned as an owner of Way of Cats?
That love is truly an incredible force. When I discarded all the stuff I'd been told, all the cat prejudice and misconceptions, I found that cats really are a lot like people. They want to communicate, they want to cooperate, and they want to be loved.
5) As the owner of the Way of Cats, can you give pet lovers 3 useful advise for those who plan to adopt kittens?
- Learn my Cat Types. This will let you choose a kitten who will fit your lifestyle and become the cat of your dreams. By six weeks they are showing clues to who they will be.
- Don't overwhelm them with the whole house and a bunch of things they don't know to leave alone yet. One kitten-proof room with everything they need is plenty at first. Spend time with them in there, and let them explore the rest of the place under our supervision. Expand their world at their pace.
- Their kittenhood is for teaching them we are lovable and reliable. They have a baby attention span and just aren't going to learn much their first few months. Try to arrange safe places where we can enjoy each other. Never punish. Instead, persuade.
6) What are your goals for your blog in the next 6 months?
It's an exciting time because now, with Kindle, I am publishing my book at last.
The Way of Cats will be going on pre-sale soon on Amazon, with a release date of May 31st. It's even better than I had dreamed, because now it has all the things I learned from my awesome fans, sharing their thoughts and tips and what we've all learned together.
We will also be making special nutritional supplements available in the next few months. I learned a lot from a holistic vet who used to help with my amateur rescue operation, and Mr WayofCats (as he's known on the blog) is an herbalist. So we have come up with simple, natural, formulas for senior cats, cats with tummy troubles, cats who need a little help recovering from scary situations. We've been testing them on our own cats, all rescues.
This has turned into a business. I didn't have a choice, really. The blog got to so popular I wound up with a lot of website expenses; the more people come, the more it costs.
So my fans have been helping me with donations, and I have branched out. I do online consultations, and have products, and this book is only the first of an whole series, focusing on different aspects like training and affection and multiple cats.
It has turned into a mission. Helping cats, and their people.
Thank you for sharing, Pamela Merrit!
Ending
Ways of Cats represents will help cat lovers to build a better relationship between them and their cats. In addition, it also provides cat-related advice to cat owners. Let's enjoy a perfect community in this dedicated cat blog and check out Pamela Merrit's book "The Way of Cats" here
