by A. Star
“Huh?”
He managed to get himself under control. “She’s the reason I’m attracted to you.”
“Huh?” I repeated.
“I grew up with her and her friends and their obsession with makeup and fashion and shoes. I went into the Marines to get away from women like her. But you’re real. A woman with character who doesn’t mind taking a hike in the mountains. I haven’t seen you wear makeup the entire time I’ve known you.”
He stepped close and put his hands on my waist. “Isabella, I truly want to get to know you better. I’ve never met a woman like you.”
“You don’t even know me. You don’t know anything about me.”
“I think I know more than you think,” he said. Leaning down, he whispered in my ear, “Here, kitty, kitty.”
I whipped my head around to stare at him and he covered my mouth with his. I melted into him.
~*~ The End ~*~
About the Author: BR Kingsolver is the author of the Telepathic Clans series (The Succubus Gift, Succubus Unleashed, and Succubus Rising) and Broken Dolls, a paranormal thriller. I grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, among writers, artists and weird Hispanic and Native American myths and folklore. I've lived all over the U.S. and earned a living doing everything from making silver and turquoise jewelry, to construction to computers. I currently live in Baltimore and Albuquerque.
Connect with the Author:
http://www.brkingsolver.com/
http://www.facebook.com/brkingsolver
http://twitter.com/BRKINGSOLVER
Here is some information regarding the cats you’ll find featured in Here, Kitty Kitty, along with our authors telling us why they chose to write about them. The following information was paraphrased from relevant Wikipedia articles.
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The Jaguar—Featured in His Jaguar Princess by A. Star, Divine Passage (as Panther) by Dariel Raye, and Full Moon by B. R. Kingsolver
The Panthera onca is the only one of the Panthera species to be found in the Americas, and is the third largest after the tiger and the lion. This cat’s present range extends from the southwestern corner of the United States and Mexico to Central America and down to Paraguay and Argentina. They are recognized by their spots, although they are larger and studier than their fellow spotted cats, the leopard and cheetah. This solitary predator has a very strong build and an exceptionally strong bite, even compared to other big cats, allowing it to pierce the shell of armored reptiles and even kill by biting through the skull of its prey to reach the brain.
In size, they vary considerably, usually averaging around 124 lbs to 211 lbs, with larger males as high as 350 lbs and smaller females as low as 79 lbs. Variations are usually dependent on their habitat. Their short, stocky limb structure makes them skilled at climbing, crawling and swimming. The jaguar is most active at dawn and dusk, and is sometimes described as nocturnal. And unlike others in the Panthera genus, jaguars rarely attack humans, except in cases of old or injured animals, or scared ones in captivity.
A Note Regarding Black Panthers
There is no exact panther species, as the black panther is technically a genetic variation, a melanistic version of other cats, generally the leopard or jaguar. (The melanistic cougar and tiger have been reported but yet to be proven.) In the case of “Divine Passage,” the panther is a black jaguar.
Why I Chose the Jaguar
A. Star: Let’s face it, Jaguars are sexy and their fashion sense is BANANAS! Have you seen the coats they wear? Beautiful! Unlike most cats, they love to swim and I enjoy a good frolic in pool every now and then as well. They’re graceful, yet powerful, and of course, they live that loner life. Jags and I are quite alike in that regard. But in all seriousness, Jaguars are gorgeous, fascinating animals and I’m glad to be a part of this project in hopes of helping save these divine creatures.
Dariel Raye: I chose to write about the black panther because of its exotic, lethal beauty, and the fascinating variety of its makeup. Black panthers can be jaguars, leopards, and atypically, tigers. They are one of the few species of big cats indigenous to the United States as well as a large number of other countries. This attests to their adaptability, a quality rarely found in most of the other big cats. Black panthers, while melanistic to the eye, maintain the undercurrent, if you will, of their multi-colored heritage; thus, the spots of the leopard or the stripes of the tiger can be seen if you dare a close-up. My story is set in a time where the black panther’s adaptability is necessary for survival.
B. R. Kingsolver: I grew up in the southern foothills of the Rocky Mountains and have seen bobcats and cougars many times, including some fairly close encounters. In choosing my cat, I went for the jaguar for many reasons: The jaguar is the largest and most powerful New World cat; They’re pretty; Their original range included almost every climate and topography; They like to swim. The jaguar was the apex predator in the New World before man came on the scene. They were worshiped as gods among many indigenous peoples. The god aspect lends itself to a whole mythology that can be explored.
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The Mountain Lion—Featured in In Our Nature by Jessica Nicholls and Hannah’s Fate by Abigail Owen
Also known commonly as a cougar or puma, the mountain lion (Puma concolor) is native to the Americas and ranges from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes of South America. As a cat in the Americas, it is second in size to the jaguar, and is solitary, reclusive and nocturnal (though most active at dusk/dawn). Its genetics put it closer to smaller felines, such as the domestic cat, than to the African lion. Despite its size, it is not always the “top” predator in its area, and will even catch insects as prey. Attacks on humans are rare, but more common as its territory is increasingly inhabited by human population.
In size, it is slender and agile, with males averaging around 7.9’ from nose to tail (averaging 115 lbs to 220 lbs) and females around 6.7’ (64 lbs to 141 lbs).
It is not in the Panthera family with the other big cats, and it cannot roar as they do, making it the more silent of the large felines. The vocalizations they do make are growls, purrs, low hisses, chirps and whistles, and they are well known for their “screams.” Their coloring is typically tawny, but can range from silvery-grey to reddish with lighter patches on the underbody.
Why I Chose the Mountain Lion
Jessica Nicholls: I’ll be honest. Sometimes the double meaning of the name ‘cougar’ just makes me giggle... Anyway, I liked that they were a native cat in the country I am from. I read up on them and I found that they are solitary creatures. They don’t live in packs or prides. They used to live all over the Americas, even in my home state (Illinois), but now are pushed back to Western and far Northern places. There have been ‘sightings’ in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan etc but you’d be very lucky (or VERY unlucky) to see one. It makes them like spirits or ghosts in my mind; very beautiful, very dangerous ghosts. Mountain Lions deserve respect…and stories.
Abigail Owen: I picked mountain lions for a few reasons. I wanted to set my book in mountains rather than on plains or in the jungle, so they seemed like a natural choice. In addition, cougars are local to where I live and so I hear about them often. In fact, two rescue cats are in the small zoo in my hometown. I love visiting and watching them prowl around - lethal and graceful. And finally, they’re just incredible animals!
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The Siberian Tiger—Featured in Mia Darien’s The Distance Between
Also known as the Amur tiger, the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a subspecies of tiger inhabiting the forests of the Russian Far East. This subspecies is the largest living cat, and ranks among the biggest feline ever to exist. Their current population in the wild is around four hundred, with many others in captivity.
Males range in head and body length from 63” to 71” and 400 lbs to 675 lbs, while the females range in head and body from 75” to 91” and a weight of 220 lbs to 368 lbs. In rare cases, some have reached upwards of 701 lbs in the wild and 1,025
lbs in captivity. This subspecies has a thick coat, is paler in hue than other tigers with fewer stripes.
Like other tigers, they are territorial, solitary predators, although it is not unknown for some female home ranges to overlap, however the males’ do not and it has been seen in either sex to share kills with other tigers (usually of the opposite sex) and cubs. Though territorial, there do not seem to be “rules” to their territoriality. Unlike lions, there do not appear to be “squabbles” while sharing prey and male tigers will allow the tigress and cubs to feed first. Tigers tend to solve territorial disputes through displays of intimidation over outright aggression, and a male may even tolerate another male who has shown submission, if they aren’t too close.
The Siberian tiger has the broadest range, due to the low concentration of prey in their natural habitat. Further, unlike the Bengal, incidents of the Siberian becoming a “man-eater” are rare, though attacks on humans have been recorded.
Tigers are also very comfortable in the water, a trait they only share with the jaguar among cats.
A Note About White Tigers
The trait that produces the white tiger is recessive and rare in the wild. In captivity, breeding to achieve the white color is common but often leads to inbreeding since both parents must have this recessive gene and that often leads to defects. Even white tigers that are otherwise apparently healthy will live shorter lives than their orange counterparts.
Why I Chose the Siberian Tiger
Mia: I used to get Zoobooks as a kid, if anyone besides me remembers this magazine that explored zoology for children. I’ve always been drawn to tigers beyond all other big cats and remember things I read about them in the tiger issue of Zoobooks more than any other animal or edition. They are the biggest of the cats; they are gorgeous; and there is just something that is enchanting and alluring to me. I chose to write about the tiger simply because they’re my favorite!
The EFRC, or Exotic Feline Rescue Center, is a not for profit corporation in Center Point, IN. Their mission is “to provide permanent homes for exotic felines that have been abused, abandoned, or for some reason have nowhere to live out their lives while educating the public about these beautiful cats.” They do not buy, sell, or breed cats. Their rescued cats have homes for life. They provide stable social groups, enhanced natural environments, and veterinary care.
Founding in 1991 by Joe Taft with three cats and fifteen acres, it presently owns over one hundred acres of land with a staff of fifteen employees alongside interns and volunteers that provide the daily care of over two hundred and twenty-five big cats, crossing nine species. They are one of a handful of sanctuaries in the country that do so and work with many organizations, including the USDA, US Fish & Wildlife, and others. They are regulated and inspected annually by the USDA.
A permanent, proper enclosure for a lion or tiger costs $25,000, they feed their inhabitants 4,000 lbs of meat every day, and the monthly parasite medication is about $3,000 a year. This in addition to the other care required for this many animals at this size adds up quickly, and they exist on donations, both from corporations and individuals. Their mission is neither easy nor cheap, but its a blessing to the creatures they have rescued, and they are able to reach out and help educate others about them, and hopefully help cut down on the number needing this kind of care.
The sanctuary provides for visiting classes and field trips, and is open daily to the public. There are multiple events yearly to both allow people to see these beautiful creatures and help raise money for them. At their website (www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org), you can learn more about the EFRC and see pictures of their animals. You can also Like them on Facebook to learn more and receive updates.
