Ginger Cat - Written by Karen

The Ginger Kittery

In the fall of 2025, my stepson's cat moved in with us while he finishes his last semester of undergraduate studies (my stepson is in college...not the one cloaked in a marmalade cat suit).

Ginger Cat was primarily an indoor kitty...until she started running our household. She loves to prowl about and just like any other teenager, she enjoys her independence.

She appreciates our 2 horses, from afar. Meanwhile, our horses would LOVE for Ginger Cat to come a bit closer. They are curious and gentle.

In fact, they made Ginger Cat an honorary horsie. They figure she has pointy ears, 4 legs, and a tail that swishes...she's in.

One more thing - her name is Fatty...but I can't bring myself to call her that. In our home, she's Ginger Cat. Or Meow-Meow or a litany of other silly nicknames.

Actually, there is another thing - at first I had a "no cats" policy. I love all animals, but I'm used to dogs and horses. Well, GC pretty much runs our house & farm.

In my debut novel, which I hope to have a first draft completed in the fall of 2025, I have a feline protagonist named Cashew. She was inspired by Ginger Cat.

A ginger cat posturing herself as a tigress, looks over her left shoulder in disdain at the photographer

Ginger kitty was on a "walkabout", slinking about the barn like an MI6 operative. April 2025.

While she may appear innocent and cuddly, 7 minutes prior to this photo she was on a first-floor-of-the-house rampage, about 5:25am, ensuring all residents were up and at 'em. This is her coming for me. April 2025.

Yep, this is her afternoon position.

If I seem to want to stand at my desk and work, she beats me to it...so I get to work in the leather chair. Not complaining.

I swear we don't drug this cat.

She "exercises" (not literally) some cattiude.

And yes, we do tiptoe around when she's sleeping. Sometimes it's best to let sleeping cats do what they do best.

On a sunny March 2025 afternoon, she found a solar rectangle.

When she becomes a Hollywood starlet or the star of some quirky catfood commercial, this will be her professional headshot.

Ginger cat staring out a window at squirrels and birds, licking her little chops

Ginger Cat is vexed that I'm feeding the enemy...the squirrels and birds. Oh, and that heating pad she's sitting on? She prefers it to be at least on the 2nd level of warmth.

A ginger cat curled up in a tight ball, like a feline yarn ball, but not.

We call this The Pinwheel.

Ginger cat on a bed, she hears something, probably a can opener.

She has keen listening skills. She's detected movement of her food bowl (she's on the 2nd floor, it's on the 1st floor), she hears the utensil drawer open, and that certain clang of a fork, her bowl, and a tin can harmonizing.

Reflections on a glass patio door of a woman feeding birds outside while a ginger cat grimaces (inside the house).

It's January in Baltimore. I'm outside feeding sweet woodland creatures, she's inside giving me the finger. This is the reflection off the patio door.

Ginger cat making eye contact with a 1200 pound horse. The horse is not in the picture, but he's quite curious to meet her.

Ginger Cat and Happy-the-Horse make eye contact. She's thinking: that's one seriously oversized kitty.

Gray horse wearing a purple blanket stares intently at a ginger cat (the ginger cat is outside the frame)

Happy-the-Tennessee-Walker sees Ginger Cat and thinks: that's one vertically-challenged horsie.