How can I write about just one of my beloved pets? It’s like asking me to write about just one of my kids … and then the other four would plot murder behind my back. I love all my kids — and animals — equally.
Growing up, my mom was a dog person and I was a cat person. I became a cat person because of my grandpa’s adopted stray Spooky, a black and white kitten he’d found abandoned in a garbage can. Needless to say, Grandpa and I spoiled Spooky. (My grandpa used to buy small pieces of liver from the butcher as a special “treat” once a week.)
I’ve had an assortment of cats through the years, and they all hold a special place in my heart. Currently we have two.
Minnie Mouse is my daughter’s cat, but my daughter is at college so Minnie is now mine. Minnie is very sweet and has a slight wheeze from a clogged nostril which is actually quite endearing. When my youngest son comes home from school and sits in the chair next to my desk, within ninety seconds, Minnie is in his lap. The only time she’s annoying is when I’m cooking chicken — she’ll sit in the kitchen and meow until I give her a piece.
In February of 2015, my sainted Nemo died and I was heartbroken. Nemo was a white cat with orange spots — I’ve always been partial to orange and white cats, and Nemo was my third such cat over the years. I had been watching the animal shelter weekly looking for an orange and white cat because they have great personalities, and in November I found a litter of kittens there. My husband Dan and I rushed over — I didn’t want to miss them! As I was playing with the kittens, a white and gray cat reached out to Dan, his little paw tapping his arm.
The orange and white cats were adorable, but Dan — who is not really a cat person — started talking to the gray and white cat and I knew the cat had picked us. He probably knew that he’d have it made in the feline world if we adopted him. Dan named him Nimbus as we drove home.
Nimbus can be a bit of a bully. He’s large—17 pounds. Recently, I went to a 4-day writers retreat. Nimbus sat on the dining room table looking out the window waiting for me to come home. He hasn’t left my side since. He sleeps at my feet at night, and on my desk when I’m writing, and on my lap when I’m reading or watching television. Sometimes he picks on Minnie who is older but much smaller. He also teases our 90 pound black lab who seems to be terrified of the cat!
Speaking of our lab … C.S. Lewis came to us by chance. Our oldest daughter’s best friend’s neighbor (haha) was going off to college and her parents didn’t want to keep her dpg. He was only 9 months old and already bigger than they had planned, and they didn’t have a yard for him. We had two acres. At his old house, he wasn’t allowed on the furniture and slept in a crate … of course, at the Brennan house he ended up with three dog beds in various rooms, and while we tried for the “no dogs on the furniture” it lasted about two weeks. Did I mention that my husband is a dog person? (Seriously — he’s the dog whisperer. When we lived in the country, every stray dog would somehow end up at our house and we would then find the owner. It’s like they knew if we couldn’t, they had a good place to live.)
Lewis loves to play fetch, swim in the pool, and go on walks. He’s now ten years old and while our cats are spoiled, Lewis runs the house with his big brown puppy eyes.
We have one more animal in our family — an animal I never thought I’d like. My son got a bearded dragon for his 16th birthday. I made him promise to do everything — take care of him, clean his cage, feed him (worms! crickets!) because I thought I would hate a reptile. Well … no, I can’t say that I hate him. In fact, I rather love the little guy who has his own distinct personality. We can’t let him run around because of the cats, but when my son and I play video games together in his room, we close the door and let the lizard out — Zuko walks back and forth between us, often staking out a place on my shoulder to watch me lose, or on the window sill looking outside. And I really don’t mind feeding him and won’t mind taking over bearded dragon duty when my son goes off the college …
My bio says I have five kids and “assorted pets.” I don’t know what pet I’ll end up with next, but … other than snakes or spiders … I’ll adopt just about anything.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year. Reviewers have called her “a master of suspense” and RT Book Reviews said her books are “mesmerizing” and “complex.” She’s been nominated for multiple awards, including the Thriller, RWA’s Best Romantic Suspense (five times), and twice won the Daphne du Maurier award. She lives in Arizona with her family and assorted pets.
