Uncaged’s Feature Authors introduce you to their devoted writing buddies, and the devotion goes both ways

SKY PURINGTON & Guardian & Apollo

This Christmas, our family is expanding by four paws! We are welcoming a new member next month, Zuzu, she’s a standard poodle and while we’ve only seen photos of her, we’re already so much in love. We pick her up from our breeder on December 20th.

Our first baby, Gizmo, passed away this March and we love and miss our boy every day. This year has been fraught with unexpected happenings, ups, downs, but despite everything, it’s also been filled with blessings.

This new adventure is something that will be good for my family and me, and one that we’re all very much looking forward to. I’d be remiss if I didn’t introduce my wonderful writing companions. Shepard/Husky siblings born in upstate New York, Guardian (girl-white) and Apollo (male-black) are absolute sweethearts. The best friends a gal could have. They’ve been with me through thick and thin, even appearing in various books over the years. She’s the alpha, ever the protector, and he’s the glue that holds it all together. Always the one to rest his chin on my lap when life gets a little rocky.

ROBERT G PENNER & Moo

We have two cats. Both rescues. This one is Moo. He is a long, snake like creature. More-or-less a furry eel that climbs curtains. Occasionally he sleeps. I have too many photos to share… I have a lot of pets but the most photogenic is my dog

AUTHORS AND THEIR PETS

Pets and companions come in many shapes and sizes. From furry to feathered to hairy and scaley - there is a place for all of them. Authors have a special relationship with their pets - whether they remind them to get up and take a break or they inspire their writing. Meet the critters that share their love and devotion to Uncaged Feature Authors.

JENNIFER ANNE GORDON & Lord Tubby MICHELLE RENE & Maudie

Lord Tubby. He is a 2.5-year-old Cotton De Tulear. He is on Facebook @Lordtubby and I am including a photo of him… This is my ungrateful cat, Maudie. But really, aren’t most cats ungrateful? We rescued Maudie from a shelter, but it didn’t take her long to get spoiled. She’s my void, and I love her, even if she blends in with the darkness and scares me when I’m writing in the middle of the night.

This is Duke, a Yorkie-Shi Tzu mix. He has hair, not fur, so he gets chilled when the temperature drops below seventy. He requires professional grooming but as you can see, he doesn’t get a regular cut due to Covid. We recently moved from the hot central valley in California to the cold and rainy central valley of Oregon. He now has a variety of sweaters for every holiday and, of course, to support his favorite mens basketball team – Duke University Blue Devils (my husband has a man-crush on Coach K). If you follow on social media at all, you may have heard the story of Isla. In October, my cat Spencer’s breathing was very labored so he was taken into the vet. After tests, it was shown that he had an enlarged heart and medications couldn’t have helped him much and instead of being selfish and keeping him with me, I chose to say goodbye to him that day. Since Spencer was a stray, I have no way of knowing his history.

Isla looks like a Siamese, a seal-point with blue eyes, but believe it or not, she was born to a tabby barn cat. Born pure white, I thought she was an albino at first, until the gray started coming in. She was a bit small compared to the other kittens in the litter and started to get a bit of a cold, so into the vet we went. The vet believes she must have Siamese in her background. Today, she is a healthy 8 month old kitten that is growing quickly and Spencer had met Isla (pronounced EES - LA) and was OK with her, so I think that me saving another kitten would meet his approval.