Iceni Columnist Keri Beevis

My Monkeys Turned Thirteen This Year

By monkeys, I mean my kitties, Ellie and Lola, and if we’re going to get technical, then they are thirteen years and seven months old.

They are well on the way to being geriatric pussycats (apparently that’s a thing), Above: Keri Beevis which worries me no end because I know the time I have left with them is limited.

We are a nation of pet lovers and get so attached to our fur babies. They are a part of the family and it is awful when it is time to say goodbye. I am keeping everything crossed that we have a few more years together yet.

I have always been really close to my girls, even more so this last year, as I now write mostly fulltime. They are my constant companions, waking me up in the morning wanting cuddles, and breakfast of course - we must never forget breakfast.

In fact, since I have been working from home, I have learnt their expectations have risen in the food department. Whereas they used to have breakfast and dinner, with dried biscuits left down to snack on, they now expect lunch too.

I don’t actually need a clock in this house. I spend my mornings writing, disappearing to Planet Fiction, and am always brought back to earth with a resounding meow, to find Ellie and Lola sat side by side on the floor by my desk, looking like a feline version of The Shining twins as they stare at me expectantly.

Initially, I put my foot down; lunch was not going to become a regular thing, but I guess those of you with cats will know it doesn’t quite work like that. They make the rules and will always find a way to get what they want. So, the three of us now have lunch together.

They may be gluttons, but they also keep me grounded. A few weeks back, I was agreeing a new three-book deal with my publisher and I celebrated with champagne. The following morning, I was sat on my kitchen floor in my cat hair covered leggings with a hangover, scrubbing out two litter trays.

Then, just yesterday, I put my finger in my mouth, not realising I had splattered it with chicken-flavoured cat food. Eight out of ten cats might like it, but this human certainly didn’t.

My brand-new thriller, Trust No One, is due out on the 16th November.

My crime thriller, D For Dead is available to buy in paperback and Kindle now.

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