Q & A: WHY THIS NEW HAMBURG AUTHOR IS LOOKING TO MEET INTERESTING CATS ACROSS CANADA

Nancy Silcox, an author from New Hamburg, has previously written about famous Canadians and their pets, as well as animals with jobs. Now, for her next project, she’s diving into the captivating world of Canadian cats and exploring why these feline companions are so fascinating.

Silcox stopped by CBC Kitchener-Waterloo’s The Morning Edition with Craig Norris to discuss her upcoming book and share more about her latest literary adventure.

CRAIG NORRIS: Tell us about your ongoing project – writing about famous Canadians and their pets.

NANCY SILCOX: This is actually my fourth book on pets. The first one was for the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), called Famous Canadians and their Pets. Then I did two books called Working Like a Dog, Doing Nothing Like a Cat, where I traveled across the country, meeting famous people and their pets, all of whom had jobs or purposes. Some were working in clinics, others in businesses – you name it, it was fascinating. I even went to the Arctic, where I got to meet sled dogs – well, I didn’t talk to them exactly, but you get the idea!

NORRIS: I’m sure you had some conversations with them! And now, this time around, you’re focusing on cats.

SILCOX: Yes, I’m a dog and cat lover, and I actually have three cats, including a very large Maine Coon who’s incredibly smart. But I think the idea for this book really came about after all the buzz around cats during the American election – you know, the “childless cat lady” stereotype, and of course Taylor Swift and her famous cats. I thought, we need to give a spotlight to Canadian cats! So, I decided to interview people from all across the country, from Newfoundland to the Arctic and out to BC. I’m aiming for 50 cats, and I’m currently working on my first 10. These cats are special – some have made headlines, others have saved lives or even have jobs. It’s such a fascinating topic.

And I should mention, all the proceeds from my books go to pet rescue organizations. For the OVC book, all the money went towards their cancer clinic. The books have also supported the SPCA and St. John Ambulance therapy dogs, which has been wonderful. But with cats, I knew it would be a challenge. People are more used to hearing about dogs, but it’s incredible how many cats have remarkable stories.

NORRIS: That’s so great! Tell us about the first cat you interviewed.

SILCOX: Oh, the first one was Coal. I interviewed him – well, I interviewed his owner – just a few weeks ago. Coal is the last surviving cat from the colony that once lived on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. There were about 15 cats in that colony, but they decided to disperse them, and now Coal is the only one left. He’s with a very loving owner, and it’s such a beautiful story.