Who Are the Cat Writers’ Association: Amelia Hendrey

by Mollie Hunt

Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is a series of interviews with CWA members, but not your usual who, what, and where discussion. I like to ask a different set of questions and am always amazed by the answers. I hope you are too.

Our guest today on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is Amelia Hendrey. Amelia is a devoted cat lover; she has had cats all of her life. She enjoys the peacefulness of country life with her four cherished cats. (At one time she had ten!)  

Her days are a delightful mix of running her own cat-sitting business and pouring her heart into her writing. When she is not busy taking care of her furry friends, Amelia crafts stories that captivate and inspire.  

She is the proud author of the books What Nobody Knew and her newly-released Ten Cats & One Crazy Cat Lady. Amelia finds happiness in the simple pleasures of a purring cat on her lap and the satisfaction of a story well told.

Part 1:

About My Craft:

I started writing in 2016, and I self-published my first book a year later. I had an awful childhood and wrote about it in the hope it would help other people who had been through similar situations and also educate people on what goes on behind closed doors. The book contains genuine social services documents, a police interview, and a conviction. 

I didn’t have faith in myself and thought possibly five people at most would buy the book.  Surprisingly, the book did really well and managed to help people who read it. The feedback I received was lovely. 

Next, I decided I wanted to write about cats as they had always been a really important part of my life. I already had ten cats and my own cat-sitting business, so that is where the book began – with all their different characters and personalities. I traveled to Amsterdam and Rome, met cats there, and visited a cat café, cat festivals, and cat shows where I met two werewolf cats (Lykoi breed) . I came home and wrote about it all just to share with the cat community.

How cats inspire my creativity:

Cats inspire my creativity because no cat is the same. They all have their own way of doing things, seeing the world, and choosing who they are loyal to. I have met my fair share, and I have fallen in love with every single one of them. That is why I choose to work with them through being an author and cat sitting, both jobs that bring me such great happiness. 

What I Enjoy About Belonging to CWA:

I enjoy belonging to CWA because it’s like being part of a huge cat family.

Part 2:

Mollie: What is your favorite cat movie and why?

Amelia: Oh, I couldn’t possibly pick one, is that even possible? From my childhood, they would have been The Aristocats and Oliver and Company, with a dash of Garfield and Tom and Jerry. All great favorites.

Mollie: What famous cat or cat person have you met?

Amelia: At a cat festival, I met James Bowen, but not Bob, as he was napping. As for other famous cats, my cats act like they are famous and that I should treat them as such.

Mollie: If you were a cat, what breed would you be?

Amelia: I would be a Devon Rex. Every Devon Rex I have met has always been super sociable, and I feel that fits my personality purr-fectly.

Mollie: Do your cats get along with each other?

Amelia: I have been so lucky all my cats have always got along. I’ve never seen anger or hostility. They have had bad days like most people but nothing that ever warranted concern.

Mollie: What’s the craziest thing your cats have ever done?

Amelia: I had cat called Zeus, and he came home with balloons with one puff of air left in them. He brought them home and batted them around the living room. He was very protective of them. It was a regular occurrence, but to this day, we never found out where he kept getting them from.

Mollie: Does cat love run in your family?

Amelia: Yes, it absolutely does. My husband had cats before I met him, and our daughter was born on August 8^th, which is International Cat Day. We laugh about it because her favorite animal is the cat. She was born on that special day, and her star sign is Leo.

Mollie: What cat-themed item is sitting on your desk right now?

Amelia: I have a cat-head-shaped speaker and a 365 cat-a-day flip calendar, which has just reminded me to change the day as it’s still on the day from two days ago. Whoops!

Mollie: What would your life be like without cats?

Amelia: I hope I never have a day like that. That would be a very sad day. In all honesty, I don’t think that would ever happen. I would always have a cat in my life because they need me as much as I need them, and I can’t walk anywhere in the wild without stroking at least one.

Please give us the names and short descriptions of your cats.

The famous ten were:

Isis, Shush, Shakira, Ginge, Shrek, Zeus, Ooshee, Squishy, Sushi, Koshka

The four I have now:

Winter, Daisy, Katinka and Chloe

You can find Amelia Hendrey on her Facebook page: Ten Cats & One Crazy Cat Lady.

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