Award-winning author, Ramona D. Marek, MS Ed. is a life-long cat lover who grew up writing fantasy stories about animals. More recently, her work about the mystery, myths and misunderstanding of cats and other animals, has been published in many outlets including Animal Wellness, Catnip (Tufts), Cat Talk, CatWatch and DogWatch (Cornell), CAT FANCY, and pet retail trade Pet Product News International.
Ramona grew up with dogs as pets and while in high school, along with her siblings, devised a supreme master plan to add a cat to their family. Today she is the owner of a 12 year-old Siberian named Tsarevich Ivan and nine year-old Natasha Fatale.
TICA recently talked with Ramona about her cats and how her love for animals inspired her to become an award-winning author. Here’s what she had to say…
How long have you owned cats? Cats have been part of my home for the majority of my life. My family had dogs as pets until I was in high school, then my two siblings and I devised a supreme master plan to add our first cat to our pet family. As an adult I have always had one or two cats at time.
If you can accomplish or change one thing through your writing related to cats, what would it be? The heart of my writing is educating people about responsible pet ownership. If I could accomplish or change one thing through my writing about cats it would be that cats are valuable, sentient, living beings worthy of respect, compassion and regular veterinary care. Cats are not disposable pets.
You talk in your bio about the first time you fell in love with animals, can you discuss the first time you fell in love with cats? I’ve always loved all animals. My first personal experience with cats began when I was 13. I found a tiny red tabby kitten with blue eyes living under my next door neighbor’s house. I secretly fed him under the house, named him Pumpkin, and in my mind, he was mine. From that moment I was smitten!
Ramona has received numerous awards for her pet-related writing, including The Cat Writers’ Muse Medallion in 2016 for her book, “Cats for the GENIUS”, the 2015 www.goodnewsforpets.com Human-Animal Bond Award, The Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion in 2015, the 2014 CWA Purina One Health Award as well as CWA Certificates of Excellence in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011.
