New Hamburg author putting the final touches on new book, The Cat did It: Marvellous and Magnificent Canadian Cats

rime Minister Mark Carney’s cat, Nico, will be featured in New Hamburg author Nancy Silcox’s upcoming book, The Cat did It: Marvellous and Magnificent Canadian Cats. Photos courtesy of Nancy Silcox

Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

New Hamburg author Nancy Silcox has long been fascinated by people and their relationships with their pets.

Having written extensively about pets in the workplace in two volumes of Workin’ Like a Dog; Doin’ Nuthin’ Like a Cat, Silcox turned her attention over the past year to Canadians and their cats after a characterization of women who own cats during the 2024 American election rubbed her the wrong way.

“I started it in January, and I was so incensed by what was going on in the American election with all this miserable talk about childless cat ladies from J.D. Vance,” said Silcox, referring to the resurfacing late last year of then vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance’s 2021 comments calling Kamala Harris a childless cat lady. “It was just ridiculous and I love cats, and I thought, ‘We need to celebrate our Canadian cats.’ ”

With the notion of writing a book featuring Canadians and their cats in mind and the goal of using book sales to raise money for cat rescues, charities and non-profits across the country, Silcox decided she would meet virtually with people from coast to coast to coast to talk about their cats.

“They didn’t have to be cats that did amazing things; though it turned out many of them do,” Silcox said. “Cats really are amazing.”

To connect with cat owners and their feline friends, Silcox took an interview with CBC K-W’s Craig Norris. Though she only expected the interview to be broadcast locally, it was syndicated nationally and, before she knew it, Silcox’s inbox was flooded with emails from people who really wanted to talk about their cats.

From that long list of submissions, Silcox connected with cats and their owners from all walks of life, including singer-songwriter Jann Arden and her cat, Shrodie; author Margaret Atwood and her cat, Fluffy; Cole, the last-surviving cat of the Parliament Hill cat colony; Findus, the fearless adventure cat from Vancouver, B.C.; and Gary, the Instagram-famous cat that can ski, hike and paddle.

Closer to home, Silcox had the opportunity to meet Crosby, the cat stolen from a Pet Valu in Waterloo before he was recovered and adopted; Diggory, the musical, orange cat owned by Ken and Roberta Harrison of ‘80s and ‘90s pop-rock band Wild Strawberries; and Fern, the greenhouse cat at Stratford District Secondary School.

“One of the people that contacted me was Ms. (Christine) Ritsma at Stratford District Secondary School. She is the green industries teacher … and she told me they had someone really special. They have a greenhouse cat whose name is Fern. The students found it two years ago outside in the cold, and they brought the kitten in and they adopted it. … She passed this by the principal and the VP – ‘We have a cat living in our greenhouse’ – and they said that was fine.

“So, Fern continues to be the greenhouse cat at SDSS, and I went over and met Fern and the kid were wonderful. They adore Fern.”

After Silcox thought she had all the cats she needed for her book, one more cat was brought to her attention last month – a cat she knew she had to make room in her book for. Though she is still in the process of setting a day and time to speak with his owner, Nico, the cat owned by Prime Minister Mark Carney and his family, will also make an appearance.

Silcox says she expects The Cat did It: Marvellous and Magnificent Canadian Cats, which has been picked up by Dundurn Press, to launch early next year.