My Cats Write My Blog. I'm Just Along for the Ride! | Lola The Rescued Cat
Thursday, March 30, 2017

My Cats Write My Blog. I'm Just Along for the Ride!

Not all blogs are created equal. Writing can be done in different forms, one of which is done from the animal’s perspective. Today I’m sharing how I developed the voice of my blog and my feelings about writing from a pet’s point of view. 





This post is sponsored by the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about how BlogPaws helps educate and inspire pet influencers but Lola The Rescued Cat only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.


How I Started Writing in my Cat’s voice

When I adopted Lola, there was a small group of people follwing her story on Facebook. To keep receiving updates on her progress a few of them suggested  I start a Facebook page for her. When I sat down to write her first report, I wondered “How do I do this? Do I write the updates myself, or should I have Lola write them?” I thought Lola was (and still is) more endearing and entertaining than I am (and a lot cuter, too), so I decided to have her tell her own story. 

I could have written a very dry update such as: 

“Lola is recovering nicely and is coming home tomorrow. I have her bed all ready for her.” 


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Lola comfy in her new bed. 


But Lola, with her energetic personality, wrote: 

“I’m going home tomorrow! Everyone at the hospital is fussing over me and hugging me and telling me how happy they are for me. The hospital even posted about me on their Facebook page. I know I need my beauty sleep so I can look good for my new mom tomorrow, but I’m so excited I won’t sleep a wink!” 

See the difference?  Lexy got introduced into the page when I was writing about their introduction process, which was quite a frustrating ordeal at times. They were both very detailed about their interactions, and a few people even commented that they learned from our experiences.


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Lola used to hide from Lexy in the wall unit. Now she's too big to fit there.











Lola’s posts got very good engagement and feedback. Writing from her perspective held the reader’s attention and telling the story through her eyes drew the reader in to want to learn more about her. I decided to continue writing updates in this manner, and before I knew it I had 1000 followers. 


Writing From an Animal's POV is not as easy as it seems.

Some may consider that writing from an animal’s perspective is easy, and it does not always garner the respect it deserves. In order to do it well, it takes a lot of thought and some creativity to go along with it. I had to develop Lola’s and Lexy’s characters. They have two very different personalities, with different vocabularies. Lola will use words such as “poopy”, and phrases like “Oh my stars!” while Lexy’s vocabulary includes the words “serendipitous” and “happenstance.” Lola’s dialog is full of exclamation points, while Lexy’s is more subtle. Lola’s excitement over life can be seen in every introduction to her posts as she says “Hello, and Happy Friday!”. Lexy’s introductions are more subdued with a simple “Hello, everyone” as she gets directly to the point (“This is Lexy checking in with important information about pet dental health”.) Lola wants the reader to guess what’s coming, but gets so excited she can’t wait to divulge the surprise (“Do you know what today is? Go ahead, take a guess. OK, never mind, let me just tell you.”) And Lola calls me “Mommy” while Lexy refers to me as “Mother.” 


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Lexy: "Who are you?" Lola: "I'm Lola. I live here now." Lexy: "We'll see about that."

















When
 writing posts, I need to be mindful of the differences in verbiage, particularly when there is an exchange between the two of them. I have to remember their personalities and how each would respond. At times when I’m writing something, I’ll say to myself “Lola wouldn’t say that” or “That sounds more like Lola than Lexy”, and I’ll have to re-do a paragraph or change the idea and direction of the post altogether. 

It’s much easier, and quicker, for me to write in my own voice. When I write as Lola or Lexy I must get my creative juices flowing. The way I portray them currently has been a work in progress over six years. It's still not perfect, but I think it improves as it (and I) evolve. 


Writing from an Animals Perspective is Real Writing

There are many blogs in the blogosphere that are written from the pet’s POV. I admire how well written many of them are and look forward to their updates. Their posts are a breath of fresh air at the end of a hectic work day or a welcome distraction from the news of the world. I’m sure these bloggers would agree that writing creatively in this style is real writing. I’m also sure Anna Sewell, George Orwell, Richard Adams and Bruce Cameron (authors of Black Beauty, Animal Farm, Watership Down and A Dog’s Purpose, respectively) would also agree. New York Times best-selling author Gwen Cooper wrote her book Love Saves the Day partly in the voice of the main character, Prudence, who is a cat. I heard Gwen speak at an event where she shared that her publisher asked for this type of book. Kudos to her publisher! And Janiss Garza recently released Rescued Volume 2: The Healing Stories of 12 Cats, Through Their Eyes - an anthology of rescue stories, told by the cats themselves. 


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Lexy getting her own treats.  Some things never change - except her weight!


Should a Blogger Write in Their Pet's Voice?

The question may arise about whether this is the appropriate form for a blog. My opinion is that it depends on what the blogger wants to convey to their readers and how they choose to express it. I’ve read quality product reviews, articles, and everything in between written from the pet’s POV. I believe a blogger should stay true to their mission and vision, and adjust as this changes. 


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Lola admiring her collar in the mirror.
If I didn’t write in Lola and Lexy’s voice I wouldn’t have a Facebook page, a blog or a book. None of it would have a purpose for me, nor would I have much to write about. This is what works for me, and until I change my mission or vision Lola and Lexy will continue to entertain our readers with their wit and share their view of the world. You know what? It’s fun. And shouldn’t there be some fun in blogging? 
Dawn
These are early photos of Lola and Lexy and were the beginning of my inspiration to write. 


For more ideas about developing your blog, visit BlogPaws and their Social Learning Community

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogPaws. The opinions and text are all mine.

Would you like to comment?

  1. I'm so glad you let my pals Lola and Lexy blog in their own words! I know my blog would be way boring if my human did the writing instead of me.

    P.S. My human says thanks for the shoutout about Rescued Volume 2!

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  2. Great post. I too write in my cats' voices. I think they have way more to say and a funnier way of saying it than I do. Some may think that this is just silly and shouldn't be taken seriously...but honestly, I think my cats get the point across a lot better than I could ever do. ~Island Cat Mom

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  3. great, fun and informative post. Cody and I go back and forth. Sometimes he blogs, sometimes it's me. That's why our blog is named the way it is named ;)
    catchatwithcarenandcody

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  4. We love blogs written from the Pet's Point of View as long as they are readable. The ones written in "cat speak" are often such a challenge to read; though, we do appreciate what the blogger is trying too accomplish. Mom does about half and half. When one or more of us write a post, we always sign our name(s) at the bottom. Mom allows us to be much less formal in our writing than she is, but always strives to follow good rules of writing. She says when we write, it requires much more thought and editing. This was a great and thought-provoking post. Your girls have excellent writing skills. Thanks. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo and Cooper Murphy and Mom Janet

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  5. We love reading your blog posts (and your book) in Lola's voice (and Lexy's too!). It certainly does take a lot of work to come up with the vocabularies and personalities behind each cat. I sometimes do a post in my cats' voices, but I usually use my own because it suits my purposes better. Plus, with 6 cats, I don't think I could handle keeping up with all of the different voice! lol! You do an awesome job, and I admire all that you do!

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  6. L & L....we rite in trout coz everee cat that reedz R blog noez therz a "hidden message" bee hind it...

    kinda like bak in de olden dayz when peepulz played a record bak werdz N gotta sekrit message ;)~~~~~

    ☺☺♥♥

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  7. We do occasionally let the Dad blog, but he has to be closely supervised!

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  8. We write our blog in our voice too : we have much more to say than Claire ! Purrs

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  9. I see the difference. I know Phoebe gets more comments on the days she writes than when I do :)

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  10. Writing from a cat's perspective is a little tricky. It helps that I feel connected to Bear emotionally, but it's easy to get stuck in a rut so that the cat's dialogue doesn't really ever change or grow. It's not easy ... and when I'm feeling depressed or not as connected to Bear, I struggle to write in his voice. I've also found that it's almost unavoidable that our cat's quirks will mimic ours (for me ... sarcasm and wry wit ... plus some goofiness). Despite the pitfalls, writing as our pets is more compelling. LOVED the pictures in this post ... especially the one of Lola hiding from Lexy. I've fallen in love with your girls :)

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  11. What a fun post! I do half and half. Some posts (mostly reviews) are from my POV, the rest are from Mudpie's. I love writing in her voice...she's such a fun girl. I hope my writing reflects that!

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  12. What a great subject for a post, Dawn!!! I'm so glad you wrote about this... too often it seems, blogs written from the pet's perspective are somehow discounted and not considered true writing. I couldn't disagree more! Thank you for casting light on this. I know a couple of cats who have a LOT to say and they whole-heartedly agree!

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  13. Fun post! Blogs written from a pets perspective are often dismissed but they can be quite informative!

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  14. I've seen blogs that are very well-done in pet voices. I think it helps when they're in the pet voice but still in proper English. Sometimes when they're in pet speak, it's like trying to decipher middle English!

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  15. It is fun to see different personalities, and I can see how it would be a challenge to do it right. I appreciate pets that blog, some of my favorite blogs are written by cats and dogs, but I become overwhelmed by animals who use mostly unconventional spelling.

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  16. Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your writing style & process. I enjoy blogs written from the Pet's POV too & definitely consider it "real" writing. It's a skill to be able to infuse pets personalities, especially with more than one Pet! You do a great job, your blog is so enjoyable. I think some people object more to a lot of verbiage that is difficult to understand & follow vs. being written clearly, but from the Pet's POV. Kind of like baby talk that's hard to follow.
    Love & biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  17. Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your writing style & process. I enjoy blogs written from the Pet's POV too & definitely consider it "real" writing. It's a skill to be able to infuse pets personalities, especially with more than one Pet! You do a great job, your blog is so enjoyable. I think some people object more to a lot of verbiage that is difficult to understand & follow vs. being written clearly, but from the Pet's POV. Kind of like baby talk that's hard to follow.
    Love & biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  18. I kind of switch back and forth between my voice and Ruby's voice. When I started the blog with our first dog Pip, I wrote in his voice. It came very easily for me because Pip and I were so connected and our personalities very similar. I now kind of feel like when I am writing in my voice I'm also still writing in his voice (if that makes any sense). LOL.

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  19. So that's what I'm doing wrong ... writing all myself. Gotta put Cookie to work ;-)

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  20. I too write in my pets voice. Most of you know Montecristo's world traveller, slight snob aristocratic pitch. It does make for a fun view. I have however had people tell me I would "do better" if I did not. I love the challenge of finding the words to show his personality versus my own. also, when taking photos while we travel - to make myself go WAY down to SEE his angle --- I now have a bunch of perspectives I did not have before like ... cobble stones near the Med sea smell of dried fish. :)

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  21. Great post. My blog is both from my point of view and from Dexter's. It just depends on the post and my mood. ;) Lola has a great voice and I love her stories.

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  22. I enjoy hearing from Lola and Lexi! You have created great voices for them. I agree - a blogger should use the voice that best expresses what they want to communicate. Most of the time I write as myself, but I give Manna and Dexter a voice on our Wednesday special "Niptoons". There is something special about the way kitties think!

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  23. I enjoy well-written blogs in a humanized pet's voice- they can be insightful and entertaining. We experiment with dog voices with some of our videos too and I love Ze Frank's videos Sad Dog Diary and Dear Kitten. The writing and stories are key and you are right- we need to have fun and give others a smile or some interesting info in an engaging way whatever voice/s we use.

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  24. Excellent! I was able to write in Sweet Praline's voice for 3 years. I still haven't quite found Truffle and Brulee's voice.

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  25. I always love hearing from Lola and Lexy. This was a great post! You all write so well!

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  26. I love reading the blogs that are written from the animal's POV, including yours!

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