Comments on: Episode 25: A Cat Prince Distinguishes Himself by Abigail Hilton

By: Doug McIntire

Doug McIntire — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:04:47 +0000

Interesting story of hope and destruction. A nice dichotomy that the author weaved together well. I really enjoyed it.

By: Abbie

Abbie — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:45:20 +0000

Hey, Cameron.

> This universe needs some exploring!

I’m glad you think so! :)

> I think my 11 year old daughter would like it.

Well, I would certainly have liked it at 11, and I’ve been told that I’ve got kids as young as 6 in my audience. That said, there’s a reason I put the “13 and older” stamp on it. It’s violent, but if the level of violence in this story wouldn’t bother your daughter, then the book shouldn’t either. It also mentions sex, but only in the past or the future, never narrated in the present. The younger listeners who actually send me fan mail tend to be about 16, and I think that’s my target age for Prophet.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:59:07 +0000

Dog lover here. If I die in my chair I want a pet that will sit by my side, not eat my face.

My dog just about ended up on the Dunesteef. When I recorded ‘The Seas of Castle Hill Road’ my dog—who lives outside—would keep coming around the side of the house to whine at the window. I’d have to pause the recording, run outside, throw the ball for ten minutes, then come inside for a retake and continue. Quarter of an hour later the cycle would start again.

I don’t think any Jake noises ended up on the recording.

Oh, and I should also say that I loved the story. I really want to discover more about Lexis—why is a he such a… such a… (oh, I don’t believe I’m going to say it, but it’s the perfect word!) pussy? I mean, why did he turn out nothing like his brother? This universe needs some exploring!

I might play this story next time the family goes on a trip—I think my 11 year old daughter would like it. Then, the novel! Looks like we need some seriously long road trips this year!

By: Abbie

Abbie — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:08:08 +0000

Yeah… And the truth about white tigers is nothing so romantic as wizard blood. It’s a sordid tail of inbreeding and culling of throw-away cubs. I guess my version is sordid, too, but in a different way. The truth is just as ugly.

By: Rish Outfield

Rish Outfield — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:55:53 +0000

Funny that you mentioned Siegfried and Roy. My aunt was Roy Horn’s housekeeper (Roy being the one that was mauled by the tiger), so she had interesting insights and stories to tell about the duo. When Roy “retired” from the show due to his injuries, she lost her job.

So hey, I stand by my cat-hating statements.

By: Abbie

Abbie — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:57:50 +0000

Marybaker speaks the truth. I know you guys are being silly, but in all seriousness, the socialization period for kittens is somewhere around 3-9 weeks of age. That’s when they established “us” and “them.” This corresponds to 2 – 4 month old puppy. This is why we don’t take kittens to socialization classes. They socialize very young, when they’re still with their mother. It is therefore incumbent upon the owner of the mother cat to make sure they’re exposed to lots of people, dogs, noises, and stimuli during that period. Kittens who grow up in busy households, offices, and apartment complexes tend to be social, friendly, unflappable cats. If they do not get exposure during that period, they tend to view new people and animals as threatening and scary. Depending on their personality and level of intelligence (which varies as much as it does in people), they can learn new tricks as adults, but it’s harder and slower. That early socialization makes all the difference if you want a cat that’s going to love everyone and not be startled by anything.

By: marybaker001

marybaker001 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:44:35 +0000

The show seemed to be making a case that it is OK for “dogs” to be smelly because you can wash them, but it is not OK for “cats” to be unsociable after you get one because you want a pet to take care of itself. Cats can be very sociable,friendly, and involved in household routine, but you need to commit time to the animal, play with it, leash train it, and let it help you read, watch tv, play, use the computer, cook, or whatnot. Cats have about a 6 wk window during which they need to be socialized or they tend to pick one person as their friend and interact cautiously with the rest of the world. Also, toms are often more outgoing than females.

By: Melissa Bice-Chidister

Melissa Bice-Chidister — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:29:32 +0000

You neglected to mention that cats are clean. They wash themselves daily. If you see a dog “washing” himself, it’s disgusting. Oh, and they drink out of the toilet.

By: Big Anklevich

Big Anklevich — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:31:36 +0000

Y’know, we weren’t hard enough on dogs in the show. There are some monstrous dogs out there that never got their deserved browbeating from us. When it comes down to it, I hate pit bulls more than I hate cats. Cats despise and ignore people, but pit bulls and rottweilers tear peoples faces off. And what’s worse, dogs tend to bite children, the most vulnerable of all as well. I was bit by more than one dog in my childhood. If someone gets bit by a cat, it’s no big deal, cats are small, unless you’re Sigfried (or was it Roy) then your pet cat does no damage at all. So, I guess, I hate cats for their utter disdain they display towards those who love and care for them. But I hate big dogs that bite even more.

By: Abbie

Abbie — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:48:05 +0000

*is delighted* Thanks, Nicole!