Cleopa, my mostly white, formerly wild cat, is now in training.

Already, she meows to get in, has a vast vocabulary for requesting and responding to back scratching and feeding, and tells me when she wants to go outside.

But this isn't her ultimate destiny: It is serving as a writer's cat.

But before exploring her duties in this role, let me give you a little background.

Cleopa is not my only pet.

I also have Linus, a very hairy sheepdog miniature. If you get a chance to see Tim Allen in Disney's latest version of "The Shaggy Dog,” you'll see a Linus look a like.

Technically, the breed is called the Bearded Collie, and he's a great guy, my Linus.

But he's not a writer's dog; there's no such thing.

Dogs are way too needy, untidy, and distracting.

That's why you need a cat. They aren't.

Here's why they help you to write:

(1) You can read your stuff to them. They'll respond in exactly the same way as most editors, with a yawn, at best.

(2) They're relaxed. That's what you need to be when you write. As I type these words, my sweet Cleopa is stretched out, leg hanging perilously overboard, on my genuine Eames chair ottoman. She's the picture of tranquility.

(3) They're good company, and fairly undemanding. Just watch them; most of the time, they don't need us at all!

(4) If they had fingers instead of paws, they'd be writers, too. They have the perfect temperament for it.

(5) They'll give you just enou

gh love and attention, and then they'll leave you to your work. Dogs can never do this!

So, if you've been stuck in mediocrity, you've suffered one too many rejections, or you just haven't found the right voice, try a meow.

It just may be the cat's pajamas for you!

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