Notes from Ellie · Issue No. 4 · June 1, 2026

Meet the Cats

The dogs had their turn. Now two very opinionated ladies would like a word. (They insist it should have been them first.)

Hello, Dear Reader

Back in April we introduced Cocoa and Echo, and it didn’t take long for the cats in our lives to let us know they were deeply offended. So this month, the spotlight belongs to the feline side of the Ellie Webster family: Mewsly and Boo.

Mewsly: the mischievous tabby of Tangled Threads

In Thistle Grove, Maisie Button traded corporate burnout for cozy afternoons in her craft store, Tangled Threads. She spends her days surrounded by skeins of yarn and the clack of knitting needles, with Mewsly, her mischievous tabby, keeping a watchful eye on everything.

A craft store full of yarn is a dangerous place for a cat with ideas, and Mewsly has plenty. She knows exactly which basket is the softest napping spot, which customers will scratch behind her ears, and how to be underfoot at the precise moment someone is carrying a teetering stack of fabric.

A few tabby quirks we love:

• Tabby isn’t a breed. It’s a coat pattern, and it shows up in many different breeds and in plenty of wonderful mixed-breed cats.
• The famous “M.” Tabbies have a distinctive M-shaped marking on their foreheads, and there are lots of charming folk tales about how it got there.
• Four classic patterns. Tabbies come in mackerel (thin stripes), classic (bold swirls), spotted, and ticked (flecked, almost salt-and-pepper fur).
• Yarn is not a toy. It looks irresistible, but string and yarn can be dangerous if a cat swallows them. Mewsly is only allowed to admire Maisie’s yarn from a safe distance. (Mostly.)

Boo: the imperious black cat of Dog-Eared

In Charlottesville, book restorer Em Whitmore runs a dog-friendly bookshop. The dogs are welcome, but make no mistake: the shop belongs to Boo. Boo is an imperious black cat who supervises every repair from her perch, judges each customer as they come through the door, and keeps watch while Em untangles the mystery in The Broken Spine.

We gave Em a black cat on purpose. Black cats have spent centuries saddled with an unfair reputation, and we think Boo is the perfect chance to set the record straight.

A few black cat quirks we love:

• Good luck, actually. In some places, including Scotland and Japan, a black cat is considered a sign of good fortune.
• They can “rust.” Spend enough time napping in sunny windows, and a black cat’s coat can take on a reddish-brown tint.
• Lots of breeds, one look. Many breeds come in solid black, from the Bombay (bred to look like a tiny panther) to the Persian and the Maine Coon.
• They have their own holiday. Black Cat Appreciation Day is celebrated every year on August 17. Boo expects a card.

Some of the best sidekicks don’t wag. They just slow-blink at you from across the room and let you know you’ve been approved.

Find your own Mewsly (or Boo)

If these two have charmed you, we hope you’ll consider adopting a cat of your own. Shelters are often full of kittens and grown cats this time of year, waiting for a sunny window to call home. And if you already share your home with a pet, here’s that little reading we still feel strongly about:

• PetfinderSearch adoptable cats, dogs, and other pets from thousands of shelters and rescue groups near you.
• Why Spay or Neuter Your Pet (ASPCA)How spaying and neutering helps reduce pet homelessness, lowers certain health risks, and can curb roaming, spraying, and other unwanted behaviors.

On our shelf this season

P.S. Cocoa fans, mark your calendars: Paws and Prejudice, Tails of Maple Ridge Book 2, arrives June 16!

Until next month, give your cat a slow blink from us.
With love,
Ellie (all of us)