I have such a special treat for you all today. You should know by now how much of a Kiwi fan I am based on my ramblings about Kiwi in Cat City as well as Kiwi and the Missing Magic. I also previously interviewed author Vickie Johnstone.
Today, I have non other than Ms. Kiwi herself as my super special guest! Kiwi has graciously stopped by for a visit as part of the Great Indie Reads Blog Hop.
See details following the interview to get your name in the pot for your very own taste of Kiwi!
Character Interview
Kiwi of Kiwi in Cat City
By Vickie Johnstone
GL: Please tell us a little about yourself.
Kiwi: Well I’m just a cat. I’m about 4. I’m a bit small, black, fluffy and I’m not sure if I’m cute or not – that’s up to other cats to decide though Georgie is always buying me Mrs Ebenry’s special delights and winking at me. I live with Amy and James and their parents in the human world. But, at night time I like to visit my other home, Cat City, where I either spend time at the Cat Motel or at my mother Moggie’s place. But I like my independence!
My best friends are Amy, James, Inspector Furrball and Kip. Siam is cool too. If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell, because otherwise everyone will want to meet me?! The secret is, I’m magical. You might notice a faint purple glow to my fur and eyes – look closely or you might miss it – that’s my magic glowing. I could take you to Cat City if you are very, very good and don’t tell a soul!
GL: Do you have a “full” name or is it just Kiwi?
Kiwi: I was called Kiwi by my ‘owners’ in the human world. It’s a bit weird being named after a fruit, but, hey, there are worse names. Maybe it suits me. And the children named me, so I like my name! I have a much longer name in Cat City, but I can’t tell you it. It’s a secret (if you’ve read book 3, you’ll know why).
GL: I haven't read book three just yet, but I plan to do that ASAP! I can't wait to find out...
GL: Would you like to tell us how old you are (in cat years OR human years) or is it a secret?
Kiwi: I’m four… I think that’s about 28 in your years. Yep, I’m adding on my claws… that’s 28.
GL: We're almost the same age, though I'm a teensy bit older than you. I'll be hitting the big 3-0 in a couple months...
GL: Have you used up any of your nine lives yet?
Kiwi: I think I used up all of them in the human world, but so far I think no harm can come to me there. I’m sure I’ve used up 11 or so. So far, so good. Crossed paws!!
GL: I’ve heard a rumor—are cats really lactose intolerant?
Kiwi: Yes that’s correct, alas – correct for me anyway. I’d be rushing to the cat litter tray! I love the milk in Cat City. It’s the best. We have alco-milk machines for adult kitties. And we have normal milk machines for young cats and general refreshment. We have so many flavours that you can add - strawberry, chocolate, lime, honey, grass, lemon, mouse, bird, fish… lots. However, I did tell Inspector Furrball that I’d invented chocolate. I guess that’s not exactly true.
GL: How do you feel about dogs? What about mice?
Kiwi: Dogs? Dogs? Is there one here? Where? Oops I’m chasing my tail. Phew, no dogs. Phew. They give me the shivers. They smell. And the teeth… the teeth… Moving on. Mice are nice. I tend not to hunt much. I try not to, but it’s in the blood. Sometimes I get the urge. But I like mice. I’ve known some nice mice. For example, Whiskers (he’s the mouse in book 2). I like him. You can have a good conversation with him about architecture, engineering – he loves to build things, and he has so many ideas. I can’t wait to see his new inventions. So my answer is I try not to. But in Cat City, I’m rather partial to Mrs Ebenry’s famous delicacies… that’s mouse… but I only accept that as a present. I don’t buy them myself. You know what they say, a minute on the lips… a lifetime on the cat bum.
GL: What brought about your career choice? Is there another career you are also interested in?
Kiwi: I’m really curious about things. I like solving puzzles and riddles. I love travelling – I get that from my father. I miss him a lot because he would take me to places. He took me to the human world, although Moggie didn’t approve. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have met Amy and James. One of my best friends is Inspector Furrball and I like to help my friends. One day he needed my help to solve a mystery and I volunteered. It was fun. So now he’s always asking! But I know that if ever I’m in trouble, he will come to the rescue. As it happens, this actually occurred in book 3, when I got in a bit of a pickle in an old house with an angry ghost – yikes, I shiver remembering! But I like solving crimes. I love watching Scooby-Doo with James. It’s the best thing on his TV. Also, my magic comes in handy. Any other career? Mmm. I wouldn’t mind something to do with travel. I could be a travel agent :-).
GL: What has it been like working with your human partners, Amy and James?
Kiwi: They’re fantastic. They are best friends of mine. James is younger, but now and then he comes up with some brilliant ideas. He’s obsessed with James Bond. I think he wants to be him. Of course, in book 1 of Kiwi, we would have been stuck without James. He notices details. I like the way he thinks. Amy… well she’s lovely. Intelligent, pretty and kind. She loves animals. She wants to work for Greenpeace… and she’s just great. It was a real shock to them when I started talking, but well… they’re no longer shocked. I think they’re learning a lot. I like to think that I’m teaching them some good things and widening their horizons. I just hope they never get bored of Cat City and me when they grow up.
GL: I can't imagine that would ever happen!
GL: What sorts of silly kitten mistakes do they often make?
Kiwi: Aha! Well, James falls over his paws. He finds it hard to walk first of all when he changes. But he eventually gets the hang of it. Amy is quicker at adjusting and I think she has the best balance. James still gets a thrill from chasing his tail, which can be a bit embarrassing at times. Sometimes they mix their mews and purrs, and purr when they’re trying to speak. Scratching… it’s a cat thing, but I know they don’t like doing it. And washing, they don’t like spitting on their paw and washing… I guess they may get a bit smelly! That reminds me… James likes to try new things and sometimes it’s not good, such as grass milk, and it took him a while to learn how to lap milk without decorating us all!
GL: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Kiwi: Ah, I can’t talk about that. It’s a sore subject.
GL: I'm so sorry...
GL: Have you ever considered settling down and raising kittens of your own?
Kiwi: Maybe one day… if I meet the right Tom. But I don’t think I have yet. He would have to be an intelligent, manly cat with good balance, a nice smell, a sense of adventure and not mind me going off to solve crimes. In fact, if he enjoyed doing that, well maybe that would be the best partnership.
GL: Why blue lightbulbs? Why not pink or green or purple, etc.? Do the lights in the human world bother you?
Kiwi: Ah, blue is best for cats’ eyes. It’s purrfect. I don’t mind the white lights in the human world, but I can see better with the blue ones. It’s also soothing. It’s good for your cat mood. Do you know that in the human world, blue light is used for many things? Some types of therapy use the wavelengths of blue light to treat things such as sleep disorders, SAD and skin problems. In Cat City, you don’t see many depressed cats. It’s a happy place. Blue light helps.
GL: Perhaps we should all use blue lights! There are some pretty grumpy people here.
GL: Do you know the lady (Vickie) who writes about you? What do you think about her?
Kiwi: I know that she’s writing my adventures. There are three books at the moment and she’s just started number four. I think she writes fairly and puts everyone and every cat in the right light. I don’t know much about her except that she likes cats very very much! I hope she doesn’t get bored writing about my history :-).
GL: I think she's pretty cool too. I hope she doesn't get bored writing about you either, because I love reading about your adventures!
GL: How many of your other adventures has she or will she write about?
Kiwi: Ah, I don’t know. I have so many. Every day there’s something new. I know she’s working on the fourth and fifth adventures. I can’t tell you what they’re about though. You’ll just have to wait and see. But one does involve going underground and the other to a different world, and Inspector Furrball’s kitty wedding is coming up. That’s all I can say. Winks!
GL: How exciting!
GL: Do you have any favorite films or music?
Kiwi: Oooh. Well I love Scooby-Doo and Top Cat. I also enjoyed watching Bruce Lee films with James’ hamster, Hammy. Music? Well, I like to listen to whale music! Amy was playing it once and it’s really soothing. She also likes a band called Lynyrd Skynyrd. I think it’s because her mum likes them. She’s always playing Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird. I like birds so I like that one.
GL: Do you have a favorite toy?
Kiwi: Me toys? I’m four! I’m too old for toys! Whispers – I like strokes and playing with Amy and James. My fave toy was a catnip one shaped like a fish.
GL: What does everyone do in his or her free time in Cat City?
Kiwi: Anything! You can do anything. There’s the Catema – it shows a few different films every week. The owner is Mr Eastwood. At the moment Furrlight is on, along with For a few kitties more. Mr Eastwood is Cat City’s only director. He runs Stage Cats. Anyone can join and learn how to act. I’m not sure where he gets his film ideas from, but they’re amazing. Then there’s Meow Market. You can go there for food, clothes, anything really. There are many parks to visit there. Purrfect Mouse Burgers has amazing food. It’s very popular. Ladycats can get their fur and claws done at Kitty Parlour. Meow Café is nice – they make the most amazing grass cakes and flavoured milk that is the best in Cat City. We only have one hotel – the Cat Motel. It’s huge. We don’t need more than one though. If you want, you can have toys and a scratching post in your room. They also have room service. You can always just go for a walk down the street – the sun is so orangey there and the pavement sparkles with little blue mosaic cat heads. It’s lovely. I’m not sure about your streets here – they’re a bit grey and they sometimes have smelly stuff on! I once trod in something gooey and sticky too. Took ages to get it off my paw.
GL: Do cats drive cars in Cat City?
Kiwi: Yes! I’ve been on your buses and our cat cars are nothing like those. We have little cars that fit our size. Instead of wheels they have cat paws that turn round and round, really fast. We peddle our paws to make the cat paws turn and off we go. We don’t get rain very often so we don’t have roofs on the cars. Some younger cats have catboards and travel around on those. They’re fun. You can go quite fast. Just don’t tell Moggie that I used to whizz around Cat City on one.
GL: Where do you go on holiday/vacation?
Kiwi: Ah, I go to the human world, of course. That’s my holiday time. I spend it with Amy and James. That’s the best holiday any cat could wish for. But now and then I get itchy paws for somewhere new. So cat knows where I’ll go next. Thanks for chatting. Have a kitty nice day!
GL: Thanks so, so much for being our guest today Ms. Kiwi! It was a joy having you, and I do hope you'll come again soon!
Here's where you can find Vickie and her work:
Anyone interested in any of the Kiwi books, please leave your contact information in a comment below or email me at gatheringleavesreviews@gmail.com. We are pooling together all entrants from this and our previous giveaway and Vickie will choose several winners to receive copies of one or more of the Kiwi series!!!
