Three Types of Cats: Which One Describes You As Writer?
I’m a Wallflower…you might be a Mojita or a Napolean.
As a cat person, I’ve noticed how cats and Medium writers have a lot in common. Both can be territorial, for example, by letting everyone know when they’ve staked their claim to territory by making it known in a public way.
Posturing and acting out are also common behaviors among cats and writers.
Cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy describes three types of cats in his book Catification. He is also the host of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, and the three types of cats bear a resemblance to many writers I’ve read on Medium.
Let me know if I’m right or wrong
I could be wrong as a Crazy Cat Person, and so I’m counting on you (in the comments) to let me know if the three archetypes for cats fit Medium writers.
Of course, try to determine which cat/writer type you might be. None of this is meant to be offensive to anyone; I’m just looking to help us be self-aware.
Here are the three archetypes of cats Galaxy describes:
- The Mojito Cat (A.K.A. The Hostest with the Mostest):
This is the cat/writer with mojo who confidently owns their territory. They open hard in their stories like a cat walking into a room with their chest held high, tail in the air, with a relaxed posture. They come right up to you, rub up against your legs, and give you a little head butt — with that air of confidence.
The Mojito (you can substitute Mojita if you like) can often display the attitude or actions that show this “space” they occupy belongs to them and, well, you know how cats will act whenever defending their territory. They will hiss, scratch, yowl, and throw down with another cat over “their territory.”
The Napolean Cat (A.K.A The Overowner)
The Napolean Cat/Writer is the opposite of the Mojito Cat. While the Mojito confidently stakes out their territory exuding confidence, the Napoleon cat is defensive and often pees on things because they don’t trust their ownership of a territory. You might say a Napolean writer marks territory out of insecurity.
“All beings, whether they’re people or animals, who don’t confidently own their territory, overown it instead. Think of gangs who “tag” walls with graffiti — they need to tell competing gangs that this wall, this neighborhood belongs to them.”
— Jackson Galaxy, Catification
3. The Wallflower Cat (A.K.A. The Disappearing Cat)
The Wallflower writer reminds me of Charlie in the 2012 film The Perks of Being A Wallflower. Charlie is a ninth-grader recovering from the death of his aunt in a car accident and the unexpected suicide of his best friend, Michael.
Charlie is just trying to find his way in his first year of high school. He is the guy who notices how his classmates’ behavior has changed from middle school to fit in with the right squad. He is looking to see who he can trust and has an innocence about him as he makes friends and gets his first girlfriend.
Charlie is the Intelligent Kid in an Honors English class. His English teacher gives him books to read outside of class and essays to write because he senses there is something special about Charlie. He might not be winning in the popularity game, but this doesn’t really matter to Charlie. He’s that guy.
Are you a Mojito, Napolean, or Wallflower?
First, let me analyze myself as an example before you identify your archetype.
I’m not the Mojito since I have more of an understated style to my personality and writer. I’m not the person hosting or greeting you at a party, although I can often be a chameleon and morph into a storyteller whenever I feel like it.
But at my core I am usually the Quiet Guy. I’m an introvert who is talking more to myself at a party or throughout the day than to other people.
I’m not a Napolean
It might seem like I’m a Napolean if I spray three stories in two days for the same publication. But that’s only because I think about some subjects in batches. This week narrative writing, next week it will be something else.
And, oh, I’m not much of a highlighter of other writers’ stories, usually I forget about this function as I read, so I’m not “overmarking” my territory in a story.
I’m a Wallflower
Okay, so if you said I’m a Wallflower, you win the prize of … knowing me. We tend to think of the Wallflower in a negative light, but Wallflowers have many positive attributes. Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower just came to mind and the unseen qualities his friend Patrick shares about him in a toast.
Patrick: “Hey, everybody, raise your glasses to Charlie.”
Charlie: “What did I do?”
Patrick: “You didn’t do anything. We just want to toast our new friend. You see things. You understand. You’re a wallflower.”
Charlie: “I didn’t think anyone noticed me.”
Patrick: “Well, we didn’t think there was anyone cool left to meet.”
— Patrick and Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The essence of a Wallflower is a positive attribute, “You see things. You understand.” These kind of people often make the best kind of writers since they are deep thinkers, though I like Mojito writers like Charles Bukowski.
And I think all writers have a bit of all three archetypes. Take Jack Kerouac. His writing style leaps from a confident, stream-of-conscious Mojito to an insecure Napolean to a Wallflower dropping some poetic thoughts on life.
Which archetype describes you?
Think about you for a moment and other Medium writers you know. Now let’s be a classy dude like Patrick and not name any names of other writers here …
But let me know by leaving a comment if you think the cat archetypes fit for Medium writers, and if you see yourself in any of three cat types.
Happy writing, everyone!
Thanks for reading.
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