Coming soon! Cat Café, a new Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery by Mollie Hunt

If you went into your closet right now, how many cat-themed articles of clothing and accessories would you find there? Cat tee shirts? Cat dresses? Cat print skirts? How about cat leggings? Cat scarves? Cat hats? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. If this search includes animal print as well, I personally have a leopard spot vest, blouse, shirt, and just recently, bathrobe. Jewelry is another matter. How easy is it to collect cat pins necklaces, and earrings? I have ceramic art cats, Laurel Burch cats, fine jewelry cats, bead cats, and that’s just the beginning.

But let’s talk about one article of clothing in particular: socks.

No, not that kind of Socks! Socks that we put on our feet!

As Lynley, the sixty-something cat shelter volunteer hero of Cat Café, zips through town on her way to a TNR outing with Special Agent Denny Paris, she goes by a sock shop:

…We passed a shop that sold novelty socks. Briefly I wondered if they carried any cat socks I didn’t already own.

Cat café, chapter 13

That brings to my mind images of a sock drawer filled to the brim with cute and colorful kitty print.

Cat-themed socks come in many flavors, from Hello Kitty to le Char Noir. Cats in space, cats in glasses, cats on books, cats with tails like a mermaid. You can even get your own cat’s face on a pair of custom-made socks for around $24. There are cat footies, ankle socks , and over the knee socks with pointed ears at the hem.

But why? What makes it important for us to display our feline affinity on our feet? I don’t know about anyone else, but I can tell you why Lynley Cannon likes them: because they are both impressive and subtle at the same time. You can be wearing cat socks and no one has to know. Or conversely, everyone will know— it all depends on the length of your skirt or pants. You can cover them, up or flash them discriminately (or indiscriminately!) You have the capability of showing off your feline affinity with mere a flick of the foot.

If we were cats, we would have our coat determined by our genes, but since we’re human and society dictates we wear clothes over our furlessness, we might as well have fun at it. What is your favorite piece of cat-themed clothing?

Launch date for Cat Café, the 5^th Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery is October 29^th, National Cat Day. Pre-order your copy now!