It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea. On iHeartRadio, Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. And with me is author Deborah Westgate Silva with the book her current book, Daisy's Near Catastrophe. So, thank you for chatting with me, Thank you for this wonderful, delightful book that you wrote, Thank you for having me on the show. I'm excited to be here, absolutely So. It's an adorable book, and I know it's aimed at children, but I really enjoyed it. So let's talk a little bit about
what made you decide to write this book. I mean, I know it's well, okay, what made you decide to write this book? Sure? So, Daisy's Near Catastrophe is based on the story of my nephew's kitten, Daisy, who really can open doors. And when the family went on vacation, they boarded the pets and the dogs went to the dog kennel. They didn't take cats, so Daisy went to a separate kennel and she escaped the
very first night she was there. Unbelievable. Really, yes, So the kennel owners felt terrible and they hired a Cane nine tracker a dog that is trained to find missing pets. And I had never heard of this before, and I was fascinated, and I immediately thought kids, especially those who loved dogs, would think it was fascinating also, but I also knew because of my sister and my nephew, I could never write the story unless it had
a happy ending. And thanks to Hopper, the German shepherd, who is the real hero of the story, Daisy's real life story did have a happy ending, which is unbelieva. Well, so Daisy was missing for like a few weeks, correct, I believe it was twenty three days. Yeah, that's like three weeks, okay. And I had also never heard of K nine trackers, So I mean, is this is it a common Obviously it's not common that we both have never heard of it, But I mean,
are there do you know? Are there a dozen in the country? Is it a very common thing that there were many that we're just not aware of because we never needed one? Well? I do think you know, I have done them. I interviewed the tracker before I wrote the book, and she got training somewhere else, and so I did google research also, and there are a few training institutions across the country. So I do believe.
I do believe it's a growing field. Yes, yes, amazing. It is amazing because I always feel I mean, and I've seen whether you live in a metropolitan area or in suburbian you see flyers when a cat goes missing, and I just and I know there were different just from cat you know, from rescue groups, and I know the different ways things to do to hope the cat comes back. But to actually have trackers, it's almost like having like a LoJack on the cat. It's so I don't know, it
just it blows me away. It's an amazing process, you know. When I because when I first heard of it, not knowing anything about it, I just had this image in my mind of you know, the dog actually retrieving the kitten and carrying it like a wild animal might carry its young, right, right, But that was not how it went at all. Right, Yeah, I mean, I just I don't know, not to give away your whole book because I want people to read it and get it and
read it. But yeah, I mean, I'm just I think it's something I need to do more homework on because and thanks to your book educating me, see, I learned something new, even though I'm not a child that there is such a thing as caneine trackers. But okay, but the story itself, it's just so adorable and obviously, like you said, it's based
on on your nephew's cat. But obviously there's a lesson you know, in determination and relationships between the dog and the cat you know from their home, and then the cat that's missing with the big mean cat that she sort of befriends but doesn't because it doesn't let her eat. So let's talk about some of the lessons. I mean, that was your intent, yes, of teaching these little life lessons to the kids or the people who read the book.
It's so, you know what, so what I tried to do, and I'm guessing there's not a lot of children listening to this, to this particular show, so I never know talk about what happens in the story. Sure, but he tried to stay true to the story. So, you know, when they were searching for dat in real life, they set out food. You know, they had flyers, they had some cameras that they strapped around trees with these weatherproof cameras to try to capture the daisy on the
camera eating from the food source. Because they knew she ate from the food source, she would return there and that increased her chances of being rescued. Right, So, in those twenty three days, the cameras obviously caught a lot of other animals as well. Sure, so there was a big white cat that kept eating the food that was meant for Daisy. There was a raccoon that got into the trap before the trap captures, oh wow. So
and there was there was a dog, you know. And so those things that are part of the story or shown in the illustrations were true to what really happened, right, And then you know, so then I took that straight cat and the you know, the raccoon and some of the animals, and I just said, you know, I tried to figure out, how
can I make this relatable to kids? Sure? And so yeah, there are lessons and messages about friendship in there, and I'm saying true to who you are and not giving up. And so I hope that those really ring ring true and you know, and resonate with the adult readers who are often the ones reading the stories to the kids. Yes, no, definitely, I mean that's exactly what I was thinking, because those are the lessons that
I got from it. And I'm thinking, well, if I was reading this to one of my nieces or nephews, you know, that's how I would read it to them. So I think you succeeded in that. Thank you, Thank you. Know. I think it's much easier for children, like, let's say they are having a hard time getting along with a pushy
classmate. Sure, or might be a bully. Yeah, but yeah, it's a lot easier to talk about it when you're talking about an animal character in a story as opposed to, you know, talking about your your own experience. So I think it's kind of a comfortable way to broach some of these conversations with young readers. Yeah, no, absolutely, And I think you you succeeded with it, and you were very successful. So tell me, since this is based on a true story, everything is good with your
nephew's cat and the dog and everybody. Those animals are all okay, now there there there, yes, very well, okay, they're wonderful. When Daisy got home, she was a little lighter than when she left. Sure, their weight goes, but she was in perfect health and she has been great ever since. And and stays away from doors. That's good. I was going to say, it's pretty amazing that she. I mean, I guess she taught herself how to op because I know some cats are very smart
that way. I mean dogs are too, but kat she she taught herself to open the door, which yeah, yeah, And so the story opens with a scene of her jumping on the pantry closet door doorknob to open the door to get to the treats the dog treats, and that's she does that in real life, in real life. Amazing. Yes, yeah, so who can open doors? That's pretty amazing. Does Daisy have any other tricks if they're not tricks, but any other skills like that? Or is that?
I mean that's a pretty big one. Does she do anything else that you know? Yeah, I think the big one. That is a big one. No, that is that's very good. It's a good thing. You know, dogs don't I mean some dogs do do that though, So it's good. It's a good thing that they don't all do that, you know, that's for sure. Yeah. Yeah. So for you, deb, I know, the book just came out. What's next for you? Do you have a part two this or is there something else that you're working
on? That's funny. A lot of people have said this should be a part two or that, you know, Harper the service Doll. I can have a whole series, sure, but I am. I do have a couple other ideas that I'm working on, but nothing, nothing I can really announce yet, just yeah, okay, yes, yeah, okay. I'm always I've got usually more ideas than I have time to actually sit and make happen. That's good though. That's good because sometimes, you know, sometimes
writers get writer's block. So the fact that you don't have that, that's amazing. That's great. So that means and I will assume that for the next one, and you don't have to tell me. But will it of course include animals? There is an animal in it. There's more, it's more people focused, but there is an animal in it. Okay, good? It plays a very important role. Yes, perfect. Oka's funny too, because, like I, I didn't realize. Daisy's Near Catastrophe is my
second children's book. The first one also involves animals, and I didn't really realize this apparently is a theme with me. It must be see that. It's like it's unconscious theme. But it's a good one. It's a good one. So well, okay, so this just means for your next one, when the time is done and ready and you're ready to talk about it, we can talk again because it has an animal in the you know, have an animal in it. But in the meantime, where can my listeners
get Daisy's Near Catastrophe? Where can they get the book? So, yep, Daisy's Near Catastrophe. It's great for pet lovers or anyone looking to spark conversations about friendship, empowerment, and self belief. And it's available on Amazon, Barnesandnoble dot Com any of those online platforms, or can be ordered through your local independent bookstore. Perfect Deborah Westgate, Silva, thank you so much for your time and for your delightful book, and I look forward to your
next project at our next conversation. Thank you. It was nice being here, Omiator and just not see you Rader Momigator