They tell me I’m a cat. But I’m not just an ordinary cat. I star in the Klepto Cat Mystery series.

Patricia Fry created me—well, in a sense. She says that I remind her of a cat named Smokey, a large, confident part-ragdoll cat who looks nothing like a ragdoll. That’s why she calls me Rags. She patterned aspects of my purrsonality after Lily, a tabby who carries her stuffed toys and even Patricia’s slippers around in her mouth. But I don’t pick up just anything in my mouth—no way. I discriminate. I find interesting and sometimes quite valuable things to take from ladies’ purses, a gentleman’s jacket pocket, and even crime scenes. I hide these things in my stash until just the right time, then I might show something important to my friend Detective Craig Sledge or my favorite person, Savannah Ivey. I must say that my timing is purrfect and the treasures I snatch often help to solve the current mystery.

Sometimes I have to take things into my own paws in order to help the detective nab a bad guy. With people, you see, subtlety doesn’t work. I’ve had to use my cunning to escape in order to paw a killer or lead the detective to a missing person. They say I have good instincts. But how can I miss clues they leave right under my whiskers?

Savannah isn’t always happy with me. Sometimes a cat’s gotta do what a cat’s gotta do and she doesn’t always approve. Like the time when we went on a road trip for a book signing tour. Yeah, I star in some children’s books and the kids get a kick out of seeing me in purrson. Well, along the way, we stopped so everyone could stretch their legs. Everyone but me, that is. So when no one was looking, I stepped out of the car to do a little leg-stretching of my own. And Savannah took off down the road without me. Now, that was a shock.

But it didn’t take long to find other people who liked me. One lady wanted to take me home with her. But I wasn’t too sure about her motives and I was awfully glad when Savannah and her cranky aunt Margaret showed up. While they were all arguing with the police about who should get me, I slipped away, found Savannah’s car, and we were allowed to continue on our way.

Would you believe that lady found me again? Yeah, while we were at one of my book signings. She took me against my will and shut me in a small house with a bunch of other cats. I knew I didn’t belong there and I got homesick for Savannah real quick. When no one was looking, I clawed my way out of there and walked back to Grammy’s house. Boy was Savannah surprised. Boy was I tired. And my paw pads were so sore.

Now there are a lot of things that Savannah will tell her husband, Michael, about me. But she doesn’t reveal all of my catscapades. I think that’s so he doesn’t get mad at me. He likes me okay, but I see a lot of eye-rolling and hear a lot of deep sighs when Savannah tells him about some of the things I do. So a few days later when we saw Michael again, he noticed my paws and became worried. He’s a veterinarian and he does keep a close eye on me. He asked Savannah if I’d stepped in some sort of dangerous chemical or something.

I don’t think Savannah was going to tell him about my adventure in Los Angeles, but when she saw how worried Michael was about my sore paw pads, she had to tell him. He was not happy with me. But everyone was happy a few days later when I helped find a little girl who had run away.

You should have seen how everyone treated me after that—like I was a royal cat—like I’d done something really spectacular. But it was a no brainer. I knew where the child was hiding and all I did was show them.

Oh-oh-oh, once—no, actually twice, Detective Sledge took me to the sheriff’s station where I identified someone who I’d seen hurt other people. One of them kicked me. Boy, I wasn’t about to forget that guy. I helped the detective save our good friend, Colbi from some really bad people who were holding her hostage in a basement. I helped to reunite twin girls who had been separated when they were just babies. But my specialty is helping animals. Hey, there’s a cat rescue place named for me—Ragsdale—that’s my full name. That’s because I helped to save Ms. June’s kitty from freezing one night. She opened Ragsdale Cat Ranch shortly after that to help homeless cats.

Yeah, I guess I am more savvy than most cats or I happen to be in the right place at the right time with the right clue. I know I have more fun than most cats. And that’s thanks to Patricia. Maybe one day she’ll actually give me a speaking role in one of our stories.

You can read more about Rags in Cattywampus Travels, the 23rd book in the “Klepto Cat” mystery series.

A rollercoaster ride of kitty-cat escapades.

Rags accompanies his human family and friends on an extended vacation and manages to find plenty of trouble along the way. But, in typical Rags fashion, he also discovers ways to help in the most unexpected manner. Follow Rags on his first book-signing tour. Get ready for his first cross-country flight. Tag along with this most unpredictable cat as he meets new people and manages to touch their lives as only Rags can do.

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The Klepto Cat Mysteries are light, fun cozy mysteries full of adventure, intrigue, and a little romance. They feature Rags, an ordinary cat who just can’t keep his paws off other people’s things. Often, the treasures he finds are clues in a mystery. Follow Rags’s fascinating life path from when he and Savannah were single and he roamed the neighborhood stealing everything from toys belonging to large dogs to jewelry and bathing suits.

Rags and Savannah don’t stay single long. After meeting Michael, a handsome veterinarian, Savannah settles down, but the cat doesn’t change his thieving ways. Even though his kleptomaniac habit is annoying and embarrassing to his family, he has earned the respect of the local sheriff’s department and he was even asked to star in a documentary.

About the author
Patricia Fry has been writing for publication for over 40 years, and she’s the authors of 65 books. This is the 23rd in the Klepto Cat Mystery series. Patricia lives in California with two cats, Sophie and Lily. Connect with Patricia at patriciafry.com, her blog at Catscapades and on Facebook.

All comments are welcomed.