Meet Mollie Hunt
Dignified Pet Services presents 'People in the Neighborhood'
The heart of an angel, she has a writer’s soul, and a bit of Wonder Woman thrown in. That is if Wonder Woman stepped up her compassion and did Star Trek conventions.
Mollie retired from “a dead-end desk job” early this year “to pursue my writing career, authoring Crazy Cat Lady cozy mysteries. I have already published the first two, Cats’ Eyes and Copy Cats. The third, Cat’s Paw, will be out in August, and I am working on the fourth, Cat Call. I also write other mysteries and a little cat sci-fi."
There were signs early on that something like this might happen.
"I wrote my first cat story in Mrs. Wilson’s 4th grade class,” she smiles. “So in spite of the detours along the way, I’d say it was meant to be."
Mollie calls her life an "open Facebook."
"That I write cat mysteries, go to Star Trek conventions in costume, and am one of the only native Portlanders in Portland are all common knowledge,” she says. “One thing I haven’t posted is that I am listed on the IMDb website as a Cat Wrangler for the cult classic, Zombie Cats From Mars."
Her love of cats goes way back — "back when they were still called strays," she muses. "But the milestone that led me to animal rescue was Hurricane Katrina. Best Friends Animal Society had launched a huge effort to save animals abandoned in the disaster; I wanted badly to be a part of it, but due to age, work, and financial constraints, I couldn’t go."
Then she had a revelation. “There were cats who needed me right here in Portland! I began volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society, became interested in cat behavior, and fostered many cats, including Jackson Galaxy’s 'Lux the 911 Cat' in 2014."
You may remember Lux as the cat whose owners called 911 in March 2014 saying Lux was holding them hostage in their bedroom. Cat Behaviorist Jackson Galaxy came to Portland to see if he could shine any light on why Lux attacked, and Mollie was contacted by OHS to foster Lux for awhile, to see if his original environment (small apartment, baby, dog) was the problem.
"At first all was well. He was very sweet and we filmed the TV episode of ‘My Cat From Hell, 911 - My cat's holding me hostage’ at our home."
Suddenly Lux had an aggressive episode, and Jackson had to revise his finale,” Mollie explains. “We filmed a second ending, which aired in June 2014.” Lux was ultimately placed in professional care where both he and the people around him could be safe. He remains there today, and Mollie is still in touch (see the story in Mollie’s blog at https://lecatts.wordpress.com.
Mollie has served in other ways as well. "My registered therapy Cat Tinkerbelle and I visited assisted living facilities and hospice patients before her retirement this year."
What’s on her bucket list?
Two biggies. First, “to Publish my books – all of them,” and also, "I would like to start a senior and hospice shelter for cats. I would need a lot of money so I could play with the cats and pay people to do everything else, so I keep buying lottery tickets,” she smiles.
Guilty pleasures? "Anything with whipped cream on it, Pinterest, and binge-watching TV shows. Some of my favorites are ‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2003), ‘Murder She Wrote,’ ‘Hawaii 5-0’ (the original) . . . and currently, ‘Orphan Black.’" For giggles she loves "Internet cat videos where the cat gets the better of us."
Mollie treasures the privacy of home, and her cats Little, Tinkerbelle, and Big Red. Her favorite season? "Not winter." Her most prized possessions include, "My laptop with all my writing on it, my Star Trek autographs collection, my family photos and papers dating back to the 1800s."
And the shoe that is so her? "SAS sandals . . . and slippers, of course,” she laughs.
Mollie’s heart swells when she sees compassion. "I especially like fire fighters rescuing kittens." It’s fitting that in her, she hopes people see kindness, compassion, and strength.
About our Sponsor
Dignified Pet Services has served the Portland-area community for 13 years. In addition to their core business of cremation and memorial services, Dignified co-sponsors the beloved annual Service of Remembrance at The Old Church in downtown Portland, as well as serving as wonderful supporters and friends of pets and those working in animal welfare. Proprietors Michael, Randy and Hunter live in Sherwood.
Christy Caballero writes from her soul about animals and their humans. She lives with three big greyhounds and one slightly neurotic foster greyhound -- who never wants to leave. Ever.