🐾 Cats Don’t Carpool Reflections
Every book has a beginning.
For Cats Don’t Carpool: They Come in Their Own Accord, it wasn’t a writing prompt, a whiteboard brainstorm, or a leadership retreat.
It was a walk.
With my dog, Bailey.
And a bold little kitten named Ninja.
🐶 Enter: Bailey, the Goodest Boy
Bailey is part shepherd, part therapist, and fully in charge of making sure I take breaks from screens and stress.
Our daily walks are sacred. Predictable. Calming.
Until one day, a kitten started following us.
At first, it was funny—this tiny tabby darting behind bushes and sneaking up on Bailey like a four-legged ninja (hence the name). But then it became routine. Ninja came every day. And he wasn’t alone for long.
🐈 Then Came the Clowder
Eventually, Ninja started bringing friends.
Soon, a parade of cats followed us on our walks, keeping pace, watching Bailey, and yes… even mimicking his behavior. When Bailey went potty, they’d “go” too because they knew what came next: food.
Bailey had unknowingly trained a group of cats just by being consistent, kind, and rewarded for doing what needed to be done.
And suddenly, I saw my work life in this strange daily parade.
💡 The Feline Leadership Lightbulb
Each cat had a different personality.
One walked confidently ahead of the group.
Another lingered back and only joined if Ninja did.
Some were friendly. Some stayed skeptical.
None wore name badges, but they might as well have: Alpha, Beta, Free Spirit, Lone Wolf…
That’s when it hit me:
This wasn’t just a weird habit. It was a leadership metaphor waiting to be written.
📘 From Sidewalk Parade to Printed Page
I didn’t sit down to write a book about cat behavior.
I wrote to figure out why some teams work and others implode.
Why some people follow naturally and others resist even basic expectations.
Why the loudest in the room isn’t always the best leader—and why the quietest often gets overlooked.
I wrote because I realized:
Leadership isn’t about forcing people to fall in line.
It’s about understanding who they are—and meeting them where they are.
Much like earning the trust of a feral cat, good leadership takes patience, presence, and (sometimes) snacks.
🐈 Final Meows
So, yes—this book began with Bailey and a bunch of bold, independent cats.
But what it really began with… was curiosity.
About behavior. About relationships. About how we work, learn, and lead in ways that honor everyone’s weird, wonderful wiring.
Thanks for walking with me.
The clowder and I are glad you’re here.
📘 Cats Don’t Carpool: They Come in Their Own Accord is now available!
🐾 Want to find your own leadership style? Take the quiz or explore resources: https://silvercalico.com/cats-dont-carpool/