I'm counting down to the publication of The Silver Arrow (on Sept. 1 in the US, Sept. 3 in the UK) by introducing one of its characters every day. Today: the Fishing Cat.

The first time I saw a fishing cat was in Taronga Zoo in Sydney Australia. I had never heard of them, and I was just astounded that there was such a thing as a cat that dives and swims for its food. This shows you how much I know about cats (even though I am a “cat person”).

My research about fishing cats sent me down a rabbit-hole that led to their cousins the flat-headed cats, plus incredible-looking species like the oncilla and the Borneo bay cat. But I stuck with fishing cats.

Fishing cats are mysterious: we know hardly anything about their lives in the wild. They’re are also cool-looking—they have a dense muscular look and a satisfyingly short, thick clubby tail. They look like they mean business.

Though the particular fishing cat in The Silver Arrow doesn’t really mean business. Fishing cats are oddballs in the cat world, and she has an oddball sense of humor and is prone to non-sequiturs. She’s also weirdly wise.

Two more Fishing Cat Facts. One, fishing cats are vulnerable. They live in southern Asia and are suffering a lot of habitat loss right now.

And two: they purr. The cats of the world are divided into two groups, the roaring cats and the purring cats. No cat can do both. Fishing cats purr.

p.s. I should probably tag this thread. And maybe put in a picture of a fishing cat. Here goes #thesilverarrow