Cat Urbigkit Books In Order

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Cat Urbigkit is an American author that writes children’s books. The author has a background in agriculture and her books reflect the love that she has for animals. Cat’s goal is to not only entertain children but to introduce them to nature.

+Biography

Cat Urbigkit spent her childhood on Tobacco farms in Kentucky and Indiana. The family eventually moved to Wyoming during her middle school years. The author has since settled in Big Piney in the same state.

A student of Pinedale High School, Cat always loved to read as a child. She also loved animals, a trait she took from her family. Cat wasn’t surprised that she gravitated towards writing. As far as she is concerned, reading always drives one to write.

The author started out writing about her exploits in her journal. Following her departure from high school in 1983, the author got a job as a reporter for the local newspaper. She made quick strides in the field, eventually starting the Sublette Examiner newspaper in Pinedale.

Operating a community newspaper had its perks. Cat Urbigkit had the opportunity to work with editors who helped her refine her skills. She also got to write on a regular basis. Over all, she left journalism as a far better writer.

Her departure had to do with Cat’s determination to experiment with other literary paths. She worked as a freelance writer for a while before dipping into fiction. The author’s interest in literary fiction began with a passion for photography.

While she wasn’t exactly born a photographer Cat Urbigkit remembers being drawn to books that had pictures in them. As she reached her teenage years, Cat’s passion for visual creativity began to blend with her love for animals.

She began to gravitate towards books that had photographs of animals. When she realized that there was such a thing as a field of science designed to understand the behavior of animals, Cat realized that becoming a wildlife photographer would allow her to better understand the creatures she loved.

By the time she was twenty, not only had Cat met her husband but he had also given her a camera, a gift she used to teach herself photography. Her talent grew to the point where Cat’s unique vision began to emerge in her pictures.

It 2004, Jim, Cat’s husband came across her collection of photos featuring the guard dogs and the sheep at their ranch. He was so thoroughly impressed by the pictures, images that seemed to tell their own story, that he encouraged her to turn them into a book.

Cat thought about the idea and realized that it had merit. She also thought about the genre she wanted to experiment with and decided that a children’s book would suit her tastes. So she set about writing a book exploring the way animals behave and the manner in which they make friendships.

Cat Urbigkit’s novels usually start with pictures. The pictures reveal to Cat the story she needs to tell. Cat has the distinct advantage of living and working on a ranch. She is surrounded by the splendor of nature. So there is always something around the corner for her to photograph. More importantly, there is plenty of inspiration for her books.

And there is always a new story for the author to tell. Cat felt compelled to write in her niche circle of literature because the market is devoid of her particular style of storytelling. She was certain that she was bringing something new to the table that neither adults nor children had encountered before. And her fans seem to agree with that sentiment.

Cat Urbigkit likes to think that she is introducing her reader to the wild. She also seeks to give audiences some insight into the world of ranching and shepherding. The author’s books have been well received, attracting interest from the National Science Teachers Association, the School Library Journal, and the International Reading Association to mention but a few.

Because of the educational aspect of her books, Cat has had the opportunity to visit schools and to partake in programs designed to ignite children’s interest in nature.

When Cat isn’t writing children’s books, she is producing articles that have appeared in various magazines, newspapers, and websites. Cat Urbigkit and her husband gained some notoriety when they challenged a Wyoming program to reintroduce wolves.

+The Guardian Team

When people think about livestock on a ranch, they immediately picture the dogs that shepherds use to keep them safe from harm, and for good reason. It has been the norm to use dogs as protectors of livestock for millennia.

A lesser known fact is that burros can sometimes do just as effective a job of protecting livestock as dogs, primarily because they also have a natural protective instinct. Rena is a dog. Roo is a burro.

The pair operates as a guardian team. Their jurisdiction is a Wyoming ranch and they should be good at doing their jobs. However, they must first learn to trust each other, a process that takes time.

This Cat Urbigkit book uses simple words and compelling images to tell an engaging story. Like every Cat Urbigkit book, this one highlights life in a rural setting as it shows the manner in which a burro and a dog form a unique friendship. As a team, they work to keep intruders away from the sheep of a Wyoming ranch.

Through Cat’s images, one can see the animals grow and the manner in which they change over the months. And while the words are descriptive, the photos do a far more effective job of showing the bond that begins to take shape between Rena and Roo.

Cat continues to exceed expectations by saying so much using the fewest words.

+Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs

Sheep are defenseless creatures. When predators come, it falls on the shoulders of guard dogs to keep the sheep safe. Guard dogs like the ones that fight off coyotes and wolves are not typical of the Rocky Mountains.

In fact, they are not even native to the area, having been brought over from Europe. This book explains how guard dogs begin their lives as puppies and are taught to identify the smell of sheep. The book explains how such puppies are introduced to sheep, taught to mingle with the animals and eventually trained to keep them safe at all costs.