Rita Reimers
(She/Her)
As seen in:
19 Cats and Counting on Pet Life Radio (PetLifeRadio.com),
Catster,
Authority Magazine,
CNN,
Bloomberg News,
HuffPost,
The Daily Mirror,
The Washington Post,
Fox News,
wikiHow,
The Strategist,
Mental Floss
and
Covers:
Cats, Cat Behavior, Feline Wellness, Multi-Cat Households, Cat Rescue, Human-Cat Bond, Pet Industry
Doesn't Cover:
Dogs (I love dogs, I just understand cats better!)
Interview
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes
How is social media changing news?
Social media has made news immediate and interactive, allowing stories to reach millions of people within minutes. Unfortunately, it also allows false or misleading stories to spread just as quickly and be accepted as fact. That makes responsible journalism and checking reliable sources more important than ever.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Jessica Fletcher from “Murder, She Wrote.” Who wouldn’t want to solve mysteries while writing bestselling books?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is always the best way to reach me.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Word for writing, Google for research and fact-checking, and ChatGPT for technical assistance, brainstorming, and catching grammar and spelling errors.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook is still my favorite, with YouTube a close second. I love the interaction and sense of community on Facebook, while YouTube gives me a place to share longer-form content and conversations.
Who do you wish followed you?
Stephen King. My mom was his biggest fan, and we could talk mysteries, Maine, and cats.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was the photographer
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My upcoming book about understanding cat behavior and strengthening the human-cat bond. It brings together more than 30 years of what cats have taught me, and I can’t wait to share it.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Keep writing, and find a group of like-minded writers you can join for support, encouragement, and inspiration.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime. Email is the best way to reach me, and I’ll respond as soon as I can.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Two stand out: appearing on “Swedish Hollywood Wives,” and being featured in an episode of “This is LA” about my cats-only pet sitting company. Both gave me the opportunity to share my work with a much larger audience, and they were a lot of fun to film!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I once received a “Shark Tank” pitch that was less of a pitch and more of the germ of an idea. I was apparently expected to help develop the concept, figure out the details, and then somehow get it onto Shark Tank. Points for ambition, though!
What's your favorite drink?
Arnold Palmer and Cherry Pepsi are my go-to drinks. Don’t make me choose between them!
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Cuddling with my cats while watching a good mystery or true-crime story.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I get most of my news through a news app, so I enjoy reading a mix of sources. Reuters, The Washington Post, HuffPost, BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, and People are among the ones I read most often.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That cats do things out of spite or revenge. There is always a reason behind a cat’s behavior. Our job is to figure out what they’re trying to tell us.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.