About The Story

This is a true story of Orangey, my scruffy barn cat at Coplan Vineyards, and his friendship with Ricky, my regal city cat.  A "tail" of two kitties! Ricky was a fancy cat who divided his time between homes in the city and the country, navigating indoor comfort and outdoor escapades with grace and confidence. Orangey was a scruffy barn cat who lived with a colony of cats in an old barn among the vines. Orangey and the other barn cats all had one thing in common – one clipped ear showing they were feral and ”fixed”.
After losing his barn home, Orangey began to trust people—and formed a special bond with Ricky. Hoping to give him a safer life, my friend Manfred and I first unsuccessfully relocated Orangey to Manfred’s garden home, so I brought Orangey to my home in the city. Orangey never felt truly at ease indoors, and he ended up being less safe outdoors away from his familiar country setting. One day, when a coyote attacked Orangey while lounging in the yard, Ricky bravely helped drive it away, saving his friend.
That moment showed us where Orangey truly belonged—back at Coplan Vineyards. There, his confidence bloomed, and his friendship with Ricky flourished during his time at Coplan Vineyards.
- Carole Coplan, Author

Carole Coplan, Author

Carole enjoys country life at Coplan Vineyards, her vineyard home in Sonoma, California. Her years in San Francisco and Sausalito are the setting for the “big city” scenes in this book, and today she divides her time between Sonoma and Atlantic Beach, Florida. For Carole, pets are family, companions, and teachers, and she cherishes the adventures and lessons shared with the many animals she has adopted over the years. Her dedication to animal welfare has included volunteering and serving on the boards of rescue organizations, and she is currently a board member of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Carole first dreamed of writing children’s stories during her years as a corporate attorney in San Francisco. Completing this debut book about the extraordinary lives of Ricky and Orangey has been both the fulfillment of that dream and a tribute to the animals who have brought joy, love, and inspiration to those around them.

Carole and Orangey
​"What greater gift than the love of a cat?” - Charles Dickens

Nicola Robson, Illustrator

​Nicola is a 31-year-old children’s book illustrator based in the UK. She lives with her husband, daughter, and a little zoo of pets (two dogs and three cats!). Nicola has been drawing since she was a kid and never grew out of it. A lifelong animal lover and storyteller at heart, Nicola is passionate about creating illustrations that bring joy, spark imagination, and leave a lasting mark on childhood.