![](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/01/r.l.-maizes-other-peoples-pets-photo-1.jpg)
What’s my cat thinking? What’s going on between my dog’s ears? Questions pet owners have no doubt asked themselves. It's partly why the novel “Other People’s Pets” is such a delicious read. It is also a finalist for a Colorado Book Award. Author R.L. Maizes, who lives in Niwot, writes about an animal empath. Her protagonist feels in her body what animals feel. Which makes her a stellar student in veterinary school, until she has to drop out for a family crisis. Ryan spoke with R.L. Maizes in March.