October 20, 2010

Cat's Cats

It's probably inevitable that if you grow up with a nickname like "Cat", you will some day oversee a small kingdom of kitties.


Meet Cat Lady Catrina, pictured here with (left to right) Sir Benjamin, Molly the Dowager Queen, Prince Casper, and Young Master Archie.

Catrina tells how her kingdom was formed:

"All of my kitties were rescued. I got Molly from the OSPCA when she was about a year old. She had already birthed a litter of kittens (why don’t people spay and neuter?) and was found with them in a box; someone had just thrown her away.

"My friend Pauline told me about Casper (previously named Yeti), a deaf darling who needed a home. He was born under the porch of her neighbour. Pauline had already found homes for the snow white boy and his identical sister Fluffy, however the people who had taken him when he was a kitten decided he was too rambunctious at nine months so they gave him back. I fell in love with his blue eyes the moment I saw him and we took him home immediately.

"We adopted nine month old Max [not pictured] from the Toronto Cat Rescue as a companion for Casper. They were such immediate and inseparable friends it was simply tragic when he died [of FIP]... After Max, I did not want to get another cat but Casper was so upset and lonely, and Robert convinced me a new buddy for him was essential…enter Benjamin, five months old from Toronto Animal Services. I was firmly against adopting a youngster, since the disease that killed Max usually hits kittens less than one year or older cats more than ten years. But Ben was insistent that we notice him, working hard at the front of his cage, standing on his hind legs and sticking his paws through the bars trying to grab at us. When we picked him up he purred and did swimmy paws in the air. Who could resist, I certainly couldn’t!

"The last to join our family is a cheeky little ginger snap called Archie, six months old also from TAS. He is the bravest and skinniest kitten I have ever seen. No slinking on his tummy or cowering under a bed for this little guy-- he is so bold it seems somewhat unnatural."

It was with a very heavy heart several weeks ago that Catrina had to say goodbye to beautiful Molly (just shy of Molly's 19th birthday). "When I rescued Molly all those years ago I gave her a safe and loving home, good food and a warm bed, today my heart is broken because she gave me so much more in return!"

But there will soon be another royal subject in Cat's kingdom; one from a very distant land who is also in need of a safe and loving home, good food and a warm bed...read all about his story in Catrina's delightful blog: Cat's Cats: BIG NEWS

Thanks for visiting!

2 comments:

Cat said...

Hello Susan, I am so honoured to be one of your "Cat Ladies"!

I have admired your work for some time now and I am just delighted with my portrait. I may have to contact you again when Ash is a grown mancat and a new family portrait is required :-)

Warm regards,
Catrina

Milo and Alfie Marshall said...

I popped over from Cat's Cats ~ I've seen your work before and it's beautiful. I love this portrait and am so glad dear little Molly was left in it ~ she deserved to be honoured in this way.

Jan