Cats! Cats! Cats!

Cats! Cats! Cats!

right: Mattie May, one of the Girls,

a pet portrait painting

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Cough! I think I'm getting brown lung from all that kitty litter that I'm using for all my indoor cats. Yeap, it's the cheap kind that has lots of dust in it. When the cats use it, it looks reminiscent of the Depression's Dust Bowl! What I wouldn't give for some outdoor cats. Phew! Besides the dust; there's the obvious smell. Hey, I love my cats, but sometimes it is more than a labor of love; it's just a horrible experience.

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When I grew up on my family farm a long time ago, we had barn cats and a few cats that hung around the back porch. However, there were no vet visits for shots and maintenance that costs as much as your mortgage payment. We didn't buy Fancy Feast and cat toys and diversions to entertain the canine troops. Their entertainment was pure and simple; it involved hunting mice and trying to survive moving farm machinery in the fields.

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No matter. When I look at my cats, Mattie, Birdy, and Zoe, I just don't think of mere animals, I think: Furry Family. I feel responsible for them. That's why when I moved onto a busier street about 10 years ago, they became shut-ins so they wouldn't be "road--kill" in the neighborhood. I do buy them toys. In fact, I also buy them catnip. One of them likes it so much, I probably should consider kitty rehab for her. I can just hear the public service announcement by a man with a nice, caring voice-- if you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will? Yes, I'm ultimately responsible for my 'girls.' When they meow once, I jump. When they meow twice, I'm ready to serve.

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Click on for a short cat video: We are the Champions!

So, if you ever want to commission a pet portrait, I'm your girl! I'll not only treat the job seriously, I'll consider them almost human. I wouldn't do any less for my pets.

~~~Cat Woman, aka, Cindy