20 thoughts on “a whisker away”

  1. Barbara, are you a cat lover too? Is this something else we have in common? I’m totally besotted by cats. My children have told me I can never have more than two at a time, or I will be known as the “crazy cat lady”! I think I might just need to read “Every Cat has a Story” in its entirety. 🙂

    1. Oh yes, Joanne, I ADORE cats!!! Unfortunately I’m allergic to them so I don’t keep one as a pet any longer, but I do visit my sister’s cat Bernie as often as I can. When we were children we always had two cats in the house, one for each of us. And when my children were small we had cats, too, not knowing that they were the cause of so many sinus problems until I visited an allergist! When my daughter left for college I sent the last cat with her. 🙂

      You would probably get along well with my sister-in-law. All the local strays seem to find their way to her house and eventually win her over and move in where it is warm and they are well fed…

      1. I’m sorry you can’t have a cat anymore. I don’t think I could survive without one and we are lucky that no one in our family is allergic to them.

        When local cats visit our yard I always say hello to them but they usually skoot home before too long. Dogs, however are another story. We’ve had some arrive in our yard who never want to leave!

        1. Interesting – are dogs allowed off leash where you live? They aren’t allowed off leash here unless they are in designated dog parks or fenced in one’s yard. I have a fear of large dogs and would be terrified to find one wandering around loose…

          1. We’re the same here, the dogs must be on a leash when they leave your yard, although there are designated parks, and even beaches, where you can take them off their leaches. Some dogs haven’t heard about the law thought, and go for a wander any chance they get!

            You wouldn’t like my dog if you don’t like big dogs! She’s a rottweiller, but the gentlest girl ever and she never attempts to leave the yard without us. She seems to know she’s not allowed. I’ve only ever had Rotties and German Shepherds, both of which I have found to be very gentle and loyal.

          2. Some of my friends and relatives have or have had the nicest Rottweilers and Pit Bulls and have gone to great lengths to keep them in another room or outside when I visit. I’ve even tolerated being around them when the owner is present and in charge. But I was regularly tackled and pushed around by the untrained Newfoundlands and Saint Bernards that my aunt and uncle had for pets. I was bitten by a mutt when I was a toddler, but as I grew I could tolerate smaller dogs, and adored our beloved Shetland Sheepdog, Skipper, our family pet for many happy years.

    1. Thank you, Mags! I love the light in the painting – it feels so warm – cats always know the best places for a sunbath…

    1. I think it is the way Bruno Liljefors captures the light that makes his paintings look so realistic and so much like photographs. Glad you like this one, Laurie!

    1. You’re so lucky to be allowed four cats! I’m green with envy! Cats have so much appeal to me that I sometimes spend hours watching nature DVDs on the big cats of Africa and Asia… Here’s another good quote from the book for you: “There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person.” ~ Dan Greenberg 🙂

  2. Hi Barbara. Back in July 2011, yours was the very first blog I found, and you never disappoint with your posts. The cat reminds me of one of my cats of long ago, called ‘Mildew’ because of her orange splotches. Jane

    1. Thank you, Jane, you’re so sweet and thoughtful to say so… I am glad you found me because it led me to your wonderful blog, too! Mildew must have been a lovely cat with that pattern and coloring. Most of our cats were orange or grey tiger stripes…

    1. The precious memories of our whiskered feline friends never leave us, no matter how long ago they departed, do they…

  3. I have always had cats (up to nine at one time, now have four lover-boys!) and it is so true that they all have stories. I want to put a book together of all the cats I’ve known in words and paintings someday…

    Thanks for sharing all these wonderful quotes and beautiful artwork, Barbara!

    1. You’re welcome, Diane! That must have been something having nine cats to love! 🙂 It seems like there are as many cat personalities as there are people – I’ve yet to meet a cat who wasn’t unique in some way or other. It’s part of what makes them so appealing, I think.

      Creating a book about your cats, past and present, sounds like a fantastic idea! I look forward to reading it one day, and admiring your drawings of them…

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