Inspiration from Everywhere

I love cats.  I actually love animals (including dogs) but in the past 10 years I've really taken to cats.  It's because you can leave them alone with food and water for a night or two without worrying about them too much. With a litter box they don't need taking for a walk. They are so independent. 

I saw a cute joke the other day - You know the world is not flat because if it were, the cats would have knocked everything off already. 

My beloved Annabelle.  She was a Snow Shoe breed. It's a rare breed - I read a statistic several years ago that there were only about 500 in the world.  Don't know if that's true but they are rare.  They are called the "Elizabeth Taylor" of the cat world. Blue eyes, incredible shades of brown and each of her 4 feet were totally white (thus the name).  They always have points on the face. 

How Annabelle came to be adopted by me. My Mom found Annabelle in a shelter in a small town near where she lived. She was looking for a cat to leave outside to keep the squirrels in her yard under control. She would not be keeping the cat indoors. Mom called me and said the shelter called her a rag doll cat. (We didn't know at the time she was a Snow Shoe).  I was horrified.  I told Mom that rag dolls were breed to be docile.  That they were great pets but definitely should be inside.  In fact, that's why they are called rag doll - they are best known for their docile and placid temperament and affectionate nature. The name "Ragdoll" is derived from the tendency to go limp and relaxed when picked up. I hadn't even seen Annabelle but I knew she couldn't be an outdoor cat. 

I begged Mom to bring her to me and go get another cat.  She brought me Annabelle and the rest is history. She was with me for 13 wonderful years and passed away in 2019. 

Inspiration.  During my years at design school, Annabelle was an inspiration to me.  Her coloring inspired many a project. in fact, I used her brown shades when I came up with my business card design. Her sweet and loving personality kept me going during the stress of class and homework assignments.  I miss my Annabelle. 

At one point about 15 years ago, I had 4 cats.  Now I only have 1. His name is "Chipper" and he's my brothers cat.  I adopted him and he's now 17 years old.  He and I are growing old together.  Sleeping and eating - that's us (especially during the pandemic). 

I will always have a cat.  The heartbreak of losing them is outweighed by the love, affection and laughter they give.