An ode to the cat that loved my Art
An ode to the cat that loved my Art
Her name was Princess Miez from the Garbage Place
That’s where we found her, at the garbage place in a colony of stray cats – or to say it more correctly: where she adopted us. She looked like a 6 months old kitten, so tiny and thin. And she was only allowed to our home when she would stay in a cat pension, while we were traveling. At least, that was what I said. That was something we hadn’t dared to do during the last two years while our elderly tom cat Mauz was ill.
Things turned out to be different. Miez was not 6 months, more likely to be 6 years old. She was obviously an abandoned cat, she knew at once how to behave well as a cat in the home of humans. And it became quite clear after the second diagnostic attempt, that not all was fine but that she was seriously ill: Gingivitis, FIV and more. So no cat pensions – instead many regular visits to the vet. But also many short excursions and long journeys in the car. On our ways between Germany and Spain – 2400 km each way, she never complained. Even when we changed our large and spacious Van to a smaller car she made up with very little room.
She was a house cat that loved adventures
She actually loved to travel and to have adventures and she loved to explore new hotels (with a preference for the better ones, my soul mate not only in this respect) not easy to find in Spain, where pets are seldom allowed in a hotel. The transport bag was her heaven. She would jump in it when the car became quiet after hours, to make sure she would be with us. In the hotel she insisted not only to inspect the room but the exciting hall way that was behind the door of the room. Such a joy to see the white tip of her tail bobbing as she explored new terrain. She walked very nicely on the leash. We made many little walks with her.
She was my best art buddy ever
Miez loved to be in my studio. Sometimes I even wouldn’t realise that she had come in silently and found a place. Other times it would be very obvious, that she was there. She either would conquer my seat as soon as I got up to get something or she would very intensely insist to sit in my lap – no matter what I was doing. I did incredible works with a cat in the lap – I tell you, not easy when you are at the computer or working with acrylic- that is a paint that once dried you cannot wash off. At latest 6:30 pm she would remind me very clearly that now it was time to go to the kitchen.
I think she liked the chill out music from ABC radio, that I listen too when I am in the studio and the quiet and concentrated atmosphere. And of course me!
She loved to be in close contact with my art
She considered especially my colourful and often freshly painted works as an appropriate place to stretch out – the princess on the paintings. Often – and a great horror for me – when she tried to do it when the paint was still wet. Or she preferred my just carefully sorted colour swatches as a base and mixed them up. She didn’t even avoid the wet palette! Sometimes when we were searching her in the house we found her silently and content laying in my studio, alone.
Sometimes she was my inspiration
I am not a great cat painter, but sometimes I couldn’t resist to try to capture her. But…….
But…….
I never managed to capture her beautifully drawn face, her softness and something that could almost be called humour. She was a cat you wanted to take on your lap to caress her. She liked that too, and for politeness she would stay at least a little while, even if she was not up for it. She was exceptionally joyful, polite – never jumping on your lap without first asking with a little “miau”. She was patient and showed all her strength and anger only after the treatments at the vet. She had self-confidence and knew what she wanted and had found her ways to make it quite clear to us. She told a lot and talked with us. She was our sweetheart.
She had to leave us and this world on 16.02.2022. The cancer had spread under her tongue.
We loved her dearly and miss her terribly.
