New paintings and regular art updates.
Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was pets. This is one of our black and white cats, his eyes are very dark gold so when he’s in shadow they are hard to see. He’s the biggest of our rescue cats, he used to be the outside cat but has migrated in and now lives happily with our other two.
When I put my finger next to one of my cats, instead of nuzzling he’s started to bite and chew it. I don’t know why? He will sit and Starr at my finger then grab it and chew! And it’s not like he’s hungry, he’s got lots of food. Maybe he likes the texture of my fingernail. It’s not too painful, he’s not broken the skin, it just seems like odd behaviour. He used to rub his head against my finger or hand, but as I say this is now happening. Any ideas? Is it boredom, is it because he’s trying to be dominant? Do I think if I die he will be one of those cats that survived on my corpse? Help!
I laughed when I saw him this morning. Paws straight out in front of him, like he was going to gambole off the cushion and bounce on the floor! So comical. It reminded me of a diver spinning towards the water, or a trampolinist spinning somersaults. I took one grainy, dark photo and he woke, so I’ve had to edit the photo, because he moved into a normal, cat curled up, position. If I could I would print this on either side of a circle of card. Punch two small holes in the centre and run a loop of string through. When you twist and stretch the string the cat would bounce and twirl!
Snoozin’ on my sisters blankets
But he likes to sleep on bags
A compromise of yarn
And a linen surface.
Paw over nose, keeping light out
Dreaming of who knows what?
Comfy and warm,
How many hours
Will he snooze?
Imm painting a victorian style oven as a bit of scenery for a Christmas Carol. I’ve just drawn something out but the cat appears to think it’s real! The cat sat on three mats…. Will post the result when I’ve painted it. X
Sunlight reflecting off her fur, on the windowledge at the top of the stairs, she looks out to check on what’s going on in the garden. Not long now to the winter equinox when the days will slowly start to get longer again. She’s so soft and sweet.
Cats know how to keep warm. The heat rises up the stairs so she is happy up there. This afternoon she’s gone out for a little walk round the garden, I think she will be back in again soon. Then she will either go back upstairs or sit on the cat tree by the radiator in the living room.
He’s snug, warm, as a bug in a rug, he gets curled up in a ball and he’s happy, he snores, puts his paw over his nose, and might be in the warmest tog sleeping bag or under a heavy duvet. Cats have a luxury coat that we humans don’t. We still have hairs and hair follicles, but as we wear clothes we don’t need a fur pelt. I wonder what came first, clothes or bald patches?
Cats still find warm places to sleep though. Usually on our bed. When it gets really cold they sneak under the duvet and snuggle up. They make a fair hot water bottle. The best thing is how they can sense your mood, sometimes they seem to be mind readers!
I am a cat person, I love them, they are graceful, independent, also beautiful. They can be extremely sweet but also very sneaky. They will get their own way if they can. They will sit and stare at you, waiting for you to relent. Waiting to be petted or fed. They can pin you down by sitting on you or your bed, so you dare not move! Sometimes they can be trained, mine come when I whistle, which is good because I think the sound of a whistle goes further than a voice can. I’ve had cats all of my adult life, or should I say, they’ve owned me!
Sitting at my feet, staring up, whiskers showing me how keen he is for me to feed him! He looks thin in this photo, but he’s a really big but soft cat. His nose was scratched by another cat outside because he’s not a fighter. He does let other cats bully him. His nose is healed up now. But I keep an eye on him because sometimes he will get a bit battered. Now he’s walking past me and purring. He wants breakfast…
I had to buy a new mat today, the old one was worn out. The cats love it, they have burrowed underneath it, scratched their claws on it, played with a tiny toy and a ball, (both under the sofa now). The mat is where we walk by the sofa and one of the cats has decided he wants to sleep on it, but as I’m walking backwards and forwards over it he’s had to move. No doubt he will sleep there tonight! The cat will be sleeping on the mat. X
Mallaband-Brown