First things first, let me just say this: I am a dog person. Cats have never been my thing. It could be because I’m severely allergic to them, or it could be because of the time I babysat and had to fight for the baby’s life because their Siamese cat wanted to attack the child in her sleep (the mom’s words, not mine.) Then there’s the dead little animal problem. The one where cats bring their owners dead things? No, thank you.

But, life takes us down some surprising paths and now (heaven help me) we have two kittens. They’re barn kitties (again, the allergy situation) and last night they didn’t come home. You guys, I prayed in earnest for the well-being of these cats. I imagined their little faces and funny antics, and saw in my mind’s-eye the kittens snuggling on my daughters’ laps as they cozy up on the porch to read. It turns out I… love those furballs! Talk about a surprising path. Next thing you know I’m going to have a Pinterest board titled “You’ve Got to be Kitten Me”  or “Pawsome Cats.” 

This morning our girls were back and I about wept with relief. In honor of our little Puck and our little Tank is the only piece of cat art that comes to mind. Once I Googled, of course, I found millions of paintings, sculptures, etc. featuring cats, but I still like this one even though its expression reminds me of the cat that tried to claw baby Brittney’s face.

Le Chat Noir was one of many cat paintings Theophile Steinlen did. This was an ad for a cabaret club in the Monmontre district of Paris, where Steinlen lived. At first the cat looked sort of evil to me, but then I imagined it was less evil and more masterful- like a mob boss with a heart of gold. In any event, be sure to follow my new Pinterest board, “Feline ‘Em Up.”