HOME | DD

Description

This is an artwork I wanted to do for a while, but obviously I'm still suffering from some level of artist block so I'm hoping I get over it and turn out more projects each year. This would be my first non-Pokemon, non-video game based artwork in a long time; there are some minor references to incorporate more liveliness to the image. This project was to celebrate my experience with 2 cats I "semi-adopted" for a fairly long period before I had to relocate them to new owners; it was both a comforting, yet sad experience I went through.

-THE CATS' STORY-

For some time, we had fed some leftover scraps to the birds (we've stopped this practice as it was attracting mice that led to potential car damages). Then one day the leftover scraps lured a small black tuxedo coated cat to our house. A couple of times it would show up to our house afterwards at our doorstep meowing for more food. Food is pretty much a universal language for all animals. I was always more of a cat person so I took in some effort to interact with the cat while we started feeding it during its visits; gradually the cat really enjoyed my company and vice versa. Staying with the cat while it was eating proved necessary when we learned that the food/ cat scent was attracting raccoons. It was then we decided to let the cat into the house, it showed some reluctance, but we comforted it a lot when it was inside so it felt more at home. My parents didn't set up a litter box or any cat related amenities for it besides a bed (to let it sleep during the day), a food dish and water bowl. They also didn't feel comfortable letting a cat in the house during the night, so we always let the cat out before bedtime and let it back in during the day. I was concerned about letting the cat out on its own since I knew cats are creatures of routine and prefer safety and stability; but I had to oblige my parents' wishes and let the cat out each night. At the very least I had a lot of fun interactions with the cat and it was a my closest interaction with one as a pet which is something I hope to have when I get my own digs. In one remarkable incident right before I was to head off to work, the cat was oddly staring at our carpet and upon closer inspection, it turned out that the cat was observing ants that entered our house. It caught me by surprise and I immediately helped vacuum up all the ants and helped take out some large planters that were the attractants. The tuxedo cat also helped catch some mice which provided some useful rodent control.

Overtime, the arrangement seemed fine, we sheltered the cat during the day, gave it cat food and water. Eventually another cat showed up, it was a much bulkier cat and appeared older than the tuxedo one. I called the other cat "Garfield" due to it being chubbier. This cat wasn't as afraid of humans and when I opened the front door briefly one day, it casually strolled into our home briefly so I knew this cat was not a stray and had belonged to someone else, but it was a mystery as to whom it belonged to. I got the impression that the first cat somehow spread the word that our house was a safe cat haven which is how this one landed in our doorstep as well. The tuxedo cat and "Garfield" didn't get along as is the case with most cats being territorial by nature; the former hissed and showed more aggression than the latter which usually means that one is more scared. I tried to get them to coexist somehow, but it was not easy to keep them in the same space; I had to feed both cats separately with "Garfield" eating outside with supervision. The only time I noticed both cats in unity was when they had something of a joint standoff with a neighbor's chihuahua that had a tendency to chase them on sight. Eventually a neighbor walking her dog by our house recognized "Garfield" as the male cat that her tenant owns; his name was actually Odin. This identification was solidified because the dog she was walking with was comfortable approaching Odin and likewise he didn't exhibit any apprehension, proving they know each other. I don't know why he fled home, but I can only speculate that it was likely that he felt neglected by the tenant. We made attempts to reunite them; however, the opportunity faded when the owner decided to move out of his rental because according to the neighbor, he was acquainted with her son and they had a falling out; Odin unfortunately was abandoned as a result. At the time we settled with both cats, essentially semi-adopting them as I described the current circumstances.

My older brother, who visited occasionally, took a liking to the tuxedo cat, but then came my older sister whom I later learned is allergic to cat dander. The tuxedo cat was no exception and she didn't like the prospect of the cat being indoors much less being near one at all given her allergies despite us letting the cat out when she visits. After a few visits, she put her foot down and asked my mom to essentially get rid of the cat or else she would not come visit nor bring the grandchildren to visit. My mom had to scramble but found a co-worker who was more than happy to take in the tuxedo cat. The plan was to re-adopt it to the co-worker as soon as possible, so unfortunately it didn't give the poor cat enough time to adjust as a cat/ any pet for that matter. The cat was visibly scared when we drove it over to its new home (it occasionally extended its paw out to me and meowing from her cage that was seated next to me) and even when it was released inside with us still comforting it. The new owner was took a liking to its tuxedo fur coating that she decided to literally call the cat "Tuxedo"; I would later learn that the cat was in fact female when it visited a vet for a check-up (I had no idea of its gender up to that point). While leaving, I was visibly depressed and returning home I could only ponder about Odin's future.

At first I felt that Odin could now benefit from all the attention now that he no longer has competition, the reality was it didn't mean that we would allow him to come inside as per sister's wishes. So we decided to care for Odin as an outside cat to the best of our capabilities; and after a few weeks it became very clear this arrangement wouldn't work for me or Odin specifically. To me cats should always be raised indoors, outdoor living cats I understand is a common option for some owners, but I personally find that practice too dangerous for a cat. Raccoons were a major concern, at times during night I could hear a cat snarl and one day I even found visible scratches on Odin. Weather was pretty unpredictable where I live which made it difficult to think that he'd be okay during stormy weather; one night while feeding him, I literally used my large coat to shield him briefly from heavy winds and rain. What ultimately proved to me that this set up was unsustainable was one night while I was near our balcony doors which where covered by curtains, I heard Odin rubbing and bumping into the door and at that time, it was literally the most soul-crushing moment in recent memory that nearly destroyed me completely. I felt too shackled and powerless to fully help him; Odin was a domesticated cat, he's lived with humans, he isn't a stray, he's a good cat, he shouldn't live like this, he deserved better than this.

I asked my co-workers, friends, and visiting acquaintances if they could or knew someone who can take in a good cat. I even reached out to my brother and sister who were are more active on social media than myself to find someone in their circles to adopt a cat. Nothing panned out and to my surprise, sister wasn't as supportive as I painted her to be during this ordeal; brother was far more sympathetic in comparison. Eventually we were going to conclude by sending Odin to a cat shelter until the neighbor landlady whom first identified Odin decided to take him after I contacted her as a potential adoption outreach. She owned at least 2 other cats in addition to a dog, I learned that one cat didn't particularly got along with him even way back, and the other was standoffish at first but later accepted his company. Odin did manage to escape 2 more times and make his way back to our home, but eventually he stayed put in his former home; according to the neighbor, he remembered his previous escape route which they had forgotten to fix up. I later learned the landlady adopted Odin to a relative whose cat recently passed on and that Odin would be a perfect new pet for him.

I truly miss both cats and being an owner of a cat, but I decided what was best for them and not for myself. Last I heard Tuxedo is doing very well in her new home and is fattening up quite a bit. Odin last I heard is doing well, but no specific details shared; hopefully he is living the long, happy life he deserves. It was quite an experience to say the least, but at least these cats have shown that I am ready in the future to own and care for a cat when the opportunity arises. Thank you Tuxedo and Odin.

-END-

As a celebration to them, I've drawn Odin garbed in Odin's garments from Valkyrie Profile and Tuxedo as a magician with some influence from DC Comic's Zatanna. Odin had a distinct black fur patch on one side of his mouth, so it was not a mistake and really looked like he had a mole. Between Valkyrie Profile's Odin and Final Fantasy's Odin, the latter seemed more complicated to incorporate, so I settled on the former which was more traditional and consistent in design. Tuxedo had white paw pads and feet and her chest fur had a distinctive triangular white fur pattern which cemented that literal tuxedo appearance. The rabbit coming out of the hat was a small memoriam to my brother's pet rabbit that passed away back in 7/30/ 2021. He was named "Hopper" but I always called him "Bratty" because of how rambunctious he could be at times, even at one point where he literally leap onto the back of my neck and slightly clawed me; it was almost as if he saw that Monty Python movie. Needless to say that pissed me off a lot. In the end though, I'm still an animal lover, he wasn't my favorite pet, but I was saddened to see him depart us. If the rabbit was still with us, I would've likely given him less jovial expression given my interactions with him.

Description

This is an artwork I wanted to do for a while, but obviously I'm still suffering from some level of artist block so I'm hoping I get over it and turn out more projects each year. This would be my first non-Pokemon, non-video game based artwork in a long time; there are some minor references to incorporate more liveliness to the image. This project was to celebrate my experience with 2 cats I "semi-adopted" for a fairly long period before I had to relocate them to new owners; it was both a comforting, yet sad experience I went through.

-THE CATS' STORY-

For some time, we had fed some leftover scraps to the birds (we've stopped this practice as it was attracting mice that led to potential car damages). Then one day the leftover scraps lured a small black tuxedo coated cat to our house. A couple of times it would show up to our house afterwards at our doorstep meowing for more food. Food is pretty much a universal language for all animals. I was always more of a cat person so I took in some effort to interact with the cat while we started feeding it during its visits; gradually the cat really enjoyed my company and vice versa. Staying with the cat while it was eating proved necessary when we learned that the food/ cat scent was attracting raccoons. It was then we decided to let the cat into the house, it showed some reluctance, but we comforted it a lot when it was inside so it felt more at home. My parents didn't set up a litter box or any cat related amenities for it besides a bed (to let it sleep during the day), a food dish and water bowl. They also didn't feel comfortable letting a cat in the house during the night, so we always let the cat out before bedtime and let it back in during the day. I was concerned about letting the cat out on its own since I knew cats are creatures of routine and prefer safety and stability; but I had to oblige my parents' wishes and let the cat out each night. At the very least I had a lot of fun interactions with the cat and it was a my closest interaction with one as a pet which is something I hope to have when I get my own digs. In one remarkable incident right before I was to head off to work, the cat was oddly staring at our carpet and upon closer inspection, it turned out that the cat was observing ants that entered our house. It caught me by surprise and I immediately helped vacuum up all the ants and helped take out some large planters that were the attractants. The tuxedo cat also helped catch some mice which provided some useful rodent control.

Overtime, the arrangement seemed fine, we sheltered the cat during the day, gave it cat food and water. Eventually another cat showed up, it was a much bulkier cat and appeared older than the tuxedo one. I called the other cat "Garfield" due to it being chubbier. This cat wasn't as afraid of humans and when I opened the front door briefly one day, it casually strolled into our home briefly so I knew this cat was not a stray and had belonged to someone else, but it was a mystery as to whom it belonged to. I got the impression that the first cat somehow spread the word that our house was a safe cat haven which is how this one landed in our doorstep as well. The tuxedo cat and "Garfield" didn't get along as is the case with most cats being territorial by nature; the former hissed and showed more aggression than the latter which usually means that one is more scared. I tried to get them to coexist somehow, but it was not easy to keep them in the same space; I had to feed both cats separately with "Garfield" eating outside with supervision. The only time I noticed both cats in unity was when they had something of a joint standoff with a neighbor's chihuahua that had a tendency to chase them on sight. Eventually a neighbor walking her dog by our house recognized "Garfield" as the male cat that her tenant owns; his name was actually Odin. This identification was solidified because the dog she was walking with was comfortable approaching Odin and likewise he didn't exhibit any apprehension, proving they know each other. I don't know why he fled home, but I can only speculate that it was likely that he felt neglected by the tenant. We made attempts to reunite them; however, the opportunity faded when the owner decided to move out of his rental because according to the neighbor, he was acquainted with her son and they had a falling out; Odin unfortunately was abandoned as a result. At the time we settled with both cats, essentially semi-adopting them as I described the current circumstances.

My older brother, who visited occasionally, took a liking to the tuxedo cat, but then came my older sister whom I later learned is allergic to cat dander. The tuxedo cat was no exception and she didn't like the prospect of the cat being indoors much less being near one at all given her allergies despite us letting the cat out when she visits. After a few visits, she put her foot down and asked my mom to essentially get rid of the cat or else she would not come visit nor bring the grandchildren to visit. My mom had to scramble but found a co-worker who was more than happy to take in the tuxedo cat. The plan was to re-adopt it to the co-worker as soon as possible, so unfortunately it didn't give the poor cat enough time to adjust as a cat/ any pet for that matter. The cat was visibly scared when we drove it over to its new home (it occasionally extended its paw out to me and meowing from her cage that was seated next to me) and even when it was released inside with us still comforting it. The new owner was took a liking to its tuxedo fur coating that she decided to literally call the cat "Tuxedo"; I would later learn that the cat was in fact female when it visited a vet for a check-up (I had no idea of its gender up to that point). While leaving, I was visibly depressed and returning home I could only ponder about Odin's future.

At first I felt that Odin could now benefit from all the attention now that he no longer has competition, the reality was it didn't mean that we would allow him to come inside as per sister's wishes. So we decided to care for Odin as an outside cat to the best of our capabilities; and after a few weeks it became very clear this arrangement wouldn't work for me or Odin specifically. To me cats should always be raised indoors, outdoor living cats I understand is a common option for some owners, but I personally find that practice too dangerous for a cat. Raccoons were a major concern, at times during night I could hear a cat snarl and one day I even found visible scratches on Odin. Weather was pretty unpredictable where I live which made it difficult to think that he'd be okay during stormy weather; one night while feeding him, I literally used my large coat to shield him briefly from heavy winds and rain. What ultimately proved to me that this set up was unsustainable was one night while I was near our balcony doors which where covered by curtains, I heard Odin rubbing and bumping into the door and at that time, it was literally the most soul-crushing moment in recent memory that nearly destroyed me completely. I felt too shackled and powerless to fully help him; Odin was a domesticated cat, he's lived with humans, he isn't a stray, he's a good cat, he shouldn't live like this, he deserved better than this.

I asked my co-workers, friends, and visiting acquaintances if they could or knew someone who can take in a good cat. I even reached out to my brother and sister who were are more active on social media than myself to find someone in their circles to adopt a cat. Nothing panned out and to my surprise, sister wasn't as supportive as I painted her to be during this ordeal; brother was far more sympathetic in comparison. Eventually we were going to conclude by sending Odin to a cat shelter until the neighbor landlady whom first identified Odin decided to take him after I contacted her as a potential adoption outreach. She owned at least 2 other cats in addition to a dog, I learned that one cat didn't particularly got along with him even way back, and the other was standoffish at first but later accepted his company. Odin did manage to escape 2 more times and make his way back to our home, but eventually he stayed put in his former home; according to the neighbor, he remembered his previous escape route which they had forgotten to fix up. I later learned the landlady adopted Odin to a relative whose cat recently passed on and that Odin would be a perfect new pet for him.

I truly miss both cats and being an owner of a cat, but I decided what was best for them and not for myself. Last I heard Tuxedo is doing very well in her new home and is fattening up quite a bit. Odin last I heard is doing well, but no specific details shared; hopefully he is living the long, happy life he deserves. It was quite an experience to say the least, but at least these cats have shown that I am ready in the future to own and care for a cat when the opportunity arises. Thank you Tuxedo and Odin.

-END-

As a celebration to them, I've drawn Odin garbed in Odin's garments from Valkyrie Profile and Tuxedo as a magician with some influence from DC Comic's Zatanna. Odin had a distinct black fur patch on one side of his mouth, so it was not a mistake and really looked like he had a mole. Between Valkyrie Profile's Odin and Final Fantasy's Odin, the latter seemed more complicated to incorporate, so I settled on the former which was more traditional and consistent in design. Tuxedo had white paw pads and feet and her chest fur had a distinctive triangular white fur pattern which cemented that literal tuxedo appearance. The rabbit coming out of the hat was a small memoriam to my brother's pet rabbit that passed away back in 7/30/ 2021. He was named "Hopper" but I always called him "Bratty" because of how rambunctious he could be at times, even at one point where he literally leap onto the back of my neck and slightly clawed me; it was almost as if he saw that Monty Python movie. Needless to say that pissed me off a lot. In the end though, I'm still an animal lover, he wasn't my favorite pet, but I was saddened to see him depart us. If the rabbit was still with us, I would've likely given him less jovial expression given my interactions with him.