"The Three Cats," 2025
Paintings of our cats for my sister. My cat is Cheetoh, the angry orange boy. My sister's cat is Gracie, the small girl in the middle. My niece's cat is Tigre, the tall grey boy. They all have their own story of how we wound up with us.
Cheetoh was bought off Craigslist from stoners by my brother's ex and left behind after they split. Since my room was close to my brother's, Cheetoh would sneak into my room to sleep with me. My brother didn't really take care of him, so my sister and I took over. Because he's so temperamental, I'm the only one who can handle him. (But he is very sweet if you respect his boundaries.)
Gracie showed up one winter's day outside our backdoor. We ended up taking her in because she looked like a house cat that had been recently abandoned in the fields nearby. She arrived very mangy and skinny, but with my sister spoiling her, she grew to be very beautiful with a sleek coat in no time. She lived her life with us like a princess and ruled my sister's room like it was her domain. She sadly passed away from old age just earlier this year. For weeks after, I would open my door, thinking I heard her bell jingling outside.
Tigre showed up in our doorstep and forced his way in once we gave him a little food. He and Cheetoh hated each other at first, but were best friends by the end. My Mom would call him a "pandillero" (gangster) because no matter how hard we tried, he would always sneak his way outside and fight other cats for control of the territory. Tigre wound up very close to my niece during his time with us, usually only responding to her (or the rattling of the cat food jar) whenever we looked for him during one of his famous escapes. He passed away suddenly in late 2024. She still keeps his bed and blanket at the foot of her bed.
We've lost a lot of dear pets in what feels like quick succession. My mom's toy poddle, Latte, also left us this fall after 17 years. They've all definitely left a hole, and their absence is felt.
