Esmerelda

Last Thursday afternoon, I spotted the city animal control truck pulling into the parking lot.  Which is rarely a good thing.  Usually it's me getting hit up for free tranquilizers, free medications, free services, etc.  Which I wouldn't mind helping out if I could, if the City were more amicable to deal with.   There are 2 veterinary hospitals in town, and I am about 5th on the list of hospitals that sees any referral business from them.

The dog catcher brings in a pet carrier, and says, "I need to have this kitten put to sleep. It has an upper respiratory infection."  Which sometimes, respiratory infections can be quite severe-  with eye lesions, corneal ulcerations, infections, etc.  So I look into the carrier expecting to see a really sick kitten. 

Instead, I see a little kitten purring with a slightly weepy eye.  "This kitten doesn't look that ill . . .  how long have you had it?", I ask.   "10-15 minutes", he says.   The look of disappointment and shock and on my face had to be apparent, as he added,  "I have another cat that I can't find a home for . . . I can't be bothered with a kitten."

And I'm thinking to myself,  Yeah, and I can't be bothered euthanizing a kitten just out of convenience on a Thursday.

So I have to  think fast and sort through the options. 
1. Put the kitten to sleep and make the dog catcher happy.
2. Refuse to put the kitten to sleep.  Which I know is gonna end badly for her.
3. Keep the kitten and find it a home when she is better. 

So that is what I did- #3.

Meet Esmerelda.

She got a bath on Friday. Her weepy eye cleared up over the weekend. She was really, really wormy, and got dewormer for 3 days over the weekend.  Flea medication for the ear mites.  She still has a little rattle in her chest, but I am waiting to see if that will clear up on it's own.  Antibiotics won't help if it is viral in origin.   I suspect part of it is malnutrition and the intestinal parasites.  She's been eating great.

Here's her video from Friday.



 Here she is today. You can see how her eye looks better. With about 2 applications of eye ointment.




She'll be up for adoption in a few days.  If you know anyone who wants a grey tabby kitten, with a loud motor, get in touch.   I'll probably put her on petfinder as well.

Lucky Update

Just like the Jeffersons, Lucky moves up to a Deluxe Apartment in the sky. 

 

After Lucky's bath on Sunday, she moved to an upper apartment.  Just like Weezie. 

Thanks to a uber generous donation this week, her fund has grown up to $877. 

Painting of Luna on Yupo

Karen Weidert is an online artist friend of mine who resides near St. Louis.  She volunteers with the Clowder House Cat Foundation in St. Louis.   As I've mentioned before, I am working on a calendar project with some of Karen's photographs.

Here is her website, by the way. 


Luna is her personal cat, and I think she adopted her from Clowder House as well.

Lurve this Photo

So I decide to paint Luna for the calendar as well.  I also decided to flip the photo, mainly because the painting of Latte has her positioned on the right. Luna can go to the left.

Luna, 5x7 inches, varnished watercolor on Yupo

I'll admit, I love the reference photo, for the dramatic lighting, but I am not totally happy with this painting.  I didn't like the rattlesnake zombie pupils in the photo, so I decided to paint them similarly to another photo where the pupil was a little larger and a little more round. That might have been a mistake.

I've been looking at the eyeballs of Maybelline, Sunshine,  Leon, and Priscilla all morning. One can't glaze on Yupo without moving the color underneath, so I might play with it in photoshop, and add a little glaze of fluid acrylic to the eye(s), before it is varnished. But not too much glazing as I don't want to loose the lightness of the blue-green color.  Or I might paint her again, one never knows.

Have a nice weekend, Everyone.

New Yupo Painting- Black Tabby Cat

This painting I finished this weekend. The majority was done with watercolor on yupo board. 5 x 7 inches. I darkened and corrected a few values with transparent fluid acrylic glazes. Two coats of acrylic glossy varnish will be added on top.

12/12/07- on its way home. Hope the post office gets it there safe and sound.

Cat Nap Deux- Watercolor on Yupo

There is something so peaceful about watching cats, or dogs, snooze in the sun.

I repainted this painting for my November show. Just larger than the first one. This one is approx 8 x 10 inches. It will be double matted and framed.

Another Calico Cat on Yupo- Painting of the Day

I have painted this reference photo before. What I like about the reference photo is the long hair and whiskers of this cat as the sunlight shines from behind her head. It's very dramatic.

That is difficult for me to capture on yupo as the paint slides around on the surface. Some of the whiskers and fur here are wiped and scratched out of the paint film. Others are painted with a little acrylic on a long and tiny brush.

Watercolor on Yupo, 5.5 x 6.5 inches

Listed on ebay as a charity listing for Sundown Surgery Fund.

Maybelline- finished Yupo painting

I finished Maybelline's painting last evening. If you scroll back to the previous post, you'll find the ref pic and the first scan of the painting in progress. It is 6 x 7.75 inches on Yupo paper.

It is listed on ebay as a charity listing for Sundown Surgery Fund at UGA Vet Teaching Hospital. SOLD- going to Shreveport, Louisiana