Brotherly Love Original 11x14 framed painting: $500. Reduced size print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35. Tyler was born blind, and both of his eyes had to be removed to stop painful and recurring infections. He was a little unsure of his new surroundings when he first came to Best Friends, but he had help: a wonderful cat named Mufasa, who was happy to show his new friend around. Luckily for these two boys, a very special adopter came along who understood the close bond between them. So Tyler and Mufasa are not just best buddies—now they’re brothers, too!
Going Home Original 11x14 framed painting: SOLD. Reduced size print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35. Korky is quite the world traveler! She was born in Lebanon, and the shelter she lived in was in a war zone. Korky and her friends were in danger while volunteers risked their lives daily to care for them. In 2006, Best Friends answered a plea for help from Lebanon’s only animal welfare organization, evacuating 295 dogs and cats from Beirut. After a few years at the sanctuary, Korky found that she had one more voyage to make: the trip to her forever home!
Silent Night Original 8x10 framed painting: $250. Reduced size print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25. Like up to 85% of all blue-eyed white cats, Lilly Lane was born deaf. White cats are also very sensitive to sunlight and can be prone to skin cancer. Lilly lives indoors, though, so she’s safe from excessive sun exposure as well as from hazards she wouldn't be able to hear coming such as speeding cars or loose dogs. Lilly didn’t let her deafness get in the way of her ability to communicate with the many visitors to Best Friends, and it certainly didn’t stand in the way of an adoption.
Senior Class Original 11x14 framed painting: SOLD. Reduced size print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35. Senior cats have a very special friend in Lee Van Camp. She’s been adopting older cats from Best Friends for several years. The cats in this painting—Vernon, Scarlett, Madonna, Princess, Nighttime, Antoinette, Ozzy, Cash, Samuel, Sammie, Babycakes and Ventura—all found a forever home with Lee, and all were over ten years old at the time of adoption. Some were even over 20 years old! Lee knows that older cats still have a lot of love to give and that they deserve a real home in their golden years.
Greetings Original 8x10 framed painting: SOLD. Reduced size print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25. Although both his back legs had been amputated after a serious injury, Scooter had a very important job: he was the official greeter at the veterinary office where his surgery had been performed. Unfortunately he lost that job when some of the clients found his appearance upsetting. But Scooter was not one to dwell on misfortune; he came to Best Friends where he was able to continue his career. He could scoot around the lobby of his building as fast as any four-legged cat, and his confidence and charisma won him many fans.
The Power of Love Original 11x14 framed painting: NOT FOR SALE Reduced size print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35 Adlai Grace found a loving home with Wendy Michelle Matthews after being rescued from a dirt road where she and her littermates been thrown away like garbage. She had suffered severe spinal trauma that left her partially paralyzed and made it difficult for her to breathe. Her joyful spirit and strong will to live were not enough to overcome her extensive injuries; she died in Wendy’s arms a few weeks later. Despite her short life, this tiny kitten had a huge impact, touching the lives of thousands of animal lovers all over the world. Her legacy is a vast network of people devoted to helping abused and disabled animals, ending animal cruelty, and passing on Adlai’s message that “Love wins.” $10 from the sale of each print will be donated to Best Friends Animal Society in Adlai Grace’s memory.
Curled Up in My Heart Original 8x10 framed painting: NOT FOR SALE Reduced size print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25 Formerly feral Wolfi came to crave human contact so much that caregivers sometimes carried him in a sling while they worked. Thanks to his undeniable charm and his appearances on the various Best Friends Facebook pages, he developed quite a fan club during his years at the sanctuary. One thing Wolfi was known for was his wardrobe—he had an extensive sweater collection that would be the envy of any fashionista! When he died, people from all over the country came to Angel’s Overlook, the final resting place for Best Friends resident pets, to pay their respects to this special little guy.
Cattitude Original 8x10 framed painting: $250 Reduced size print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25 Miss Dot is a feisty girl who is particular about her feline companions and quick to let human visitors know when they’ve broken her rules about when, where and how to pet her. She has such beautiful and distinctive eyes that people might not notice that she’s blind. But you don’t have to feel sorry for her! By using her other senses, she can jump, climb, and find her way around as well as any sighted cat. Her whiskers help keep her from running into obstacles. Blind cats can do pretty much anything other cats can do! It helps to keep their litter boxes and food dishes in a consistent location so they’re easy to find, and of course blind cats must live indoors for their own safety. A donation of $5.00 from the sale of this print will be donated to Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary, Inc., a non-profit lifetime animal care facility located in St. Pauls, NC.
Office Staff Original 11x14 framed painting: $500 Reduced sized print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35 Little Woman Home for Animals has an unusual office staff: Earl, the feline Office Manager, supervises Ginger, Socks and Fuzzy Buzz in their efforts to help the humans at the sanctuary with their work. Set in the beautiful piney woods and rolling hills of East Texas, LWHA is a non-profit organization committed to providing lifetime care to abandoned animals while actively seeking homes for their placement. And it’s not just cats who benefit from the care at LWHA: dogs, ducks, and even donkeys rescued from the Grand Canyon have found a home at this sanctuary. A donation of $5 from the sale of this print will be donated to LWHA.
A Perfect Day Original 12x16 framed painting: $600 Reduced sized print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35 This painting is a tribute to my sweet Midori.
Just Hanging Out Original 8x10 framed painting: $250 Reduced sized print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25 Weston is one of the biggest characters in Cookie’s Place, the area within Shadow Cats Rescue for cats who have Feline Leukemia. He's always in the center of the action, whether it's grooming the younger cats, playing a game, teaching kittens the finer points of bird watching, or clowning around posing for pictures. Life at the sanctuary seems to agree with him...maybe a little too much, as he’s filled out quite a bit and now weighs in at over sixteen pounds! A donation of $5 from the sale of this print will be donated to Shadow Cats Rescue in Round Rock, Texas. (Image of Weston based on a photo by David Murphy.)
Triple Play Original 11x14 framed painting: $500 Reduced sized print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35 Dot, Sabrina and D’Artagnan (from top to bottom) are a bit different from most other cats. Dot has spina bifida, Sabrina is missing a leg, and D’Art is paraplegic. But there’s no need to feel sorry for them! They found their way to Tabby’s Place, a special cage-free sanctuary in Ringoes, New Jersey. While most of Tabby’s residents are perfectly healthy cats who were scheduled to die in public shelters, Tabby’s also serves as a safe haven for older, chronically ill, or handicapped cats. At Tabby’s Place, these cats are able to live full and happy lives with the medical care, love, and affection they deserve. Dot, Sabrina and D’Art might be considered “unadoptable” by some, but nothing could be further from the truth: all three have found homes with loving families! A donation of $5 from the sale of this print will be donated to Tabby’s Place. (Images of Dot, Sabrina and D’Artagnan based on photos by Lisa Redding.)
Love Train Original 11x14 framed painting: SOLD Reduced size print matted to fit 11x14 frame: $35 The handsome cat featured in this painting is Sterling, who was transported from a high-kill shelter in California by the Underground Railroad Rescued Kitty Network to his new home in Arizona with Tina LaBlanc, the founder of that organization. Tina was inspired to create URRKN in October 2011 after hearing about a cat named Jack who was lost in an airport for months; although Jack was finally found, he had to be euthanized due to health issues he developed during his ordeal. Tina had a similar experience many years earlier when traveling by air with a beloved cat, but luckily her cat was found safely in just a few days. Tina was appalled that pets were still being lost by airlines and she knew there had to be a solution. URRKN is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization that arranges safe transportation for rescued cats from foster to forever homes. While a few transports include air travel in the cabin with a volunteer, most are ground transport with a series of “conductors” who each drive a leg of the trip. Other volunteers provide a kitty “bed and breakfast” as necessary during longer routes. Safety is the main concern of URRKN, so a Transport Coordinator oversees each trip, every step of the way. All traveling cats must be spayed/neutered, current on vaccinations, and have a health certificate from a veterinarian. A donation of $5 from the sale of this print will be donated to URRKN.
No Original 8x10 framed painting: $250 Reduced size print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25 This painting features my somewhat grumpy kitty Vivian, in front of a painting of the famous Internet meme, Grumpy Cat (aka Tardar Sauce). Note that the wallpaper design in the background spells out the word “No.”
Mad About Saffron Original 8x10 framed painting: $250 Reduced size print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25 According to Alameda Animal Shelter records, Saffron was found trapped in an outboard motor. She was only about 6-8 weeks old when she came into the shelter covered in tar, motor oil and fleas. But what wasn’t immediately apparent is that she was also injured; her pelvis was fractured in two places and her tail was broken! I came into the shelter the morning after her arrival and took her home. She’s completely healed now and is a typical playful cat. A donation of $5 from the sale of this print will be donated to Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter.
Flower Power Nap Original 8x10 framed painting: SOLD Reduced size print matted to fit 8x10 frame: $25 According to Alameda Animal Shelter records, Saffron was found trapped in an outboard motor. She was only about 6-8 weeks old when she came into the shelter covered in tar, motor oil and fleas. But what wasn’t immediately apparent is that she was also injured; her pelvis was fractured in two places and her tail was broken! I came into the shelter the morning after her arrival and took her home. She’s completely healed now and is a typical playful cat. A donation of $5 from the sale of this print will be donated to Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter.