Many cat lovers have a at least a few kitty-themed decorative items or clothing in their possession. I’m no exception. I’m choosy about the types of objects I display and the cat-wear I put on my body, but I adore what I have, and love it when people take notice.
Here are eight items about which my visitors offer the most comments. It was hard to choose, and they’re in no particular order.
1. Phoebe canvas
Several years ago, I hosted a giveaway on my Catladyland blog. I can’t find the post now, which confuses me because now I’m thinking I dreamt the whole thing and maybe ordered this canvas print while in an Ambien-induced trance.
The company sent me a personalized canvas, I reviewed it, and then gave one away on my blog. At the time, this photo I’d recently taken of Phoebe was my favorite, and I used it any time I had the chance. Of course, it was my choice for the print, and it came out beautifully. I hung it above a baker’s rack in my old house, replacing a couple of photos of my kids. This was the beginning of the end, friends, and the seed of a family joke that’s gone on for years.
My kids: “Mom’s slowly replacing us with cats.”
Visitors nearly always have something nice to say about this print. My kids? Not so much. Kidding!
2. The Usual (Mews-ual) Suspects T-shirt
I have a few cat shirts, but pride myself on their uniqueness. I’m a fan of the 1995 film, The Usual Suspects, starring Kevin Spacey. The print on this shirt is a spoof on the most well-known image from the movie’s ads. What I love most about wearing this shirt is that the people who get it really appreciate its quirkiness.
3. Highly Professional Business Cats calendar
My talented artist-friend, Amy Beth Geerling Payne, has an Etsy shop called Supah, and she totally feeds my cats-wearing-clothes obsession. Almost every new visitor to my home stops and pages through this calendar, having to take a few minutes to choose their favorite month. I don’t know if I can pick.
4. Kitty bookends
My mother-in-law gave me these bookends for my birthday a few years ago. They reminded her of my Catladyland logo, and she thought I’d like them. I do! In fact, they’ve become one of the focal points in my living room and a subject of conversation. Another focal point: the mystery stain on my John Waters book. I suppose it’s kind of appropriate, right? If any book’s going to have a mystery stain, it should be one of John’s.
5. Orange cat print
In my old house, this hung in my office. Now that I don’t have an office, it sits on the wall directly above my living room sofa. It’s funny: I’ve never been much of an “orange” person, but by some magical convergence of decor fairies, the color became one of the base shades in my new living area. The print is not only cool, it fits perfectly into the vibe of the room. And everybody has a comment about it.
I received this little free gift (unframed) at Purina headquarters during one of its annual Purina Summit events. It’s truly one of my favorite objects.
6. Halloween cat
Many years ago, my friend gave me this black cat in a fancy orange coat for a Halloween gift. She worked at a boutique that gave her a nice discount, so she was able to collect some fun holiday decorations. Miss Kitty stayed with my Halloween decor for several years, but then I started bringing her to my book-signings, propping her on a stack of books. People kept asking, “How much is the kitty?” Hands off the kitty! No, I was never like that, but I realized she was too awesome to keep in a Rubbermaid bin for 11 months of the year.
Now she sits on my sofa, underneath the orange cat print. More orange! See, I wasn’t lying. Everyone loves Miss Kitty, especially my cat, Cosmo, who likes to get it on with her. Ew. Sorry, Miss Kitty.
7. Tidy Cats cup
This one is funny. I partner with Tidy Cats on campaigns, and they sometimes send me little gifts, like this cup. I think nothing of drinking from it — in fact, I love it because it has a lid, making it cat-proof. I live in an apartment building where there are plenty of social activities, sometimes with “BYOB” in the description. I often show up with my Tidy Cats cup filled with gin-and-tonic or some other festive beverage, and my neighbors are like, “Is that a cat-litter cup?” Um, yeah. Then they can’t stop laughing. Someone suggested I fill it with lemonade.
8. Lavender Kit Kat clock
I’ve always admired the traditional black-and-white Kit Kat clocks. I wanted one for many years, and two years ago, my husband surprised me with a lady-style one. She’s adorable, no? Her eyes and tail move back and forth, and she has giant eyelashes. And pearls! She’s a fancy lady clock. She used to hang in my office, but now she’s in my bathroom, along with a few other vintage-looking cat decorations. She’s positioned directly above the toilet, so everyone who relieves themselves in my home gets a visit with her. The menfolk can even time their urine stream while they’re “going.” I can’t tell you how many times friends have walked out of my bathroom with a comment about my clock. As long as she doesn’t distract them into not washing their hands.
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