Pictures and stories of my cats which are my "Inspiration Fairies", and the paintings they have inspired...
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"Havuç" ( Carrot ) The son of Shiva, and the sibling of 'Süt' and 'Sahlep'. Just like rest of his siblings, he inherited his shyness from his rowdy tabby father. However he inherited his mother's friendliness as well, so now he is a conflicted cat : Shall I approach, rub, receive love, no no, run, step away, miaw, stop, come back, get closer again...
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"Sufi". The plump of our house. Garfield is nothing next to him. Until this day, not even a single person who met Sufi did not love him. As a matter of fact, none of my cats were wanted this much for adoption. The friendliest, the bravest and the fattest. He is 13 kilos and our efforts to put him on a diet has been futile so far. There are 15 food containers all lined up and only one of them contains diet food which of course he refuses to eat from.
I don't know about his infant days, wheres and hows.We came across for the first time in the garden of the complex I used to live in Etiler. It was a a pure white day and everywhere were covered with snow. He was a strongly built cat fella. I guess he was a 1 year old. He came closer, murmuring things to me. I showed some love and brought him food from the house but that was not his concern. He turned his back to the food and jumped on my lap. The population in the house was over the limit besides it was almost impossible for the gang to accept a cat that is not an infant. Blood would be shed. So, I built a shelter for him made from lemon boxes wrapped up with nylon. I placed pillows inside. But, he did not get in. Instead he chose to look at me with sad eyes across the window while snow falling on him. This is a view I can never cope with. Cats outside looking across the window, longing to be inside... That's why in my paintings cats always look from inside to outside. Even though there were an army of cats in with angry eyes, threatening him, Sufi insisted to wait by the window. A huge cat, completely stranger to me, but I decided to give it a try. I placed a Voyager by the window, despite the army of growling, hissing cats at both sides, Sufi without hesitation entered into the small box of a woman he knew nothing about and that was his home coming ceromony.
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"Yoda". One night in August ( 2006 ); before I saw him, first I heard his voice, A kitten's familiar scream calling for help was coming from the back street. Nothing can stop me in such sitituations. I rushed out into the street and started to follow the voice. I've moved to Emirgan recently and I dont feel as confortable as I was in Etiler because I realised in horror that the street dogs here are not friendly at all, especially to cats. Contrary to my dreams, I was coming across to dogs more than cats in Emirgan streets... I followed the kitten's voice up to the door of a house under reconstruction. But the voice was coming through the door ! He was locked inside the building ! My hands tied, while he was crying loudly inside, outside I was too...
To wait until the morning was hard. When I arrived the bullding I asked one of the workers. ' a kitten rushed out when we stepped in ' I was relieved, he was alive.
It was nightfall, streets were deserted, this time his voice was coming from the side street. I followed the voice and this time time around outcome would not disapooint... It was not the first time I was chasing a cat in the streets looking like a car burglar and attracting weird glances from residents of neighbourhood. This kitten was so stubborn that nor food, neither sweet words convencied him to get out of the car engine where he was hiding. Shortly, it was almost midnight when I was able to catch him. He was appr. 1,5 month old, dirty blonde with huge flapped ears, tiny face, a skinny baby.
I kept holding him in my palm while he continued to scream and his huge yellow eyes wide open with fear was staring at me... In his early days, he stayed in a separate room where he would be safe.
He got cleaned, ate his food, started sleeping in his box on the pillow, purring happily.
Oh God, what a naughty, hyper cat he was. I had never seen one like this. I used to think Benek was naughty. This brat when he grew a little spotted Benek for play and started chasing him. Poor Benek, he is in front, Yoda right behind keep circling in the house... Yoda has turned into a buxom , fluffy and a little less naughty lap cat...
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"Basti". His name is derieved from cane. He had a surgery and had his hindleg removed. While running, he used to ricochet on his one leg as if he was holding a cane. He used to get along really well with Yastık and Benek, cuddling them up all the time.
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go on with the cats