Woman Dreaming of Being a Cat

Woman Dreaming of Being a Cat; originally uploaded by Hope

Cat's name: Henry

Human's name: Hope

Length of cohabitation: 7 years

How you came to live with each other: Henry lived downstairs from me with a single mom and her 3 young sons. He would come and want to hang out, which made me very happy and at the time I had no idea who he belonged to because he had no collar or tags. He often stayed over and I started feeding and caring for him and decided to call him Henry after an old friend of mine from Chicago. I later found out that his given name was "Easter" and he lived downstairs but I think all the children were too much for him. A year later, the family was going to be moving to a larger home and the mom came upstairs to speak with me. Henry hid behind the stove because he did not want to go. She explained to her sons that “Easter” would be happier staying with me, as he was now 11 years old and it would be too difficult for him to move to a new location. I was never so happy! We were together until he died at the age of 18. He was very human like and sensitive and always well behaved and kind . . .

Favorite shared activity: We liked just sitting together, he upon my lap, and taking in the beauty of peace and quiet. Our other beloved activity was when I had a photo session, wherein, he always loved to take a pose with whomever were the subjects…….he was such a delight in every way!

Tell us about this photo: This was during a photo session I did of a client……he took right to her and the energy of the moment and became a reflection of the woman…… in both spirit and form . The memory of his ability to become a part of the process still leaves me speechless.

What you love most about your cat (or cats in general): I love their beauty of expression, spirit, their gentleness, awareness, and grace. I truly love everything about them and learn more each day , as it is my great fortune to live with them and have quality time in their amazing presence.

How or why you incorporate cats in your photography: Because of all their special qualities and the list is endless!

Favorite animal charity: Most all of them