Bookstore Cat — L. Marie Watercolors

Good morning, friends. I’m delighted to be bringing a blog to you once again. Life has had its challenges lately, and this has prevented me from being able to be here with you. Thanks so much for your interest in this blog. I have a lot of fun sharing my patch of sunlight, and I hope it brings a smile to your day.

“Books. Cats. Life is good.”

— T.S. Eliot

Books have always been a part of my life. I have loved to read as long as I can remember. For my major in college, I chose to read.

Cats, however, have come more slowly into my life. I grew up with dogs. My father loved cats. I only wish that he had lived long enough for me to become acquainted with his cats.

With my children came cats. Our first kitty was brought into my life by my sister-in-law, Bonnie. She gave me a call one day and told me that she had acquired a couple of kitties and did I want one. That’s how Kittykins came into our life.

From then on cats became a part of our family life. We had Raspberry, a beautiful white kitty, who disappeared in the woods.

Next came History and Copper. They came to us from the dollar store. History decided he liked to live over at the workshop in our woods and chose to live a solitary life, only coming out when visitors came to the shop. Copper was a beautiful yellow tabby who stayed with us until he died. He brought much joy to our lives.

After Copper passed away, we went searching for a new kitty to join us. The kids had become quite insistent that we needed a kitty NOW. We ended up responding to an ad in the paper. And when we visited to meet the kitty, we met Surley. Surley had lived a life on the streets and was so ugly that we took him home out of sheer pity. Precious Surley did his best to grace our lives, and we all learned that love has nothing to do with looks.

After Surley we went for a while without a kitty. My dear friend Kris decided we needed one once again in our lives and quite happily arranged to take me to the pound. There I fell in love with Sydney. He was a gorgeous black-and-white kitty who met a tragic end, but left us all with many happy memories of kitty love.

Our present kitty is Victor Hugo. We call him Hugo. He has won all of our hearts, and we cherish him more than we would like to admit. He is just as happy in a tree or on the roof as he is snoozing by the fireside.

But today I want to talk to you about another very special cat. This cat is a bookstore cat by the name of:

Catsby is a bookstore cat who lives at the Gallery Bookshop in Mendocino, California. Here’s what the people at the bookshop have to say about Catsby:

“The Great Catsby joined Gallery Bookshop in the fall of 2012. He was seen wandering on the streets of a neighboring town, darting in and out of businesses. One day, he found a car with an open window and hitchhiked (without the driver's knowledge) to the village of Mendocino. There, he was picked up by a friend of the bookshop and offered the job of bookstore cat. His duties include sleeping atop card racks, greeting dogs with a glare and a flick of his tail, and occasionally allowing customers to scratch him behind the ears. He can usually be found sitting in the window, warming himself in a patch of sunlight.”

https://www.gallerybookshop.com/great-catsbys-story

You can learn more about Catsby and see some great photos of him on their website.

The Gallery Bookshop is, for me, one of the greatest highlights of Mendocino. It’s true that I love most things about Mendocino and feel incredibly lucky to live so near this darling village. But once you get past the gorgeous views, sandy coves, log-strewn beaches and Victorian architecture, there is the bookshop.

I hope the Gallery Bookshop stays open for my forever. It is such a treat to stop in its sunny windows, sit on the benches and soak in the sea. It is always there for me. Even on a rainy day, it is a haven. The umbrella gets set aside, and I step into warmth and the embrace of literature, the eternal escape

It is here that I met The Great Catsby. Can you find him in the photo above? Yep, there he is, snuggled in the window benches. That’s usually where I find him.

But Catsby does get out and about. One day I was there and he was outside on the sidewalk. I was quite alarmed. Quickly I spoke to the lady at the counter: “Your cat is outside!” She just laughed and told me he was quite fine and that he knew his way back inside. No worries. Silly me.

Don’t know why I worried, except I don’t want the bookshop to lose their kitty. Catsby is part and parcel of the experience. He brings joy and depth to the bookshop.

I know that I am not alone in this sentiment. There are mugs with the cat logo, a clock with a cat on it, bags, t-shirts featuring Catsby. He is a local legend. We all love Catsby. Is it a wonder, then, that I had to paint him?

I had so much fun painting the cat snuggled down for a siesta in the sun. Do you think he realizes his fame or fortune. Does he know how much he’s loved or the joy he brings to the passerby?