Daily Sketch: Naptime
Emeraude gently curls herself for a nap in her fleece bed, accompanied by her favorite catnip toy, the one she chose the first day she was here.
I’m so accustomed to seeing her up on her windowsill every day, even the days the window has been closed. And she’s quite demanding, calling to me from the bathroom whenever she wants something, even just a few pets. The night before last she came into the studio when I was working, the first time she’s done that in a while. But she’s been quiet lately, her voice hushed and even giving me silent meows, and no time on the windowsill at all, sitting on the floor and waiting for her food to arrive instead of jumping up onto the sink to eat as I prepare it. She’s starting to decline and I think the renal failure may be getting the better of her. I’ve been noticing changes over the past few weeks and my veterinarian and I discussed this last week during their appointment. She’s still eating fine, I’ll be dosing her with fluids and trying a few other things to supplement her diet, and we’ll see how it goes.
This evening when I ran upstairs to use the bathroom and saw her curled on her bed, I noticed she didn’t wake up as I walked in the room; she’s pretty deaf but she’s always aware of my footsteps, especially when I run up the stairs. I got my camera ready to photograph her in her bed and she did wake up as I stepped over her, photographed her, petted her, she put her head back down, and standing there puzzling over what she’d been like a few days ago and what she was like now, I decided I would sketch her like this, Emeraude and her catnip toy. I stepped back over her and got my watercolor pencils and a watercolor pad and got to work, watching her breathe, watching her settle herself back into her nap. I love the silhouette of her face and while I originally wanted to keep her black fur in the sketch I decided it might be too severe. So here she is, purple and brown and blue. She doesn’t mind, she’s a nice kitty.
Click here to see other daily sketches.
For a gallery of the ones available for sale, visit my Etsy shop in the “Cat Art and Prints” section.
Read about the reason for the daily sketches in One Year of Daily Sketches.
And download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for computer or mobile, usually based on a daily sketch.
Browse some rescued cats and kittens!
Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.
All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.
Pingback: The Creative Cat - Using Acupuncture for Emeraude
Pingback: The Creative Cat - Daily Photo: Bath En Plein Air
She has had such a good life with you!
Maybe purple seemed the colour for her.. as she’s approaching spiritual contentment within.. her within n the Great Spirit without in increasing harmony and communion.
As you know, Bernadette, I’ve mostly only fostered Oldies these last five-six years, who’ve each stayed with me to their end.
Of those, minimum age 15 yrs, many have had kidney failure and have gotten a new lease of Good Life, and I truly believe, an extended Life, from Fortikor (Benazepril).. did your vet mention them to you at all?? Just a thought.
Considering that 75% of the kidney tissue is lost by the time signs of kidney failure begin to show, your vet might have decided that it was best to just give Emeraulde paliative care.. until her last, necessary visit. Thinking of You, Both, All xxx
Annie, thanks for your thoughts. Most of my kitties have reached this age, and most have developed some level of renal failure by the time they got here. I’m so accustomed to all the possibilities for treatment and palliative care, that’s why I took these two in. Lakota held it off but when it reached the tipping point he went very fast, and I see Emeraude about the same. They were both in pretty serious condition when they came here, it’s a wonder either made it as long as they did.