My name is Louis and I am a feral cat.

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Photo of Louis the Feral Tom Cat by Janice Boling

I live in a managed feral cat colony and am considered a handsome boy by all.

Today we are honoring Louis Wain, the painter of cats. Since I am named after him and also look like one of his cats, I am going to share some of his fantastic art work with you. Enjoy!

Drawing of a cat by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

Celebrating Louis Wain and his cats

Hello, my name is Louis. I am one of the few Toms that live at the Feral Cat Colony full time. The place is overrun with females, but that's OK with me. Males want to wrestle and fight, but I am the peaceful type. I would rather attend an afternoon tea with the ladies than hang out with all those energetic men.

I am named after the artist Louis Wain. Are you familiar with his work? Wain's paintings and drawings of cats have been admired for over a hundred years.

Wain started out by drawing his sister's cat. He went on to illustrate everything from children's books to greeting cards. All the drawings and paintings on this page are by Louis Wain. This is my way of honoring him.

Cat playing musical instruments by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

Wain's cats wear clothes, dance, have picnics, throw parties, ride bicycles, and sing. They can read, they smoke, and they love fancy dinners.

This is not a story about Louis Wain though. This tale is about me and my friend's wedding!

If you want to know more about Mr. Wain, you can use Google to find lots of websites on that subject. There is also a 2021 movie about Wain's life called the Electrical Life of Louis Wain starring Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch. Watch it if you get the chance!

Drawing of cats having tea and playing games by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

This could easily be a sketch of our feral cat colony. The lady cats are having tea while the males play games. Trees provide a good place for the kittens to watch everything that is going on. Do you see that dog crashing their party? I bet there is fixing to be a lot of excitement.

Cats dancing to live music by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

Yes, cats can dance. Cats love to dress up and have a night out on the town.

When cats want to go on a date or celebrate, we head to Catville. Catville is the place to go for fine dining and exciting entertainment. Mr. Wain captured it perfectly in the illustration above.

Catville is growing! It also has an aquarium, a bowling ally, movie theaters, skating rinks, cat-themed venues like the Cat-a-Go-Go, and other night clubs.

Do you see me dancing with that pretty young tabby in the green dress? What a great time was had by all.

Cats at a bachelor party by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

Last night we held a bachelor party for Scrapper. That's him in the middle with the martini glass and bottle of Old Tom soda pop. Scrapper is engaged to a nice cat named Snowball.

I can't write much longer, because I am best man at his wedding and it starts in two hours. Do you see me there on the far right? We sure did have a good time, but what happened at the bachelor party stays at the bachelor party!

Scrapper says we gave him a great send off into the world of matrimony. Congratulations to Scrapper and Snowball!

The bride and groom - illustration by Louis Wain

The wedding went as planned, romance was in the air, and everyone was happy for the new couple. I have never seen Scrapper smile like he did today. You can tell he is happy to be a married cat and I wish them both a long life together.

Both Scrapper and Snowball say that when the time is right, they intend to adopt. With so many kittens needing homes, why have more?

I agree! Adoption is the way to go and I know this couple will make great parents.

Singing cats by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

At the wedding, three of Snowball's sisters sang the latest hit songs. We all applauded and cheered when they were done.

After the entertainment, we had a wonderful meal and then wedding cake with ice cream. I ate enough to fill a wash tub!

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When I can't get cake and ice cream, I settle for IAMS or Meow Mix. It is pretty good when Jan mixes in a little wet food with the dry. All cats love to eat, but feral cats are not picky like indoor cats. We will gobble up dry food, canned food, and leftovers, too. We sure do like meat, but when mice are hard to find, it is good to know that a bowl of Meow Mix is waiting at the barn.

Dancing cats by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

After that great meal and big dessert, I was almost ready for a nap. Of course, when the dancing started I forgot all about sleeping. Cats like to dance almost as much as we love to hunt and eat. Do you like to dance? What kind of music do you like?

We partied on into the evening as the newly weds slipped away to Catville Motel for a short honeymoon. Another toast to Skipper and Snowball!

Colorful cat by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

I will leave you with a few short notes about Louis Wain. You might notice how his artwork evolved through the years.

Around the time that Louis Wain was diagnosed with schizophrenia, his whole style of painting began to change. Do you see the difference? His cats became electrified with bright strokes of color and bold outlines. Over a period of a few years, Wain's cats went from being cute and cuddly to wild-eyed and psychedelic.

Cat paintings by Louis Wain provided by Wiki Commons

After years of dealing with mental illness, Wain's cats became extremely vibrant. No one had ever seen art like this before. Which do you prefer? Louis Wain's early work or his later work? I think it depends on my mood!

Do you have favorite artists? Do you like to draw and paint? What do you think about Louis Wain? I think he is a great artist and I am proud to share his name!

Thanks for reading my blog,

Sincerely, Louis the Tom Cat

 

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© 2022 by Janice Boling - all rights reserved.