From the Melville Cat: I'm a Work of Art

From the Melville Cat:

Heather enjoys animal-inspired art. She has a beaded giraffe, for example, as well as a clay porcupine.

But until recently she did not have any art inspired by the most important animal in her life: me.

I’ve been dropping hints about this omission for years – by sleeping on Heather’s art books and refusing to admire the beaded giraffe despite multiple prompts.

Apparently my hints finally worked. Last week Heather came home with this:

I didn’t think much of my beaded likeness at first. After all these years of waiting, I suppose I’d lost interest in the idea. Also his front legs are a bit short.

But then I took a closer look at Melville Cat Deux and realized his resemblance to me is quite remarkable.

A man named Shepherd made Melville Cat Deux. Shepherd makes a living creating beaded animals on Melville’s 7th Street. He has sold Heather several beaded animals in the past.

Shepherd with Melville Cat Deux.

Shepherd has been making beaded animals in Melville for many years – longer than Heather can remember – but he has never made a cat before. Heather also says she has never seen another beaded cat, despite meeting many bead artists over the years.

It’s possible Melville Cat Deux is the first-ever beaded house cat in Johannesburg.

Shepherd told Heather he is going to make more beaded cats from now on. If you would like to commission a feline likeness of your own, find Shepherd at the corner of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue in Melville. He is also reachable on WhatsApp at +27-73-179-1351.