Today I had to say goodbye again to another best friend, Charcoal .

3 years ago a very special, wild and free spirit walked into my life . A beautiful big black fluffy cat, I later named Charcoal. He just turned up out of nowhere and walked into my studio. I was still feeling pretty down after losing my other mate, Rebel a few months earlier and didn’t want another cat but, he was just so determined, he wasn’t going to allow me to ignore him.

I tried for 6 weeks to find his owners but in the end I couldn’t deny the connection between us. We just clicked and then, inseparable. He was so frightened at first and looking back now, I think he may have been a feral cat, or had fled from the big bushfires we had that year.

He had never been inside a house before and freaked out so much, I made him a little bed under the studio. He stayed there the first month. Slowly I coaxed him inside the house. By 6 months he allowed me to rest my hand on him when he sat next to me. Eventually, he let me pat, then cuddle him.

Charcoal gave me so much love and was a funny cat with strange ways. He would always take the lead when I walked with him and he would sleep on my knee with his head pointing up to the sky.

He was also a free spirit, very much like me, and full of curiosity. Once my brave boy even chased away a snake that was near me. During the day he would be in the studio with me or just around outside.

Every morning, just like Rebel, he would bug me to go and open the studio. He would even brush by me several times and bite my knee,until I opened the studio for him. A little brat cat:) As soon as he heard the rattle of the keys he would come running over. He slept with me on a special leopard blanket and would take up most of the room,laying on his back like dog with all his 4 legs up in the air.

Today, I celebrate and thank you my dear friend, for the short magical time we spent together though, way too short. I’m lost today without you and you will be forever in my heart, my Bubby Charcoal
Love you so much…