Cat lovers are suckers. Really. Not only do we put up with all kinds of kitty nonsense, like the recent demolition of my cherry-red teapot – knocked off the counter by Panther chasing Skyler – but we happily fill up every nook and cranny of our homes with collections of pretty much anything and everything that has a cat motif.
As I pointed out in my recent piece Here Kit-tea Kit-tea, many cat lovers are also tea lovers. So the cat things we collect often take the form of tea ware and accessories. Having loved cats and tea for a very long time, I have a good-sized collection of these (a few are shown here).
Now, it’s not just me going nuts and buying these things, although I do admit to the occasional nutty buying spree. When friends and family shop for me, they’re always looking for stuff with cats, or with tea, or preferably with both. That’s how I ended up with my lovely Cardew cat teapot and creamer/pitcher. And with a passel of cozies, tea wallets, and table linens embellished with kitties in one form or another.
The quest for cat-tish tea things (or tea-ish cat things) apparently puts quite a bit of strain on folks who want to give me gifts. I know they’re driving themselves crazy just to please me, and I feel rather badly about it. Not badly enough, however, to ask them to stop …
Recently I received a tea-for-one set from a family member who apologized that the decoration was floral rather than feline. Never mind that it is absolutely beautiful – one of the prettiest teapots I now own. I like flowers … and many other motifs. So I’m very happy with my new teapot and other non-cat tea things. But yes, I’m happier when they have cats on them.
If cats and tea is your passion too, allow me to pass along a few suggestions for places where I’ve found some of my treasures. Everyone’s favourite online handicraft shop, Etsy, showcases an ever-changing assortment of handmade and vintage cat-tea ware. Zazzle has some clever apparel, posters, and other items, individually designed tho’ not handmade. In the analogue (read: off-line) world look for catty tea ware in tea rooms, gift shops, antiques shops, crafts shops, and crafts fairs. And do check out fund-raising shops and holiday sales run by pet rescue and shelter groups, either locally or online; one such is The Animal Rescue Site, but there are many more. Buying from these sources not only beautifies your cat-tea collection, but also helps real cats (and dogs) in need. And that’s really beautiful.
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