New from Artyarns and Yarnmarket! Introducing a pussycat who made a magnificent impression...Monsieur Monet!

Isn't this the most beautiful puss? Look at those gorgeous colors! We could hardly wait to see what Iris Schreier would do with the lovely Monet...and she created a masterpiece in merino!

Monet's owner, Diana, first met her when she was an hour old because her friend owned the pussycat who'd given birth to what started out as an "ugly kitten who grew into a very beautiful cat."

Monet joined the household where there was already a dog. Initially, she was wary of the Airedale Terrier, Libby, but she grew to love her and later adored the newer additions, Blue and Annie. She would often greet them with trills and walk between their legs jumping up to scent them with the side of her face. This is one cat who not only liked dogs, but marked them as her territory!

As many cats do as they get older, Monet suffered kidney failture and developed arthritis. I went through kidney failure with both Hannibal and Kim so I know how difficult it is for everyone.

Fortunately, Monet really enjoyed the last seven months of her life at a new home Diana moved into. She spent a lot of time in the garden, snoozing in the sunshine, catching mice and chasing birds and squirrels.

Eventually she stopped eating and a very difficult decision had to be made. This is always a devastating blow to the people who love their pussycats so much. But eventually you know what you have to do...and, sadly, you alleviate your pussycat's suffering.

Diana told us that Spooky was a very loving cat who'd fuss around her humans, lick their hands and eventually dribble when she got too excited. But she wouldn't tolerate anything that constituted "fiddling" including flea spray, the giving of tablets or any other unwelcome attention. So she had to smile when her cat managed to bite the vet as she inserted the 'lethal injection' despite having being given a sedative beforehand.

Monet, we hope you're in Pussycat Heaven now, with Kim and Hannibal and Rajah...and that you're all chasing butterflies when you aren't dining on tuna fish or snoozing in the warmth of the sunshine.

Monet's Fabulous Feline yarn has her beautiful rich browns and orange, plus the riot of turquoise you see in her eyes.