As a LEO, I am fond of cats reflexively. (I also love dogs and have one, Benji.) Alas, I remain unaware of any non-shedding cat breeds. Therefore, my appreciation for cats remains at a distance, for now. The cast iron cat doorstop, shown above, was made by Hubley (in Lancaster, PA) in the Teens or Twenties. It leaves no scattered fur, it scratches no upholstered furniture, it requires no litter box. It is, though, beautifully sculpted—the artist capturing the arched-back energy of a stretching cat (which appears to be smiling—or, perhaps, scowling). Click on the photo above to learn more about him.
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In the last year, we have "adopted" a stray cat who has been coming around—several times a day (coincidently, starting about the time we began to feed him). Or, perhaps, he has adopted us. We have named him Tatsu, after our good friend in Japan. He is very skittish around us—though he gets closest to us when we are walking Benji (also a cat lover). He will wait outside our kitchen door, perhaps 10 feet away, and will run 30 feet further when we come out to fill his dish. I've been told that his "tipped" ear indicates that he had been captured previously and neutered. His feline beauty adds much enjoyment to our days.
I built him a little house (from a mail-order kit) and Bob has seen him emerging from within. Usually, I only see him reclining in the sun, laying against the door—never inside.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248