Portrait of a Cat Named Winston

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KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA
KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

Of course, he wasn’t always called Winston.  When this black and white feral kitten first appeared on Green Hill Farm in the early 1990s, he was just another no-name, country kitty looking for food and shelter.  You see, in the country, we don’t buy or go get a cat; it just shows up.  First, it takes up residence in one of the barns or sheds–a safe place with an occasional mouse treat. Next, you may catch a glimpse of it under a bush or behind some flowers.  As it gets more comfortable, it begins sunning itself on the front porch and leaving dead rabbits at your door.  Before you know it, the cat has had its mail forwarded to your address and now considers itself a full member of the family.  At least, that seems to be the story with this congenial cat Grandma and Grandaddy Rieley took a liking to and adopted many years ago.  Besides supplementing kitty’s diet of mice and rabbits with cat food, my grandparents also allowed him in the house at night to watch television with them.  As I mentioned, my grandparents became very fond of kitty, and Grandaddy began referring to him as–wait for it, “Nyning-Nyning.”  I’m not even sure I’m spelling it correctly as it was more of a noise than a name.  Anyway, Nyning-Nyning was well-loved and became a permanent fixture on Green Hill Farm.  He enjoyed hunting, despite receiving two or three meals daily. And his very favorite pastime was hanging out on the front porch, sleeping on a cushion in a rocking chair Great-grandaddy Rieley built.

After Grandma Rieley passed away, Grandaddy moved in next door with my parents…and Nyning-Nyning followed.  He continued to live outside at my parents’ house until Farmguy and I moved to Green Hill Farm in 2004.  Soon after moving, we noticed Nyning-Nyning was hanging out more often with us.  He’d follow along on walks with the dogs, roll around in the dirt of our kitchen garden as we worked, and sleep on the front porch on sunny afternoons.  We knew he was here to stay, when he began leaving dead rodents as well as their various parts outside our kitchen door; we found a rabbit’s eyeball one morning–yuck!

Not knowing very much about this cat, I asked about his healthcare, vaccinations, and diet.  I figured I should find out when he last visited a veterinarian, what kind of cat food he ate, and if he had a real name. Nyning-Nyning had been to the vet, but not in a while; he was due for a few vaccinations.  I learned that Grandaddy was feeding kitty a brand of cat food called, Alley Cat–which was cheap a deal at 6 cans for a dollar (I remember thinking, good grief, no wonder this cat is such a good hunter.  That cat food can’t have much nutritional value.).  And, I discovered that Nyning-Nyning was just Nyning-Nyning. There was no other name.  Okay…I thought, if I’m going to take on this cat, he needs to visit a vet.  But first, he needs a name that I can easily pronounce and spell.   So, I set about coming up with a name that was a bit more mainstream, and most importantly, pronounceable.  I needed something that resembled the term of endearment my grandparents bestowed upon kitty, especially since I didn’t want to confuse him or annoy Grandaddy. Then I thought–What in the world sounds like Nyning-Nyning?  Consonant-vowel-consonsant combinations as well as words that rhymed with Nyning-Nyning swirled around in my head.  All I have to say is, I used all the phonemic training I received as a speech-language pathologist to meet this challenge. After a while, I decided, what the hell; I’m just going to call him Winston.  I’m a Churchill admirer, the name is pronounceable, and it has a similar vowel sound in it.  Plus, Winston Churchill loved cats.  So, Winston it is!

It wasn’t long until Sir Winston, The Cat had a new bill of health and was eating good quality cat food.  I’m sure he felt a little bit like nobility after his upgrade.  Winston lived with us from 2004 until around 2013. He was mainly an outside cat, except in the winter when he slept in our vestibule or covered porch.  When he became elderly, he moved in with our dogs, Sadie and Maud—often sharing the same bed with Maud. Winston’s health started declining in 2012, and Farmguy and I began feeding him a special diet of chicken, fish, or whatever he’d eat.  We also administered various medicine, which we crushed into cream cheese and smeared on his nose in order to make it more appetizing.  And, we started taking him to receive fluids at the vet every few weeks as he was dehydrated.  Winston’s food and medicine routine was now taking us 40-45 minutes twice daily, and that’s not even counting the other animals’ care.  At this point, Farmguy and I were struggling to adequately care for Winston and get out of the house on time for work. Winston was frail and needed more intensive care than we could provide.  We were faced with saying good-bye to him or finding another solution.  I have to stop here and say something.  Not only did we love Winston, but I also remembered how much my grandparents had loved him (Grandaddy Rieley passed away in 2006). Understandably, we felt motivated to find another solution.  Although Winston didn’t appear to have much time left, he wasn’t quite ready to go, yet.

Since Mom is retired and lives next door, I asked if she would mind helping with Winston.  I truly believed that he only had a few months left…maybe.  Mom thought about it and agreed.  That was about 3 years ago. I give Mom full credit for Winston’s Lazurus-like comeback.  She is the best nurse to this lucky kitty.  If Winston is finicky, Mom’s determined to find something he’ll eat:  hamburger, chicken, turkey—you name it.  I’ve called to check on Winston to see how he’s doing, and Mom says, “He’s fine; I’m scrambling Winston an egg, or I’m making Winston a salmon cake.”  Winston cuddles on Mom or Dad’s lap everyday and is quite content.  As I’ve said, I didn’t expect Winston to last this long.  People often ask, “How old is that cat?” We’re not really sure, but he has to be close to 30-years-old.  We joke that Winston is going to out-live everybody on Green Hill Farm.

Unfortunately, Winston hasn’t been well lately. A couple of weeks ago, Mom asked if I’d paint a picture of him as a memento. I wanted to say–yes, of course!  But, I really didn’t know if I could paint a cat, especially since I’ve only painted landscapes and a crazy, abstract rooster so far.  Recently, my art class was cancelled because the teacher was sick, and I didn’t have any painting assignments.  So, I endeavored to paint a portrait of Winston as a Mother’s Day gift.  My painting is a likeness of Winston as it’s actually based on an oil painting that Farmguy gave me as a gift last year, because the cat in the painting looked so similar to Winston.  I thought it would be a good exercise to paint something more challenging, and if it resembled Winston when I was finished, then I’d give it to Mom.  The painting was quite a challenge, especially since I’m still learning.  Nevertheless, I’m happy I decided to try as it turned out well enough to give as a gift.

One day when Mom was visiting, she accidentally saw the painting…and loved it. When I shared that it was her Mother’s Day gift, she started to cry, saying how much it meant to have a painting of dear Winston; But, above all, that I’d painted it for her. I said it was a small gesture compared to what she’d done for Winston over the last few years, and I was so thrilled that she liked it.

Here’s the thing:  All is well that ends well as the saying goes. I wasn’t sure if I could paint a cat, but now I know I can.  Mom is happy to have a painting of our beloved Winston.  And, a country cat who went around for half of his life eating Alley Cat cat food and answering to Nyning-Nyning now has his own portrait titled, Sir Winston–Beloved Cat of Green Hill Farm.

 

 

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61 Comments »

  3. What a lovely post, Tonya!! And here is yet another coincidence we share! As I think I mentioned a long time ago, my first pet as a child was our dear dog named, “Maud”. When I was in my 20’s, my golden retriever was named, “Winston”! ❤ ❤ Cher xo

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  6. Lovely story and portrait. Since we moved to the country, we have become a favourite hang-out for feral cats, all of whom we’ve taken to the vets and some even managed to give away. They tend to be very smart cats, and appreciative of what farmhouses have to offer. Our current cat who has been with us for four years is a big clutzy, cuddly fellow with his own house and heating pad in the winter. I struggle with whether to make him an indoor cat, and as he ages we no doubt will. Your Winston seems to have the same sort of power over humans!

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    • Thank you, Hilda. I agree that country cats are smart with lots of personality. It’s so great that you’ve taken care of the ones who have found their way onto your farm.
      I understand your dilemma with your current cat, but you’ll know when the time is right to make him an indoor kitty. The thing is–he may miss being outdoors. Maybe you can start with just bringing him in at night. Best wishes!

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  7. Winston is a fortunate cat to have had a family that has provided such tender loving care, and your portrait of him is wonderful. It’s so beautifully executed that it’s hard to believe it’s one of your first paintings. I see many more lovely works of art coming our way, and, personally, I am looking forward to each and every one. Paint on, Girlfriend!

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    • Donna, a heartfelt thank you for your kind and generous comments. Those lovely comments mean SO much coming from you. 💗
      Many thanks for your feedback on this painting. And, I’m looking forward to painting together soon! 🙂

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  15. That was a fantastic post. It’s nice to read one of your stories again 🙂
    You can indeed paint a cat, and weave a tale! He’s such a handsome fella with an interesting face.
    I’ve adopted at least two ‘barn cats’ in my life. Some of them, you just dunno where they come from. But the thing I’ve found about barn cats, is that they never stop hunting and they don’t want to live a life completely indoors.They have that taste, that drive, ya know? It can be dangerous for a natural barn cat in the city, but ah, the country life, eh?
    While I’m sorry to read of his health issues, my, he has lived a long life!

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    • Thanks so much, Joey. I really appreciate your kind comment. 🙂 💛
      I agree with you about barn cats and hunting. I guess a good balance is allowing them to be outside during the day and bringing them inside at night (we have coyotes in our area).
      Winston has definitely had a long life as well as a good life. I feel happy about that. 🙂

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  16. Wow!! That’s a great painting Tonya 🙂
    I love this post about Winston the resilient cat. It might sounds silly but I see a great children’s story book about Winston… you could do the illustrations and everything!!

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  18. What a wonderful story. Winston (Nyning-Nyning) is a fantastic feline indeed and a worthy namesake to one of the greatest human beings that ever lived. I have friends who farm in France who have an entire wing of their ‘Longere’ farmhouse dedicated to cats. They throw down straw and feed them with meat and meal from the farm and in return the rodent population at Le Cherblanc is nil. I asked Christine once how many she thought they had and she replied – I don’t think, I know we have 38. That was about 4 years ago …. heaven knows how many there are now!

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    • Thank you so much, Osyth. I agree with you about Winston Churchill being one of the greatest human beings who ever lived. A truly amazing man in many ways.
      Your friends in France are very kind to care for that many cats. My good friend’s sister is an animal lover as well. She lives in Malta and travels around every day in her area and feeds stray cats and kittens. It’s wonderful that there are people who are willing to reach out and help these helpless animals. 🙂

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  20. What a lovely story! 🙂 It had every emotion mixed in it. From the jocularity of it getting named as Nying Nying to the worry of its health in later years, then your interesting brainstorming to find it’s alternate name(haha, easy to pronounce and easy to spell!!) and then the part of you paying tribute to your mother by painting a lovely sketch of Winston!So nice! And what a pleasant cat Winston is, which made itself at home and made friends with everyone! And we all who read this story are surely admiring it for everything it has brought in the Green Farm Hill! Thank you for sharing this,Tonya!It’s a delightful post! 🙂

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  21. I knew he was trying to “win you over” by sharing his dead catches. The painting was really pretty. I have only drawn one cat and a few dogs. Thanks for the cool cat story!

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  22. Wow, Tonya, This is a beautiful painting, I told you, you have a talent! I love Sir Winston’s story of his rise to nobility from such humble beginnings. It is wonderful that all of your family are such kind and loving people, truly heartwarming.

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  23. Pingback: Free-for-all Friday - Edwina's Episodes

    • Thank you for your lovely and thoughtful comment. I think it’s wonderful that your cats are named Winston and Churchill. I have a British shorthair kitty called Churchill as well. We adopted him about a year ago.
      Welcome to Green Hill Farm. 😊

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  26. What a lovely post and what wonderful photography. We had to stop by because of the title of your blog. Our blog, “Gilmours Nice Place” is a blog which philosophises about life between an englishman (myself) and my two speaking cats, Mr Midnight and Sir Winston. Sir Winston went barmy when he say his name on anothers blog site. Keep up the good work and very best wishes from the magical Black Forest.

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  27. I just happened up on this story and post!! It brought tears to my eyes. You told it so well !! We just took in a kitten that was a baby to a barn cat and named him Winston!! He also is black and white. Do you still paint?? Just curious. I’m sure a lot has happened in the,past few years. Its funny too that I had been telling the owner of the farm where we got Winston that the cats there really deserved a better food than the pet pride equivalent to Alley Cat!!!!

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