Natasha Fadeeva makes beautifully delicate and evocative stuffed animals including cats. I prefer the phrase “plush toy” to “stuffed animal”. Sorry. Natasha knits mohair to make the animal. Mohair comes from the Angora goat.
Here are three examples of her work. Here is her website. Natasha takes fine photographs too. They are closely matched in mood and lighting to the style of the animals she makes by hand.
The center photo is of a sad cat. Natasha seems to be aware that there are lots of sad street cats. I think these stuffed mohair cats make excellent Christmas presents for cat lovers. They cost around $150 each. I would expect that she ships them internationally.
Wow! I didn’t know what to expect when I first started reading but I was astounded when I saw them, they are a work of art. Ruth feels that bigger eyes wider apart would make them more realistic but the fact that they havent sets them apart I don’t think she makes them to look realistic, they are made to be something a bit different certainly not your run of the mill plush toy.
I love the mum and babies 🙂
I think you are right Leah. I think they are meant to look a bit “other world”, not real and to create a “feeling” rather than be a realistic representation. I likes them because they do create a feeling for me.
Me too Michael but a feeling that I really can’t put my finger on
Me too, but I sense a sadness actually. This may come from the creator’s feelings about cats that abandoned, stray, feral and abused etc. There is a message there. Far too many cats don’t have the lives they should have.
I don’t dislike them, they are a work of art, but I wouldn’t want one, it’s hard to explain how I feel about toys or ornaments staring with ‘dead eyes’
Someone once sent me a furry cat as a present and I thought it was beautiful until I discovered that those cats are made abroad with the skin and fur of real cats. I felt sick that people were buying into this cruelty.
I’m sure all cat lovers can imagine how I felt and why I don’t like anything looking even remotely like a real animal.
I know what you mean Ruth making a cute animal from a real animal is somehow sick. Its like a trick somehow I can’t really explain a bit like a slap for being an animal lover. These things should have a label on with what they are made out of like most other things.
Beautiful. I prefer stuffed animal.
That is just lovely. I would love to have one- maybe one day our kitties will send me one- for my next birthday purrhaps.
I love the expression on her face- to me it doesn’t look sad- it’s just very intense emotionally. Thanks for sharing that with us.
She is clearly an artist. I love every expression. So nice to know about these. Thanks Michael.
I am pleased you like them DW. She is an artist. The quality of the photos also indicate that. I think her mohair cats make a nice present for a cat lover. An expensive one but very nice.
Did you see the little foxes on her website? You could finally have one Michael, sitting on your chair.
I like the mum and babies the best. They seem a little more realistic.
I don’t like fur, but I know that the goats are sheared and not killed.
That makes it OK with me.
Good point Dee. I checked that and thought this was OK.
Wow they are really nice and gentle. So soft to touch I’ll bet. They are really very nice aren’t they. I would totally get one of those. I can’ imagine being made of actual mohair that cat’s would really love to play with them and possible even tear them apart. But I also have a shelf or two I could put one on in my cabinet 🙂
I’d like to find somebody to make a portrait of Red for me. I never really thought about more than a painting or drawing or some kind of 2D thing – but can you imagine one of these mohair cats – unless your cat has specific identifying features then it must be very difficult to make a true likeness – at least out of mohair – it would have to have some kind of more sculptable base, like clay for example.
Anyway these are really nice.
I miss my cats – second day without them. It’s nice to see the other cats here though 🙂
Perhaps bigger glass eyes would make them more realistic – but that’s just me – I don’t think she is going for realistic per se.
Yes they are lovely but I agree bigger eyes and wider apart would make them more realistic.
I was so relieved when I got to the ‘she knitted them’ part as I hate those that are made from real fur from skinned cats.
I liked these because the maker understands cats. You miss your cats? We miss you 😉 Well, you must have made your destination. Have a nice time.
I think it would be difficult to make a good likeness out of mohair plush toy but… she may be able to capture the feeling and emotion of the relationship. That is worth thinking about.