Cats Do Eat Spagetti: Living with Our Rescue Cats

2017 | Biography

When English artist Paul Wright and his wife moved to a new home beside Italy's Lake Como, their sleep was disturbed by the noise of a group of feral cats. Seeing the distressed condition that most were in, they decided to look after the animals' welfare. This led to them adopting a series of these and other rescue catsCats can take over people's lives. They certainly hold a very special place in the hearts of artist Paul Wright and his wife, Nicola. In 1991 they emigrated to Moltrasio, a village by Lake Como in northern Italy, but when they acquired a place of their own in the village's historic centre, their sleep was disturbed by the activities of a group of feral cats. Seeing the poor condition of these animals, Paul and Nicola began taking care of them, having them neutered to prevent any more kittens being born into such a hard life.When Paul rescues a tiny kitten that has been mauled by a dog, it becomes the first of many more strays the couple give homes to, but the intrusion of a rogue stray creates devastation when it infects some of the couple's cats with feline AIDS. But how do you name so many cats?

Paul's life-long love of soccer provides names for several, including Stevie G (after England soccer captain Steven Gerrard), and Anfield, after the home ground of Liverpool FC. Nicola, not being a soccer devotee names some - Roger, Kubanski and Pam after friends, work colleagues or neighbours, and chose Kalashnikov, the name of the Russian small arms engineer simply because she likes the sound of it!Illustrated throughout with Paul's own sketches of his cats, Cats Do Eat Spaghetti will be enjoyed by cat lovers and Italophiles alike.

Paul Wright (Author)