Petoux—how do you say it, and what is it? Long ago my aunt used to refer to me as a “little thing” in French. Best I can guess is that she was saying “petite chose”, which my little child-brain figured was “pee-too”. Anyway, I never asked for clarification and I guessed at the spelling when making my online gaming handle way back in the day. It’s been my nickname on and off for all my life.

But isn’t Petoux also a cat? Yes!

No one was calling me Petoux that much in 2006 when I decided to get a little calico kitten, so that’s what I named her. Petoux was an amazing, big, friendly girl. Anyone who’s met her even once agrees that she was unforgettable. Sadly, my Petoux passed away suddenly in 2017.

It hurt a lot to lose her. It also left those who know me as “Petoux” in an awkward place.

I decided a few things… I’d reclaim the name for myself, and I would share her beauty with everyone through art. The profits from the sale of items featuring Petoux’s likeness will benefit the Lowell Humane Society in her memory.

From Both of Us - Thank You.