Those who know me know that I have a slight obsession with black cats. Ok, maybe more than a slight obsession. I have a deep passion for the mini panthers. So, when I first ran across this cute illustrated black cat wearing a bright yellow sweater (or jumper if you are English) named Nigel, my heart melted. Literally melted. Who wouldn’t love a black cat in a sweater with his sweet little face? Then I met the creator of Nigel and completely understood why Nigel is so special. His creator, Leeza Hernandez from Leezaworks, is a pretty special lady herself.

Leeza Hernandez is an absolute joy to connect with. We chatted like we were life-long friends and then proceeded to bond over our love for not only cats, but Nigel in particular. Of course, I needed to know just how Nigel came to be. What was the inspiration behind this precious cat with huge innocent eyes? According to Leeza, Nigel is almost an alter-ego of a beloved cat she had named Hamish when she still lived in the UK. Hamish was a big, fluffy black cat who was bold and brazen and always seemed to get himself into huge predicaments and then look at Leeza with his big round eyes as if to say “what?”.

Nigel is not as bold and brazen as Hamish. He is sweet and timid. But he still finds himself in the same kind of predicaments that his counterpart did, so he still gets to use those big innocent eyes on you, and it works. You can find Nigel in a lot of Leeza’s artwork. She is an amazing artist, and you can see the passion she has for cats come to life in her art. As a cat parent, the settings of a lot of her pieces resonates with me. Cats in the sink. Cats in a turned over potted plant. Cats in the laundry. All scenarios that I have found my cats, who seem to channel Nigel and his “What?” look perfectly. And that is one of the reasons Leeza’s art is so amazing. It is not only cute and stylish, but relatable.

Sadly, Hamish crossed the Rainbow Bridge. But his spirit lives on in Nigel. Currently, Leeza has 4 cat companions. Jaspurr, a 7-year-old, one eared grey tabby. Princess Pippa, a 6-year-old Ragdoll rescue. Cole Jr, a black cat rescued by Chris from Cole & Marmalade and named in honor of Cole, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Last but not least, Chippy, a grey tabby kitten who keeps everyone on their toes. I am sure they all give Leeza inspiration for her artwork and illustrations.

Leeza knows the importance of giving back. From the beginning, she has given a portion of her proceeds to rescue organizations, starting with Catsbury Park. Leeza participated in a few of Catsbury Park Cat Conventions and was hooked. She had found her place amongst the cat community and loved it. As her business grew, Leeza knew that she wanted to continue to give back. Becoming a Mission Meow Business Partner has allowed her to make a huge impact in the cat community and become a part of something bigger than she could ever do on her own.