Three years in the past, Ojito turned a Sorensen.
Just for enjoyable, Andrew Sorensen drew Ojito — a one-eyed black cat adopted from a foster mother in Tucson — and turned him right into a cartoon warlock.
That one little drawing has since was Stickies for Kitties, a full-blown business run by husband-wife duo Andrew and Veronica Sorensen.
“We simply bought impressed by him to do extra for foster cats and cats in want,” Andrew says. “I by no means imagined doing artwork. On a whim, I made our warlock primarily based off (Ojito). I bought good reactions and it was enjoyable to make — and I simply began making extra.”
Since that first warlock drawing, Andrew has designed a whole lot of cat-themed stickers. There’s a cat that resembles Harry Potter, a cat wearing a Pikachu costume, a cat with a hockey masks just like the one horror character Jason Voorhees wears, a cat with a blue gown and blond locks like Alice in Wonderland.
“We’re complete ’90s youngsters, raised with tacky ’80s motion pictures and video video games,” Andrew says. “(The designs) are what we expect is cute or what we grew up with, or slightly skateboarder who’s dressed like how my pal is dressed.”
Sometimes clients at pop-up occasions will give concepts to the Sorensens. But Andrew says his spouse is his muse.
“Inspiration comes from all over the place,” he says. “That’s what’s actually enjoyable with it as a result of it feels limitless particularly as popular culture goes on.”
For each buy, 9% of the income are donated to Tucson’s Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter and Sanctuary. It’s what the Sorensens have dubbed the Nine Lives Initiative.
“We did not learn about Hermitage till pretty not too long ago, but it surely’s wonderful. They have totally different sections for cats in want, older cats, diabetic cats. We had been simply very impressed and so they had been very welcoming,” Andrew says. “They simply achieve this a lot.”
“Supporting cats — our native cats — is the objective,” Veronica says.
Falling in love with cats
Andrew has dabbled in artwork earlier than, however nothing professionally till Stickies for Kitties began final yr.
When the pandemic struck, he began portray miniatures associated to cats, ultimately switching over to digital artwork as a substitute.
Andrew not solely designs all of the stickers for Stickies for Kitties, however the Sorensens print and lower every one in all them at home. Andrew and Veronica each agree — their favourite sticker is the one impressed by Ojito.
When visiting a foster’s home in the hunt for a cat to make a part of their household three years in the past, the Sorensens had been about to go away the home when sleepy Ojito waltzed out of the bed room.
“All the opposite cats had been high-wired and he simply popped out,” Andrew says. “Right once I picked him up, he was simply purring.”
“He’s lacking his left eye however he is completely satisfied and mischievous and filled with power,” he says.
Four years prior, the Sorensens adopted Kitty. She was discovered within the trash the place Andrew works, solely 9 grams in weight and nonetheless had her umbilical wire connected. Kitty has a sticker impressed by her, too.
“She was a trooper. We took her to the vet and so they stated there is a good likelihood she could not survive,” Andrew says of Kitty who remains to be thriving years later. “We bottle-fed her — effectively, primarily Veronica did — however she’s a warrior.”
“I grew up with simply dogs,” Veronica says. “When Andrew introduced home our little orphan cat — he talked about, ‘I discovered slightly kitty, can I carry it home?’ — I anticipated a grown-up kitty and it ended up being this little tiny factor.”
“She screamed on the high of her lungs when she noticed Kitty,” Andrew says.
From that second on, Veronica fell in love with cats.
Unlike Veronica, Andrew did have a cat when he was rising up and was heartbroken when it died at a young age.
“After that, we by no means bought one other cat however I might at all times discover one outdoors and care for it and it might be my little dude for the day,” Andrew says.
In addition to Ojito and Kitty, the Sorensens have two senior dogs — a German Shepherd and a dachshund. Though the business is known as Stickies for Kitties, a pair dozen canine stickers have made the lower, together with two impressed by the Sorensen pups.
Although each of the Sorensens have full-time jobs elsewhere, they hope to take Stickies for Kitties even additional.
Black Crown Coffee Company, 4024 E. Speedway, was the primary store to promote the stickers — Andrew even made cat-themed designs impressed by every of the baristas. Beyond Etsy, the stickers will also be discovered at Isle of Games, 7835 E. Broadway; all areas of Amazing Discoveries; Bookmans, 6230 E. Speedway; Top Deck Towers, 3805 W. River Road; and IRL Cards, 4444 E. Grant Road.
“I might at all times go to the Fourth Avenue (road honest) and be that dude with the corn canine simply walking round. Nothing in opposition to these guys, I’m nonetheless that man,” Andrew says. “But it is so enjoyable to be on the market and be promoting. I feel we simply need this to go greater.”
“(Stickies for Kitties) appears like taking part in a sport, the place time goes by fast. Before I do know it, it is 10 o’clock and I’ve to prepare for mattress,” he says. “What’s so nice is it does not really feel irritating. It simply feels enjoyable. I simply assume the objective — it is so enjoyable to be a part of Tucson.”
Veronica was born and raised in Tucson, and Andrew in Phoenix. They met in school on the University of Arizona.
“I fell in love with Tucson due to Veronica,” Andrew says.
