Daughter creates joyful connection to dad with Alzheimer's through cat costume art

Sawatsky Sign-Off: Animal Outfits Adam finds out how making collages of cats wearing clothes, inspired a meaningful connection between a father and daughter

When she walked into the thrift store that day, Helga Strauss was searching for inspiration.

“Anything that sparking some interest,” Helga says.

In this case it was a book about Marilyn Monroe, and a couple of others about cats.

When she got home, Helga pulled out her scissors and started cutting pictures out of the pages.

“It’s almost like making a puzzle,” Helga says of making collages.

But instead of using pre-made pieces, Helga was making up the puzzle as she went.

“Sometimes you get those pieces together and it’s just like, ‘click,’” Helga smiles.

This time, a kitten’s head unexpectedly clicked on Marilyn’s body.

“And I was just like, ‘Oh my God! I just love it so much!” Helga laughs. “I just found myself giggling to myself non-stop.”

So Helga didn’t stop. She started creating countless collages featuring cats wearing all sorts of human clothes.

And when she was done with the thrift store books, Helga found inspiration in junk mail featuring prescription glasses.

“I took one look and I was like, ‘I’ve got to put those on some cats!” Helga laughs.

Collages featuring felines wearing frames led to kittens in clawfoot tubs.

“(It was) just pure joy and hilarity,” Helga smiles.

It was also just so different than what Helga was feeling after her dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

“It was really, really painful,” she says. “Really tough.”

The dad who had provided so much comfort and so much inspiration for so long was disappearing.

“So many days were filled with tears,” Helga says, before pointing to cat collages in her studio.

“But this was the place where I could go and escape and find that joy.”

Even better, when she would share the collages with her dad, he would find his joy too.

“Even in his diminished capacity, he could see it was a cat head on a human body,” Helga smiles. “And he would have a little chuckle too.”

And the father and daughter would connect in a way that can’t be constructed with scissors or attached with glue, making memories that, even when forgotten, their hearts will always remember.

“Always follow your joy,” Helga smiles. “Always.”