Portrait of my cat Binky tattoo

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My Tattoo Story

I had my cat Binky (his real name was Binx from Hocus Pocus) since he was a kitten, I found him downtown hiding behind a dumpster howling. I guess he lost his momma cat or something because he was too small to be on his own. I bottle fed and took care of him his entire life. Binky was like a kid to me so when he died I wanted to have his memory live on in a tattoo. Getting the portrait tattoo of Binky was really important to me so I spent a lot of time researching my artist and finding someone who was perfect. I wanted the portrait tattoo to be in black and grey. I spent a couple of months looking at different tattoo parlors. I decided to get this portrait tattooed because the picture reminds me most of Binky. It is how I would like to remember him, he was knocked down by a car so it was really sudden losing him and getting the portrait tattooed was very cathartic. I got the portrait tattoo on my upper back because then I can feel like he is looking over my shoulder and watching me like he always did.

When and Where

I got the tattoo done last year at Dogstar Tattoo Studio in Durham NC where I live. The studio had a really good reputation so I was confident they would be able to do the portrait tattoo properly. I did look as far as Raleigh and Carrboro for a good tattoo studio but was unimpressed with the tattoo portfolios. The studio is located in east Durham in the arts district close to downtown.

The Experience

I was somewhat nervous getting the tattoo. I had already been in to see the drawing of the portrait tattoo so I knew it was perfect and it was not my first tattoo. I brought a toy that looked like Binky with me to get the portrait tattoo so I could hold on to it. When the portrait tattoo was finished I cried when I saw it because it looks so much like him. The portrait took about 2 hours and was fairly painless.

The Future

I have not decided on any new tattoos yet but I have got a new cat, maybe when he dies I might consider getting a portrait tattoo of him but he is not like my Binx. I like the idea of a portrait tattoo so I would be happy to get another if the time came.

Tags
black and grey, cat, portrait