PALMER TWP., Pa. – A business catering to cat lovers is bidding farewell in Northampton County.
Flatcats, offering cat silhouette-adorned boxes, jewelry, magnets, ornaments and other gifts and home accents, is set to close on Jan. 30 at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township.
Artist Shirley Shaffer and her husband, Gary Shaffer, have been operating the business at a kiosk near the center of the mall since 2021.
The Forks Township couple is pursuing new careers, with Shirley wanting to paint more country landscapes and Gary writing a series of books on his life experiences.
“We have new paths that we’re going down, but we’re thankful for all of our customers who have supported us over the years,” Gary said. “We’ll still be at the mall through Jan. 30. So, people can still come in and get some nice gifts for Christmas.”
Shirley is a mostly self-taught painter who was picked to study art at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Institute of Technology as a teenager.
She’s found enjoyment in painting landscapes and other nature scenes over the years, and at the suggestion of a relative, she began painting cats on magnets and other items in 2016.
The feline-embellished pieces proved very popular at craft shows, and the Shaffers eventually expanded operations to include the kiosk and an online store, flatcatsgifts.com.
Shirley paints on a variety of surfaces, including wood, slate and stone, and each design is hand-painted without stencils.
Customers can shop a wide array of items, including banks, boxes, keychains, magnets, welcome signs, holiday décor, votive candle holders and wreaths.
“Our mission is to give our valued cat friends a unique piece of art to display in their homes or to give to a loved one that will bring them joy and bring a big smile to their faces every time they look at it,” a message on the business’ website reads.
Gary, who regularly mans the Flatcats kiosk, was inspired to write accounts of his youth earlier this year when he learned of serious health issues affecting Shirley.
To cope with the trying times, Gary let his own creative juices flow through writing.
“I’ve listened to so many songs by music artists, who write about their life experiences, and I knew it was time for me to do the same,” Gary said. “Since I can’t sing, I decided to just write.”
After visiting the website of his hometown, Somerset, in western Pennsylvania, Gary started to reminisce about his teenage years, specifically his very memorable senior year of high school.
“That’s when I got serious about girls,” Gary said. “It’s when I experienced my first love.”
His series of four books – two recently published and two more set to be published in the coming weeks – takes readers through the ups and downs of his senior year of high school.
The books, written under the pen name “GL Shaffer,” are available for purchase on Amazon. The cost is $5 per book or $.99 per ebook.
“I’ve found a lot of comfort through writing the books, and I hope others enjoy reading them as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them,” Gary said.
Flatcats is holding a closing sale, with 50% off all items priced $10 and up, through the end of January.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The kiosk is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Source: wfmz.com