Cats have a strange ability to exist somewhere between emotional support therapists, chaotic roommates, silent observers, and tiny furry philosophers silently judging humanity from across the room. They disappear for hours, return demanding affection like it’s a life-or-death situation, comfort people without saying a word, and somehow make loneliness feel lighter simply by curling up nearby. Lithuanian illustrator Herta Burbe, better known online as HertaTales, captures that emotional complexity with remarkable warmth and sensitivity. In her deeply expressive illustrations, cats are never just pets. They become reflections of love, vulnerability, comfort, independence, and all those quiet emotions people often struggle to put into words.
Below, we gathered some of Herta’s most beautiful illustrations, where cats appear as mysterious companions, tiny troublemakers, emotional soulmates, and sometimes, even wiser versions of the humans beside them.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | hertaburbe.com | patreon.com | amazon.com
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© Photo: herta_burbe
Through soft colors, heartwarming compositions, and expressive animal characters, the Lithuanian artist explores themes like loneliness, affection, emotional distance, comfort, anxiety, and connection in a way that feels deeply personal and emotionally honest. Her illustrations often capture the kind of feelings people carry privately but instantly recognize when they see them reflected in art.
That emotional storytelling recently expanded into Herta’s new book, "Soulmates: Drawn Stories About Us," released under the HertaTales name. According to the artist, the book is the first part of a larger upcoming series and is currently available digitally on Amazon Kindle, with a paperback edition also on the way. Much like her illustrations online, the book explores emotional connection, inner worlds, relationships, and the tenderness hidden inside ordinary life.
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