A woman who wanted a sentimental tattoo to commemorate her cherished cat has been left devastated after the design meant to represent her feline friend ended up looking more like a seahorse or a squirrel.
Aimee Sanders had dreamt of a tattoo that would honour her beloved pet cat, Margaret, and reflect her love of nature and the outdoors.
The tattoo enthusiast from Orkney, Scotland, told how a heartfelt tribute quickly turned into an unforgettable inking disaster.
She said: “I was 19 and wanted a tattoo to symbolise my pet cat called Margaret and my love of being outdoors.
“I had a look online and found an amazing tattoo that I loved, but I wanted to alter it a little because the original tattoo was of a black panther and not a ginger cat like I wanted.”
Living on a remote Scottish island, Aimee faced a hurdle – limited tattoo options.
At the time, there was just one tattooist available, and he came with an extremely long waiting list.
Undeterred, Aimee took matters into her own hands during a trip to the mainland where she researched local artists and reached out to a few with her unique request.
After finding an artist she was happy with, she made her way to the shop with her design in hand, and high hopes, but she wasn’t prepared for the result.
Aimee told how she gasped at the result, being left with what she describes as a ‘wonky-eyed creature’ rather than the ginger cat design she had originally agreed on.
She said: “One artist in particular was very keen to do the tattoo for me and all his other work looked amazing.
“When he said he would charge me £150, I didn’t bat an eyelid because, like I said, all his other work was outstanding, and he was confident he could do this for me.”
She added: “I arrived at the shop and was greeted by the artist, and he told me he had all the colours picked out and was ready to go.
“He started with the outline and said he had a fair bit of blending to do to make it look more realistic, so I just let him carry on.
“I was left with a wonky-eyed creature that, to everybody I show it to, they think is either a seahorse or a squirrel!”