Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
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
This post may include affiliate links.
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.
RELATED:
#5
Roman Arendt 1 day ago (edited)
TIL about the primordial pouch. I've seen it before, since I am around cats since childhood, but I never gave this adorable physical treat any special attention or asked why it is there. So I googled it. It's really interesting and explains a lot. So, thank you very much, Herta Burbe! P.s.: As I googled it, I also learned the German term (which I never heard in this combination and meaning): "Urwampe". "Ur-" is a prefix meaning "primordial", and "Wampe" is a term of endearment for a chubby belly (humans and other animals). Adorable.
#21
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 15 hours ago
I mean, if you have cats, you might as well get one that suits them, since they are going to be in it.
#23
Multa Nocte (she/her/86 47) 15 hours ago
Apparently he doesn't understand their right to be in the bathroom with him when he goes there.
#28
#30
BookFanatic 19 hours ago
Oooh...is the cat trying to be nice (but stupid) or is there an ulterior motive (because chicken bones can k**l dogs)...
#36
CloPotato 17 hours ago
My girl was found outside when she was 2 weeks old, so she wasn't really well-raised by her cat mom. As her human mom, I'm doing my best, but still, when she had one of her first checkups at the vet she was scared af and the vet just plunged his arm in her box to yank her out, which scared her even more. After that they needed 4 people with elbow-long gloves to maintain her (all 4 persons were really busy with her) and made a note that she was not a calm being. She's made tremendous progress since then and thankfully that vet doesn't work there anymore, but what a sight that was.
#38
Grivzyrn Novarn 20 hours ago
Is BP just censoring words at random now? That's really difficult for people whose first language isn't English.
#48
Add New Image
