One of Sara's hand-painted cat cards, shown as artwork. The deck page also shows examples of the printed card format.
A pet portrait on every card
Feline Familiar Tarot began with the idea of making a full deck from real cats. Each of its 78 artworks is a commissioned pet portrait by Sara Gilbreath. A cat's likeness and a tarot character meet in the same painting, bringing the personal story of an animal into the visual structure of a deck.
That means there are two ways to look at the work: as a set of individual portraits and as a collection of cards intended to belong together. The cats are not anonymous placeholders. Each original painting began with an owner's animal and reference photographs.
The original painting and the printed card
Sara's project description explains that the original painting was sent to the commissioner and a quality scan was kept for reproduction. The original is one physical artwork; a card in the printed deck is a reproduction of that artwork. Buying the deck does not mean buying all 78 original paintings.
Dimensions can differ too. A small commissioned original and a printed tarot card are separate objects. Read the current specification for the product you want instead of assuming that a measurement attached to one applies to both.
The structure of the collection
The project follows a full Rider-Waite inspired structure: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana, divided into Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each minor suit contains 14 cards. The deck page shows that structure alongside real examples of Sara's work.
Look at the artwork as well as the card names. Color, costume, pose and a recognizable feline face are part of the appeal of this particular collection. The gallery includes individual card paintings, while the deck page gives the context for seeing them as one project.
Following the project or ordering a separate portrait
The Kickstarter campaign ended in September 2026. For the latest printing, packaging, availability or ordering details, check the current deck information or contact Sara. Completion of the artwork and completion of a printed edition are different stages, so a campaign archive is not a current stock promise.
Sara also has a separate custom tarot-themed portrait listing. A standalone commission is not automatically a new place in the completed 78-card collection. Check the available option in that listing and ask Sara if you are unsure which product matches what you have in mind.
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Explore Feline Familiar Tarot
