Each intricately painted and sculpted vessel, figurine, and charm in this whimsical gift shop is a tiny tribute to our furry friends.
In our Featured Shop series, we shine a light on a standout shop from Etsy’s talented seller community, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at their process and story. This month, it’s all about whimsical feline sculptures and adorable pet portraits from Winking Cat Clay.
Any doting pet parent will attest: Life with our animal companions is the most precious gift. From the familiar nudge of a wet nose requesting a belly rub to the curious paw clawing under a closed door, it’s the little things they do (and the adorable shenanigans they pull) that give us a thousand daily reasons to smile. It’s only fitting then that whenever Los Angeles-based ceramicist and cat enthusiast Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut sets out to sculpt a tiny feline figurine, hand-build a puppy candle holder, or paint a pet portrait pendant for her shop Winking Cat Clay, she has a singular goal: to properly capture each creature’s special quirks in clay, transforming their essence into collectible and giftable keepsakes.
“I’ve always been an animal lover and pet owner, so making sculptures of cats and dogs felt natural to me,” Nicky explains. Alongside her collection of charm jewelry, mugs and butter dishes, and dioramas, she crafts expressive custom pet portraits—including memorial pet urns and sculptures—that capture a furry loved one’s likeness and personality. Perfect as an extra-special gift, each precious piece is handmade to bring outsized delight to its owner for years to come. “I love that my pieces are a way to connect with other people who appreciate the playfulness and humor that pets bring to our everyday lives.”
Read on to discover the sentimental stories behind some of Nicky’s favorite creations, and shop the whimsical Winking Cat Clay collection.
SHOP: Cat teacups from Winking Cat Clay, $75
SHOP: Porcelain charm bracelet from Winking Cat Clay, from $65
SHOP: Handmade dish with “laptop cat” figurine from Winking Cat Clay, from $50
SHOP: Golden doodle dog figurine from Winking Cat Clay, $44
SHOP: Custom cat urn from Winking Cat Clay, from $250
SHOP: Handmade butter dish from Winking Cat Clay, from $250
SHOP: “Goodnight, Cat” diorama from Winking Cat Clay, $275
SHOP: Dancing cat figurines from Winking Cat Clay, from $95
Why Winking Cat Clay should be on your radar
There’s a signature storybook quality to each of Nicky’s playfully posed clay critters. Sly smiles, curious head tilts, and the occasional snappy bowtie offer hints that each animal has its own unique tale to tell. That charming, quirky aesthetic combined with Nicky’s dutiful attention to detail lends itself well to her popular pet-inspired pieces. “I work from customer photos to replicate their pet’s facial details, fur patterns, and other distinguishing marks,” she says. “I’ve made cross-eyed Siamese cats, droopy-eyed dogs with a wistful look, cats flying with arms outstretched and lots of other endearing animals that I want to make recognizable to their owners.”
Still, you need not be a current dog or cat owner to take home a mini memento from Nicky’s shop. Whether you’re an aspiring pet parent or simply an enthusiastic animal lover, there’s a range of one-of-a-kind, ready-made jewelry and decor to choose from, from painterly owl earrings and petite porcelain bracelet charms to whimsical whale candle holders and cat-shaped chopstick rests. “I hand-build and hand-paint each figure,” Nicky says. “So they really are like little pieces of artwork to display in your home or to give as a surprising gift.”
SHOP: Goth cat figurine from Winking Cat Clay, $85
SHOP: Ceramic cat charms from Winking Cat Clay, from $58
SHOP: Ceramic star charm necklace from Winking Cat Clay, from $24
SHOP: Charm jewelry from Winking Cat Clay, from $22SHOP: Cuddling cats sculpture from Winking Cat Clay, from $55
The best Winking Cat Clay pieces for memorable gifting
You’ll find a thoughtful, animal-themed gift for every occasion in the Winking Cat Clay collection, whether it’s a pretty kitty ring dish for a cat-loving couple on their wedding day or a prancing pig cake topper for your bestie’s big barbecue birthday bash. With Mother’s Day coming up, Nicky recommends one of her figurines of a mother and kitten sleeping together or a custom pendant of Mom’s cherished pet. “The portraits of dogs and cats are memorable gifts,” she says. “I often make them for customers to give as keepsakes.”
For a present that’s particularly poignant, a custom urn for a pet who has passed can be a joyful reminder of all the happy times spent together in life. In fact, it’s this sentiment that inspired some of Nicky’s earliest ceramic creations. “I began making cat-shaped vessels as a way to remember my first quirky rescue cat, Kimchi,” she recalls. “I designed a memory urn in the shape of a cat’s silhouette with a focus on painting large, soulful eyes—similar to how Egyptian cats look dignified in the afterlife.”
SHOP: Custom dog urn from Winking Cat Clay, from $250
SHOP: Custom cat sculpture from Winking Cat Clay, from $150
SHOP: Dancing cats wedding cake topper from Winking Cat Clay, from $110
SHOP: Charm necklace (from $22) and parrots butter dish ($140) from Winking Cat Clay
In her words
“I love that I’ve been able to appeal to people’s interests and curiosity with the animals I make out of clay—it’s a balance of my own expression and the aesthetic of others,” Nicky says. “It’s also really meaningful to receive notes and reviews from people who cry or are overjoyed by one of my ceramic pieces. It makes it worth all the labor that goes into my work, because the end result is to make people happy and fulfilled seeing one of their animals come to life.”
SHOP: Sleeping cat mug from Winking Cat Clay, $70
SHOP: Cat mugs and teacups from Winking Cat Clay, from $55
SHOP: Greyhound pup candle holder from Winking Cat Clay, from $50
SHOP: Miniature dog sculpture from Winking Cat Clay, from $44
Follow Winking Cat Clay on Instagram.
Portraits and workspace photos by Cara Robbins. Product photography courtesy of Winking Cat Clay.
