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Reviews

These reviews are taken from my old Etsy store. You'll see some repeat names because multiple reviews from the same person could be added to Etsy for each individual purchase, and I'm lucky to have a lot of repeat customers! To see additional comments, reviews and pictures, pleased see my Adopted! story highlights on my Instagram page. 

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Y'ALL! Y'ALL - the ENTHUSIASM for these characters that this amazing creator displayed, particularly considering that they'd never heard of them before I put in my custom order, I am just...overwhelmed with joy! SO HAPPY with my amazing AFTG kittehs!! So many thoughtful details, they are perfection!
- smathin

I placed this order as a unique gift for my son for Valentines day and I knew that it was going to be great but when he opened it my sons response just confirmed what I already knew. He was so excited about how soft it was, how squishy the little body was, and he was overly impressed with all of the hand stitched details- and for an 11 year old boy that last part shocked me (ha ha) It made a perfect gift and we look forward to making purchases again in the future
- Shae

We completed the completion with cat #3 and #4 with this purchase. We could not be any happier! Wonderful wonderful work as always 😻😻😻😻
- Liz

Mew, David is simply the best!!! Seriously if you're debating ordering a custom cat doll, just do it. Carolyn can literally do anything!!! I was so excited when she opened the orders for customs because I've been wanting a David Rose for some time! She sent a detailed questionnaire to find out exactly what I was looking for but I wanted her to have creative freedom to do what she wanted with this bebe'. My only ask was that it not be the baseball uniform because honestly, ew. Y'all. I squealed when I opened him. He is so perfect and soooo well made!! He now sits in my make up studio - it's no Rose Apothecary but it's better than the Blouse Barn! He has plenty of skin care items that he can write off and lip balms to organize while I'm away!
- Michelle

I'm absolutely smitten with my custom celebrity cat doll from Carolyn! I'm a huge Rush fan and thought it would be neat to commission a cat doll version of the legendary Geddy Lee. Despite this relatively oddball request, Carolyn took on the project with tremendous enthusiasm and really put this modern day warrior in the limelight! From the striking period-correct outfit to the infamous Rickenbacker 4080 doubleneck, there is magic at your fingers when you take in all the thoughtful, well-crafted details. The high-quality materials and stitching bristle with the energy of someone working all the time to make a truly amazing product. No need to pretend this stranger is a long-awaited friend--I'll always keep Kitty Lee closer to the heart!
- ofsalesmen

My custom order was PERFECT. Carolyn created the perfect haute cat for me. A very fast turn around. Shipping was fast. She sent pictures of her progress which created excitement for me. I highly recommend her. Thank you Carolyn
- Laura

Bought Iris for a friend. She loves her! Hope I get to meet her in person one day. 💜💜💜
- edmondsdara

I love everything Carolyn makes! Truffles is at work as a part of my “things that make me happy” collection.
- edmondsdara

The Haunted Cactus is an amazing store. The custom painting they did was a perfect holiday gift. Shipping was fast and when there was an issue with the shipment the seller let me know and shipped out another copy. great product and great customer service. 11/10 would recommend
- Pete *note: this was when my business was called The Haunted Cactus prior to rebranding to Familiar Dolls :)

Love the pet portrait of my precious Sterling!!❤️ Carolyn is so talented! Christmas was Sterling’s favorite time of year, and Carolyn captured that with the Christmas trees and lights!! I highly recommend anything created by Carolyn!! Always exceeds expectations.
- Susan Tribble

As always, Carolyn did an amazing job. I love my recreation of Aristocat, it turned out amazing!
- Liz

June has been a wonderful addition to our house! She joins Poppy, another lovely Haunted Cactus creation! But Poppy is a prim & proper cat and she doesn’t appreciate June’s weakness of bringing in squirrels and dismembering them in front of her.. yuck! So sometimes they spend some time apart. But everyone has weaknesses and we don’t hold it against her & love her anyway!!! ❤️❤️❤️
- Mandi

Ironically Kevin McCatlister was delivered while I was out of town for a couple weeks leaving him home alone. He protected the house from all the Sticky Bandits and really anyone who came to the door. My Amazon guy told me he heard a box from the porch yelling something about getting his ugly, yella, no-good keister off the property and something about pumping him full of lead. I've assured him that we would have a gun safety talk to Kevin and that anyone bringing boxes is a friend. Kevin really is perfect. His craftsmanship and detail is amazing. So happy to have him as a protector when I leave him home alone.
- Michelle

Amazing work! Super speedy service! Best gifts ever!
- Adam

Bradley is the man….I mean cat! Who could pass up a Fight Club addicted cat!! He’s been rather costly after several trips to the ER from skateboard accidents but completely worth it! I’d post a current picture, but he’s pretty banged up after that last fall. Excellent quality as he definitely has 9 lives and then some.
- Susan Tribble

Love the Little Naked Monster series. Batty is a little batty. Must wear sunglasses when near him as his brightness is blinding. Excellent choice of colors….by the way!
- Susan Tribble

Excellent quality and simply ADORABLE!!!
- Susan Tribble

Exceeded expectations!!! My custom cat doll is perfect!! Carolyn captured so many of Sterling’s unique features from the color & thickness of his fur to his little crooked whiskers and precious facial expression. Cried when I opened the box! Highly recommended if you or someone you know has lost a beloved kitty. Or if you are completely obsessed with your adorable fur baby!! 🐈‍⬛❤️🐈‍⬛
- Susan Tribble

Kirk the penguin is even cuter in person than in the pictures! This is my second doll from this shop and I couldn't be happier with my purchases!!
- jessm66

This was our second custom pet portrait and it exceeded expectations yet again! Truly unique! Much recommend to any pet lover out there.
- Jon

Jon Snow Leopard and the White Whisker are amazing!! The stitching and details are absolutely impeccable, and they have a very sturdy feel, so even though my kids know we do NOT play with Mommy's toys I think they will survive any attacks by Optimus Prime (my GOT collectables are often under assault by my 3 year old's transformers). Seriously these bring me so much joy. I hope my Jon Snow and Night King funko pops aren't jealous. If so I guess I'll just have to take over another room of the house for my collectibles!
- Anna

Ava is a darling but a little demanding. Insisted we put up blackout curtains, and tuck her in every night under a weighted blanket. She’s reluctantly cheerful and we just love her.🖤🦇 Thank you Carolyn for bringing her to life!
- Teresa

I can not say enough great things about Carolyn and her work. Our custom cat turned out better than expected and we’re in love 😻
- Liz

Reggie the Yeti exceeds all expectations. He’s big, he’s soft, and he apparently loves spaghetti. I wasn’t aware that Yetis love spaghetti and being a naked monster if he gets ahold of the red sauce I may be full of regretti
- Jon

Clearly Alex was an alpha-male in the cave as he was much larger than I thought he’d be but he is perfect and bigger is always better. He’s the perfect addition to our current Halloween mantle display and lobbying to become a year round feature, though he does seem to have a problem with well lit areas…
- Jon

Morgan is home and we absolutely love her size, quality construction, colors, everything! What a sweetheart! She thoroughly enjoyed watching Squid Game with us on the couch and has not yet scared the dog :)
- Kimberly

This is the CUTEST ever. Absolutely love him, sits super well on the shelf, hasn’t stabbed anyone (yet) haha. The jumpsuit, mask & attention to detail are all amazing. Plus the adoption card was such a cute surprise! Will def. buy more lil cats & creatures in the future. :)
- Aleck

Just really awesome, super quality, and amazingly creative. The only problem is that Meowy keeps trying to slip deadly nightshade into our food.
- jhjelt

Another amazing piece! I was so enamored with my Haunted Cactus original that I got another one for my sister to honor her love for both Halloween and cats! Carolyn knocked it out of the park once again with super speedy shipping and a lovely hand written note to accompany little Kevin. My sister loved the surprise and her new cat friend! Thank you so much!!
- Jacklyn

I freaking love my Kitty Krueger! He’s so well made and so dang cute!! I can’t wait for the next store update to get KK A friend 🐈💜🐈‍⬛
- edmondsdara

Love Gregor! He is so well made and stands up well to the terror of a 2.5 year old ;)
- Sara

This is the cutest thing ever, my son will love it! Thank you so much 🤗
- Heather

Love the cat head brooch!!! So adorable!! Great conversation piece! Received lots of compliments when I wore it the next day….even the dog lovers thought it was cute!! Excellent quality. Carolyn does great work and is so creative!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Susan Tribble

Just purchased/adopted my 3rd handmade cat doll from Carolyn. Excellent quality!! Each doll is unique and attention to detail is over the top. I’m always eager to see what she comes up with next!! Your adopted kitty will arrive promptly and is shipped in the perfect sized box so that he/she is comfortable traveling to his/her new home. The artist includes a personal note and cute Haunted Cactus sticker. Carolyn does not disappoint. Highly recommend!
- Susan Tribble

Incredibly cute and well-made!! I LOVE the two cats I purchased!!!
- Lauren

My jaw is on the floor!! I knew this sweet creature would be beautiful and the highest quality, and yet I was still totally stunned by just how happy I was to see his little green face when I opened the package. There is such clear attention to detail in these kitty creations, and I love that they are made from upcycled materials. Shipping was super fast, the creature from the cat lagoon was lovingly packaged, and the seller included a sweet hand-written note and sticker. Thank you so much, Carolyn!
- Jaclyn