SOLVED. children's book 1970s: painter paints picture of cat in a different outfit every day, cat leaves canvas [s]

[Emma]

Pen and watercolor illustrations, I think. The painter painted the cat every day on his canvas, always in a different costume and - I think unbeknownst to the painter - the cat would leave the canvas in the outfit and live the day according to the costume. E.g. he was painted as a fine gentleman, leaves the canvas and dines at a fine restaurant, etc.

It was very dry and kind of wry and the cat wasn't cute but large and adult looking. The key line I remember is when he is presented with a restaurant bill on a silver tray and responds, "I do not eat paper. Only goats eat paper." You get my drift of the tone, I hope.

Thanks for any help.

[Tab]

Maybe, Carter is a Painter's Cat by Carolyn Sloan?

Here are a couple of links to blog posts about the book.
http://penandoink.com/2013/05/17/insp...

http://booksforbreakfast2.blogspot.co...

[Emma]

Wow! Thanks. That's it. I had it in my head that the cat was named Samson but that's from another brilliant kids' book, The Church Cat. Carter's not that far off!