▁letters ▁from ▁people ▁telling ▁him ▁that ▁the ▁poster ▁helped ▁them ▁through ▁recovery ▁from ▁surg ery , ▁acc idents , ▁and ▁other ▁difficult ▁events . ▁Bald win ▁himself ▁said ▁" she ▁gave ▁sol ace ▁and ▁strength ▁to ▁people ▁everywhere , ▁in ▁all ▁sorts ▁of ▁trouble , ▁including ▁myself ". ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁Bald win ▁had ▁sold ▁ 3 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies ▁at ▁$ 2 . 0 0 ▁each . ▁He ▁lived ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁sole ly ▁on ▁the ▁income ▁from ▁the ▁post ers , ▁taking ▁a ▁break ▁from ▁his ▁studio ▁work , ▁something ▁he ▁admitted ▁he ▁would ▁rather ▁be ▁doing ▁than ▁s elling ▁post ers . ▁ ▁The ▁poster ' s ▁popular ity ▁spawn ed ▁im it ators , ▁and ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁do z ens ▁of ▁versions ▁were ▁available , ▁using ▁photograph s ▁or ▁images ▁of ▁different ▁c ats ▁– ▁including ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁" black light " ▁version ▁– ▁all ▁with ▁some ▁variation ▁of ▁the ▁" hang ▁in ▁there , ▁baby " ▁text . ▁Some ▁were ▁boot leg ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁original , ▁and ▁some ▁were ▁produced ▁by ▁major ▁gre eting ▁card ▁and ▁poster ▁publish ers . ▁Bald win ▁had ▁held ▁the ▁copy right ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁photograph ▁since ▁March ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁poster ▁with ▁text ▁since ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁" As ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁integrity " ▁Bald win ▁su ed ▁each ▁in fr ing ement ▁he