I've started a second blog - My pet photography

My second blog is called Gray Paws Photography.  It is for my amateur photography, which is primarily focused on the lovely cats in my shelter.  I'd appreciate if you'd check it out. c:

This blog is my little way of helping to spread the word about the amazing and adoptable cats from my local shelter, while also practicing my animal photography skills as well as my patience.

Each pet's post will include their age, gender, some information about them, and a link to their page on Petfinder.

Dog Party

September 9th, Lacy and I attended the Dog Party at Southwind Park.  It was pretty fun.  Kites were being flown, dogs were being bathed, and there were plenty of homemade treats to buy.

There were lots of bowls filled with water placed nicely around the park.

Lacy made some new friends.

She even met her very own look-alike Basset Hound.

Then, we visited an extremely well-trained German Shepherd.  He just sat on that mattress ever so calmly.

Then the dog contests took place.  She ended up being the 3rd best dancer!

All in all, it was a pretty fun day.

Psalm 34:10 "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."

Please vote for me!

The animal shelter that I am a part of (Sangamon County Animal Control Center) has been entered in a contest to win $2000. All that you have to do is log in to Facebook and like this picture. I would appreciate it so inexplicably much if you could do that for me.

Thank you so much to all who help us out. I, the shelter, the volunteers, and the sweet, loving animals will all greatly and wholeheartedly appreciate it. God bless.

This beagle baby wouldn't be smiling if it weren't for the SCAC. They saved her from the streets and gave her a second chance. This puppy and I are both so grateful for that shelter.

Psalm 17:1 "Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer- it does not rise from deceitful lips."

Super Simple Cat Toy

I was thinking of toys that I could make not only for the shelter cats, but for my cats at home. I wanted it to be simple so I could make quite a few of the same thing. Then, this suddenly came to my mind!

It is simply a chopstick with yarn tied securely around one end. I have an abundance of chopsticks from Asian restaurants and yarn from my mom's old storage, so I can make many of these for virtually free. Plus, I can use different colors, or try adding feathers or other cat-friendly items later. It was very simple, and yet my cats at home went crazy for it, which was a huge bonus since Oddball is typically scared of all toys, especially new ones.

I just used simple knots to tie each piece of yarn around the chopsticks a few times over. The more knots, the stronger the yarn will hold up during play time. I only had one piece of yarn come undone, but it had only been tied with one knot. It was no problem at all to retie the yarn while adding a few extra knots. Since then, I haven't had any complications. Plus, using different textures of yarn was a huge benefit. Oddball prefers the softer craft yarn, while Kady prefers the rough Christmas yarn.

I'm going to make several of these for the shelter kitties. They are sure to love them! Speaking of the shelter, I got to help a lady take home two beautiful cats today, London (a Tortie) and Stevie (a Tabby). It was such a perfect ending to an overall awesome day.

P.S.: check out Crafting for a Cause to find out more about making toys for the animal shelter, as well as this post to find out more about the shelter with which I am involved. <3

[One of my favorite verses.] Psalm 106:1 "Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Crafting for a Cause

Volunteering at the shelter has really opened my eyes to how spoiled my pets at home are.
Don't get me wrong, shelter life isn't so bad. Good food, a nice, warm place to stay, and lots of love and toys are always provided for the animals.
But there is always room for improvement! And the shelter's wishlist makes it especially easy for me to figure out what kinds of things they could use.
Being only 17 and without a job, I cannot afford to buy toys or other supplies for the shelter animals.
So I have decided to make pet supplies to donate to the shelter.
Check back for updates and posts related to Crafting for a Cause.

After all, I wouldn't have this cutie if it weren't for the SCAC.

 I wouldn't have this bundle of fur either if it weren't for pet shelters in general. (she came from a different shelter).

Volunteer, Donate, Adopt.

The Sangamon County Animal Control (SCAC) Center needs help. If you live in this area of Illinois, check them out please. <3

As a volunteer, you are free to do what you want, when you want. You can choose from a variety of activities such as:

walk dogs

socialize cats

snuggle puppies and kittens

groom cats

play with dogs in a fenced outdoor yard

show animals to potential adopters

Plus, the people there are really awesome. Anddd, they have some super cute animals. SCAC is actually the shelter from which I adopted my sweet beagle baby.

Click the Read More to get more info!

That's one chubby tabby.

Psalm 72:18 "Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Isreal, who alone does marvelous deeds."

Three of a kind.

Two cats plus a beagle puppy make for one cute combo.

[This verse is so very sweet and dear to me.] Psalm 18:1 "I love you, O Lord, my strength."