Shelter Cat Project

Recently, a totally awesome gal shared with me the link to her site [Peace Love Adopt] and the link to her outstanding photography of shelter cats.  Be sure to check out her site and how she is saving the world, one cat at a time!

After you've visited her site- or before, it really doesn't matter- you absolutely have to see her photos here.

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I mean, look at this gorgeousness.  She is really talented, and her photos are really inspiring.
She does an excellent job of capturing the cats in a very natural setting.  These cats don't even look like they are in a shelter, they look like they are in someone's home or perhaps in a professional photoshoot.  Either way, she is extremely skilled at getting the cats to look comfortable in front of the camera.  Being an amateur photographer myself, I must say that getting a cat to relax in front of a camera is ridiculously challenging.  Then, once they do relax, trying to get them to look into the camera is a big pain in the buns.
I don't even know how she manages to get the cats to look so perfect.  She is truly one amazing lady.

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I hope that my photography can be this beautiful someday.  Until then, I will keep practicing.
The unique thing about her photography is that it shows shelter cats in a different light.  Instead of trying to get a typical body pose of the cat to show for adoption, she achieves a much more interesting side of the cats.  She shows them as individual beings with fun personalities and distinctive characteristics rather than as mere animals in need of homes.
Her photography is artistic as opposed to the generic photography that is used by 99% of shelters around the world.
Her photos save lives by showing people that shelter cats are more than pitiful animals with sad lives and poor sob stories.  She shows people that shelter cats are beautiful and valuable.  And she does it all without even saying a word.
As they say, a picture says a thousand words.

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Nonetheless, her photos are so admirable.  I really hope that you take the time to look through her stunning set of photos in support of her life-saving efforts.

All photos - Copyright © Peace Love Adopt

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."

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."