Fall Is In The Air

Smokey modeling the new cold weather shrug.

Summer has come and gone and fall is finally in the air. The temperatures have dropped and long sleeves are finally appropriate again. While seasons aren't the same in FL as they are else where, its differently clear that changes are in the air. Smokey is getting in his fluffy coat, which comes in handy with the breezy weather. It seems the cold front blew in with the passing of hurricane Sandy, which now is heading north, and I wish everyone up that way the best safety. Make sure you keep your pets indoors, and leave plenty of food and water for them if you have to leave your home. For some safety tips click here. Let's also not forget that Halloween is also coming up on Wed, which is also a time to remember to keep your pets, especially anyone with black cats, safe! Here are some safety tips from the ASPCA.

While I've been busy working on cleaning out the house with my mom, Smokey has also been busy. Its not hard to find him hard at work... sleeping. He's got it all covered, anything that can be slept on, he will be on it. Be it a couch, chair, bed, person... His favorite place is in the middle of everything. But what cat doesn't like to lend a hand by laying in the middle of whatever you happen to be working on? His best talent with sleeping is his ability to look as cute as he possibly can. Which makes work even harder to get done with an adorable cat in front of you, rolling about and purring.

In my time away from cleaning, I've been trying to get some drawing in. Sadly to say I have only completed one Smokey inspired drawing, which is totally weak. Its meant to be a a cover all picture. You know, for any accession. Its not much, but its something. I'm also trying to work on a Chanukah card to send out to my Jewish friends this holiday season. As well as finally finishing the Thanksgiving Card I started so long ago. Not sure that it will happen, but I can hope, right? I still have several weeks.

Until then, Happy Halloween everyone!

Highs & Lows

Its coming up to one month now since Smokey has mysteriously lost his voice. Strangely some of his behavior has also changed, he sleeps more than usual, and has taken up spending times in places not common for him. I have been waiting to see how things will proceed with him, as I hate to take him to the vet for another visit. His vet had suggested we take him to a specialist since his x-rays came up clear. But doing so would mean putting him under so they could scope him. I'm trying to avoid this stress on him. With his congestive heart disease, anesthesia could be risky. So right now I'm trying to see if maybe his excessive time in our garage could be part of the cause.

He's been kept out of the garage for about a week now and I feel he's improving some. This morning he greeted me with a meow, and has been howling at my door a time or two. But my mom still doesn't see the improvement. I'm hoping that given a little more time he will be back to himself. You start to miss the constant meowing and nagging when you don't hear it anymore.

I know there are spoiled cats out there, but some... I sometimes wish I could get inside his head and figure out what on earth he could possibly be thinking. Since he hasn't been quite himself lately, we decided to bend a little more to his wants. On the 9th, my brother's birthday, he was laying low. In other words he was sleeping in my room to avoid the commotion upstairs...so my mom gave him some food down in my apartment.
This was a bad idea from the start. Now he has decided that downstairs in the only possible place he will be able to eat. And drink. And sleep. Who knows, maybe that's what he's been trying to spell out all this time?

Another of his food creations

The orange blanket I posted him with last week, was one I was making for my brother for his birthday. It took a good bit longer than I had planned, even with all of Smokey's help. I've still got several others I'm currently working on (including the very first one for myself), and he's still helping me out with them. Regardless of there being a plethora of yarn and half made blankets around, he seems to really miss that neon orange one. Can't hardly image why, it was no different than the others. Lucky for him I have some left over orange and will likely whip up a little blanket just for him.
The problem of course being that when a cat knows something is theirs they more often than not, no longer want anything to do with it.

 

WIP, Smokey being big help

 For anyone interested, I do make blankets to sell. Both for humans and non humans. Anyone interested, feel free to contact me. Depending on size, I can often have them completed within 30 days.

Chuck Uping

Smokey and I have been in real creative moods lately. I'm not sure what's spurring me on, but for him I think its his new cat toys. I kept hearing about how great they are on "My Cat From Hell", and Smokey kept begging me to get one, so I finally broke down. Now he has 3! Though I think the one I bought him most recently at HomeGoods (they have amazing pet products for great prices!), is probably his favorite. Its amazing what giving them a little predator stimulation can do. I know he hunts rats at night, but I guess even during his 18hr nap time, he likes to play a little too.

He got to adventure last week when I brought him into work with me.He just came for half day this time. Of course he was thrilled about the elevator ride, he's never gone up one on a leash before. So many new sights and smells. Once he got to the office, he settled in at my feet for a nice long nap, sort of. All the patients wanted to see him, especially this little girl when she heard there was a kitty in the office. He's just a big old tease though and would duck under the desk whenever someone wanted to pat him, then pop back out the minute they stepped back and start purring. So obnoxious!

I've actually had several people ask me lately if I do any pet photography. While I never went to school for photography, I did take some classes in HS and have always had a passion for. That mixed with my love of animals... I love taking Smokey's picture, he's a great model, as well can Tessa be should the mood strike her and she doesn't want to be sitting on you instead. I've turned all of my pets into glamor models at some point.

To fully answer this question, yes, I do pet photography. I am working on a small portfolio of some of my work, but for those interested, you can see some of my adorable pets here. Or.. you know, closely related pets of friends and family.

Panda

Scout

Smokey

Leia

Tessa

Peter

Smokey and I have also joined up to help a close friend of ours, Cindy Waggoner, with her new non-profit organization John R Hamil Animal Wellness Foundation Inc. They are located in Blount County, TN. 

"Our "main" goal is to subsidize spay/neuter/vaccinations for the pets of qualifying low income families in Blount Co TN. We are also branching out in humane education as we have had several children bitten by dogs so we are currently raising funds to purchase dog bite prevention dvds for elementary school teachers here in Blount Co."

We've offered to help out in any way we can, including helping with a 'logo' so people remember them, making collars, or evening going up to help out. Anyone interested in finding out more about them you can contact Cindy via her facebook.

Keep Up!

Life is good for Smokey. His health is doing awesome, he's even lost 5lbs! Which is great news for his Diabetes. He thinks he's a kitten again, and is getting into everything. Which, isn't the best, but some how he makes it cute. When he's not out and about, he spends his time napping on my bed.

Its good to have him around, because while it might look like he's sleeping, he's also helping me brainstorm ideas for now things to work on. As the greeting cards were starting to wear me down, I've decided to put them on the back burner for a little while. Smokey has suggested I perhaps do some work to help raise money and awareness for animal charities. Such as the Humane Society, ASPCA, and other local, smaller animal rescue agencies.  I'm happy to hear any ideas, or if anyone has a non-profit they'd like help getting the word out about, please let me know. We're happy to help!

Some of these things will be going a completely new direction, such as my new business card:

Smokey likes the way he looks in silhouette. So right now I'm leaning towards this for possible stickers, bumper sticker, car magnets, etc. He really wants me to start with an awareness ribbon for feline diabetes. I have that one in the works now. We make them for ourselves, we should have them for our furry family members too. Everything else is still a work in progress, hopefully I'll be able to get some work up soon.

Right now I'm applying to go back to college for Psychology. Maybe I'll go into pet psychology. People aren't the only ones with problems.

As a final word, I wanted to share a story about Smokey's friend (my aunt's cat), Pepe. He's just recently taken to eating bread, and lots of it! Now while I always knew Smokey enjoys a table scrap now and then, I'd never heard of cats going after bread. At least not to the extent of ripping open bags, getting on counters, etc. So I looked into it and apparently its a much more common thing than you might think.

Here are a few threads about it: Bread Eatting, Where's My Bread?, International