Daisy SnipPet...most recent custom portrait

My wonderful petsitter, Jennifer (from Lexington's Petopia), wanted a special custom SnipPet to give to her mom for Christmas. Her mom's Havanese, Daisy, is her little shadow and follows her everywhere...you know, your basic velcro dog :). Daisy always sits with her and thinks she is a person, so I put her in a big chair in a little red jumper. Apparently, Miss Daisy goes by the nickname "Dirty Rotten Dork Dog", so she is holding a book entitled "Tails of a Dirty Rotten Dork Dog". And you can see her muddy little pawprints trailing across the floor. I hope that Jennifer's mom loves her new SnipPet painting! I had great fun creating it.

Feral Cat Trapping Adventure behind Kroger!

Home at Last was having their monthly TNR clinic this past Saturday, so Brian and I headed out on Friday night to trap some cats/kittens we had seen behind our neighborhood Kroger. After a long, cold night that resembled a wild goose chase, we managed to accomplish our goal which was 5 kitties...an adult and 4 kittens. That was a huge relief! All of them were spayed (they were ALL females!), vaccinated and treated with Revolution at the clinic. The amazing vet, Dr. Ubelhor, who does all of the surgeries is so wonderful about thoroughly checking out each cat while she is working on them. Two of my kittens were very skinny and one was getting sick so Dr. U gave her IV fluids, penicillin and baytril. I am so grateful for that extra care!! And she does all of this for only $10 per cat. Amazing. After getting them all back home with me, i realized that if those kittens showed me that they were tameable, then there was no way i was putting them back outside. Well, slowly but surely, they all told me that they wanted to stay inside forever (the purrs say it all!). These 3 little ladies will travel home to Raleigh with us for Thanksgiving and then we will work on finding them wonderful, forever homes. Meet Gidget, Annie and Punky!

Start a Feral Cat TNR program in your neighborhood!

This is one of my favorite photos of all time! These two cuties, Hope and Penny, are 2 of the very first feral cats that Brian and I had spayed in Atlanta several years ago. I still remember that cold night and how nervous i was about trapping. We have come a long way since then, but these two girls represent how our experience, knowledge, patience and PASSION started and continues to grow. Yes, Penny and Hope live on the street (not ideal, of course), but we witnessed firsthand how much healthier and happier they became once they were spayed. Not to mention, no more kittens would be born to die or suffer or grow up on the streets as well.
Now, after TNRing 100+ cats, we are still witnessing the positive effects of spaying and neutering and hope that we can continue to make a bigger difference. We have big dreams for this country progressing toward being a NO KILL nation and we have to believe that it is possible if everyone does their part. Please think about helping the feral/stray/barn/wild cats in your community. It is so important.
Early this week, i will be blogging about the cats and kittens we trapped here in Lexington this weekend. I thought it might be helpful to write about the process in detail.

It's Twinkle the Angel Cat!

I was juried into a really lovely website called Glitter and Grunge (www.glitterandgrunge.com). Very exciting! They are working on my page right now, so it should be up and running very soon. Every month, they have an Artists' Challenge and this kitty angel painting is my entry. The only requirement was to use vintage holiday ephemera, so i found some antique Christmas sheet music in my supply closet and Voila! This is what i came up with. She is available in my etsy shop right now (free shipping!).

Transporting Violet to Good Mews in Atlanta

The fantastic and amazing no kill, cage free shelter, Good Mews (www.goodmews.org) was willing to take my kitty rescue, Violet. I drove her there from Kentucky on Monday. It was SO great to visit Good Mews and see my kitty and people buddies there. I love spending time at GM...it is such a wonderful place. In the photos above you will see the beautiful kittens in their kitten room. Next is Hondo a HUGE and handsome boy who lost his home due recently. Then, there is Bruiser!! Bruiser is a kitty that i rescued in Atlanta many months ago. We had to have his tail amputated but he is going great and enjoys being at Good Mews. He is such a super boy! The last photo shows my best buddy's foster kitty, Tumbleweed. He came from Texas and only has 3 legs. He is too cute for words and full on energy.

Stuart and Sunny SnipPet Dolls are on sale now!

I am really excited about my Stuart and Sunny SnipPet dolls! I found a wonderful website that can print your images on fabric. I had been wanting to make simple plush dolls so the printed fabric was the perfect solution. My ever generous mom is doing the sewing for me, and she even handstitched over Sunny and Stuart's spay/neuter "stitch" to give it a handcrafted touch AND emphasize my s/n symbol!!! 100% of the profits from the sale these dolls will go toward spaying and neutering cats barn/feral/stray cats in and around Lexington. I want to make more, so start buying them now :)!

Huey, Louie, Dewey and Daisy....Adoption Success!

This little orange tabby crew came to me in early September, and now they have all found their forever homes! Shoowee....it was quite an adventure with them. From that first night in the stalls of the stockyards...crawling around in the manure with the raccoons staring me down and a very angry mama cat protecting her brood...to battling a terrible case of the coccidia parasite....and wondering if everyone would ever be healthy...to a happy ending for all! These precious kittens were so sweet and loving. Their new owners are so lucky to have them. AND they were all spayed and neutered...that's a lot of lives saved...AND we were able to trap and spay their feral mother, Mama Snuggs, shortly after we rescued them. We have also "snipped" 3 of her teenage kittens.
There are many more to be spayed and neutered....one by one...little by little. I won't quit until i am 90 and can't move!
Stay tuned.

A few little Holiday SnipPets...

Meowy Christmas and Happy Howlidays! I just added a few dog and cat SnipPet ornaments to my Etsy store. They would make lovely and cheerful little hostess gifts or stocking stuffers. I love collaging fun holiday items at this time of year. It's definitely the perfect time to pull out all the crafting supplies...ribbon, paper, buttons, glitter, paint...the possibilities are endless!

SnipPet Bookmarks, Buttons and a Boston, oh my!

Bark! Meow! Woof! Purr! I just added a few new fun items to my etsy shop. I wanted to test out a few products featuring Sunny and Stuart SnipPet, my official mascots. Let me know what you think! And, I HAD to create another Boston Terrier painting. I simply love their sweet smooshed faces :). Happy Monday!

Keeping Feral Cats Safe and Warm for the Winter

It's time to make sure that your local feral, barn, stray (whatever you want to call them) cats have a warm, dry shelter for these cold winter months. As you can see, one of our little feral boys, Magee, is curled up on our back porch in his winter bed. We ordered insulated cat houses online at www.feralvilla.com. The best, most inexpensive material for keeping cats cozy and dry is definitely hay. Hay won't mold or mildew, and it reflects their body heat back onto them. You can make a thrifty shelter with plastic storage boxes and nests of hay. We have also ordered an outdoor heated cat pad from this site http://cozywinters.com/shop/kh-3093.html. We'll let you know how that works!
And remember, keep spaying and neutering your feral cats so that come spring, there won't be an explosion of homeless kittens!!!

SnipPet Paintings are for sale on Ebay!!

I just put 6 SnipPet paintings on Ebay! The starting prices are super low, so you better begin bidding now! In addition, 10% of the selling price will go to the best cat shelter in the world, Good Mews. I will donate that percentage to their spaying and neutering efforts (of course!). Here is the link to my Ebay artwork http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/thesnippets or click on MY EBAY on the right of this page.

Do YOU have your Ducks in a Row???

I just added this new painting to my etsy shop! I know that i am ALWAYS trying to get all of my ducks in a row, so I thought i would create a piece inspired by that thought. I wonder where these three curious cats are going?? Maybe they are on their way to vote on Tuesday :)!!! Make sure you follow their lead and use this opportunity to use your voice to usher in change and HOPE!

Miss Violet needs a forever home!

Meet Miss Violet! This lovely calico lady is about the BEST cat around. We rescued her from the street where she was starving to death. Violet was covered in burrs and completely emaciated when we found her. She was so malnourished that she couldn't feed the 2 kittens that she had in tow. Very sadly, the kittens did not survive, but Miss Violet has persevered and blossomed into a real beauty that is full of life and love to give. She is young and playful and so sweet and affectionate. Violet doesn't have one cranky or aggressive bone in her body. She is simply purrfect. If you are interested in adopting, Violet, please email me at snippetgirl@gmail.com

It's a Boston Whaler!

My parents have a boston terrier rescue named Louie, and I have been dying to make a boston terrier SnipPet, so here it is! Stay tuned for more "Boston" themed SnipPets...maybe a Boston Tea Party or a Boston Cream Pie :). If you have any ideas for me, i welcome them! I just added this new original painting to my etsy page. You can purchase it at http://thesnippets.etsy.com

It's National Feral Cat Day!

Learn more about feral cats and what you can do to help them! Go to http://www.alleycat.org to visit the Alley Cat Allies website. I bet there are a few feral cats living somewhere near you...in your neighborhood, your office complex, by the dumpster at your favorite restaurant?? Maybe you have wondered how to help them, but didn't know where to look for advice. The best and kindest thing you can do is spay and neuter them and stop the vicious cycle of reproduction. The proper terminology is TNR meaning Trap, Neuter, Return. I have TNRed over 100 cats, so i am happy to offer anyone advice on how to get started.

Itty Bitty Circus Dog and Cat

Here are two little sculpted pieces that i just finished. I have a big collection of vintage jello molds and was trying to figure out what to do with them. I turned them over and thought they would make unique bases for miniature sculptures. Their swirled shape made me think of a circus platform. So, i sculpted these tiny cat and dog clowns balancing on balls. I will be adding them to my etsy store this week. Happy Sunday to all!

SnipPet Mascots are ready and need names

These two cuties are my newly designed SnipPet mascots. I have been working with a wonderful graphic design group on my logo, business cards, product tags, etc. Many, many thanks to Aimee Ray and Aeolidia Design ( http://www.aeolidia.com/ )! They do a fantastic job. I really want to name my mascots, so please feel free to share your thoughts. They are going to be my furry advocates for spaying and neutering! Notice the SnipPet symbol on their tummies....this stitch mark with two hearts represents the idea that spaying/neutering is the "kindest cut of all". You will see that symbol on every SnipPet i create. My hope that is that it will become a universal symbol much like the breast bancer pink ribbon.

SnipPet Pins are for sale in my etsy shop

Hey, Cat and Dog Lovers....here are two of my new SnipPet Pins! What do you think? Each one has a little hand stitched, ruffled collar, a painted cardstock hat, and a hand illustrated backing. I am really enjoying making these. These could be a great little Halloween gifts or stocking stuffers! hint, hint :)!

Little Louie is my SnipPet Assistant!

This is little Louie! We scooped him up along with his 3 siblings in a nearby stockyard. We were trying to get them to safety so that we could then spay his mother, Mama Snuggs. Louie is VERY special...he talks constantly (it's more like a bleat than a meow) and has a bobtail that looks like frizzled sprig. Louie has been sitting on my lap every day while i make SnipPets and work on my etsy shop. He is an excellent art assistant! His brothers and sisters (Huey, Dewey and Daisy) have all been adopted. He needs to grow a little more and then he will be ready for his forever home too!

Kitten Rescue in Kentucky

...and so it began with Heidi (now known as Buggy or Boogie!). We moved to Kentucky from Atlanta and the kitty rescue and TNR quickly ensued. Miss Heidi bug is staying with us permanently. We needed to add a KY kid to our brood, right?! She was the first "project" and since her rescue we have spayed and neutered 11 feral cats and rescued 5 more kittens and a stray mother. The homeless cat situation here in Lexington once again confirms my resolve to promote spaying and neutering with everything i've got! I am in the process of getting "The Snippets" going right now, so stay tuned. We gotta get 'em all SNIPPED so that we can save a gazillion lives! It's the ONLY way!!!!!!!