Cat adventures in Atlanta and a little artistic inspiration....

Audrey, Charlene and I made it to Atlanta last week safe and sound. The drive down there always stresses me out a little bit because I worry about my precious cargo. But they did great....napped most of the way and settled in well at Good Mews. I visited with all of the GM kitties and caught up with one of the wonderful volunteers. As I've said many times before, I LOVE that place and wish that every city had a no kill shelter like Good Mews!!

Christopher...a totally adorable 3-legged Good Mews kitty.



Freddie...cutest boy ever and a GM volunteer favorite!



After I left there, I went to my dear friend's apartment to spend the night AND help her trap some feral cats she has been feeding since she moved in there in June. She has been a bit terrified of the whole trapping process, so I knew that I had to get her started and help ease her fears. We easily trapped one of the girls and two of the boys and got them all spayed/neutered and vaccinated the next day. She was very afraid that they would be mad at her, but I told her that once feral cats are back in familiar territory they are so happy and quickly forget about their "snipping" :)! Sure enough, one of the boys even escorted her back to her apartment the next day after feeding time and gave her extra leg rubs. She has 2 more females and 3 more males left to TNR, so paws crossed that she will get them all taken care of before spring arrives. (I totally forgot to take photos of her colony...darn!! Sorry!)

In between all of the cat transporting/trapping/transporting, etc., we did manage to hit a few fun Atlanta shops! I went craaaazy over the new Johnathan Adler store that has opened up in Midtown near my old loft apartment. (oh to think if we still lived there, I could walk there every day!!!) It was amaaaazing...so vibrant and whimsical...a jolt of decorating joy! And, of course, we had to check out the new Anthropologie as well. As always, I could spend hours in there. They had the coolest display that has put me on the hunt for clear plastic spoons (I want to try to find recycled ones).

This quote should be my mantra. LOVE it.



A very expensive lounge and ottoman that I will be dreaming about....



Endless wonderfully whimsical ceramics...



Fantastically fun kid's room...



Flower/snowflake pendants made from spoons at Anthro. I WILL be making a few of these to hang from our celing.

Uncle Cracker

Some of you are probably wondering if I am ever going to show you any artwork again. It may be awhile, but I promise it is on the horizon. I will explain later. In the meantime, thank you for checking in for the non-stop cat chat :).

It is time to introduce the beloved Uncle Cracker! I trapped this handsome boy at the Kroger parking lot back in late October for the TNR clinic. He went through the program and had already been neutered. In fact, the doctor said that he had been neutered so young that she thought he was a female. Uncle stayed with us for a few days and then we had to put him back out with the Kroger colony. I can't express how much I HATED to do that knowing how tame he was once he got indoors and felt safe. I cried my eyes out the whole way to Kroger that night. I just had zero adoption prospects at the time and Good Mews was not taking in any new cats.

We continued to feed him and the others, and then last week, when some changes occurred at the Kroger lot, I knew I had to get him out of there for good. People had been dumping trash...tires, mattresses, all kinds of mess...behind the empty Kroger and the owner of the property finally put an end to it by cleaning it up and posting "No Dumping" and "No Trespassing" signs along with surveillance cameras. They also threw away our covered feeding stations and bowls. I was extremely worried about Uncle, so we tried to trap him the following night with no luck. There wasn't a sign of him anywhere. When I returned the next day, a policeman was camped out behind the building. I snuck some food into an inconspicuous spot and decided to return the next day with a fellow cat rescuer/trapper friend of mine. Long story short, we managed to trap dear Uncle Cracker! He was meowing like crazy and seemed incredibly happy to be in the backseat of my car. When I got home, he practically leaped out of the trap and into my arms. He has been snoozing comfortably in our "foster" bathroom for the past few days.

I took him to the vet to be combo tested (negative, thank goodness!) and asked them to also check for a microchip since he had clearly been neutered at such a young age. I had the suspicion that he could have been adopted from Lexington Humane. Sure enough, he had a microchip. That has NEVER happened in my 6 years of rescuing cats. We have called the owner's number several times and left messages, but he hasn't returned our calls which honestly doesn't surprise me. The address of his owner's home is about 2.5 miles from the Kroger, so who knows how he ended up there. Doesn't matter now because he is safe and sound with me and hopefully we will find him a loving home soon or he can go to Good Mews in Atlanta eventually.

I am actually driving to Atlanta on Monday to take Audrey Hepburn and Charlene Gingerbean to Good Mews. As always, I am thrilled and incredibly grateful that GM is willing to take them in! I know they will get wonderful homes quickly once they are there. For those of you who are new to my blog, Good Mews is an AMAZING no kill, cage free cat shelter. I can't say enough good things about them. Check out their website if you get a chance. www.goodmews.org

So, here is the huggable and ever so loveable Uncle Cracker! Can you believe those eyes???? He may have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.

A Happy Ending/Beginning....

Brian and I delivered our precious foster kitty, Marmalade, to Good Mews in Atlanta last Friday. We left Lexington at 4:30 am and hit the road with a very scared little boy, but he calmed down quickly and was an absolutely excellent traveler!!! He sat quietly the whole trip and enjoyed chin scratches every few minutes :).

We checked him into Good Mews later that morning and sadly said our goodbyes. It is always awfully hard to let go of a foster especially one as adorably handsome and sweet as Marm! BUT we knew that he would have MANY kind volunteers showering him with love and that he would find a forever home very soon. How soon???! Well, I got notification last Saturday that he was going to be adopted by a very nice man. Amazing! He is supposed to go home with him tomorrow so I am anxious to hear how it goes. I hope Marm's new dad will contact me.

Nothing better than a happy beginning for a frightened stray kitty who will no longer suffer on the streets.....

Back to Cat Chat! Chanel and Versace....

Last September, these two beauties were abandoned at the back of our neighborhood. They were living in the storm drains for weeks :(. A kind neighbor alerted me about them, so I asked her to start putting food out nightly for them by one of the drain openings so that they wouldn't starve but also to keep them coming back to one place. They were terrified and would only appear after dark. We were able to trap Chanel on our first try, but Versace wasn't ready to fall for our tricks. Fortunately, a week later, he couldn't resist the temptation of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. THANK goodness! I was so happy to have them both safe and sound in our house.

I took them to our vet to be snipped, vaccinated and combo tested. They had already been spayed and neutered (at least their former owner had done that!!). Then I contacted Good Mews in Atlanta to see if they had room for them. They were willing to take them, but they had a rough fall with numerous door dumps and returns and slow adoptions, so we fostered Chanel and Versace until this week. Adoptions picked up at Good Mews so they were able to take them on Thursday. My husband had meetings in Atlanta so he was able to transport them. We were both SO sad about saying goodbye and we felt awful for them since we know they thought they were staying with us. It would be so much easier if we could explain things to them!

Well, this story already has a WONDERFUL ending! One of the volunteers who was there when my husband was checking Chanel and Versace in, fell in love with them and is adopting them both tomorrow!!!! I spoke with her on the phone last night and she is fantastic! They are going to be SO loved and well cared for. I can't believe how quickly this happened and how lucky they are! It makes all the tears and worry WELL worth it!

Meet Chanel and Versace!

As soon as I got Nadia on her way, I had to tackle trapping two new stray kitties in the back of our neighborhood. They showed up together at least a month ago and were living in the storm drains. Poor things were so scared that they would only appear at night when everything got quiet. I would see them on my evening runs but couldn't approach them without them darting into the drains or the tall weeds. A kind neighbor who lives closer to where they were hanging out than I do was willing to start feeding them. I wanted them to get used to eating in a certain spot so that I could trap them more easily. Last week, we got Chanel without much trouble, but her buddy, Versace, just wouldn't go in. But thankfully, a week later, he decided that our chicken nuggets were just too hard to resist! I was SO relived to get him inside and safe with Chanel.

I am convinced that they are brother and sister. They look alike except that Versace has longer hair. They both had already been spayed/neutered, so we just took care of their vaccinations and flea meds. They are incredibly loving and affectionate. My theory is that someone moved out of the apartments that back up to our neighborhood and abandoned them out in the greenspace near between the houses and the apartments. I cannot imagine how anyone could part with these gorgeous sweeties!

With fall and winter on the way, their lives would have been so miserable living in the drains and dealing with the harsh cold weather here. They are definitely happy to be inside and well fed! I am planning on taking them to Good Mews in a few weeks if I don't find them a good home around here.

Chanel and Versace reunited....purr, purr, purr....

A furry little gang is headin' to Atlanta!

I packed up my foster kittens and sent them on their way to Atlanta this morning! My husband had a meeting there so he is their delivery boy this time. They are going to Good Mews where they will go up for adoption immediately. I am soooooo incredibly grateful to GM for taking such good care of them!! It eases my mind immensely. I will miss these fuzzy bugs!

Grover, Cheetoh, Charlotte and Pixie....

SnipPet Fundraiser in honor of Be Kind to Animals Week!

In case you didn't know, Be Kind to Animals Week started today! Hooray!!!! I wanted to do something special to celebrate, so I have created a section in my Etsy shop dedicated to fundraising for three amazing rescue groups: Good Mews Animal Foundation (no kill cat shelter in Atlanta GA), Caring Hearts Feline Rescue (cat and kitten rescue in Versailles KY) and the Home At Last Feral Cat Program (spay/neuter clinic in Lexington KY). I have volunteered for all of them and can attest to the fantastic work they all do. They are all local groups that rely solely on donations, so they need our support.

100% of the sales in my fundraising section will go directly toward the group of your choice and it will be given in your name. Also, I am going to specify that the money be used to help fund their spay/neuter programs. So, it's basically shopping for snipping!! Lastly, as a little further incentive, I have reduced the prices of all the items that were put into this section to make them very affordable.

Click here to start shopping.

Gisele says, "Kindness to animals is what it's all about!!" (our former foster kitty... taken off the street and in a loving home now.)

Noodle and Meatball...a purrfect pair!

I am headed to Atlanta tomorrow to take 2 precious kittens to Good Mews. I can't believe I am going again...seems like I just went! But I had to help my friend, Jane, when she called me in tears. She had been feeding a lone kitten who was living at a Shell Station in Lexington. The workers there had also been kind enough to feed him and give him a little TLC now and then. Jane took the kitten to the monthly spay/neuter clinic to be snipped and vaccinated and when she went to return him, the manager flipped out and said that he HAD to be removed or ELSE! Well, Jane is at maximum cat capacity at her house and the adoption prospects are pretty slim around here right now, so I emailed my wonderful contact at Good Mews and THANK GOODNESS, they offered to take him!! So, this round little black kitten came to my house last Tuesday. He is adorable and amazingly tame to have been born outside. He does a lot of lounging around proudly showing his tummy. I chose the name Meatball...silly but it fits.

One of the vet techs at my vet's office always has lots of rescued kittens on her hands, so I asked her if she had one that she needed help with. She had a silvery striped tabby girl, so I picked up little Noodle from her last Friday. She is the opposite of Meatball...long, lean and svelte...a supermodel kitten! She is very chatty and purrs constantly and always wants to buzz around the room. Noodle was not excited about Meatball and is still getting used to her burly boyfriend. I think she is just playing hard to get.

I know Noodle and Meatball are the goofiest names, but Brian and I have been waiting to use those names because my nickname is the Noodle and he is the Meatball. Brian is built like a quarterback and I am scrawny and lanky. Too bad we aren't as cute as these two :)!

Meet Archie, Barley and Chili!

These three fuzzy goons were abandoned at my vet's office last week! Can you imagine??! They are THE cutest, sweetest boys ever! I am fostering them this week and will be driving them to Good Mews in Atlanta on Friday. I am so thrilled that they have a place to go where I know they will find wonderful homes quickly. They have been snipped and vaccinated and are ready to roll!

When I opened the door to the foster bathroom this morning, they were all lying in a pile of toilet paper. It was EVERYWHERE! They had quite a wild time overnight! I could hear them romping around like a herd of buffalo at the crack of dawn. They all waddled over to me purring like crazy. Just scrumptious! I can hardly stand the cuteness!

FREE SHIPPING for Valentine SnipPets!

Hip Hip Hooray! One month until Valentine's Day!! I am offering FREE SHIPPING on all Valentine artwork in my Etsy shop. In addition, you will receive a SnipPet bookmark and another little Valentine extra :).

Kitty update....
Remember Miss Biscuits?? Well, i didn't have any luck finding a home for her here. I had one pseudo offer and let's just say, many red flags went up and i found myself clutching Miss B tightly thinking, there is no way that you are going to adopt this little lady! Thankfully, Good Mews in Atlanta notified me that they could take her. I was beyond ecstatic to get her to my favorite place in the world! So, Miss Biscuits and I packed our bags and headed to Atlanta on Monday. She was a purrfect little traveler and so relaxed when we arrived at Good Mews. The volunteers were happy to meet her. Here is a photo I took of her the night before our road trip. Don't you want to kiss that tummy??!!

A few more photos before we head to Atlanta....

I have been spending lots of time with my three sweet pea bobtail girls over the past few days. Bonnie, Sylvie and Elsie are thoroughly enjoying my art studio/kitten room. Elsie likes to sleep on my shoulder while I work on the computer. OR she likes to sit on my lap and wave her arms around in my face (like she is going right now! tee hee!). They all like to lick my hands as I type and walk across the keyboard or fall on the mouse and delete whatever I am doing. I retyped one email 3 times!

They run around like a herd of buffalo chasing balls and mice...there must be 50 toys in here! By early afternoon, they are sacked out in my big chair sound asleep. I got a few great photos of them yesterday in full-on relaxation mode.

I will be packing these little ones up on Thursday morning, and we will be heading to Atlanta! A meowy girls' road trip for sure!

Spring cleaning, Gus and more WIPs on the way....

I took a weekend break from my artwork....needed to rest my brain and catch up around the house. I cleaned and put out some Easter decorations and organized our closets for spring. It was 40 degrees yesterday, but i am just SO tired of looking at sweaters and dark colors! We went out to dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant on Saturday night with some friends....such a yummy outing! Here is a photo taken in my springy kitchen... this is a massive clock that i made last year. I can't take credit for the idea. I saw it as a decor idea in Country Living and had to create one. My super handy brother-in-law made the round wood backing for me, and i got to do the fun part!



So, it's back to work today! I have so much to do. I should have some WIPs ready to show you in the next day or two. In the meantime, here's a little story about our dear boy, Gus.



We adopted Gus from a fantastic no-kill cat shelter called Good Mews in Atlanta in 2001. He was about 8 weeks old and had been attacked by another animal which had permanently damaged his back legs and digestive system. He was the only kitten in his litter that survived. Let me tell you, we had NO idea what we were getting into when we adopted him but we committed to love and care for him as long as needed. He is the true definition of "special needs". He has megacolon, bladder issues, neurological problems, skin allergies and has had hematomas in both ears. I can't even begin to express what we have been through with him over the past 8 years...medications, tests, near death scares, etc. But now, we have things down to a science. I express Gus' bladder twice a day, and my saint of a husband stimulates his bowels every morning. This cat has taught us more patience and perseverance than we ever thought possible. Gus has THE most amazing spirit. Even during his low points, he remains full of life. He purrs incessantly, runs around like a lunatic the best he can (he used to drag his legs but can now use them quite well in his own special way), and can hoist himself up into our bed or onto the sofa. He has made us laugh and cry harder than any other cat we've known. Our relationship with him runs deep and will never be repeated. To know him is to love him, and we'll do whatever it takes to keep him trucking for as long as we can. I always say that as long as he is still purring, everything is going to be ok.

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.