I’m expanding my repertoire! In an effort to express my love and appreciation for all animals, I have decided to expand the breadth of this blog to also cover some of the beautiful canines that I have photographed. Don’t worry cat lovers! I will still be posting plenty of photos of amazing cats as well.
I’m on a mission. I will use the power of photography to prove that cat people and dog people can peacefully coexist!
Now for some pups…
Name: Steven
Age: 6 months
Sex: Male
Breed: Pit Bill
This dog was FULL of energy for the first 10 minutes that I was shooting him. He was jumping all over me, licking my face, eating my camera strap, tugging at my apron… And then, he just crashed. He curled up in my fellow volunteer’s arms and passed out. Oh, to be a puppy!
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Names: Unknown
Ages: 9 weeks and 13 weeks
Sexes: 2 male, 1 female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
It is a perfect fall day here in Chicago. Crisp air, multicolored leaves, and kittens.
Happy Friday!
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Name: Emily Rose
Age: 13 Weeks
Sex: Female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
This little kitten was such a joy to photograph. The light was perfect, casting an artistic shadow onto her adorable face. Emily Rose has the sweetest, most gentle temperament. Mature far beyond her 13 weeks, this little girl would often stare dreamily out the window and act as the peacemaker in the other little kitten brawls. It is no wonder she was adopted the same day this photo was taken!
PS: Sorry I’ve been away for so long! My “real” job has been crazy busy and well, sometimes life just gets in the way of us doing the things we love the most.
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Names: Sarah Jean and Blanche
Ages: 1 year and 5 years
Sexes: Both Female
Breeds: Domestic Short Hair (DSH) and Domestic Long Hair (DLH)
Why is it that pictures of animals with their tongues hanging out are so darn cute? I have to say, tongue shots tend to be some of my favorite photos because they have so much personality. Without further ado, here are some great tongue shots to brighten your day:
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Name: Firecat
Age: 9 years
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic Long Hair
When you look into Firecat’s eyes, they exude wisdom, like an old soul. Kind, gentle, and intuitive far beyond his 9 years, Firecat is a shelter favorite. Oh, and he has the softest, most gorgeous burnt orange fur, similar to a mane. If you need a sympathetic ear to tell your deepest secrets, Firecat is the cat for you. All he will ask for in return is a warm lap and a scratch behind the ears.
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Name: Kat Von D
Age: 1 Year
Sex: Female
Breed: Bengal Mix
Little miss Kat Von D definitely displays the behaviors of your typical bengal… She is a total lover, vocal, and LOVES playtime. She got so excited about the camera that she immediately wanted to play “peek-a-boo” with it!
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Names: Pepper, Salvadore, & Marble Loaf
Sexes: Female, Female, & Male
Ages: 12 years, 6 months, & 1 year
Breeds: Domestic Long Hair, Domestic Short Hair, Domestic Medium Hair
Happy Friday the 13th! Let’s change the superstitions about our friend le chat noir… Instead, today we will celebrate the beauty of the black cat.
Young or old, long hair or short, a black cat is the perfect addition to any household. If you are thinking about adopting a cat in the near future, consider a black cat. They may not be as flashy as some of the other cats there, but they are classic, timeless, and you know what they say: black goes with everything!
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Name: ? Possibly Firefly, but I forgot to write it down and he got adopted so quickly, that by the time I got back to check, he was gone!
Age: 1 year
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic Medium Hair
Talk about the perfect place to take a “cat” nap. What do you think this little guy is dreaming about?
My guess is a home of his own with cool humans to feed him and love him. Well, dreams do come true because he got his wish only a few days after he arrived at PAWS Chicago!
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Name: Honey Bee
Age: 3 years
Sex: Female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
This is the tale of a yawn. Not just any yawn, but a really big, super cute cat yawn. The story begins with an investigation:
Sniff, Sniff…
BORING!!!
Wow, really boring!
What a big yawn… That yawn was so big that I tired myself out.
Totally exhausted from that yawn. I can’t keep my head up… Time to sleep.
to all my readers–
I want to offer my apologies for going 2 weeks without updating my blog. There was a tragic death in my family that not even pictures of cats could help. Time heals all, though, as they say and the pictures of beautiful felines are once again making the day brighter. Be on the look-out for awesome pictures of cute shelter felines later today!
Name: Harrison
Age: 3 years
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Harrison epitomizes the phrase “love bug”. The moment he arrived at the shelter, he made himself right at home. Within minutes he was searching out a good lap to take a good snooze on, belly-up nonetheless! If Harrison is this trusting, laid back, and loving at the shelter, I can only imagine how awesome he would be in a house of his own. If I didn’t already have 4 of my own (4 is the house limit), I would definitely be bringing this big bundle of love home.
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Name: Ellis Carver
Age: 1 year
Sex: Female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Have you ever met a cat (or human for that matter) that just has that look in their eyes? You know the look I mean… One of total insanity…
Ellis Carver has that look in her eyes and the personality to back it up. She can be totally wild, tearing around the room and smacking other cats in the face. Then a few minutes later she is a complete sweetheart, purring and licking your fingers. Lather, rinse, repeat.
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Name: Lima
Age: 2 Years
Sex: Female
Breed: Siamese
When most cats come into the shelter, the abundance of windows with their own kitty reflections staring back at them doesn’t seem to phase them a bit. Then there are the few, like little Lima here, who are totally engrossed by the cat staring back at them. Maybe it’s because Lima just likes looking at her own loveliness. I mean with eyes like hers, who wouldn’t?
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Names: TBD
Ages: 6 Weeks
Sexes: 2 males, 1 female
Breed: Ragdoll and Domestic Long Hair Mix
Considering adopting kittens but not sure if they are for you? Maybe you should consider becoming a kitten foster parent!
For kitten Friday this week, I went to the home of Amy, a PAWS Chicago kitten foster mom. Her latest fosters are too cute for words. These little balls of puff were semi-feral when she got them a few weeks ago, but now they are little love bug thanks to Amy’s great work. We need more fosters who are as awesome as Amy!
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PS: Be sure to check out the “Just Images” for more cute pictures of these babies!
Name: Rose
Age: 5 years
Sex: Female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Likes: WET FOOD; mashing her face into hard objects and sleeping that way; her cardboard box, cat tube, and tent (no other cats allowed); standing over my face while I’m asleep and shouting
Dislikes: When other cats try to use her cardboard box, cat tube, or tent; closed doors; when me or my boyfriend sleep without asking her first if it is OK; soft sleeping places
For the past week, my poor little Rose has been very sick with some chronic digestive issues, which have precluded me from posting on a regular basis. She is on the road to recovery (thankfully) and it only seemed fitting that my first post after the hiatus be dedicated to her.
Rose came into my life when I went to the shelter to adopt a friend for Isobel and fell in love with an adorable kitten (Sophia). Problem was, she had a twin sister that she was bonded with (Rose), and well being the softie that I am, I couldn’t bear to separate them. So I adopted them both and I couldn’t be happier.
Rose gets her name from the character on the Golden Girls because that is exactly her personality, a little dim but so sweet and gentle. A truly awesome cat who acts as the peacekeeper in my crazy multiple cat household.
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Sorry about the size… This is another picture from my film camera which was then scanned into digital.
Name: Nilla
Age: 4 years
Sex: Female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
… but I think that he has been reincarnated as a cat. I mean, how else could Nilla have learned that lip action?
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Names: TBD
Ages: 2-4 months
Sexes: Male & Female
Breeds: Domestic Short Hair and Domestic Medium Hair
Well, the week has come to an end once again and you know what that means: Kitten Friday!! This Friday is extremely special because it marks the first day of the PAWS Chicago All-Star Adopt-A-Thon, running from today until next Friday. If you live in the Chicago area and are looking to adopt a cat, kitten, dog, or puppy, stop by PAWS Chicago this week to meet your fur-ever friend.
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Name: Trent
Age: 2 years
Sex: Male
Breed: Bengal Mix
While I was photographing the seriously gorgeous cat Trent, he was posing like a rockstar. He gave me everything from angelic to blue steel, but my favorite look is the confused one he gave me when he first heard my camera focusing. The funniest part is that he must have kept that look on his face for at least the first 10 pictures I took before he proceeded to lick (“clean”) my lens and settle into posing. Thankfully, I brought my lens cleaner with me!
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Name: Linus
Age: 1.5 years
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
Today is just one of those crazy-town busy days! Somehow there is always time for pictures of cute shelter cats though…
I shot this picture last evening of my little Linus and had to quickly take a moment to share it with everyone. He is a serious under the covers cat. From the moment we brought him home from PAWS, he nestled under the blankets and hasn’t really moved since. This is what happened when I sneaked up and exposed him yesterday:
Name: Luca
Age: 6 years
Sex: Female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
The name Luca is derived from the Latin word lux, meaning light. These photos only just hint at how perfect Luca’s name is for her. (I know, I know. It is technically a male name, but who cares? It is perfect for her anyway.) In person, she is absolutely radiant from the inside out.
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Name: Jorge
Age: 2 years
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
Arr, Matey! It often takes people a minute or two to notice what makes Jorge unique because it seems so very natural and fitting with his personality that he only has one eye. Somewhere in a former life, he was a salty pirate on the high seas. The only problem is that with Jorge’s feline ways, I’m not sure that a parrot would be the most appropriate companion…
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Names: TBD…
Sexes: The two tabbys are male, the rest are female
Ages: 3-4 months
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
Today marks another bright, beautiful Friday here in Chicago. What better to go with gorgeous weather and the promise of the weekend than pictures of ridiculously cute shelter kittens? Nothing, I say!
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Name: Hoppy
Age: 1.5 years
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
I think that the pictures say everything about Hoppy. Is he as beautiful, kind, and inquisitive as these images portray him to be? Yes, yes he is.
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Name: Sean
Age: 4 years
Sex: Male
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
These photos of Sean are a very happy accident. I went in to photograph his roommate and he was having none of that. Sean definitely wanted to be the center of attention, posing, purring, meowing, and rubbing up against me.
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Name: Isobel
Age: 7.5 years
Sex: Female
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (DSH)
Likes: Open windows, being belly-up in the middle of the floor, the red blanket (pictured), hiding important things like keys
Dislikes: Linus chasing her around, Sophia smacking her in the face, closed doors, thunderstorms, wet food of any kind, Linus (wait, did I say that already?)
Isobel came into my life when she was only 6 months old. My apartment building in college had a rodent issue and my landlord was too cheap to hire an exterminator. The solution? He actually changed the lease to allow pets and paid for Isobel’s adoption fee. It turned out well for the both of us: I got my first cat as an “adult” and my landlord didn’t have to pay for an exterminator for my apartment.
At the shelter, Isobel won me over with her sweet and clumsy ways. When I got her home she immediately jumped onto the large pile of clothes covering the papasan chair (hey, it was college), started purring, and fell asleep. Since that time, we’ve been through 4 moves and 3 different cities together. She is the most well-behaved, easy-going, and tolerant member of my feline family. She demands the least, but deserves the most.
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This image was taken with my now deceased Pentax film camera about 6 years ago in the aforementioned apartment, hence the “grain” in the image. Sometimes, I really miss film (just not the cost!)
