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Taking Good Pet Photos

Good pictures make a huge difference in the responses you get to any adoption post. It’s not an easy task but totally worth the trouble, in my experience. The whites and the calicos will advertise themselves, but the greys and gingers need us to give them that extra oomph. This post is to help take good, clear pictures of fosters to help in adoption. Of course, it'll help take good pics of your pets too! Here are some tips: 1. Take pics in natural light. Balcony (cat proofed), open a window, open the curtains. 2. Earlier in the morning and late afternoon are good times for outdoor shoots. avoid peak sunlight 3. Do not use flash. 4. Use a good camera. 5. Focus on the eyes. Eyes should be sharp and should look into the camera. 6. Have a toy to bring attention to the camera – AFTER you have composed the frame and set the focus. Just before clicking, make them look at you. Make a sound if that works. Having an extra person may help. 7. Get the camera down to the pet’s eye level. 8...
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Why Two Kittens are Better than One!

I’ve been convinced for a while now that cats and kittens are better adopted in pairs and it was my own experience that convinced me of this. When I adopted Totem, I had thought of eventually getting a companion for him, but kept putting it off because I felt I was not ready. That I would be unable to handle two cats on my own, that two cats are too much work. Fate pretty much took that choice away from me and I couldn’t be happier about it. JJ came to me as a foster, and I was very keen to get him adopted. I even had an adopter finalized. But slowly I noticed some changes in Totem. He used to be cranky and super needy, very vocal and restless. He had gone from being a street cat to a house cat who was staying alone at home for 8-9 hours. And when I’d be back home, it’s not like I could spend all my time with him. We’d have dedicated play sessions but I could see he wasn’t happy. Along came JJ and bonded with Totem like a match made in heaven. Totem mothered h...

Adoption Guide

This post is meant for foster parents and rescuers who have kittens that need to be adopted out. I'm outlining the process I and some of my fellow rescuers have been following. Please note that depending on the situation, this process can be modified. A good time to start the process would be when the kitten is about 35 days old, and has started eating independently and uses the litter box consistently - this process takes time and should not be rushed. The actual adoption will take more time, and should be done only after the kitten is more than 45 days of age. Step 1: Pictures Take good quality, clear pictures. Individual pictures of the cat/kitten looking into the camera. Pictures in natural light with a sober, non-cluttered background work best, the focus will stay on the cat. Get close up pictures of the face, and also full profile pictures. Take a video too, if possible - a short one of the kitten playing. I personally prefer to not put bows and "decorating...

Neonatal Kitten Care

Neonatal kittens are those that range from 0-4 weeks in age. Their care differs significantly from independent kittens (those that can eat food and go to the bathroom on their own). The following is a preliminary guide to caring for neonatal kittens. Should you happen to find a kitten/ litter of kittens by themselves, the first thing to do would be to look for signs of a mother. There is no better person to care for the kittens than their mother. Do not dislocate the kittens or change their position unless their current area is obviously unsafe. Leave them where they are and watch for a mother. If you must change their position to make it safer for them, put them in an open, newspaper lined cardboard box with minimal handling, close to the place where you found them. In case the mother fails to turn up, only then must you take them in and begin caring for them. Even then, keep watching for the mother for a couple of days in case she happens to return to the area, so that ...