PAWsomeArt.com - A New Gift Store for Animal Lovers

I started a new online business about a month ago that I wanted to share.  It is called PAWsome Art and this new business combines my love of animals, with my love for art and creating beautiful things.

PAWsomeArt.com will carry jewelry, cards, prints and art for animal lovers.  Currently, there is jewelry and cards, and soon I will be adding prints, all designed by me.  This is a business I hope to grow and add to for a long time.  I have a love for most animals, but cats and dogs are my true inspiration so a lot of what I carry will be cat and dog related.

(As I write this, I am surrounded by all my pets.  Help!  I am sitting on my couch and I have Motor on my left side,  Jack on my right, and Tiger on the cat climbing furniture, right in front of me.  I was gone this morning, so now they have a need to huddle around me.  They are all relaxing, they have their eyes closed, but I know what they are really waiting for is for me to feed them.  It's getting close to dinner time.) 

I want to share a few of the items that I have made for my new store...

A cool kitty necklace.

Another cool cat necklace, this one with the artwork of my favorite vintage artist, Louis Wain.

This shows a lose up portion of a gorgeous necklace with a crane.  This is a one of a kind piece. 

Love paw pendant.

This is a favorite of mine:  Peace, Love Rescue.

This is one of my cards, and yes, that is Motor.  It has my most favorite animal quote on it: "When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal.  I see a friend.  I feel a soul."  There are also prints available of this.  They are just not up in the store yet.

Another cat card.

And another cat card.

With all of my sales from my PAWsome Art gift items, I am donating 5-10% of my profits to animal related causes:  rescues and shelters, spay and neuter, and hopefully more.  These causes are very important to me, and this is a way that I can help for now.  I hope to do more as this business grows.  It maybe small, but all ready I have been able to donate $15.00 to Miranda's Rescue, the rescue we adopted Jack from, and $15.00 to another local non profit that is collecting funds to open a dog park. 

I hope you come by and take a look at my new store.  And please, tell your friends about it too.   And if you are on Facebook, please "like" my PAWsomeArt page.  Here is that link:  https://www.facebook.com/PAWsomeArtDesigns

Recent Goings On at The Very Best Cats

Life, here, at The Very Best Cats has been very busy lately. We have had some health issues with your animals that as everyone that loves a pet knows, can be very distressing. Jack, our 7 year old mini schnauzer has developed incontinence. He leaks all day, everywhere. Besides all the constant laundry and extra cleaning we are doing, you can also tell it is distressing to him. We took Jack to our vet and had him checked out. The vet thinks he is healthy. No diabetes, no bladder problems. Just incontinent. So we are trying him on a medication for female dogs, called Proing. Seems to be working for now.

Jack, relaxing in the studio with me.

The other issue we are having with Jack is collasping. We have 2 different types of collapsing. The collapsing in the morning during his morning walk. Within the first couple of blocks, his back legs start getting wobbly and he has to lay down for about half a minute, then he is ready to go again. The second form of collapsing happens if he gets excited and overly playful. And it doesn't take a lot of exertion for this one to happen. But I will see his back legs start to wobble, the he falls on his side with his legs straight out and stiff, and he doesn't move for 1-2 minutes. He has his eyes open, and is breathing normally. After the couple of minutes, he is back up to his normal self. It looks like that on the outside. Don't know what is going on on the inside. Either does the vet.

Outside the studio, in the catio, in the sun.

 Oh, there is one more version of his collapsing, where his muscles go limp and he just kind of melts into the floor or his bed if he is in it. I can tell you, these have been very distressing and worrisome for me. And the fact that the vet can't really tell me anything about them is not helpful.

Then we have Tiger. Tiger can be a bit compulsive about cleaning. But in the last couple of months, he has been excessive. Cleaning and scratching so much that he has had scabs all over his face and chin. Last week he actually had open wounds, hot spots, caused from his scratching and biting. So I went to my local pet store and 2 different clerks suggested food allergies. I didn't think much about it at first. Then a decided to stop feeding him one of 2 dry foods I had changed him to about 2 months ago. It is one of the very healthy natural brands called Blue. Well that was it. By the second day of being off that food, he is back to his old self again. I feel bad that it took me 2 months to figure this out for him, but I am glad I finally have. He is much more calm and relaxed. And so am I.

Tiger stretching in the sun, in the catio.

 And just to let you know, Motor is good. No health problems to share with Motor. Thank goodness.

Motor, relaxing.

During this time of health concerns with my pets, I also made a huge discovery. An outdoor cat that I was taking care of for about 4 years before we adopted Jack, has been found. You may remember Smokey, my outside girl. I tried to bring her indoors to make her an indoor cat right before she either took off or someone picked her up out of our neighborhood and rehomed her. I was so sad. And I have been looking for her in my neighborhood since.

Smokey.

One recent afternoon while I was taking a break from working, I was checking out my Facebook page and I saw one of our local adoption/rescue agencies had a photo of a cat that looked like her, with a small write up saying someone was looking for a home for her. That they couldn't take care of her anymore. From the description online, I just though it looked like her, so I called the phone number with the listing and found out this cat was about 2 miles away from where I live. I got the address and had to go there twice, but I finally met the cat, and it is Smokey. She remembered me. It was like old homecoming week. She came to me and let me pet her and talk to her, and she rolled over on her back and let me pet her more. I am so happy to know she is OK, and looks very healthy.

Beautiful Smokey.

Now I am trying to decide whether or not to try to rehome her here, again. If she remains an outdoor cat, she is in a better neighborhood where she is right now. The person I contacted has been feeding her but she is moving and all ready has 2 cats. I don't know if anyone else is taking care of her. If I bring her our home, I don't know if she wants to be an indoor cat. There are so many adjustments she would have to make. And there are so many adjustments my family of pets would have to make. I think if I tried to rehome her and have her be an outdoor cat where I live, she would just take off again because of our dog Jack. So I have a lot to consider.

Dear friends, if you have any feedback or advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

So that is our latest news. Sorry we have been away or so long. Just a busy life. Hope all our kitty friends are happy and healthy.

The Kitty Marching Band

The video I am sharing is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.  It is by Mitchiri Neko and it is of a kitty marching band, with a very catchy tune.  It is a very fun and happy video.  Please, take a look.  I think you will enjoy.

Those Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Autumn

We have been having some very beautiful autumn days here in Northern CA. Coldish in the morning, but by mid-morning, warming up into a nice afternoon. And all the furry folk at "The Very Best Cats" have been enjoying their time in it, out in the catio. I think Jack has even forgotten he is a dog when he is out there with Tiger and Motor.

Motor and Jack

Jack has a tendency to go in and out and in and out all day so the catio is perfect for him.

Motor and Jack

And Motor!  I love when I see him out there soaking up the sun.  Tiger has a tendency to run him out of the catio so I really enjoy seeing Motor relaxed and content.

Tiger

And here is Tiger.  In his newest location.  I think the plastic enclosures I have out there help hold in the heat.  Tiger has been enjoying his time sleeping and cleaning and over seeing activities in the catio. 

All is well.

Happy Gotcha Day Tiger

Eight years ago today, a seven week old ginger kitty stole my heart and changed my life for the better. That was my boy Tiger, and today is his "gotcha day."

That would have to have been one of the best days of my life. I was not looking to adopt a kitten on that day. I was going to wait and do some research on adopting a second cat. You see, we all ready had a senior cat, K.C., and I wanted to find out as much as I could about bringing a kitten into an all ready established cat home.

My husband and I just happened to be taking a walk and we passed by our local pet store that had kittens up for adoption and there was Tiger. I kept checking him out, and checking him out, not wanting to pick him up but wanting to pick him up. I knew I would be a goner once I held him because he was so cute. Finally I asked to hold him, and the deal was sealed. We signed the necessary paperwork and paid for whatever adoption costs there were, and we walked him home.

Tiger my studio buddy.

We have had our ups and downs with Tiger. He had a tendency toward aggression and needed to establish dominance, even with me, for many years. It was scary at times. But we made it through the worst of it. He is quite a bit mellower now that he is eight. Thank goodness.

My life is definitely better with Tiger in it.  I am so glad we adopted him, eight years ago today.

Mr. Handsome

Mom: Oh Tiger! You look so handsome. I have to take your picture.

Tiger: Really Mom?  Really? I don't really think you do.

Tiger: Motor! Help me out here. Get her to go away.

Tiger: Motor!

Tiger:  Some help he is. I should have known I was on my own.

Scientists Sign Declaration That Animals Share the Same Awareness With Humans

I just read a great blog post on the blog, White Wolf Pack. It is about an international group of prominent scientists that have signed The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness. This declaration proclaims their support for the idea that animals are conscious and aware to the degree that humans are. The list of animals includes all mammals, birds, and even the octopus.

This is so exciting to me. I have felt this to be true, but there are way too many people that seem to take animals for granted in many ways. If this information is shared more widely, maybe we can start to make a shift in human consciousness regarding our treatment of animals.

 This post is very interesting, as well as informational. I highly recommend taking the time to read it.

Brothers From Another Mother

Tiger and Motor are brothers.  Not biological.  Adopted separately, two years apart.  And for the most part, they get along fine. 

One morning the boys were not to be found until I went upstairs to my bedroom.  There they were,  sleeping side by side, with their paws extended toward each other.  I thought that was the sweetest thing.  So of course, out comes the camera.

 This is how I found them as I walked in the room.

Tiger is on the left, Motor on the right.

Just love the kitty paws!

Rare Events Happen

It is a rare day when Motor gets to be outside in the catio in peace.  Tiger dominates that space and most times, chases him out.  So when I actually see Motor out there relaxed, I am so happy.  These photos were taken on one of those rare days when Tiger was "allowing" Motor to stay outside with him.

We have a bench with a large soft pillow on it in the catio for the boys to  sleep on. 

Tiger is the blonder of my two gingers.  He is on the left.

Sleeping peaceful.

My two boys.

A Spot of Sunshine

Summer weather here in Northern CA has not been very summery.  So when we had a brief, 5 minute cloud clearing yesterday, Tiger made sure he was going to make the most of it.

My cat's catio is right outside my studio, and when I looked outside, this is what I saw.

Tiger was all sprawled out, soaking up the sun so I had to get my camera.

That's my boy! 

I took LOTS of photos, and after a while Tiger decided he was done.  Here he is, walking back into the studio. 

The Hazards of Backyard Hens

OK.  I have another video for you.  I found this on Facebook.  I find it hilarious because the woman in the video is talking about me.  To an extreme.

I have been talking to my husband lately about getting backyard chickens for organic eggs.  We will probably not be doing that, but I did see Costco had a kit to put together a small backyard chicken coop last night.  And I did have to tell my husband about it.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.


This video is by the YouTube channel, OneGirlsRant.

Be More Dog

OK.  I have  a great new video to share.  I think you will like this one.

God Made a Dog

We here at The Very Best Cats love cats and dogs. And we came across this video this morning that we wanted to share.

 If you love dogs too, this is a must watch. Very touching.

Shedding Season

Right now, my cats are shedding like CRAZY. I can brush them, and as soon as I am done, if I pet them, I am covered in fur. If I kiss them, like I am prone to do, I have fur sticking to my face and going up my nose.

 Oh, I love my boys. If only there was a solution.

 Oh wait! There is. Cat vacumning! Take a look here...

 

This cat is very cute and LOVES the vacumn.   If only my cats would go for that.  Tiger and Motor, will not let me anywhere near them when the vacumn comes out.

 Well it looks like a good solution, but not for The Very Best Cats.  I guess I am just going to have to continue to live like them, all covered in fur.

Mystery Cat

Walked into my studio the other day, just to find this. What a great silhouette, I thought. Let me go get my camera.

But the question was, who could that be?

Oh wait, we need to do a little cleaning before the mystery could be revealed.

Maybe it is not a cat at all, but a rabbit. Look at those ears. Could it be?

It's my Motor! Mystery revealed.  It was a cat after all.

And one of the two, Very Best Cats.