Nov 26, 2012
If you have been following the Posh Pets’ Facebook page, you know that we have welcomed a new furry face into our life. Baxter is 2 years old and a beautiful grey tabby whom we adopted from Toronto Animal Services (North Region) on November 12, 2012. It has only been 2 weeks and yet I think we could not have chosen a better companion for our 15.5 year old Lady Jane.
For the benefit to those who do not know, Ripley (who was our 17+ years old orange tabby) passed away at the end of May. For the first four days, Lady Jane did nothing but sleep…I believe she was mourning the loss of the companion she had known all of her life. Together, the three of us slowly made adjustments to a new routine that did not involve Ripley. But for Lady Jane, this meant she no longer had a playmate or simply another feline creature to interact with. We, therefore, became her only source of companionship. Daily, she would holler at us to come to sit on the bed with her and would have been thrilled if we could simply nap there for hours. Of course, as much as I would have liked to some days, that simply was not practical and we came to realize that Lady Jane needed a friend.
When we discussed the possibility, my husband had two requirements: he wanted a male cat (he thought Lady Jane would accept a male more easily than a female) and he wanted him to be cuddly so that he could pick him up (as he had done with Ripley). I wanted a cat whose personality would mesh with Lady Jane’s, for I refused to put her in the position of being uncomfortable in her own home. We both agreed that whoever he was, he would be adopted from a shelter.
Fortunately, I volunteer once a week at the Toronto Animal Services and therefore see my share of kitties all looking for forever homes. But, I would return week after week with no one special having caught my eye. That was until I met Baxter (who had been given the name Horatio upon arrival at the shelter).
Baxter was in the “bubble” at the shelter which meant he interacted well with other cats. Unfortunately, his bubble mates were both females and one, in particular, was a bit of diva – she would walk up to Baxter and swat at him. So, he spent a lot of his time hiding the walls of the shelter (there is a little space just big enough for a cat to squeeze through – the timid ones will find their way in there). He also sneezed. A lot. But, when I or any other person came into the room, he would eventually come out from his hiding spot and greet them. So, he passed the first test: he was male. And the second question was answered when I picked him up and he nuzzled my neck. However, as you can imagine it is not easy to tell the personality of a cat by spending a few minutes with him, especially as Baxter seemed to have a rather difficult relationship with the females he shared the bubble with. But, I did notice that he simply retreated as opposed to becoming aggressive – I never saw a swat, heard a hiss or any other such things – and it was enough to get me thinking…perhaps he would be the one.
I returned home and told my husband about him and showed him the pictures I had taken. He agreed that he was a beautiful cat and when I told him that he liked to cuddle, we made arrangements to return that evening.
It didn’t take long. Dean picked Baxter up and cuddled him. Baxter sneezed. And I talked to him about what type of home he might come home to. Within 10 minutes, my husband said, “let’s take him home”.
Many have asked how Lady Jane has adjusted to the new “man” in her life. Well, Baxter has won her over. The first evening when he arrived, he was greeted with curiosity and then low throated growls as Lady Jane told him that he was not welcome. But, he held his own for Baxter was not afraid. He simply lay down calmly at a nice distance away and ever so slowly closed his eyes. If you know anything about cat communication, that was a signal that he was not about to become an alpha cat and he was really no threat. He would yawn, turn his head away, and even showed his belly…all in an effort to make friends.
By the third day, Lady Jane was no longer growling when she saw him and Baxter and her could sleep together on our bed. I suppose that is why Baxter thought he should take their relationship to the next step – he walked up to her, sniffed her, and then kissed her! Well, he got a growl and a hiss for that (and rightly so for being so forward, so early in the relationship)!
Two weeks later, Baxter is a new man. He no longer sneezes (we think it was simply the dust from the walls) and he got a clean bill of health from our vet! Everyone who meets him wants to take him home with them and it is amazing to us how different he is from the cat we met at the shelter. The Baxter we know is full of energy and loves to play and run and jump and is not at all bothered by the fact that he still gets the odd “warning” from Lady Jane when he takes the play too far. He simply wants to be friends with all he meets – human or feline – and has a lovely personality to do so. He’s even gorgeous when he sleeps and has an innate sense to turn his head to the light to be photographed 🙂
We love our boy – and love seems to be the only thing that Baxter wants. Given that Lady Jane is approximately 85 years old and Baxter is 24 years old in human years, we are so happy that things have gone so well. Lady Jane is his girl and he follows her everywhere, even waiting patiently outside the litter box while she does her business. (I’ve told him he has to learn to give her a little privacy.) As my mother says,”if at Lady Jane’s age you can get a 24 year old to be that into you without the help of surgery…well, kudos to her!”
Yes, Baxter has come home. And, it is forever.
Nov 8, 2012
When I first conceived of Posh Pets Photography, I had determined that I would “give back” by volunteering my talents as a photographer to photograph adoptable animals. It was a great plan, but I was plagued by three questions:
- One, would anyone accept me as a volunteer?
- Two, would I be able to take photographs of shelter animals of differing dispositions in unfavourable circumstances?
- And three, would it ever make a difference in the lives of these little furry faces?
So hesitant was I to offer my services that it took months before I plucked up the courage to walk into Toronto Animal Services to inquire if they needed anyone with my skills. As serendipity would have it, the shelter manager herself happened to be at the front desk that day, and as I stumbled badly through my “pitch”, I thought for sure she would say no. Her answer was immediate. When can you start?
That was in November of 2011…a whole year has passed since then! In that time, I have had the privilege of working with the wonderful staff at TAS – they have been integral in the success I have found in doing this week after week. I have also had the joy of meeting so may wonderful furry faces and watching with happiness as they, one by one, find their forever homes. Truthfully, some days are better than others. Sometimes the weather is glorious, the dogs and cats perfect models, and it is like I cannot take a bad photograph. Other days, it is raining, cold and we have the challenge of photographing a shy and fearful dog. But either way, those few moments of belly rubs and treats results in a photograph that will be posted on the website for the world to see.
Which brings me to Buddy.
I photographed Buddy this past summer on June 11, 2012. We took his image in what I call the “courtyard” at TAS…not as picturesque as it sounds. He was a bit shy, bewildered really as to how at 10 1/2 years old, he now found himself abandoned. I knew we had to get a special picture of Buddy for this senior to have a chance at adoption and, as I recall, I worked with him for quite a while. When I returned the next week, I was told that Buddy had gone to rescue. This made me happy as he would have a better chance in their hands, but I was sure that that was all I would hear of him. You see, I don’t often get feedback as to what happens to the animals after they go to rescue, and I didn’t expect Buddy’s situation to be any different.
Until last week, that is, when I received this e-mail…
Alfie (formerly Buddy ) was not put out on the adoption floor as he had been pulled by Speaking of Dogs. His photo was that of your beautiful work so I recognized immediately he had come from TAS North… While the old man of 10 1/2 was scraggly, emaciated and in serious need of medical TLC your photo exemplified his gentle, loving soul through his soft brown eyes. I can only imagine how difficult he would have been to adopt given his condition with the usual quick point and shoot. Thanks to you & Speaking of Dogs he came ‘ home ‘ to us and lived two spoiled, adored months of squirrel chasing, hugs and lake trips.
Thank you for offering your time and care to those who need it most.
My eyes welled with tears when I read these kind words. Not only had Buddy (now Alfie) found a home, but he had enjoyed the last two months of his life surrounded by love and comfort that only a home can give. And…the writer had said that my image had made a difference!
I was moved to reach out to Alfie’s mom and asked her for permission to share some of her thoughts on the time they had him with him. She wrote me back with these words…
Two months or two years seems like a blip in time but we could not have imagined our lives without that boy. Total lover – a leaner if you will. Was our pleasure to shower him with love and dignity. Life is about quality not quantity. Seniors have so much to teach us about life and love.
Such truth in those words. And so, thank you to all of you who foster and adopt abandoned animals, especially the seniors. Thank you to all of the shelter and rescue organizations that give these furry faces a second chance. And thank you, dear blog readers, facebook followers and all of you who reach out to me to let me know how the story ends for these lovely pets – I truly appreciate it!
I will now leave you with Buddy’s image. Looking at it now, it is not the best one I have ever taken. It won’t ever win any awards. But, it got Buddy, as Alfie, a second chance. And that, quite simply, is good enough for me.
I am not alone in volunteering for a shelter organization. Posh Pets Photography is a proud member of HeARTs Speak, a global network of animal photographers, artists, authors, graphic designers, and advocates who believe in the power of collaboration to reduce the number of adoptable animals unnecessarily euthanized each year. Artists. Helping. Animals. For more information on HeARTs Speak, please see their webpage by clicking here.
Sep 27, 2012
A few days ago we spent some time in Caesarea, specifically amongst the ancient ruins that date from King Herod’s time. The views of the Mediterranean Sea were stunning and it was somewhat overwhelming to stand on the remains of what was, at one time, the busiest port and to imagine what life was like. Today, Caesarea has been revitalized with art and jewellery stores together with some amazing restaurants where you can sit and enjoy the view.
One thing we did notice as soon as we got there was that there seemed to be a lot of cats enjoying the view (and the friendly pats from the tourists!) as well. The first one we met was Tommy, as the staff told us. A seemingly homeless cat who had a name and looked as good as he did…well, we knew that there had to be someone caring for him. A little while later, we noticed a sign with an arrow saying, “Cat’s Corner”. We couldn’t resist and so off we went to explore a bit. We came upon a little shop named Cat’s Corner just as it was evidently supper time. For there was the shop keeper banging a spoon on a table and feeding a group of cats.
In speaking with her, she told me the story. She currently cares for approximately 30 cats who have all come from abusive environments. Caesarea has become somewhat of a refuge for these homeless kitties. Sometimes people just abandon them on the property for her to care for. Which is a better option than what others do. She has an arrangement with a kindly veterinarian who comes once a week, on a volunteer basis, to check up on them and to ensure that everyone is happy and healthy. And she tries to educate people that cats are loving creatures who should be treated kindly. Unfortunately, she explained, Israeli children seem to “come out from the womb kicking cats” and thus, most cats are scared of people.
Her store has all kinds of cat-related items and she uses 10% of her profits toward the upkeep of her growing brood. She also gladly takes donations which one can place in a little basket. Although, for a time, they thought someone was stealing the money as some would go missing every day. It wasn’t until they made a point of watching very carefully that they found out who the thief was…the very same Tommy that we met!
So, should you ever be in Israel, be sure to take in the views of Caesarea and visit Cat’s Corner…there will probably be more than 30 cats by then!
Here is the famous Tommy…
This beautiful boy has a bit of a bald line on his flank. The reason? Someone wanted him away from their restaurant and so threw hot oil on him! He was in agony, but has been nursed back to health in Caesarea and continues to seek out cuddles and gentle pets from people.
This is Tiger who is still a bit shy of people but will watch you with great interest from afar.
Sep 24, 2012
Continuing with our trip through Israel, it is obvious that Tel Aviv-ians (I just made that word up) love their dogs! It seems that every second person on the street is sharing the sunshine with a canine companion. They come in all shapes and sizes, often greeting each other freely, running and playing and having a ball just being a dog.
Today, we met Maxwell who is a 6 year old Boston. Originally from the United States, he now makes his home in Tel Aviv where he is a rare breed – we certainly have not seen another Boston other than gentlemanly Maxwell. To see what I mean, look how well he coordinates his harness with his human’s shoes. And the fact that he was so gracious to stop for a few minutes to provide us with his portrait, even though there were so many other things for a well-bred dog to see and do.
He finally gave us his best head tilt, before going on his way toward the beach. Maxwell is a dog about town and such a wonderful furry face!
Sep 22, 2012
Unlike the Netherlands, where we saw very few stray animals, there seems to be quite a number in Israel. Especially Jerusalem. One of the locals told us that 8 cats were originally brought in to combat the rats and now they estimate that there are 40,000 cats in Jerusalem. We have seen quite a number of them, and unfortunately, a lot of them do not look particularly healthy. It cannot be easy to be a cat on the streets in Israel.
This little girl was in within the walls of Jerusalem, looking for table scraps from the tourists. Such a polite girl too – once she had her fill, she lay down and relaxed while sharing her remaining food with another kitty. She was quiet and gentle, although a little wary of strangers.
This little guy was at Hezekiah’s Tunnel, greeting the tourists. Seemed to be quite at home as if he owned the place! Would come over and rub against you, all the while purring. And when I called to him, he posed as if he knew this was part of the job.
We found this little guy, deep in thought, in the ancient port village of Joppa. A small, but beautiful city with cobbled streets, it is now home to art galleries, artisan shops and fantastic restaurants. All of which seem to go by unnoticed by this thoughtful feline.
Sep 19, 2012
Look at this little furry face I met yesterday! Soya is 2 years old and comes to work with her Dad. Her job is to greet the visitors as they go through the booth at Ein Gedi, Israel. (Which, by the way, is gorgeous and a fabulous opportunity to view some waterfalls, swim in the pools and generally enjoy an oasis in the barren desert!) On this particular day, it was HOT. Not a cloud in the sky and 42 degree weather…perfect weather for a swim. But not so perfect if you are a dog with hair. And, so we met Soya, resting in the shade of the booth and ready for her close-up!
Sep 15, 2012
Even though we are continuing our trip through Holland, I have to get my puppy fix every day. Today, we found ourselves wandering the streets of Den Haag (The Hague, Holland) and, in particular, the Palace Gardens right beside the Royal Stables. It is there that we met this lovely furry face, named Fleur. She is an 11 year old dachshund who certainly knows how to make friends! She came up to greet us and then promptly lay on her back to allow me give her a belly rub…and then when I stopped, she begged with her two front paws for me to continue, all the while looking up at me expectantly.
Now, it was time for a real portrait. Look at the intensity on that little face, and the raised right paw, as she discusses things with her Dad.
And then what we were all waiting for…the pose and the head-tilt!
Such a darling to work with, Fleur obviously lives a good life. I hope her golden years are full of happiness and a full-time staff to dole out the belly rubs!
Sep 14, 2012
Another Friday, another Project 52 post…but this time it is brought to you from Rotterdam, Holland! The Posh Pets’ challenge for this week was to incorporate a person (or part of a person) in our image. As we are currently travelling, I was on the lookout for new canines and their humans to photograph. Surprisingly, there are not a lot of dogs in Rotterdam – at least not out on the street taking walks – and so I had almost despaired of finding the proper subject. However, just as we were about to enter our hotel at the end of the day, I noticed a young woman with her very cute puppy frolicking in the grass.
We learned that the puppy’s name is Diesel and she is a 9 week year old English Cocker Spaniel. She was currently outside in an attempt to “tire her out” as she needed to go to work with her human and could not possibly be as active as she currently was. Even though she is only 9 weeks old, Diesel has quite obviously bonded with her human and, while she loved the attention and belly rubs, she quickly returned to where her person was standing and peeked out over the grass at me…
A reassuring pat on the back yielded this image…
Which led to this gorgeous portrait!
Thank you so much for letting me photograph little Diesel…may your lives together be full of fun, laughter and belly rubs. And some occasional naps. 🙂
Next in the blog circle is NSC Pet Photography, The Windsor-Essex Furtographer. Please check out Nicole’s work and then follow the circle around until you end up back with Diesel. And feel free to leave comments – we all love it so! Happy Friday!
Aug 31, 2012
It is Friday, which means it must be Project 52 day! This week, we were invited to showcase some “personal work”. In other words, to photograph something just for ourselves without the motivation of a paying client. Two things that I love are travel and photography and this week I got to do both! Instead of my usual DSLR when I am working, I grabbed my Fuji x100 with its set focal length and got to play tourist for a day…
If I had to choose a city to live in the United States, it would be New York. (Although my husband loving reminds me that one only loves to live in New York if one is also wealthy…which we are not. He might have a point.) I love the hustle and bustle, the noise, the fact that the city truly “never sleeps”, and the people who I have always found to be loud, but friendly. Photographically, I love the skyline. Especially when the sun goes down.
Fortunately, I was in New York this past weekend. So, here is shot of that famous Manhattan skyline, taken at about 10:00 p.m. on a rooftop across the East River in Brooklyn. The very prominent lighted building is the tower that has been built on the site of Ground Zero. It is not quite finished, but it is definitely getting there.
Playing a little with my settings and I was able to create an abstract version. I find the bokeh of the lights very pretty.
Some day time shots of…
…Wall Street
… as well as the grand lady herself.
And, because when I travel, I always take note of how a city treats its animals, here are a few I captured this weekend…
A mobile spay/neuter clinic that also offer on-site vaccinations. How cool!
Dogs can do banking in New York City! Interestingly enough, the bank that offers this is TD Bank. For those who do not know, the TD stands for “Toronto-Dominion”. which was its name before all of the Canadian banks rebranded to acronyms (BMO was “Bank of Montreal”, RBC was “Royal Bank of Canada” etc.). So, it is a little “home away from home” and they treat dogs special to boot!
Thanks for following along! Next, is Ann Kearns, Hamilton Ontario Pet Photographer. Please check out her personal work this week and go all the way around until you end up back here with Posh Pets!
May 26, 2012
I really cannot believe that the day has arrived when I have to write this. And if I press “publish”, it will somehow be more final. It hurts too much, so I will try to say it quickly and simply.
Today, at 8:59 a.m., we sent Ripley, our 17.5 year old tabby on his final journey. With as much love as he could bear.
I, personally, have never had the weight of such a decision on my shoulders and I am not sure that either my husband, Dean, or I handled it well. In other words, we were (and are) a mess.
We had no idea that Ripley was even sick until we took him to his vet this past Wednesday morning. What we had erroneously thought to be a little bit of constipation or issues with his anal glands, turned out to be far more serious. In fact, that was not an issue at all. After x-rays and an ultrasound, we were shown that most of his organs were in some state of failure. And his poor, little heart was really only in a constant state of fibrillation, and therefore not pumping vital blood and oxygen to the other parts of his body. Add to that, he had a very serious arrhythmia which put his whole system under additional stress. Hearing this, we decided not to contemplate any heroic measures, but to simply treasure whatever remaining time we had with him. So, at our request, his vet was able to stabilize him enough that we could take him home with us Thursday evening, along with some medication to make him comfortable.
Ripley seemed to be happy to be home Thursday night, but by Friday we knew something was horribly wrong. He could not sleep. He never did eat since returning from the hospital and he shifted his position often as if he was uncomfortable. We watched him and stroked him and cried over him until we knew that we had to make the final gesture to help him.
This morning, Ripley woke me up by pawing gently at my leg. I tried one last time to feed him, which he refused. So, Dean and I began the process of getting ready to take him on his final car ride. I truly believe that Ripley knew the time had come. He seemed to go through a routine to look at all of his favourite places. But when he stopped to nuzzle and kiss his sister, Lady Jane, it made our hearts stop. They had a quiet “moment” when I think he said his good-bye.
At the vet this morning, we held him and told him what an incredible boy he had been. He was from the Toronto Humane Society so, yes, Ripley was a rescue. He was a year old when we got him and were privileged to have loved him for over 16 years. And, even though his physical heart failed him in the end, he loved us until his final breath.
I do not quite know how I will get over the loss of feeling him sleeping on my feet every night of his life, or the way he would truly cuddle you when picked up. I have many, many photographs that will remind me of what he looked like, but I fear that I will forget the sound of his “voice” when he would talk. And his beautiful eyes…everyone remarked on his his lovely eyes. At this point, I am simply hoping that the huge hole left in my heart will slowly heal.
Ripley, I cannot write enough words to tell you how much you are missed. Not a day will go by when we will not think of you and remember how incredibly wonderful you were. I hope, in the end, you simply understood and felt how much you were loved.
Go gently into that good night, my boy…
A special thank-you to the vets and staff of Westbridge Veterinary Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario. And especially to Dr. Cathy Buller who has been Ripley’s primary vet since the day we brought him home. Having you there at the end, made it just a bit easier.
Apr 2, 2012
Having just returned from Jordan last week, we, at Posh Pets, are finally adjusting to the Toronto time zone. Getting over jetlag can be so brutal!
Jordan was truly wonderful! My husband and I love traveling because it gives us an opportunity to see new things and experience exotic places. And, of course, I always love to photograph the little furry creatures that live overseas. In Part 1, I was able to share the images of the cats and dogs we met during our travels across Jordan. In this post, I am happy to showcase some more unusual animals – ones we rarely come in contact with in Toronto.
This little guy with the blue eyes was part of a flock with his shepherd near Mount Nebo. He looks alone here, but I can assure you that he had many other family members with him.
On the other side of the same road was this young donkey with his momma, who was working. The little colt or foal was so cute and it was sweet how he stuck so closely to her. I love his white and grey coat!
Transportation within Petra consists of the following options: a donkey, a camel, a horse or…your feet! The animals are affectionately called Petra taxis, and the guides will call out, “Taxi available – air conditioned!”.
This is *my* iconic image of Petra. It is how I will always remember it!
Lastly, I just fell in love with this young foal who we met in Jerash. Layla, as I heard she had been named, had been born just 20 days previously and was learning to take her first steps.
Thanks for taking this little trip with us! Happy travels!
Mar 27, 2012
It feels good to be home! The Posh Pets family just returned from visiting Jordan (yes, the country in amongst Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran in case you were wondering…) and while travelling is a lot of fun, there is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed. One of the highlights was the opportunity to walk through the famed Petra, now a “Wonder of the World”. It was truly incredible!
However, as a pet photographer, I am always drawn to photographing the animals I meet in my travels. Some are working animals owned by their employer, some are pets, and some are strays, but the place animals hold within a people does give you insight into a country and its culture. I believe it was Gandhi who said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”, and in my personal experience that is true.
I am happy to say that Jordan does not have nearly as many strays as other countries I have had the pleasure to visit. Those that were, were generally cats who did not look thin and emaciated like so many other animals who live on the street. So, kudos to Jordan!
There is a funny thing about the cats that live in Petra and, for the most part, the rest of Jordan – they are all orange tabbies! In Petra, you can see that they could potentially all be related, but everywhere in the country? We did meet the occasional brown tabby (3, I think), but the rest were all orange. Even stranger is that I have heard that orange tabbies are predominantly male, so who is the busy mom of this brood? I don’t think we will ever know…
The good thing is that in Petra, I believe they are all taken care of by the tourists. They are friendly, used to strangers and have come to learn that these visiting humans cannot resist a cute face and give them food. One orange guy we met walking around a castle ruin in the middle of the wilderness is fed by the staff who work there. So, it seems that the Jordanian kitties have found their place in the tourism industry.
We did meet these two adorable puppies in Petra. I nearly took this little guy home – he literally sat in my arms like this for 10 minutes and looked into my eyes as I talked to him. It was soooo hard to put him down and walk away.
I was somewhat comforted by the fact that he had this little friend to spend his days with. And the fact that the Bedouin who work there seemed to know them and petted them nicely when they approached.
Well, that is it for this instalment! Stay tuned as I will post some images of working animals in Part 2.
