This Kitten Might be a Husky After All

Sometimes, a story just melts your heart. For me, this story of a sweet kitten who was saved by her Husky pack really brightens my day! Rosie the kitten was brought into her family as a foster when she was just days old. She was sick and needed some special TLC. Surprisingly, Lilo, a Husky instantly took to Rosie and from then, something truly special happened. This tiny kitten started improving. As time went on, it was obvious she had found her home with Lilo and the rest of her Husky pack. This little kitten now spends her days as one of the big dogs! 

Stephanie Conrad

Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist 

www.petstudioart.com

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Who doesn't love a Husky!? Show off your puppy love with one of our adorable 'Flame the Husky' tote bags!

So Many Kitties...

Yesterday, I stopped by the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter to photograph some of their amazing kitties! From time to time, I am asked why I prefer to work with the cats vs the dogs, since I come across as much more of a dog person. Well, in fact, I prefer cats! I do absolutely adore my dogs, but when it comes to my cats, there is nothing as special as having one of them curl up in my lap for a nap - or nothing as comical as my daily back massage while I am sitting in front of my easel! (Yes, Jazz, my black cat climbs up onto my chair and gives me 'biscuits' on the back of my neck while I work - it's super relaxing!)

While I find a dog that I love each week at the shelter and spend some time with him/her, when it comes to the cats, I just have a connection that speaks volumes. I divide my cat photos into three sections at the shelter. 

First, we have the kittens, which are always fun and adorable - they also get adopted faster than I can photograph them, so they really are the lowest photo priority for me. 

Then, I focus on the Senior cats. WCRAS has a great reputation for finding homes for all of the animals in their care, including the seniors. From time to time we have an influx of senior cats, but generally, the senior population is small and each is given as much attention as possible to ensure they do not get overly stressed in the shelter environment. 

Last, there are the adolescent and adult cats. This is my favorite group of cats, mainly because I really get to know these babies. Unfortunately, this group of cats are often the long-stay cats that I see from week to week. I find that I build a relationship with many of these kitties and from time to time, I make a point to update their photos in a new pose to maybe bring in a new potential adopter their way. 

Yesterday, in particular, I met an adorable kitty named Cricket. Cricket is terrified in the shelter environment, yet something in her eyes just screamed 'Play with me!' I always work slowly with cats like cricket, letting each warm up to me with a sniff of my hand and, if they let me, a nice chin rub. Cricket would crawl to the front of her kennel, sniff my hand, playful bat at it and cower back to the back of her blankets. She did this three or four times, while I made sure to sneak in a nice chin or ear rub each round. Finally, she allowed me to pick her up and immediately, she curled into my arm, purring loudly. In the moment, I could feel myself tearing up. This poor little cat, who probably had a family that loved her at one point in her life was left behind at the shelter. Of course, she is in good hands, but the shelter is not a home and she deserves a family that will give her all the love she deserves. As I put her back in her kennel, I couldn't help but give her a few extra rubs and kisses, letting her know that everyone here loves her and that, in time, a new family will adopt her and love her forever. 

Of course, not every cat is scared at the shelter, and I find that many cats love to play the belly rub game. By that, I mean they roll over, asking for a belly rub but as soon as I give them one, they chomp down on my arm. Usually this game is playful and rarely do I find a cat that really wants to hurt me. That was the case with Philetus, a silly big Russian Blue mix that had me laughing during our entire photo session. Imagine if cats could talk, now mix that with a little seduction and you would have Philetus. As soon as I set him into my photo area, he laid down, rolled onto his back and gave me 'the eyes'. If Philetus was a man, even Fabio would be jealous! I couldn't help but laugh at this silly boy as I snapped his photo. I know that whoever has the opportunity to bring him into their family is one lucky lady! 

I wouldn't be doing my job as a volunteer if I didn't mention the kittens and our need for fosters right now. I took a few minutes at the shelter to grab some photos of our many little kittens that are not quite old enough for adoption. Unfortunately, our kitten room is full to the brim and these little babies have to wait until they are old enough for spay/neuter to go out to their forever families. Kittens are fragile little ones and the shelter environment is no place to grow up. It can be especially hard on their little immune systems as upper respiratory problems are prevalent in any shelter. For me, the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is my number one priority - and I would LOVE to see all of these little ones in a safe foster home while they grow old. Many of my clients and readers are not in the Austin area but I know that all shelters face the same issues and could use dedicated foster families! If you are looking for a super rewarding experience - foster some kittens! You won't regret it!

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Here are a few of my favorite photos from yesterday!
Visit www.wilcopets.org for more information about these kitties!!

Big Things for Little Lives

The Williamson County Regional Shelter (WCRAS) continues to amaze me. Today, as I was visiting and taking some photos of our kitties for our shelter website (www.wilcopets.org) a woman brought in a small litter of 3 one day old kittens that she had found. After waiting several hours (out of sight) for the mother, she began to worry about these little babies in the heat all alone and decided to bring them in for care. 

One of 3 one day old kittens brought into the Williamson County Regional Shelter.

Many shelter around the country will immediately euthanize kill kittens of this age simply because they are 'too much trouble' to care for. Not WCRAS. The shelter staff immediately jumped in and made a nice warm nest of blankets and a heating pad in a cozy box for these babies. Once they were nice and warm, the staff prepared formula and offered these kittens a nice meal, which they eagerly drank right down!

Kudos to WCRAS, a shelter that is seeing huge successes since adopting the No Kill Equation and striving to be better than the average shelter!

Stephanie Conrad

The Pet Studio | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Happy Tears!

I admit it, I am a cry-baby. I shed tears when I am happy, sad or just overwhelmed with the moment. So, it may be no surprise to my friends that this particular email made me tear up, but I am so incredibly touched, I just have to share it with you. 

From Lisa S.

"Hi Stephanie,

'Foxy', Lisa's new foster!

I wanted to share some good news. You inspired me to become a volunteer, and now I'm going to be a kitten foster too.  I signed up today and went to get everything I need, and should be picking up kittens tomorrow [Note, this email was sent a few weeks ago].  It goes without saying that I'll be sending a photo (or two).

Thanks again for the painting, for your inspiration, and for caring so much about animals. I'm sure you already know that Texas is a much better place because of you, and now Nevada is too! 

- Lisa"

Wow! I have happy tears now reading it again! 

Just a little back-story for those that might be new friends of The Pet Studio. Last year, just outside of Austin (my hometown) the largest forest fire in Texas History broke out. The fire lasted for well over a month before being declared extinguished and destroyed nearly 1700 homes. Lisa S, living states away and not being personally connected to any of these families effected decided to offer both donations to Austin Pets Alive (one of the organizations helping out with the displaced animals from the fires) as well as a personal donation to two amazing families that lost their pets. Lisa purchased these paintings knowing that these families might never know her, but knowing how special a painting of their loved ones that were lost during the fire would be. 

'Mojo' & 'Ginger' | 16in x 20in
Mojo & Ginger were among the many pets who's lives were lost during the Bastrop wildfires in 2011.

Then, several months later, when Austin Pets Alive was having a rough month with several tough medical cases, including an overflow in their Parvo-Ward, Lisa sweetly purchased a painting of one Austin Pets Alive's cute Parvo survivors, Hector, to hang in the Parvo-Ward as a reminder of why APA continues to work hard to save these lives. The purpose of this painting was intended to bring joy to an area that can so often be filled with heartache and stress. Since Hector's painting arrived at APA, I have had nothing but compliments from the APA staff!

'Hector' |  16in x 20in
Parvo Survivor with Austin Pets Alive

In addition to these paintings, Lisa has ordered a variety of other pieces to donate to her own local rescues as well as unique gifts for friends as a beloved pet has been lost. (See below)

Now, as I anticipate what Lisa has up her sleeve next, I am just completely honored to know that she finally has a painting of her own beautiful kitties, Laci and Paisley hanging in her home! I can't wait to continue seeing pictures of her new little foster kids!

Laci & Paisley | 20in x 20in
Lisa's own gorgeous kitties snoozing on the couch!

So to Lisa, I say... Thank You! Thank you for being the kind of person that opens up your home to help save lives! Thank you for being such an amazing client! Most of all, Thank You for being a wonderful person that thinks of others as much as you think of yourself! Because of you, lives have been touched and I know that you have made a difference in the lives of many pet owners and Animal Rescuers!

Stephanie Conrad

The Pet Studio | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Stephanie, owner of The Pet Studio, dropping off Hectors painting at Austin Pets Alive!

'Stosh' | 11in x 14in
Given as a gift to a friend of Lisa's after her beloved pooch passed on.

'Best Friends'
Donated to the SPCA of Northern Nevada by Lisa S.

'Julie' | 8in x 10in
Julie was one of the pets thought to have been lost during the Bastrop fires, luckily she was found days later. You can read her entire brave story here.

Saying Goodbye to Mason and Muru

It always amazes me how a little foster kitten can win over my heart in such a short amount of time. Mason and Muru, my most recent fosters, came into my life just over a month ago at only 4 weeks old.

They were a little shy over the first few days, but as soon as they realized that I wasn't out to get them, their playful sides came out and there wasn't a moment that the two of them could be caught snuggling or wrestling together! 

Today, I took them to meet their new owner at Petsmart. It was love at first sight and while my eyes were filled with tears as I said goodbye, I knew that they were going to a great home! I was even more surprised and excited for these two rugrats when their new parents decided to go on a shopping spree and purchase over $200 in treats, toys and beds for these sweet kids! Mason and Muru are off to start their new life... 

Stephanie Conrad
The Pet Studio | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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My Foster Kittens

The Foster Room

Last week, I spent some time clearing out my large closet in my art studio. This closet is special because it has plenty of space and two giant sliding doors, making it an ideal space for foster pets to live. The only issue I was having is keeping my own pets out of the foster's space while allowing them to continue with their normal daily routine, which includes spending plenty of time with me while I work. 

So, after some debating, I decided to replace one of the sliding doors with a screen door, so the fosters have plenty of ventilation, but are kept at a safe distance from my own pets. This solution has worked like a charm! Our first residents to the kitten room, Mason and Muru are really enjoying their play space and my pets are having a great time watching them from a safe distance! 

Mason and Muru, the first residents of my new foster room!

Mason and Muru are litter-mates that were brought into the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter on 5.12.2012 and are about 5 weeks old right now. They are quite attached to each other and LOVE to wrestle and play! I am being thoroughly entertained by these two little ones!

Mason and Muru are not the first, nor the last kittens that have been invited into my home. 

Muru talking up a storm!

I first began volunteering with local rescue organizations when I was 16 and since have fostered countless litters of kittens (my favorite animal to foster) as well as puppies, adult dogs and cats and even a few turtles and lizards! Fostering is an easy way to help out the shelter system. Not only does it free up space at the shelter to allow more pets to be saved, it gets these little ones out of the shelter environment where they might be exposed to illnesses that their little bodies can't fight off. 

As a foster parent, I am able to see these little ones turn into little cats as they learn their own skills, such as jumping, chasing each other and learning boundaries. These two are already showing off their social side and are really enjoying cuddles and love from anyone that stops by for a visit! As soon as I show up, both are at their kennel door and are purring so loudly I can hear them across the room! 

Mason and Muru showing off their stylish sweaters!

Unfortunately, one small issue with kittens is that they really are just babies and don't realize that there are things they do that can hurt them. These two in particular are dry-nursing on each other. Dry-nursing typically starts to happen when kittens have been separated from their mother too early (in this case, we don't know where mom was as the kittens were a public drop off after being found as strays). The kittens will start to nurse on anything they can, including each other. Muru has particularly been sucking on Mason's back, where he is beginning to lose some of his fur. I have applied a variety of kitten-safe bittering sprays with no help, so I had to get creative to keep them from nursing on each other... so, now I created some cute new kitten sweaters! These little sweaters are made from small ankle socks with 3 holes cut into them for the kitten's head and front legs to go through. The kittens weren't terribly excited with their new styles, but they aren't suckling each other any longer! 

Mason and Muru are a great little pair of fosters and I am happy to open up my home to them for the next two weeks, until they are old enough to be neutered and have their next round of kitten boosters! My fingers are crossed that they are snatched up and adopted the moment that they are available, until then, I will enjoy my time as their temporary mom and continue to get lots of kitten love! :-)

Sweet little Mason cuddled up on his bed!

Stephanie Conrad

The Pet Studio | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Photographing Shelter Pets

One thing that you learn in any job these days is the importance of a strong online presence. People shop for everything online: cars, clothes and yes, even pets!

Now, I don't mean those that are online shopping for the purebred golden retriever or those that are looking for a 'designer dog' to match their furniture. I am talking about the everyday person that is looking to bring a pet into their home and yes, those people that are looking to adopt. 

Every day, I hear comments like, "I don't want to go to the shelter to look at dogs, they all look so sad and it makes me feel terrible."

Well, I blame the ASPCA for giving shelter pets that reputation! We all see the commercials of the sad puppy or the dirty kitten looking pathetic, with a note asking for your donations.. but truly, those commercials are a face for stealing your dollars under false pretenses. The ASPCA spends a large sum of those 'donation dollars' on high-salaried executives while shelters across the nation suffer because people envision walking through a prison of depression and loneliness when they visit a shelter... 

So, I am on a mission to change that image. Of course, I will always continue to paint, it is my passion in life, but I am also slowly branching out into photography. My 'adopt me' series of photos will focus on adoptable pets at my own shelter, particularly the cats (we have some amazing photographers working with our dogs). 

Boots
Available for adoption through The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.
www.wilcopets.org

The Williamson County Regional Shelter is an amazing animal shelter. Last year, they had an overall save rate of 94% in dogs and 82% with cats. This means that of ALL animals entering the shelter, 94% of dogs were saved and 82% of cats were SAVED! These numbers are outstanding for any shelter (the average American shelter saves around 45% - 55% of animals) but for an open admission, rural shelter, these numbers are the result of hard work and dedication to the animals in their care.

As with any shelter, there are areas that need help. Not by fault of the staff, they work their tails off (pun intended) for these pets, but because there are only 24 hours in a day. One area that almost every shelter can use some help and expertise is in photographing the animals.

When potential adopters visit a shelter's website, the photo is the first (and sometimes only) impression those potential adopters are going to have. With any business, great photos and descriptions are absolutely key to drawing in those customers... but in the shelter business, a lack of customers costs lives. A change in the photo quality can mean the difference in that pet being adopted. 

Lucky
Available for adoption through The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.
www.wilcopets.org

Take Lucky for example. I spend plenty of time with Lucky, she is one of my sweet babies that is staying at the Petsmart location near my house while she waits for her forever home. Lucky is a love-bug to the extreme! I can't walk without tripping over her as she curls around my legs. As soon as I sit down, she is in my lap, showering me with cuddles and 'making biscuits'. But... would you know any of that by looking at her original photo that was taken at the shelter? I don't think so... I would scroll right past her, and I am one of those extreme animal lovers! Now, look at that smile in my photo... what a HUGE change in perception a photo can make....

I'm not bragging about my photography skills (I am new to the photography game myself),  but even those that can barely hold a camera can get a better photo than the original one featured here. I am sure that the shelter staff is doing their best, but they do have so many other worries when it comes to the health and care of these pets that photos do usually get pushed to the back-burner. Volunteers are key and taking photos is a great way to give something back to your shelter! With a little time commitment, and a willingness to be patient in order to get a good photo... you can make a huge difference by updating pictures for your shelter. 

Rhema
Available for adoption through The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter
www.wilcopets.org

Note the difference in Rhema above! Before she looked scared and a little mean. The gloves in the background could give the idea that she is sick and getting medical care, something that would make any adopter hesitate. Now, look at her new photo. This is a beautiful cat, with bright eyes and a confident look... this is a cat that any potential adopter would love to visit with! This is a photo that could change her life!

Now, on to those pets that seem to have the worst photos and, according to many, the worst adoption rates as well... Black Pets! Now, I LOVE black pets. I have a black cat that is one of my best buddies (he even gives me a massage every day while I am at my desk working)! But, often black pets get overlooked because their photos are boring. It's true, there is nothing special looking about black pets. But, that doesn't mean that their photos need to be boring! I want to encourage shelters to showcase their black pets by accenting them with color in their photos... put a bright bandana on black dogs, or a glittery collar on the cats. Simple eye catching photos with contrasting colors make an appealing look for pets that are solid. Note how Basil pops out with the brighter background in this photo. :-)

Basil
Available for adoption through the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.
www.wilcopets.org

My hopes are that more individuals might be able to take some time out of their schedule to update photos for your shelter. Our shelter pets are not the pathetic individuals that those ASPCA commercials portray them as... they are happy, loving pets that just need the perfect family to come get them. Photos can get those adopters into your shelter and ultimately save more lives! Who wouldn't want to be part of that??

Oh... and just for smiles... a big perk of volunteering is getting to love on these little guys and girls! :-)

Adopted.

Adopted.

Adopted.

Stephanie Conrad

The Pet Studio | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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It's the little things that count!

I'm proud to be a volunteer at an animal shelter that is truly achieving success when saving the animals in their care. The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter (WCRAS) is an open-admission shelter. This means that they take in any animal in our county without question, regardless of the reason for these animals coming in. We see strays, we see owner surrenders, we see neglect cases where the animals were seized from the owner.

If WCRAS took advice from the majority of animal shelters across the county, they might be saving just over 50% of these animals that are coming in... but that's not the case! Last year, in 2011, WCRAS saved nearly 95% of all dogs that came into their care and nearly 82% of all cats. 

In addition to an amazing shelter director, WCRAS has an outstanding group of volunteers. Volunteers range from foster parents to those that help with cleaning to those that just want to come in and play with the puppies...


One small part of my volunteer work, which might also be my favorite involves our local Petsmart location. I work with a small group of 7 individuals to ensure that our Petsmart Kitty Condos are properly maintained and always booked up with kitties awaiting their forever families. 

The Petsmart Team, named volunteers of the month for February 2012!

Our Petsmart adopted out over 395 cats and kittens this year and is one of the most successful locations in the region. This is not based on the store traffic, this location has average sales, but it is based on the care that this team puts into making sure the cats placed for adoption at Petsmart are great candidates. We spend time each day visiting with cats at our local shelter, evaluating temperament and holding meet and greets with the kitties to ensure that they will get along once at the Petsmart location. We spend time getting to know each cat, so we can give the Petsmart Staff a great overview of the kitties to help encourage potential adopters to adopt these sweet ones!

Several kittens available for adoption through our Petsmart Location!

The Petsmart team consists of individuals that simply stop by to scoop kitty litter to those that are up at the shelter nearly every day. Personally, I volunteer with this team Monday thru Thursday and will typically pick up the kitties from the shelter and drive them to Petsmart. By offering my time as a volunteer about 6 hours a week, I know that I am helping to save lives while still being able to maintain my own schedule (which includes running No Kill Wilco as well as The Pet Studio.).

It might seem like a small job, but in the grand scheme of things, the small jobs, the volunteers that can offer 5-10 hours a week really do start to add up! If you can offer yourself even once a week, your shelter pets will appreciate it! Volunteers are priceless!!

Stephanie Conrad

The Pet Studio | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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The Kittens are Coming!!

As Kitten season approaches, our shelters are starting to stress out. Sure, the influx of kittens is a strain on everyone. The poor feral cat communities suffer when the populations grow, the shelters suffer with more expenses, the need for more foster homes and because of this, the kittens suffer. Many shelters don't even give these babies the time of day. 

It's true.. kittens are often killed upon arrival in municipal shelters. Unfortunately, many shelters do not want to spend the time to save these kittens. They blame the 'pet overpopulation' problem, they blame owners for not spaying and neutering and they blame everyone but themselves. But, in my opinion, when you are injecting a kitten with a lethal solution, that is completely on you. Your shelter is making the choice to end the lives of these innocent animals. 

Foster Kitten in 2009, bottle baby.

Two years ago, my city shelter, Town Lake Animal Center was killing kittens. The lack of compassionate leadership and the out-dated mindset of our former shelter director and leaders meant certain death for kittens entering the shelter before they were old enough to be spayed/neutered or adopted. 

  

Meet Ginger, my most recent Kitten rescue who was found inside a car engine. She survived a road trip, but would she have survived the shelter system??

Fortunately, Austin Pets Alive! realized these babies could be saved. There is not a more heartwarming or inspiring rescue than this little organization that has made a HUGE impact not only in Austin, but around the country. Dr. Ellen Jefferson saw the number of kittens dying at TLAC and stepped in. APA! created their bottle baby program and is now saving every kitten that enters our city shelter. Kittens no longer have to worry that they will die just because they were born. 

Two little kittens found outside of an apartment complex. They moved into my 'kitten foster room' for a day then quickly found a forever home and are as spoiled as can be!

Austin Pets Alive! is not the only group who saw the kitten problem and stepped up. Shadow Cats Rescue, Street Cat Rescue, Central Texas Feline Rescue, along with several others are caring for our feral communities, running TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return) programs and educating the public on the importance of feral communities. Together, all of these amazing rescues are committing to doing one thing at a time and are making a world of difference in the lives of hundreds of animals!

Several kittens of a litter of 9 that we fostered in 2010 with the Williamson County Regional Shelter.

Today, I had the pleasure of chatting with another member of the Pet Alliance of Central Texas committee. Sheryl and I shared foster stories, shelter memories and just overall animal antics during our lunch meeting today. During our get-together Sheryl shared a story that I had never heard.

The Story goes like this:

A man is walking down the beach. During the night, hundreds of Starfish had been washed onto shore and were dying in the morning sunlight. The man sees a young girl picking up the starfish and tossing them back into the ocean, one by one. 

The man approached the girl and asks her, "Why are you throwing the starfish back into the ocean, there are so many, you won't be able to make a difference." 

The young girl looks at him, picks up another starfish and tosses it into the ocean, then another. She looks at the man and says, "I made a difference for those starfish."

 

More of the Wilco Litter, fostered in 2010.

I like to think that I have made a difference in the lives of each of the pets I have fostered. Through the course of the last several years, I have brought in countless animals and offered my space as a temporary residence, we have volunteered and I have worked to promote my shelter in any and every positive way that I can. 

If you ever feel like your rescue work is not making a difference, think of the starfish... you have made a difference to that one animal, even if just for a minute to clean a litterbox at the shelter or take a pup for a walk! Foster a kitten, foster a litter or offer volunteer time helping out the shelters during 'kitten season'. Your shelter will certainly appreciate it and you will be making a difference in the lives of those animals.

Stephanie Conrad

Owner | Artist

The Pet Studio

www.petstudioart.com

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