Fat Orange Cat Studio Pet & Wedding Photography Boston Blog » Rescue Me

ADOPTED! :: Boston Rescue League Cat Photography

Li W. — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:53:26 +0000

Have you adopted a cat lately? :) June is Adopt-a-Cat month here at the Animal Rescue League of Boston. The staff at the League have been doing an amazing job finding homes for cats, especially in the last several weeks. At one point, 12 cats went to their forever homes – in a single day! And I’m happy to report that the below felines finally found their forever homes as well:

Annie is adopted!

Dude. Annie is an 8 year-old who had been at the shelter for seven months. Gross, right? She already had a petfinder photo but just last week I decided to take more, mostly for myself because I think she’s a beauty and it gave me another excuse to visit her in her oversized cage (more like a room). I have a huge soft spot for those who have been at the shelter a long time – I mean who doesn’t, right? But our own Baxter & VanBuren were at their shelter for 6 long months themselves and I PITY those who overlooked them. Their lives have continued on without the privilege and joy of knowing Bunny and Veebs. They coulda had ‘em. Pity! It is almost unthinkable now that these two silly, cuddly, affectionate critters who squabble every day over who gets exclusive rights to Dan’s lap, spent 6 MONTHS in a cage. Two little gems hiding away in a cage, sitting in no one’s lap.

Annie is a big, big girl, and spending all the time in that little room wasn’t doing her any favors. But she’s still gorgeous.

As I was leaving the shelter, I caught her in a moment sitting against the glass pane, peeping through construction-paper flowers taped against there. Names of recently adopted felines are written on each petals. Such a sad little photo…until now! Now she gets to have her own name written on her own petal. In fact I think she deserves an entire flower to herself. I’m so happy for her.

Figaro is adopted!

HALLEFREAKINGLUJAH! And that’s all I need to say.

Bootsie is adopted!

Okay, so Bootsie was adopted over a month ago. I photographed her maybe 2 weeks before that, and want to share just because she was one of my favorites. When I first met her she had just arrived at the shelter, and was getting acclimated in the cat playroom. She cowered in the corner and hissed at me. A week later when I returned to take her photo, she was relaxed, playful, and confident. And BULKY! I didn’t realize how full-figured she was. I remember I nearly broke my back trying to transport her up 2 flights of stairs in the carrier.

In the photo below you’ll notice that she has huge thumbs. Thumbs that will take over the world if left unchecked. She could have kicked my ass in a round of thumb war.

I hope Bootsie is happy in her new home!

Marmalade is adopted!

She wins the award for Most Photos of a Shelter Cat Taken. I shot like 50 frames of her, she was so photogenic!

Tiger is adopted!

SO HAPPY for him. In fact, all the cats from this post have been adopted. Hooray!

Tucker is adopted!

I have never before met a cat with cheeks as enormous as Tucker’s. They haven’t been pushed forward, they haven’t been enhanced by a push-up collar, and it’s not mostly fur. Those cheeks are 100% natural, and he could crush diamonds with them.

Graham is adopted!

Graham with the quivering, anime eyes!

Zoey is adopted!

I just photographed her last week. Her expression here is particularly cute. So glad to find that’s she’s already found a new home.

Hooray to ALL the wonderful felines who have gone to their new homes. They still have friends who would love to become a new member of someone’s family too, so if you live in the Boston area, stop by the ARL for a visit. Because June is ADOPT-A-CAT month! Spread the word! Spread the love!

Forget kittens! Go vintage!

Li W. — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:05:08 +0000

I’m still volunteering at the Animal Rescue League of Boston every week (except for one that I missed, oops). And every week I mean to post some of my favorite photos of adoptable cats, but every week I’ve pushed them aside in favor of “real” clients. Real clients who have a real home, a society that all these cats would love to join. Forgive me, sob.

But I just recently received a mass email sent by one of the staffers asking all of us to get the word out for these cats in any way we can, especially the older ones and those who have been here longest. It’s kitten season now, and so the older set need our help more than ever so they don’t remain overlooked. I’m on it!! So here’s a long overdue post, asking anyone in the Boston area who may be thinking of adopting a cat to consider any one of these little (and big) gems…

TIGER
Tiger on Petfinder

He’s a pretty young cat, I believe only a year old. I hope that a cat I’ve photographed the previous week isn’t there by the next, but I’ve been seeing him too frequently. He makes his presence known my reaching out his arm as faaaaaaar as it can go from between the bars of his cage, every time I walk by. He doesn’t scratch, he doesn’t claw – he just wants to let you know that Hi! I’m here!

Can you resist a cat with such a direct, honest gaze?

I caught him making a pact with his neighbor.

“Whoever gets out first will put in a good word for the other, k?”

Maybe it doesn’t look it, but seriously. It keeps getting better.

Li W. — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:52:02 +0000

Today I have been married to Daniel for seven consecutive years.

In total, it’s been over 10 years of an interdependent partnership in which both parties claim equal stake.

This partnership reached its pinnacle this weekend in Providence, RI, where we were scouting locations for an upcoming shoot.

I made him pose for me as a dog.

And he did such a lovely job. Right? Baha.

Fat Orange Cat Studio is just one of the many things in my life that he helps make possible. And fun.

I’m a very lucky girl.

(Whether or not he’s a lucky boy is up for debate…)

P.S. I’m still trying out new design templates for images processed for the blog. Decided to go with rounded corners which is in keeping with the rounded corners in the square of my logo. Just simple things to keep the design consistent and thus, reinforce the branding!

Photos shot in front of the First Baptist Meeting House, Providence Superior Court, and colorful doors of the beautiful colonial homes lining Benefit Street. I heart you Providence! And you too Dan!

Love that red chair

Li W. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:33:34 +0000

The usual cat playroom that I bring adoptable cats to be photographed was not vacant when I stopped by the shelter today. A growling, very frightened new tenant was in there, trying to get acclimated to his new environment before being placed into his cage. Poor thing. So I photographed in the room next door, furnished with a long dark gray couch that had plenty of hiding space underneath (again, I’m exhausted from the exertion of not only hauling cats up and down the stairs but also from wrassling them out from underneath the couch), and one very vibrant, fire engine-colored chair.

Place a black cat against this chair and WOW. Eye pop!

This is Dipstick.

I thought it was a really funny name, even for a cat. And then I saw his tail.

Just the very nubbly tip of it is snow white. He was on high alert, constantly whipping that dipstick about.

But after a few neck rubs and cat treats, he settled down quite comfortably in that red chair.

He has the daintiest, scalloped marking on his paws. They’re not so much bootsies as they are a French manicure.

I brought him in with his sister Paulina. They make quite the yin yang pair, not just in markings but also in temperament. She was the one I spent most of my time trying to coax from underneath the couch. Look at the difference in their body language as they react to some noise outside.

They need to be adopted together, the way Bunny and Veebs also needed to be adopted together. This was the only facial shot Paulina would give me before she jumped off and hid herself away again.

More room for Dipstick to stretch out and relax….

Read more about Dipstick and Paulina here.

PS. Had some difficulty getting sharply focused shots today. Combination of trying to work quickly before cats jumped away and…not sure what else. The lighting wasn’t too bad. Just an off day I guess. But LOVE that red chair! It saved my shots!

Figaro

Li W. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:32:26 +0000

Yesterday was my first day volunteering at the rescue league. They have many felines in need of homes, so I’ll be focusing on them for now. Not a problem, for it is I, Cat Lady. She who stops for all cats.

Before photographing I transported each cat to the “cat playroom” upstairs above the shelter, away from the cages and the unflattering fluorescent lighting. Hauling rather hefty cats in carriers up and down stairs and down hallways has reminded me once again how I need to start expecting the unexpected exercise that comes with photography. It’s getting too embarrassing to hear myself wince the next morning because I can barely operate my arms, you know?

This is Figaro, gorgeous and voluptuous. He could eat Veebs for breakfast and still be hungry. If I were to adopt him I’d rename him as Bustopher Jones.

Below is the photo I submitted for petfinder.com

But this one is my favorite.

Whatchootalkinbout, Willis?