Savannah's Paw Tracks

Autobiography of a Former Shelter Cat

Do You Want A NO KILL USA?? BTC4A

HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!

B4TC

I try really hard to never miss an opportunity to write a blog post to meow about ways we can all help Make A Difference in the lives of animals around this world.  This post is about the growing movement in the USA, where I live, to create a No Kill Shelter reality.

The NO KILL movement is trying hard to get a paw hold in the USA.

The problem in the USA is that there are so many who have different perspectives as to “how” to achieve this in animal shelter management.  You can get lots of information from the following links:

Maddie’s Fund No Kill Information…click HERE

No Kill Network…click HERE

In my last post for B4TC post, I shared what Mom L has been doing to volunteer for our local SNIP (Spay, Neuter Impact Program)… Click HERE 

And this is where it all begins…if we want a No Kill Nation in the USA…it starts with providing low cost/no cost spay and neuter vet services in communities across this nation….similar to SNIP…but including woofies too.

Once again Mom L volunteered for SNIP admissions…on October 12th, the SNIP clinic admitted 111 cats for spay/neuter surgery.  Only feral, stray cats can be admitted…and they must arrive in their traps to avoid having cat guardians bring their own cats in, who are already in their permanent homes…sad, right?

Shouldn’t everyone who accepts the responsibility of bringing a cat or dog into their home have affordable spay/neuter available to them??  Just wonderin’….

The first kittens Mom L checked in for their “fix” were just the prettiest kittens…only 4 were trapped, there were two more still to come in…(click to bigify and hover to read captions)

And these kittens entered the process…

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The challenge  for all of us in the USA…what more can each and every one of us do to promote the No Kill Movement??

This is not about donating green papers…this is about speaking out in human speak about the importance of providing low/no cost spay and neuter for woofies and cats…unless we as a nation believe this is important…the No Kill USA Movement will fail…that is stated as “my humble opinion”…

Please join me, and my humans in supporting the national movement to bring the USA into the NO KILL global community.

Paw Pats, Savannah

 

Food Hog…Busted Again!!

HIYA!!  SAVANNAH HERE!!!

I must say, it is actually very amusing watching The Kid Sage get busted every now and then.  It usually is over her constant search for food…soft food, treats, human chicken dinners…you name it…she believes her name is written all over each and every morsel.

I can tell, she's behind me trying to excavate under the pillow

I can tell, she’s behind me trying to excavate under the pillow

Now I don’t care for human food and I am happy to wait for my brekkies and dinner…but *looks over shoulder then whispers*…I can’t say I mind so much when The Kid Sage wrestles our morning treat bags out from under the pillow where Mom L ‘thinks’ she is hiding them.

The Kid Sage (aka TKS)…tries to be discreet…”surely, no one will see me doing this…”

the dive under to search

the dive under to search

TKS: “Yes, I have my paws on the gold now…”

What do you mean??? PAWS UP???!!! I'm innocent, I swear!!

What do you mean??? PAWS UP???!!! I’m innocent, I swear!!

TKS: “Whew!  almost caught in the act…but I am not called Sneaky Sage for nothing…”

scruffle, pull...

scruffle, pull…

…TKS: “…there must be more…”

got it!

got it!

TKS: “…I wonder if there is even MORE???”

Oh, hiya Mom L, this was just lying here, really...honest...

Oh, hiya Mom L, this was just lying here, really…honest…

TKS: ” I just know Mom L keeps like a TON of our fave treats under that pillow…”

Mom L saw me again, right?..MOUSES!!!

Mom L saw me again, right?..MOUSES!!!

And here is the treasure trove TKS searches for…every single morning…to the delight of us all.

NOMMIES!!!

NOMMIES!!!

TKS: “Ok, I totally confess…I have a small addiction to high calorie, yummy tasting GREENIES!!  I have been TOTALLY busted…there is even an iPad video…sigh”

With TKS at work, we usually get our treats earlier than planned…heh…heh

 

A La Carte Morning Treats courtesy The Kid Sage

A La Carte Morning Treats courtesy The Kid Sage

And so I am coming to maybe, just a teeny bit…to appreciate that TKS has improved the quality of my morning snuggles in bed with Mom L…*shhhh…don’t let TKS know!!!*

Paw Pats, Savannah

Head Bonks, The Kid Sage

The Story Behind My Social Media Look

HIYA!!!   SAVANNAH HERE!!!

Since October 1 when I launched my Paw It Forward Commentathon and Blog Hop, a few of you have been curious to learn the “who” behind my new look.

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There is a story actually…more than just one “who” and it all started with one of my first ever Paw It Forward actions.  It sometimes feels like I have been headed to this moment, with this social media look and this mission to Make A Difference almost from the beginning of my blog.

But, Mom L can tell this better than me so I am going to turn this blog post over to her.

Savannah: “*meows loudly* MOOOOMMM!!!”

Mom L: “Yes Nana, I’m coming. I was just trying to find some facts to share but I guess I hit the delete button once too often a year ago…LOL”

Hi everyone, Mom L here. I know several of Savannah’s readers have been guessing ‘who’ created the look Savvy now has branded across all her social media.  But I believe it took this paw blogging, Tweeting, Face Book animal rescue social media community to get us where we are now.

The image of the cat is actually Savannah herself. The image is from a very poor photo I took of her when I first started blogging…but I have always thought it represents Savannah’s persona…even today after she has made so much progress recovering from who knows just what trauma in her life.

Original Photo: May 2012

DSC_0490

Recent: September 2014Mission Speak

Her blog is sometimes fun and funny, but her story and reason for blogging has always been to give voices to those who don’t have social media as Savannah does; and to share her struggle with being an adult shelter rescue cat who is still afraid to explore like other cats; her curiosity is subdued because she is so anxious, cautious and it’s like she was never played with as a young cat and she is relearning how to play with abandon.

In 2012 I participated in probably my first or perhaps second blog auction ever. I don’t recall who the funds were going to help, but even before I thought of the phrase Paw It Forward had meaning for Savannah, there we were…bidding to win a hand painted portrait of Savannah to help animals in need.

We WON! The artist was none other that Barb Kowlik, Queen Penelope’s (Nellie) Mum…the talent behind  Cat From Hell. You can view the initial work Barb shared with me as she progressed HERE.

This is the color study Barb sent us to preview:

savannahcolorstudy1

Already looking way better than my original photo, right!!

And the finished product…Savannah’s two portraits we purchased from Barb:

In 2013 I was getting ready for my first Blog Paws conference and learned that people had business cards for their blogs etc.  I was nonplussed as to what to do until I saw somewhere that Glogirly Design,, aka Debbie Glovatsky… could do business cards.  WOO HOO!!

I got right to Debbie and we kicked around some ideas, most of which were created using stock images to begin with which she then added some magic to and those images came out resembling Savannah. I liked one very much, but then thought…”I think I will send her the image Barb did for Savannah’s portrait, I just love it”.  So I did. I said to Debbie I am sure you can’t use this but I thought I would send it as I so love this look, it is Savvy’s persona.

Debbie was excited as she saw possibilities. But it would take some redrawing, illustration work etc. to make the image usable for creating business cards.

And then in my email I found this file from Debbie…

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Dad P and I were both “gobsmacked”!!! We loved it!!  And off I went very proudly to Blog Paws.

Flash forward to this year, Summer of 2014.  I decided  Savannah’s Paw Tracks was at a point where Savannah and I needed to take a risk, step forward and try even more to truly become a voice for those animals who do not have access to social media the way we do.

I reached out again to Glogirly Design, aka Debbie Glovatsky, and asked “can you help me brand Savannah’s Paw Tracks across all her social media?”.  Of course I heard a very loud and confident ‘YES”.

And with Glogirly Design’s expertise and coaching we decided to have a launch event. I would never had tried this without the coaching and counsel from Debbie. And I had incredible writing and event coaching from Dash Kitten staff…meaning Marjorie Dawson, as well.  I tried hard to keep it under wraps so not many were aware of the changes to come.  I am sure I failed to thank all who listened to me, please know Savannah and I could never ever have made this event a success without all of you.

Every day every one of you Make A Difference in the lives of your own rescue companion animals and the lives of those awaiting rescue.

Savannah is honored to be called ‘furriend’ by you.  Hope you enjoyed learning the birth story of Savannah’s Paw Tracks social media branding.  And it all started when Savannah put a bid on a self portrait to help raise money to help a furriend…Paw It Forward!

Be well, Mom L

and Paw Pats, Savannah

peeEss…as you know Meoowz ResQ is the winner of Savannah’s commentathon donation. Savannah’s Paw Tracks will be making that donation in honor of the blogger who nominated them, Christy Paws and her furr siblings; sisters Fontana and Philly; brothers Echo and Ocean…and her human Miss Ava.

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