New Kitties are in the Family

Not quite a year ago three cats were rescued and moved in.  The first was a tortiseshell female who had been living in a barn at a farm.  The farm house was being  maintained but the barns were essentially storage for anything wanted at least partially out of the rain.  Not being a working farm, the cat was in a line of other cats who had lived and sometimes passed on there.  A kind lady gave us the cat and we took the tortie right to the vets to be checked over, vaccinated and checked for parasites.  She had a name but was renamed to Callie, a name more suited to this gentle and somewhat skittish little girl cat.

Tortiseshell refers to the coloration of the coat, variegated like the shells of certain sea turtles which are now legally protected.  The highest percent of tortie cats are female.  Having lived with much time to herself and likely harassed by larger and more predatory animals such as coyotes, we found Callie liked to stay to herself and would only venture around the home, near the walls, in very definite areas where furniture and such provided a quick place to hide.  We got the impression this quite gentle kitty with a very soft and beautiful fur coat felt insecure without a ready place to hide. She had not learned that she was safe her new home. 

The Photograph-
Her eye and coat colors are very close to accurate as seen on my calibrated monitor.  Does she often pose like this? No, she does not.  This photo is the result of her tolerating a camera in her face for several shots, most of which were not good because of her squirming out of frame just as the shutter was pushed.

She Now Feels at Home- She is comfortable in this home now and has learned that fears she may have faced living in the barn are not present in this home. She has become used to the other cats and plays running and toy games with them. She is not a lap kitty but once in a while will jump up on the sofa to warm your legs for a moment...it must be her choice at the moment.

SURPRISE, OTHER KITTIES SAW THE SIGN
We joke that there is a sign visible to homeless cats somewhere leading to our front porch. Cats see this "vacancy" light set to "yes" and come up to hang around until noticed.  We lost a precious cat to a fate of illness far before her time in December of 2012.  Barely 4 years old, she had come here as a rescue and had the best medical treatment to take care of conditions normally reserved for very elderly cats. Her loss was difficult and even if we are not ready for more kitties when one is buried and their God given spirit is taken to new life beyond birth, life, death and decay...that is when the light saying "vacancy" appears to be turned on.

This is just what happened...we received Callie early in 2013.  As she just reached the the front porch in the carrier, coming back from the vet and ready to move in,  two little young gray cats ran up the steps and sat one step down, watching intently. They were still kittens/young cats and perhaps slightly younger than Callie.

What is this! More cats? Well, weather was turning bad as it seems to do when you find a stray cat on the front porch. "They will leave and have a home in the neighborhood even if they are too small to be out like this and should be inside anyway...", I thought, hoping at the time it was so and they had not been cast out with no home. The second day they were given a box and blanket for warmth on an adjoining deck. By week's end, they were the vets to be checked out, neutered and vaccinated.  Because of parasites they were housed in a large crate (cage) in the garage with heat and cover.  Several weeks went by before they were free of persistent problems.  The health issues did pass and the two boys were then introduced to the other cats in the home, including Callie who kept her distance. 

Our eldest kitty took to them quickly and was a friend and companion. Lizzie died in the arms of my wife in the fall of 2013 and our hearts still cry for her, with fond memories of 20 years of joy from a stocky little black and white long-haired girl kitty.  The totally neat part is how the blue* boy cats stayed with her the night she died.  Apparently it was a stroke and she seemed confused for a moment then lost ability to use her right side.  Somehow, she made it to the food dishes and while trying to walk upright, one of the new boys stood directly beside her, holding her up from falling and they moved in unison to a feeding dish.  Within 2 hours and sleeping in the arms of my wife,  this little girl simply went limp and did not wake up.  She had reached that  wonderful goal: A long life, death and passing to a new world while in her sleep, apparently with no pain at all.

This story tells something about the boys who saw that "vacancy" sign.  They have no papers and brought none with them. However, they carry the undeniable characteristics of Russian Blue cats. Only a few gray cats are Russian Blue and to rescue one from a shelter or in the wild is quite unusual.  These do fit the checklist in most ways we can determine.  Even personality is right for that wonderful breed.  A photo of one of the blue boys is below. Eye color is still developing. 

When it comes down to it, almost all of the many cats who have had a home with us were rescues. We are not particular about breed but are concerned with the cats having a good home. To have these two blue brothers is a special joy simply because of their wonderful personalities and active spirits.

So, there is the story of a new kitty and her two new friends. All are members of this home for slightly less than a year and were rescued in early 2013.
*Blue is used to describe the color of a particular gray fur in cats. These kitties have that color and the silvery blue of the dual layer coat of the Russian Blue breed. For information particular to the breed, go here

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If interested in photography of your pets in their own environment, please do contact me. This blog is not my professional photography website. Rates are reasonable and most photos are done where the pet lives or at a place of your choice.  We work out of Clinton, Tennessee and within a reasonable driving distance. Thomas Haynes Photoshoot is the professional/commercial site for our business.

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More of our photography may be seen at the website used for client galleries, here.

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IS THIS YOUR DOG? FREE QUALITY PRINT MAY BE YOURS! See Below...

Go to our Thomas Haynes Photoshoot Blog for details...if your dog, you get a free quality print!

IS THIS YOUR DOG? LET US KNOW FOR A FREE PRINT! Here is a blue eyed sheep dog we saw at a special place in Kentucky on November 2, 2013.  A mile or two and we would be in Virgina. Once in a while a non-posed pet strikes us as special and it is not always looks. Disposition has a lot to do with us picking an "unknown to us" pet and offering a free print.  You just need to contact us and confirm where this photo was taken and what was around you at the time.

Professional photography is our business but this dog was such a sweetie it had to go on this blog, too.   Your dog? Use link above to our other blog to let us know and get a free high quality print.

Vultures, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Buzzards, Post is on the way!

As soon as I gather the photos from around this blog and my hard drives there will be a post on Vultures, everyone's fav bird.  I am slowly circling the files and gathering up the stuff for a fine little post to chew on for a while.   Got a vulture pic, a decent one? Send it to me and get credit in the post.

Cats at Screen Door...Specializing in Pet Photography

My business as a pet photographer is in the early stages. I have been a photographer for a while but as a business effort will now specialize more in pet and animal photography.  Prior to the publication of my photographers website, I will upload a few photos of pets and animals to the Landing Heron blog.  You will notice a wide range of styles in the photographs yet one common thread will run through most all:  The animals will be photographed in their own settings, their homes, their places to play and live with their family.

There is a move away from the formal posed image in many types of personal photography. Whether a couple in love, a graduating senior, your family or your animals, there is a preference for natural and outdoor photos. The photos we take are intended to show your  pet as you recognize and know it.   Whether curled on your lap or running to you in yard or field, I want your pet to be as you know it everyday. After all, these are the memories and mental images we have of the animals in our lives. (Formal photos may be arranged as the client desires.)

The apparent starkness of the photo below speaks strongly to the family where these cats reside. Yes, we have beauty shots of these kitties and we have them as seen here...wanting to go outside knowing they must wait for another day.  Standing in a sun beam, they breath the air following a rain that left the screen littered with debris. They soak in a taste of the woods behind their home.

I plan to have my website up fairly soon.  There you may see much more of  my work, purchase images or schedule a time for me to visit, meet your animals and plan a session of photography in familiar settings.  Of course, photos may include you with your pets and photos of family members in natural settings. One secret to great pet and family photos is to walk around, sit down and talk with the photographer about what you have in mind. By taking this time with the photographer, you see if  there is a good match of your ideas and his/her styles and techniques. Pets are not expected to pose, quite the opposite is generally true!  We take the time, work with you and your animals to get the photos you will call "keepers" now and treasures later.

This is a photo of Molly, the same cat at the right in the previous photograph.  I did both shots in monotone for easier comparison.  The two photos show examples of different moods and moments. 
You may see Molly elsewhere in this blog. I am writing her story, tiny piece by tiny piece.


The kitties shown live in my house.  When the website is up and running, you will see a variety of pets and animals, including horses and perhaps a llama or two.  While cats and dogs are the family pets most seen, other animals are certainly included in what we do with photography.

Capturing the essence of personality with a still photograph is very difficult and often calls for a little good fortune. For example, this Great Pyrenees mix is a quite large dog but its personality instills calm and brings forth smiles.  

As part of  H.A.B.I.T. , the Human Animal Bond in Tennessee organization out of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine,  this dog visits residents in a nursing and personal care facility. The face you see is the face seen by the residents.  Of course, they run their hands on the thick fur and spend time with this "friend".  A kind volunteer allowed us to take the photo.  That face does catch some of the personality and the intent was achieved.

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Thomas Haynes is a photographer working out of Clinton, Tennessee, a city just north of Knoxville. His photography is often of a fine arts direction but as in this post, his love of nature takes him again to the Clinch River Raptor Center, a rehabilitation and educational not-for-profit organization.. Visit Thomas and see more of his photography at  Facebook

 Contact Thomas to discuss photography you want done.