The Making of John Mayer’s ‘Born & Raised’ Artwork from Danny Cooke on Vimeo.

Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary

Welcome to the Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, located in St. Pauls, NC. It was a late day visit as we traveled from Charleston to the Outer Banks, but Alana at the shelter (aka the wonderful person who makes this all happen) was kind enough to deal with our fluctuating arrival time and give us the grand tour. And it was grand — seven immaculate rooms!

Blind kitties at the sanctuary

They were all so sweet and friendly!

Along the way, we made plenty of friends. It’s a completely different experience than any shelter I have been to. These cats, because they’re blind, or because they are just so happy, are not shy. Since they can’t see you, they come up to you to sniff you or to touch you. At some points, we were simply covered in cats. It’s a heart-warming experience to say the least.

This little guy was blind -- born with detached retinas.

One of the younger cats from the kitten room -- so playful!

They were so much like “seeing” cats in their behavior that you didn’t even really notice that they were blind. They had the most adorable faces — some with eyes (detached retinas), but most without. But, after meeting a few of them, you stop thinking of them in that way. They get around just like any other cats you are familiar with — jumping, playing, rolling, purring, scratching, meowing — it’s all there.

Another friendly little kitty...

Enjoying a quiet moment...

The shelter itself consists of two buildings with seven rooms total. There’s an FIV room and an FELV room where seeing kitties enjoyed the company of other blind kitties with these disorders. Each room had plenty of places for the kitties to get comfy, and a door leading outside to a big fenced-in play area. It was very well done, and very, very clean.

The outdoor areas for the cats.

This visit might have been a once-in-a-lifetime. Truly. I don’t know of too many groups dedicated to only blind cats, or that I will ever be down in North Carolina again. I can only hope I get to visit again someday — it was that moving and that wonderful of an experience. In the meantime, my view of blind cats has completely changed — I no longer see them as handicapped or helpless — they are different, yes, they are survivors, true, but they don’t know that. To themselves, they are simply cats. You have to respect that outlook on life.

Obvious State is the shop of Evan Robertson who is a writer and illustrator in NYC. Visit his shop to see the fantastic work — I can’t wait to buy one as soon as I can pick a favorite!

Literary Posters by Obvious State

Wow. Not that I was the only influence, but to be on that list was exciting and an honor. So, what ensued was a lovely afternoon conversation about shelter animals — how wonderful they are and what we can all do to help them find their forever homes. I got off the phone from my conversation with Andi Garavaglia with such enthusiasm for what she and her colleagues were planning to do. And then yesterday I just got the big news — their project has officially launched! “Pics of the Litter” was born!

Pics of the Litter

Check out the website (the design of which I am in love with!) and all of the great images of the animals they photographed (with the help of photographer Lynn Terry). It’s a fantastic project and already has made great impact just out of the gate! Can’t wait to see where it goes from here! And yes, they have now inspired me in return to give even more energy to my project, too. Hey, what wouldn’t you do for faces like these:

Pics of the Litter

Pics of the Litter

Pinterest, in one sentence or less, is a place for you to create your own virtual pin boards and “pin” images found on the web to them for future use. It’s your own inspiration scrapbook, but without the mess of glue. It’s the one-click wonder that will let you keep those passing visual thoughts in a place you can find later without a new search. Yeah, obviously I’m a fan.

But, what sets Pinterest apart from the other social networks out there is the fact that there’s no “social pressure”. You can follow other people’s pins, and they can follow you. Or you can just go in and do your thing. The root of Pinterest is you — these are your pages for your inspiration. It’s a different kind of social.

I will most likely be writing more on this subject soon — especially on how Pinterest should be worked in your social media plans — but for now, let’s stick with the basics and just have fun. So, go ahead — jump in and start pinning. I’ll be right behind you.

(View my pin boards here!)

My Pinterest Boards

http://www.ctnow.com/videogallery/66742570/News/Pet-Photo-Calendars-|-12/13