How to Photograph and Groom Shelter Cats:The Rachael Ray™ Nutrish™ #ShelterCatsAreBeautiful Tour

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Rachael Ray Nutrish.   As always, thank you for reading and supporting our sponsors.

On September 29th I shared Part One of my Two Part feature about the The Rachael Ray™ Nutrish™ #ShelterCatsAreBeautiful Tour  and  their stop at   Friends For The Dearborn Animal Shelter, in Dearborn, Michigan, which I was thrilled to be able to attend.

Rachael Ray Nutrish  took the “Shelter Cats areBeautiful” tour to 16 cities

across the country and offered professional grooming and photography services to

capture the full beauty and personality of cats in need of adoption. The

program  provided shelters with the necessary tips, tools and equipment

to groom and capture the best possible photographs of shelter pets in the future.

This program helped celebrate the launch of Rachael Ray Nutrish‘s new line of

natural food for cats, which is now available in stores nationwide. Rachael is

dedicated to helping animals in need and donates her proceeds from the sale

of Rachael Ray Nutrish to help animal support organizations, which has resulted

in more than $6.5 million in donations to date.

Rachael Ray™ Nutrish™ is proud to partner with GreaterGood.org® and One Picture Saves a Life™. Together, they traveled across the country taking photos worthy of these loving cats who are simply looking for a second chance.

The session was led by Miranda Hay (read all about her in Part One) .

Miranda and I (my tired and haggy looking self!)
at the #ShelterCatsAreBeautiful Tour
Dearborn, Michigan

There were approx 40 people in attendance. lWe istened with rapt attention to  the grooming and photography tips that Miranda shared with us, (they can also be found at www.onepicturesaves.com)

The cat that Miranda groomed was named "Linc" (I believe it was short for Abraham Lincoln, but I am not sure, my husband caught that part, I didn't!) I was impressed immediately with how Miranda handled and related to Linc with the utmost care, respect and gentleness.

The session began with an overview of the program,   then Miranda proceeded to discuss tips for

Shelter Cat Grooming
some of the tips were:

Before You Start

• Safety first! Make sure the cat is ready to be handled!
• DO NOT RUSH! Spend some time with the cat to make sure you are both comfortable to ensure a safe and relaxing experience for both of you!
• If the cat you are preparing to groom is not ready, move on to another cat and try again later!

Focus on Cleaning the Face

• The headshot is THE most important picture!
• Clean "goop" around the eyes and nose with saline solution and a paper towel or wash cloth

Trim Nails
Clean the Coat

• Use a waterless shampoo on a paper towel or washcloth, and you have a quick and easy wipe to safely remove dirt and dander and give the coat a nice scent.
• Finish up with a brush out to make sure the coat is fluffy and shiny for her glamour shot!!

HAVE FUN!!!

Miranda and Linc sharing a private joke

For more grooming tips visit:

Here is a photo of a happy and groomed "Linc" with Aaron Bertera, Downriver Center Animal Control, Chief Animal Control Officer, who graciously offered to pose with Linc for a photo op for me!

After the grooming tips, Miranda went on to share with us Shelter Cat Photography tips that she learned from Seth Casteel, who does Lifestyle and Pet Photography. The tips that we were given by Miranda are ALL in this fabulous video that is on the One Picture Saves A Life website. Enjoy!


Always Remember:

• Positive photos get animals adopted!
• Try to showcase unique features about each cat and show their personality
• Head shots where the eyes are light and in focus connect with adopters!

THEN IT WAS OUR TURN!!!
I was a coward and chose NOT to go into the area where the cats were in cages waiting to be adopted, instead, I opted to join Miranda and a few others in an area that was more "home-like", where the kitties were on beds, had scratchers etc, and were able to move about freely. It was there that we each got to take some photos of our own. Here are some of mine:

I didn't do too shabby did I? I am pretty proud of a few of these, especially since I only used my iphone!

There you have it!

It is a complete honor being a Brand Ambassador for Rachael Ray™ Nutrish™  and to be able to experience her #ShelterCatsAreBeautifulTour first paw! Kudos to GreaterGood.org® and One Picture Saves a Life™ for their partnership with her and dedication to this incredible cause as well. A special THANK YOU to Rachael Ray™ Nutrish™ for the pallets of food that were donated to the kitties of the shelter. You can see a video of them enjoying their food here. THE VIDEO IS SUPER SHORT, BE SURE TO TURN UP YOUR VOLUME TO HEAR THEM MEOWING WITH DELIGHT!!!




 My time spent at the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter was incredibly educational and rewarding. It was an honor to meet and become friends with Miranda, and to mingle with those who give their hearts and souls every day to help save millions of furry lives. 

I promised my friends at the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter that I would share their next HUGE endeavors. 

Dearborn Animal Shelter to Host 14^th Annual Black Tie & Tails Gala

Organization hosts elegant Paris themed fundraiser evening to benefit homeless pets

The Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter’s popular Black Tie & Tails charity fundraising event returns on Friday, Oct. 24^th.  Festivities begin 7 p.m. at the historic Dearborn Inn, 20301 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn.  The 2014 theme is Passport to Paris: celebrating the countless adopted animal love stories that have been created in the organization’s twenty-year history.

Guests will be transported to Paris, the ultimate City of Love, starting with a French wine tasting hosted by Merchant’s Fine Wine. There will also be “passport stops” throughout the evening, including the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre “adoption gallery.” And, of course, there will be flowing champagne and French-inspired entrees.

 Tracy Balazy and Einstein; Adorable Adoptables are the star guests at Black Tie & Tails

Photo Credit: Besek Photography

Since its inception, Black Tie has been an engaging community event that has attracted local celebrities, athletes, auto industry and business leaders, politicians and concerned citizens, gathering to help fund the Friends’ ongoing efforts to care for and find permanent homes for unwanted animals. More than $1 million has been raised since the start of Black Tie in 2001; this year’s target is to top $150,000.

A wide array of metro Detroit area businesses, artists, and private individuals donate auction items such as great tickets to sporting events, tours, dinner excursions, weekend getaways and luxury merchandise. Black Tie is also known for unique offerings, such as a meet-and-greet during a morning skate with Red Wings play-by-play announcer Ken Daniels, and a hot-lap, test-drive experience at the Ford Motor Dearborn Development Center. Leading up to the evening, a host of the many auction items can be previewed online, 

Tickets for Black Tie & Tails are $175 per person and are available online or by calling the Shelter. 

Learn more about events, volunteering, donating or adoptable animals online. The Dearborn Animal Shelter is located at 2661 Greenfield Road, Dearborn, and is operated by the Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Phone (313) 943-2697, online DearbornAnimals.org, Facebook or Twitter.

ALSO

They want to build a new shelter!!!

.  They are in the process of a Capital Campaign to build a new Shelter facility that the animals and humans who care for them/come to adopt them, so richly deserve. Any donations or sharing about the campaign to help them realize that dream are welcome!  Details here: