omigosh, these babies “will make you ded of cute!!!” (LOLcats reference)

on tuesday evening i dropped by the headquarters of RCR Cat Rescue to photograph 18 (yes, EIGHTEEN) kittens for re-homing. 16 of these are young babies, and two are older kittens.

first – photos! here’s the whole set…

a few outtakes from the general ruckus which went on in the background during the shoot that are too cute not to share…

and last of all i want to share this absolutely darling cat’s story. she was abused before being rescued, and as a result has lost an eye 🙁 which of course reduces her chances of being chosen for adoption. but she is literally the most friendly and over-the-top-playful kitten i have ever met (and i’ve met a few!) she LOVES to rub her head against your hand, and absolutely refused to stand still or sit down the whole time i was there, which made it tough for me to photograph her. but i was determined not to leave until i had some pictures which would help her find her “forever home”. so here’s a couple more of her…

if you can give a loving permanent home to any of these beautiful affectionate creatures please email Raewyn or Vanessa here: RCR Cat Rescue (Auckland NZ) or mobile 021 834 023. if not but you still want to help: donations of kitten food, litter, or money are gratefully accepted.

caught up with sarah from Lonely Miaow today – another wonderful local organisation dedicated to rescuing and rehoming stray and unwanted kittens and cats. she currently has two kittens fostered at her own home in addition to her own loved pets, and works with a number of other foster homes as well – a big job for anyone, but she clearly loves it.

i was supposed to photograph three kittens today, but as i arrived, i met the excited new adoptive owners of one of the kittens, just leaving with their brand new friend! i was sorry not to meet eddie, but very pleased that he has already found his new home.

tinkerbelle and malinki were a little shy of me at first but settled down with lots of pats from sarah. tinkerbelle is playful, loves to climb and has the softest fur, and malinki appears to be part burmese, he has that narrow refined face and unusual almond-shaped eyes – but they both know how to purr! here’s a couple of their photos…

you can find Lonely Miaow on facebook too – why not join their page and see how you can help out?

here’s something that really makes me smile: people giving up their own time & resources to help animals that have no one to care for them. raewyn, vanessa and their helpers at RCR Cat Rescue are just such people, and today i was privileged to photograph some kittens for them, to help each one to find a loving home. some were tame and friendly, and some weren’t quite sure yet, but they all seemed to enjoy a gentle scratch under the chin.

raewyn’s personal mission is to reduce the numbers of homeless cats in auckland by catching homeless cats & kittens, desexing and taming them where possible to re-home them – and educating people about the importance of having their own cats desexed so no more unwanted kittens are produced. if you want to help with fostering, capturing feral or homeless cats in your area, pet food/cash donations, or adopting a kitten (or three!) please contact raewyn via facebook, email or ph 021 834 023

ok – here’s some pictures of the kittens she has at her place today (unless otherwise noted, each kitten pictured needs a home now)…

this one is rocky, very cute and fuzzy

this is zoro – he has the loudest purr inside that box!

marcelle, a gorgeous wee boy, very curious

this one is still settling in, but raewyn hopes to have him (her?) ready soon

rocky’s brother, who has already found a new home

their sister raisin, who looks almost exactly like one of our own cats

zina, also not quite ready for her new home, but getting there

sweet smudge, a really lovely placid boy

another pic of rocky

another one of the grey & white from photo 4, feeling a little more relaxed

smudge again, snoozing comfortably

many of these cats have had a very hard start to life, so it is wonderful to see them being cared for and taught that not all people are unkind. i will be taking photos at RCR again soon, so watch this space and remember, if you can help, every little counts!