Please forgive the abundance of words of this Wordless Wednesday, but I have been informed by the BlogPaws committee that Zee & Zoey’s blog has been nominated as a finalist in the Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging Social Media Awards in the category of Best Blog Writing and I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for your support and kindness over the years to make this honor possible.

When I first began blogging in 2010 I was primarily known for the beautiful design of my blog and the stunning photos of my cats I featured that were taken by my fiancé, Dan. My posts were almost exclusively about my own feline family and I really did not have a particular message in mind other than to share my stories to my audience of very loyal crickets. As time went on and I became aware of just how much help was needed to educate people on subjects such as TNR and the critical need  to promote the virtues of spay/neuter as not only a safe and humane means of reducing cat overpopulation, but as a procedure that helps to ensure your cat live a longer, happier, and healthy life, my blog took on a different tone, not just a pretty face so to speak, and I began to use Zee & Zoey’s blog as a platform to use my writing voice as a means to help spread the word about cat advocacy issues.

While advocacy is my passion, that’s not just what writing is all about for me.  I am passionate about every aspect of cats, so sometimes I might write a funny little piece about cat behavior, or maybe it will be a book review or an interview with a fellow cat lover.  I write about what inspires me at the moment and the hallmark of my style is to always be real and true to myself and the cats I love so dearly. No matter what the subject, I try my best to write in an informative, compelling, honest, warm, fair, and entertaining way. I try to encourage thinking outside of the box by discussing topics about everyday life that we all can relate to, but in a way that invites reflective thought and insight from my readers. I also try to provide a safe and secure haven that allows for comments and debate on subjects that might otherwise get swept under the rug – the cat world can often be controversial and I want my readers to feel comfortable when they come to Zee & Zoey’s blog that they can express their opinions or share their own stories.

So, thank you again all for your support and for letting me know you appreciate what I do.  And while it may seem cliche, the fact is while the nomination is wonderful, I am already a winner regardless of whose name will be called at the BlogPaws Awards Ceremony this upcoming May 18th. For you see, I was asked by my dear friend Caren Gittleman of Cat Chat to do a guest post on what World Spay Day meant to me this past  February 26h. As a result of that post, I received a comment on my own blog that I will never forget and it is by far the highest compliment I could ever receive. It was written by a new friend of mine, Elizabeth Benoit of Feline Funnies who has been nominated for two Nose-to-Nose Awards. She has kindly given me permission to share her comment and the message is one that all of us cat advocates should take to heart – our voices do matter and we are making a difference. I had already posted this on facebook, but I wanted to share it again in case anyone did not get to see it.  While the comment was directed to me, I truly feel it is a universal compliment to all us bloggers who pour our hearts and souls into trying to make the world a better and happier place for cats:

“I just wanted to let you know how what a positive impact your recent post on Cat Chat with Caren & Cody had on my daughter. She rescued two abandoned kittens who had never been neutered. Despite my best attempts, she kept putting it off. She is away at college, so my influence over her daily life is limited. I had her read your post and a light went off in her head. You got through to her. I just received a text message that she dropped her kittens at the vet this morning, and they are being neutered as I type this. Thank you for your efforts to help the lives of cats and cat caregivers everywhere. If you ever are concerned about the impact your blog has on society, please reread this comment. You are definitely a positive influence in the pet blogosphere. Gracie, Benjamin Bunny, and I thank you. – EH Benoit of Feline Funnies”

Congratulations to all the nominees – so many of my treasured friends such as Janea Kelley of Paws and Effect, Tamar Arslanian of I Have Cat, Joanne   McGonagle of The Tiniest Tiger, Debbie Glovatsky of Glogirly, Angie Holland Bailey of Catladyland, Robin A.F. Olson of Covered in Cat Hair, Karen Nichols of Mousebreath, and Elizabeth Benoit of Feline Funnies are up for an award and we are thrilled for them all.

On behalf Jazz, Kizmet, Rolz, Zee, Zoey, Mia, Peanut, and Harley – Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!