Tori's Painting Club

As a watercolorist specializing in pet portraits and wildlife studies, Tori Ratcliffe has developed a distinctive and very accessible style of painting. From her website, she sells colorful and quirky cards, prints and other merchandise featuring her artwork. But that's not all. With her easy, beginner friendly tutorials, she offers guidance to anyone who wants to try a little painting for themselves. And that's what the Facebook group is all about. It's a platform for students following her online tutorials to share their own work. Although it's a small group, there are many posts per day. Not all of the featured pieces are exact replicas of Tori's example studies. Some have taken her style lessons as a starting point for experimenting with their own subject matter, immortalizing beloved pets for themselves or as gifts. The paintings are charming and the community is positive and supporting. 

Members: 1.2k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None

Go here to visit or join

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House and Pet Sitting (Worldwide) - "Pawhaps you wanna join?"

 Few things add more emotional/soul value to a home than the presence of a pet. Whether it's a cat, dog, bird or an assortment of farm animals, pets spell unconditional love, soft pets and... travel opportunities? Apparently one way of saving on travel accommodation is to offer your house/pet sitting services to someone in another city or country. A win-win situation where the sitter gets a free roof and the pet owner gets peace of mind. What was really touching, though, was several posters mentioning being past pet owners and missing the opportunity to bond with an animal. The group follows fairly strict guidelines regarding how you may post and seems to be well-moderated, despite also being super active. While it's difficult for me to imagine even spending a single night away from my two feline boys, I can well imagine that this platform must solve problems and create opportunities for animal lovers around the world. Remember to do your own due diligence regarding any responses you may receive.

Members: 204k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

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Animal Lovers Society

With World Animal Day upcoming on October 4th, we  will be featuring a few animal friendly communities this week.

Animal Lovers Society is one of those Facebook groups that will surely tug at your heartstrings, especially if you are a pet parent yourself. Dogs and the magic of dog ownership is definitely at the heart of many of the posts. There's plenty of love for dearly departed doggy angels and also everyday moments that define life with dogs. Here and there a feline inevitably pops up as well, and there are some posts featuring other animals - rare albinos and barnyard newborns for example. 

Members: 239.2k, at time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None

Go here to visit or join.

(Photo credit: Pexels on Pixabay)

Pet Photo Contest

Think your pet is the cutest? Especially all dressed up in tinsel or posing in costume by the Halloween pumpkin? Well, here's where you can showcase your pets and put their irresistible charm to the test. Every month a different theme is chosen and you may submit one photograph that best captures how you (and your pet) interpret that theme. For ideas, browse around in the gallery to see other pet photos. Check out the information section to find out what's the current theme.

What's great about this group: Show off your pets.

Update - the group seems to be mostly inactive, but it is still public and there is a link here. - 11 April 2024

Stupid things pet owners say to vets and vet nurses

We are often unaware of the hardships and humor medical professionals endure on a daily basis in the line of work, and although the members of this group care for our furry friends, rather than us, they still deserve our respect, our gratitude and above all our understanding. As some of the posters point out, it is often not so much the pets that annoy, but the behavior and insensitivity of the owners. Some threads such as 'The thermometer reaction.' and 'Wierd names for neutering' deal with those things pet owners cannot bring themselves to say, while others such as 'Most annoying things to happen in a consultation', 'Know it all's' and 'I Can't Pay You Any Money This Week Because .........' deal with the sort of things vets would love to introduce into conversations, if only their good manners would let them. Other topics include 'Funniest thing that has happened in practice...', 'Worst surgical surprise', 'Christmas disasters' and 'Quirky things that pets do'.

What's great about this group: Learn more about the trials and tribulations of your vet.

A word of caution: You might not want to know some of the grosser, more graphic details of a vet's work.

Update (29 April 2024)

This post has the distinction of being the most commented upon in all of the blog. However, the group it profiles, no longer exists.

A group for people who have a slightly unhealthy obsession with their cats.

The presence of pets inspire strong emotions in the lives of some people. Cats, specifically, for all their aloof manner, have been known to hijack the orderliness and sometimes temporarily, the sanity of their long-suffering owners. If the shoe fits, then this Facebook group is tailor-made for you. While friends and family may have heard your stories too many times already, you may share to heart's content in threads like 'Is your cat psychic?', '25 random things about your cat' and 'Do you nickname your cats?' For your feline's more eccentric behaviour, explore 'Water lovin' cats' and 'Weird food your cat shouldn't like, but does.' For the wider dilemmas of cat-ownership, you might also want to peek at 'Cats scratching the couch', 'behavior issue! Need Help!', 'what 'gifts' does your cat bring in from the garden?' or 'boyfriend or cat which would you choose if you had to?' You will probably find many more threads to identify with. There are also
links to over 140 video clips and more than 8,000 images in the gallery.

What's great about this group: If you are a cat lover, you will probably enjoy this group.

Click here to go directly to 'A group for people who have a slightly unhealthy obsession with their cats.'