Petograpiya

Petograpiya Pet photography with heart. A continuous discovery, a visual translation of tail tales and so much more.

Life Update: It's been 13 months since Bunny got her biopsy result from a small tumor that was thankfully found and remo...
27/08/2024

Life Update: It's been 13 months since Bunny got her biopsy result from a small tumor that was thankfully found and removed during her dental extraction. It's stage 1 oral feline amelanotic melanoma. So far she's doing good, she's fond of giving me lots of gummy bites on my arms to signal that she's ready for her meals. She's still as playful as ever. All we can do is monitor if there's regrowth. She still hops around happily. She bullies her siblings with her paw punches and misbehaves like a normal cat. She still bakes biscuits and makes bunny silhouettes. She wakes me up with a high pitched sound, smells my nose and then bites my limbs and so I get to laugh and smile first thing in the morning. I'm just happy she's doing well and we are taking it day by day.

Lately, it's been heartbreaking to see many friends who have lost their senior babies. Time really flew by so fast. I still can't wrap my head around how our pets age too, and that us, hoomans, are aging as well. These days, we are all about simplifying, making sure we are not overexerting ourselves because we are not so young anymore. If our parents are still around, we find ourselves having our roles reversed now that they need more care. Please tell me you guys feel it too.

Orange (Adopted June 25, 2015 - March 9, 2023)My Orange left for the rainbow bridge three days before the Stray Kids con...
05/07/2024

Orange (Adopted June 25, 2015 - March 9, 2023)
My Orange left for the rainbow bridge three days before the Stray Kids concert in Manila. I even asked for his permission months prior because he hated when I left home and didn't tell him, then he would p*e on my stuff. I guess he gave me proper permission as he was my stray kid afterall and I would always sing their chant to him. He was one of those that got rescued as an adult cat and I will never know his true age and what his past life was like. I just know it was tough out there. A year before I rescued him, he suddenly appeared in our garden covered in grease and was skin and bones. Orange dodged death so many times and he always bounced back because of his voracious appetite. I guess he was done fighting and said, "Ok you go enjoy your concert." I don't know who started the thing that orange cats shared only one braincell but Orange always felt like a wise Zen monk to me. So when I saw the resin orange cat, I knew it was meant to be his marker. I don't know if gingers really like giving you a stare down as Orange watched me like a hawk. And when he left, as if by ginger succession, Bunny took over his place. He was my guardian and he knew I will need to have a new one. I miss my loudest purr machine, he was so loud that at times it felt like he snored in his sleep and then I would kiss his nose and he'd curl up and purr some more.

For Pet Remembrance Day, I would like to honor Orange. Orange fought for 15 months after being diagnosed with severe Chr...
05/07/2024

For Pet Remembrance Day, I would like to honor Orange. Orange fought for 15 months after being diagnosed with severe Chronic Kidney Disease. After Fighter and Hiro's passing, he really fought the hardest as he was also FIV+. Him being diagnosed in 2015 with FIV+ shattered my heart so much because I was hoping to foster him and have him adopted. I was destined to be his mom I guess, and he was so chill with his siblings that he lived with non-FIV cats without fear that he'd bite them. He would only bite me his hooman though, which I didn't mind. He had the biggest appetite until the very end, I still remember his last meal and he really loved treats. Before he left, he kneaded on my hand like a baby, as if telling me that I'll always be his mom. I love you, Orange.

Hiro was named after a local sandwich cookie Hi-ro. He meowed softly but hissed fiercely because he didn't have the pati...
24/05/2024

Hiro was named after a local sandwich cookie Hi-ro. He meowed softly but hissed fiercely because he didn't have the patience for cat shenanigans. Baby boy just wanted to be cozy, and sleep as peacefully as possible. Hiro was the best in staying put for subcutaneous fluids but gave me a dirty look each time I opened our pill box. I always tell everyone that Chronic Kidney Disease is an ugly disease because it ends up traumatizing both the cats and their humans. His was already severe when he was diagnosed at the age of 10. Fighter passed two months before Hiro and then Orange who was still fighting CKD, required most of my energy that I just shut down. I guess this is my grief journey for Hiro as it really does vary for each cat and circumstance. Hiro, in a way, wasn't the most Mama's boy of a cat, because he found comfort in other cats' warmth if my butt and legs weren't warm enough. We called him Bro-io or Smart Bro as the he exercised brotherly love because he really was everyone's fave being the unproblematic/sleepy one. He just hated her sister Coco because they went together for their sterilization, which was my very first time to spay and neuter. I was a noob cat mom then so I don't blame Hiro because it was an uncomfortable trip sharing one carrier with Coco. It was his older sister Creamo that I was supposed to bring that day but she decided to hide. In Hiro's defense, the cage also probably smelled like dogs as I just borrowed my brother-in-law's. You could say Hiro experienced my inexperience in being a cat mom. In one decade, I hope I made him proud for the cat lady I eventually grew to become. Hiro appeared in a dream in June 2022 when he would have turned 11. His twin sister Coco, now almost 13, warmed up to me tremendously as I grieved him in silence. I did write about a two-part series about grief for Animal Scene but rarely told anyone about it (link in bio). I hope some of you can find comfort in it and help at least one fur parent process immense loss.

Hiro (June 2011 - May 24, 2022) Nap Monster, Center of love and affection whether it be from fellow cats and humans. Hir...
24/05/2024

Hiro (June 2011 - May 24, 2022) Nap Monster, Center of love and affection whether it be from fellow cats and humans. Hiro lived a full life surrounded with so much love, with a doting mother named Mom and sweet older sisters, Tortt and Creamo. He only hated one cat: his littermate Coco. Hiro received so much attention from humans as the resident lap cat. He was a moody boy, yes, but he was always ready for love. My handsome baby boy who kept his beauty until the last moment, our sweet Wowo, we miss you so much. I'm so sorry that your passing was sandwiched in so much grief that it took me two years to give you a proper memorial. I love you, Hiro.

Ginger was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2021 and that's when Kira contacted me to have as much pics of her beautiful se...
11/05/2024

Ginger was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2021 and that's when Kira contacted me to have as much pics of her beautiful senior dog. Her life got extended three years through 's love and dedication in giving Ginger the best quality of life. My heart goes to Kira who is surrounded by angels: Persi the ginger cat who also battled end-stage kidney disease, her dearest friend Butch and now her precious Ginger. Kira, my wish is for your heart to always be filled with the sweetest memories of Ginger. Thank you for sharing the light of these beautiful beings with me and for being a lovely client to work with. It was an honor.

I became Bernie's temporary mom during my days as a cat mamager at . I still remember when sent Bernie and Mark to th...
23/01/2024

I became Bernie's temporary mom during my days as a cat mamager at . I still remember when sent Bernie and Mark to the cafe as the two youngest cats for adoption. & cared for our dearest food ninja calling Bernie as Bernadette Marie whenever she misbehaved. We cannot count the cupcakes, treats and mantou we had to steal from her mouth. Our bulletin board push pins and our decor had to be taped because she had better ideas. I regret not visiting her and Mama Z , who is such a blessing in Bernie's life. She is a foster mama's dream adopter with regular updates, genuine love for her adopted child and the warmth of true friendship. Thank you for sharing Bernie with me always. It's still hard to process that we had to say farewell earlier to this bear of a cat.

I met Tony is in 2017 at Paws in the Park and just fell in love. 2021 was the year for us to have a photoshoot together...
05/10/2022

I met Tony is in 2017 at Paws in the Park and just fell in love. 2021 was the year for us to have a photoshoot together. He was already sick but he showed me that being a good boi is his forte-that's why he had an illustrious career being a model and being in Broadway. I had to fight back tears but his mom, bless her honesty and courage, just let it all flow during our shoot. He was really loved and I will really admire the Manlapaz and Javier family for their very inspiring outpouring of love for their furbabies. My heart goes to his family and friends as he gained his beautiful wings today. I love you, sweet Tony.

Saranghae, Fighter. It’s been one week and I may have cleaned everything I could get my hands on to cope without seeing ...
29/03/2022

Saranghae, Fighter. It’s been one week and I may have cleaned everything I could get my hands on to cope without seeing your big eyes staring at me. I cried for three days straight knowing you are sending me Kpop songs that really describes our bond. You know me all too well. Looking through many pictures of you, discovering that you lived well, somehow made me feel that your life was not robbed from you. It was short but it was sweet and filled with only fondness from everyone. The other cats simply adored you, Fighter, and you bathed in love. (Even if you were also low-key mischievous and hated certain things like syrup and being groomed.) There’s no mama’s boy quite like you and you treated me like a mama cat more than you did Wyto. I miss your clingyness and how you thought I was the best bed in the world. Our relationship as mama and maknae is very cartoony when you would smell my coffee and I’ll say cats don’t drink coffee. Then we would fight over office space and I’d tell you to do my work for me and I’ll just be a cat. I miss your derp, the soft curves of your nose and the end of your tail. My heart still bursts with so much love for you and I know it will never stop. Thank you for shining your light upon me, my puting kuting. Your big flashlight eyes always communicated how curious you were about everything I was up to, yet they also expressed so much trust in me. If I rooted in myself the way you always did for me, I think I might change my life forever. Please keep cheering me on with Hwaiting energy. I’ll try my best in your loving memory. Fighting!

~Thank you, everyone, for your love and sympathy. Those who have been with us since last year rooting for us and helping us and being patient when my capacity to work was at a standstill, I cannot thank you enough. I had this crazy idea while grieving what if I stopped Petograpiya alltogether. Seeing these pictures of Fighter, however, I know I can’t. I’m in the process of uploading and getting ready to share so many memories of beautiful people and their pets. In the end, these memories really do extend our most precious experiences. Fighter and I proved that.

Proof of life: Happy Holidays from our Kidney Institute. I say Kidney Institute because since my last post when Fighter ...
27/12/2021

Proof of life: Happy Holidays from our Kidney Institute. I say Kidney Institute because since my last post when Fighter was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, the following weeks included Orange and Hiro to the list. All of them have severe renal failure. I’ve been telling my friends that I have become numb and unable to express my feelings and cry all the pain & frustrations out. My heart goes out to those who are caring for ill family/pawmily members and are faced with a mountain of things to do instead of processing their feelings. Fighter is still fighting and has an award I call Best in Tusok because I can inject him and do subq without him getting mad except when it’s time for the syrups. On the other hand, Best in Syrup is Hiro who doesn’t salivate and the only cat who could swallow the bitter appetite stimulant. Best in Appetite goes to Orange who can take any medicine if you drown it with lots of food. My Fighting Fighter, my Worldwide Handsome Hiro and my Horanghae Orange, if only I could just absorb the sickness to make you all feel well again, I would. We’re struggling as most of our resources have been greatly depleted by back-to-back-to-back vet visits and my heart just hurts with everything that’s been happening. We do still have the miracle of life and the magic of people’s kindness and generosity for supporting us. Thank you for helping us and booking us, for being understanding with our new work setup and sending care packages our way. We did celebrate Christmas with family, with Bunny and Cheska getting into the holiday vibe to pass forward cheerful energy. Wishing all of you strong hearts and a bellies filled with hearty meals. Our Kidney Institute is back at work today and we can only take it one day at a time.

I tried my best not to fall in love with you, Fighter. My first picture of you is the one with your mama Wyto inside a f...
05/12/2021

I tried my best not to fall in love with you, Fighter. My first picture of you is the one with your mama Wyto inside a flower pot, a quick pic before I left for a shoot. It was love at first click. Other cats can’t help but adore you that even the male stray cat Pyupyu tried to nurse you. At night I would wonder if you’re sleeping comfortably, but you just gazed back wide eyed as soon as you noticed me. I just couldn’t bear the thought of a small kitten sleeping outside all alone. I snuck you in one day and the rest is history. You were a mischievous little kitten often biting my hands playfully, I called you Biter at first but then Fighter fit you better. You know, I just thought about your second name a few weeks ago making your full name: Fighter Alexander Lara. I also call you Gorgeous. Aside from that, I call you “Fighting!” w/ complete fist pump. Of course, you are the golden maknae if you and your brothers formed a Korean boyband. On Friday, you were diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. You’re only turning 6 in February, and yet why are we here at the end stage of this disease? I’m so terrified and I never want to have a last picture of you. Everyone we know, they are rooting for you and for us, even your estranged mom Wyto donated her blood for you. So many have helped us greatly in this fight. I don’t know how much time we have left and my heart is already pulverized. I love you, Fighter. I hope you are still able to feel my love even if I am now the source of the yuckiest medicines and treatments, of forced mealtimes and bothering you endlessly while crying my eyes out. I know you pranked me earlier when I thought I lost you in the middle of a meal. Dr. Tin said we can do everything but in the end your body will still be the one to decide. I will not be selfish but I will keep on being your mom and fight with you for as long as possible. I am a big mess but I know you want to thank everyone with beautiful odd-eyed slow blinks especially those who’s been supporting us & helping us through this difficult journey.

Address

Manila

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Petograpiya posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share