This adorable screen printed poster is from Jason Munn of The Small Stakes design studio. Jason is well known for his design work on independent music posters.

An 18″ x 24″ two-color silkscreen is just $25 on The Small Stakes online poster shop, but I doubt they will last long. Snap one up before they’re sold out!

Peter gets credit for this find.

Congratulations to Sarah (comment #419), winner of the MusicSkin giveaway from Red Tango! No matter which Red Tango MucisSkin design Sarah chooses, she will definitley be texting, talking, or listening in style.

Continuing our pet photography interview series, today we have Julianna Koh of Two Guinea Pigs Pet Photography Studio in Sydney, Australia. Julianna has a wonderful sensitivity for capturing the quirky characteristics of animals. I’m completely in love with the shots of these gorgeous black kitties!

How long have you been photographing pets and how did you get started?
I got my first digital point-and-shoot, a Sony Cyberspace, as a birthday present. When I adopted two guinea pigs in 2003, I was so fascinated by their characters and personalities that I ‘documented’ their habitat, diet, mischievousness, adventures, and expressions. I’ve also photographed pets of friends. The satisfaction and joy of seeing their pet portraits, and my passion and interests in animals made me decide to start up a pet photography business based in Sydney, Australia.

What kind of pet photography do you do? Do you have a specialty?
I don’t specialise in a particular breed or animal. I photograph pets in a non-conventional way (some say quirky) in that I prefer to capture their movements and expressions in the environment they are most comfortable with. It’s like spying on them through the camera lens and seizing every opportunity I can get to frame an image. I would say about 80% of my shoots are candid, where I let them be themselves, sit or play wherever. The other 20% are posed shots where I usually get the pets to move to nearer to where the light is.

Do you do anything special to prepare for a photo shoot with a cat?
I pray. No, just kidding. I don’t think you can specially prepare for a photo shoot except the usual, like check and clean your gear, have plenty of rest before the photo shoot takes place, pack your gear, bring treats and toys, and turn up on time! What helps is I keep practising when I’m not on a photo shoot and I photograph almost anything and everything I fancy.

What was the most challenging cat photo shoot you have done? Any funny stories?
A friend of mine has 7 cats. Not all cats get along well. I wanted to photograph them together but he could only bring the ones that got along into the same room. There was one particular long-haired cat that just couldn’t wait to get out!

Do you have any tips for readers about how to take great photos of their cats?
Be patient and have respect. Treats, sounds, noises can help but they normally work on cats only once, especially the shy or aloof ones. Try and anticipate their moves, get in position to shoot so you don’t miss the moment. If your camera has the continuous shooting mode learn to shoot with it – this feature lets you capture a few frames per second where you can catch unpredictable actions like yawning, licking, etc. Know your camera well — even a point-and-shoot can get surprisingly good results if you learn how to use it. Keep looking through the viewfinder and keep composing and framing. Be sensitive towards the cats’ moods, don’t push if they appear bored, stressed, nervous or tired — if you don’t enjoy the shoot, most likely the cats aren’t enjoying it either.

For the more technically inclined readers, can you please tell us what equipment you use? (camera, lens, lighting, filters, etc.)
For photographing pets, I shoot in manual mode with my Canon 450D and 85mm f/1.2L EF lens. I will bring my Speedlite 580EX but will reserve using it unless I absolutely need to — and when I need to, I’ll bounce it off the ceiling or a white wall. I prefer natural light.

I know, we’re all feeling it, but kitty shouldn’t have to suffer. I’ve rounded-up some of my favorite bargain toys, each one under $5.

• Catnip Kites from K Grant Designs $2.50
• Yeowww! Stinky Sardines $3.00
• Needle Felted Cat Toy Balls from Art Sincerely $2.50
• Jute Bombs from Moderncat Studio $3.00
• The Original Cat Dancer$3.22
• Eco Leaf Cat Toy from Oh Boy Cat Toy $3.00
• Plush Catnip Mice from Feline Feathers $3.75
• KONG Naturals Straw Ball Cat Toys$4.16

Top photo from ICanHasCheezburger.

Congratulations to Kajivar (comment #20), winner of the Neko Flies cat toy giveaway! I just know your cats, Galahad and Nimue, will have a blast with these toys!

Get your Neko Flies today at NekoFlies.com and also at Amazon.

When Charlene and her husband moved into a 5th floor apartment in Singapore, they were worried that their three cats Tyger, Neem Neem, and Xiaomao would have trouble adjusting to a smaller space, so they incorporated all sorts of cat-friendly features into the renovation. Inspired by The Cats’ House, and also by the cat-friendly Japanese house design, they added climbing shelves, walkways, and openings in the walls leading from one room to the next. As you can see, their cats made themselves right at home.

The walkways allow the cats to easily access the tops of several cabinets where Charlene has placed rungs and mats for them to nap on.

The color scheme in the apartment — green, blue, and cream — was inspired by the cats’ eye color.

Instead of using carpeting on the shelves and walkways, Charlene and her husband chose an anti-slip tape by 3M, which looks like an excellent option for keeping kitties safe and for easy cleaning. Charlene says it’s a cinch to clean the tape with a vacuum or a damp cloth. Great idea!

This cat jewelry isn’t just cute, but every purchase goes to help support the World Wildlife Fund. Designed by Aaron Stewart of Pillow Pillow Pillow exclusively for the Australian product design company Polli, these pieces are etched from stainless steel and handcrafted into pendants and earrings. Whether you buy one for yourself or for a friend, you can feel good about helping to support a great cause.

You can often find wonderful kitty photos over on Design*Sponge, one of my favorite design blogs. They recently did a terrific round-up of all their favorite cat photos from various interviews and sneak peeks they have featured with different cat-loving artists and designers. I’ve chosen just a few of my favorites here. To see the whole collection, read the original post here.

Above: Monkey, posing with some of her portraits in Melissa McClure’s LA loft; a gorgeous tuxedo cat in illustrator Allison Cole’s Pawtucket, Rhode Island loft.

A beautiful orange tabby who resides with furniture designers Bill Hilgendorf and Maria Christina Rueda of Uhuru Design; Babu, one of the printshop cats at Tugboat Print Shop in Pittsburgh, PA.

Nino, a Parisian cat who hails from Avignon from Sneak Peek: Catherine Taret; Mies, a spectacular Maine Coon who has great taste in furniture from Sneak Peek: Jean of Eieio.

One of my all time favorite modern cat products is the Sweet Loungefrom Marmalade Pet Care. And it’s not just my favorite, but the cats absolutely adore it as well. It is almost constantly in use — for both scratching and lounging — and it has held up incredibly well. We’ve had ours for a couple of years now and it shows some wear, as you would expect with corrugated cardboard, but it’s still beautiful. And you can even flip it over to get double use out of this particular design. (I have a little confession, I keep one good side for when company comes over, and the other side is for everyday use.)

If you’ve been eyeing the Sweet Lounge, this is your time to buy. Amazon just reduced the price from $159 to $119.99 and it qualifies for free Super Saver shipping. These are going to go fast at this price!

BONUS GIVEAWAY! ENTER TO WIN!

Marmalade Pet Care is offering a free Sweet Lounge to one lucky reader! To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on July 29. One entry per person. This giveaway includes free shipping to the contiguous United States (excluding Alaska & Hawaii).

Check out this awesome article on pet décor in today’s New York Times Home & Garden section. Written by Sonia Zjawinski of Pawesome.net, the article features some wonderful custom pet designs, and a quote from yours truly.

One of my favorite mod kitties, RedTango, along with her friend BlackJack, can now follow you everywhere with these brand new MusicSkins decals for all of your electronic devices. These vinyl skins are available for all kinds of devices including MP3 players, phones, laptops, and game controllers. Easy to apply and remove, these are a great way to customize your electronics.

BONUS GIVEAWAY! ENTER TO WIN!

Cynthia Petrovic, the creator of RedTango and BlackJack, is offering a free iPhone, Nano, or Blackberry MusicSkin to one lucky reader! The winner will get to choose one of the RedTango designs. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on July 28. One entry per person. This giveaway is open to readers everywhere!

*NOTE: Giveaway is for iPhone, Nano, or Blackberry skins only, other formats can be purchased at music-skins.com.

Here’s another new set of hip kitty toys from Moderncat Studio — Atomic Flyers Merino Wool Felt Cat Toys with Organic Catnip. These are a personal favorite of mine, as I’ve been working on bringing the pieces together for a while now. The toys are cut from absolutely gorgeous, thick 100% Merino wool, in vibrant non-toxic retro colors. Each toy is the perfect size and shape for zipping across the floor. Especially good for wood or concrete floors!

Merino wool is an eco-friendly, all natural, renewable material that appeals to cats. Kitty will love the texture and you’ll love the colors and shapes as they create a little art installation on your living room floor.

Atomic Flyers come in a set of four, one of each shape and one of each color – chocolate brown, lime green, lemon yellow, and retro orange — all packaged in a little tin and sprinkled with organic catnip. Color/shape combination will vary, making each set is a little different. Toys measure approximately 2″ to 2 1/2″ across and 3/16″ thick. Designed and handmade by yours truly.

$10 for a tin of four toys with catnip. Available at the Moderncat Studio Etsy Shop. NOTE: If your cat doesn’t like catnip, you can order a set with out the nip.

And the lucky winner of the Paul Frank pet bed from 26 Bars & a Band is Sheena (comment #109)! You will definitley have the coolest cat on the block! Enjoy!

If you’re looking for a fun way to give your cat some exercise and spend a little quality time together, then Neko Flies interactive cat toys are just the thing for you. These beautifully designed wand cat toys come with a variety of interchangeable toys that attach with a metal clasp that allows the string to rotate on the wand. This keeps the string from getting tangled and makes playing much more enjoyable. Plus, kitty will go wild for the little toy attachments. Here’s a video I made of my cats testing the Neko Flies (if you can’t see the video below in your email, click here to watch it on the site):

Our two favorite toy attachments, featured in the video, are the Kragonfly with its crinkly wings and dangly legs, and the Katarantula, a black and pink striped spider with irresistible dangly legs. Neko Flies come in two sizes, the regular size with the large rod and long string is perfect for playing in a big open space, and the mini Neko Flies with a short rod and short string are good for compact spaces, like when traveling or at cat shows.

Available from NekoFlies.com and also at Amazon.

ENTER TO WIN!

One lucky winner is going to receive a Neko Flies prize package including 1 katarantula with rod, 1 mini rod, and 1 mini kragonfly. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on July 26. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

Catio Showcase is offering its first giveaway! Check out the Kritter Kondo Deluxe, a portable outdoor cat enclosure. Get all the details and enter to win over at www.CatioShowcase.com.

Coming to you from the North Shore of Lake Superior, these colorful little cat toys are from Etsy seller Naturally Up North. Handsewn from beautiful colors of felt with contrasting trim and little button eyes, these guys really caught my attention. Each one is stuffed with catnip and comes in a muslin bag with a cat hand stamped on the front. Choose from birds and fish and mice and lots of other creatures and tasty treats ranging from $4.50 to $6.50.

BlanketID just introduced a line of fun new summer designs for their stylish pet ID tags. These tags allow the owner to register a unique ID number online, and if the pet is reported missing, a broadcast email is sent to shelters in the area. Plus, they donate a portion of the proceeds to help animals in need. Read more about BlanketID here.

I can’t believe how much press that catios have been getting lately! I was just contacted by a national television program (it’s a big one!) looking for more catio owners in the New York City area to include in an upcoming national news story. PLEASE email me if you live near NYC and have a catio project that you’d like to share with the world. I love the idea of spreading the word about creating wonderful, safe spaces for cats to enjoy!

Jamie over at Design-Milk (my favorite design blog, and the only one I read every day), just posted this incredible modern villa on the island of Mallorca in Spain. Designed by tecArchitecture with interior design by Marcel Wanders Studio, this home is simply stunning, but the best feature: CATS!

Read more about Casa Son Vida over at Design-Milk.

Congratulations to Ferris (comment #104), Dee (comment #336), and Julie Smith (comment #579), the three lucky winners of the collar giveaway from KittyCat Boutique! Your cats will be the most stylish felines in town!

What cat lover doesn’t have a lint roller in every room of the house? Well, here’s a fun twist on the standard old roller. This one from 3M Petcare has a handle shaped like a whimsical white cat. Her name is Fluffy and she holds a roll of 60 super-sticky sheets for keeping your furniture and clothing fur-free.

Available from Amazonfor $4.99 US.

Who’s the coolest cat on the block? Any cat who rests his head on one of these cool kitty beds! Brand new from 26 Bars & a Band, these exclusive Paul Frank pet beds are the latest thing for hip kitties. Choose from three designs, Julius Racing Stripes, Wedding Bells, or Signature Julius. Available in Queen (27″ x 20″ x 5″) and King (33″ x 25″ x 6″) sizes. These are so new, they are not yet available on the website, but will be in stores soon.

ENTER TO WIN! WINNER’S CHOICE!

26 Bars & a Band is offering one of the new Paul Frank pet beds for a giveaway! The winner will receive a Queen size bed in the design of their choice. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on July 19. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US.

The lucky winner of the six box set of Catty Stacks is Laurelei (comment #1008)! I just know your cats will love this new climbing center and you’ll have fun configuring it to fit your space.

Buy Some Catty Stacks, Help a Rescue!

For those of you still wanting to get a set of Catty Stacks, you can get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $75 now through the end of July. Enter coupon code ModernCat at checkout to get the discount. Also, for every six boxes you purchase, Catty Stacks will send three plain craft paper Catty Stacks boxes to the animal rescue of your choice! These are just like the regular Catty Stacks boxes, but without the color. I’m sure the rescue kitties will love them! Order today at CattyStacks.com.

Just added to the Moderncat Studio Etsy shop, Felt Rollers in fun new summer colors! Kitty may not care about the color combo, but she will like how easy these little toys are to grab, carry, and fling about the house. You pick the color combo you want to see on your living room floor. Choose from a fresh summery palette including watermelon and blueberry-lemon. $5 for a set of three.

These cute little round birdies from Etsy seller Casbah Kitten are the perfect companion for kitty. Each one measures approximately 3 inches across and they are stuffed with organic catnip and polyfil, to make them extra plump. Made with eco-felt and hand stitched with decorative cotton floss, these little chicks will make kitty happy and bring a smile to your face.

Choose from chickadee, goldfinch, cardinal, robin, and bluejay.