Second Annual Pet Blogger Challenge - my first go round

Go Pet Friendly is having their second annual Pet Blogger Challenge today, January 10, 2012! I did not participate last year as I had not started my blog yet, so this is my first go round!

Go Pet Friendly is a website to help assist pet owners in pet travel, dining at restaurants, and leisure activities in the United States and Canada.

1. When did you begin your blog? I began my blog in March 2011, to chronicle the fostering process of my pregnant cat Sandpiper.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog? My original purpose in starting this blog was to tell Piper's story and possibly find someone who would be intersted in adopting her kittens after they were born.

3. Is your current purpose the same? No

If not, what’s different?My purpose is not the same, because Piper lost her kittens the first night she was in foster with me. Instead, I use this blog to first dicuss Piper's tradgedy and continue telling her story, and now I use my blog to feature anything cat related.

If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals? I feel like I started at square one with my blog, with just friends and family reading. Now, I have many professional blogs following my blog and giving me creative comments and feedback.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you? I try to blog on schedule, at the very least once a week.
If the former, how often — and what techniques do you use to stick to it? As it turns out, I try to blog when I am not busy with school. Sometimes I blog for a break from my school work.

If the latter, do you worry about… well, whatever you might worry about (e.g. losing traffic, losing momentum)? I worry about maintaing my readers, but I think for the most part I have faithful readers!

5. Are you generating income from your blog? I have not used my blog to make an income.

If not currently, do you hope to in the future — and how? I enjoy my blog and love to use it as a creative outlet. If an opportunity to make money came up, I would look into it, but for now I am happy to write for myself.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)? What I love the most about blogging is the friendships I have made with fellow bloggers. I have had so many wonderful experiences with my blog. I have giveaways that I wouldn't have been able to do if my blog hadn't been taken as a professional blog.

7. What do you like least? What I like least is that sometimes I don't have inspiration to write, when I really need to post and when I actually have something to post, I'm in the middle of something.

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2012? I see my blog getting more fans and attentuion from professionals who want me to review and/or giveaway their products.

I really enjoyed answering these questions and writing answers. I love my blog and work hard on it to make it the best it can be. I can't wait to participate in this challenge next year!

-Rachel and Sandpiper