We had a late neuter male named Cubby, he was a really big boy with
paws an inch across. We wanted his paw print to hand out to kids at
education and renaissance faire events, where he was known as "Keelhaul
Cubby". No problem right... here are the steps we took.


   The Plan

1. Go to Michaels and pick up a small amount of black non toxic paint.

2. Make room on the counter and spread out an old news paper.

3. Lay down one 3x3 white card stock and apply some paint for "inking"
the paw.

4. Lay down a couple more 3x3 white card stock for the impressions.

5. Wake Cubby and hustle him into the kitchen.

6. Place one of his front paws in the paint.

7. Place the same paw on each of the blank card stocks to get the
impression.

8. Copy the impression for handing out to the kids.


   The Reality

1. Go to Michaels and get paint (check)

2. Make room on the counter ( geez a piece of newspaper takes a lot of
room )

  a. Pushed stuff out of the way and made enough room for a piece of
     notebook paper with the card stock on it

3. Apply paint for inking pad

  a. That stuff was thick and goopy but we wanted a good print right,
     thicker is probably better.

4. Lay down a few 3x3 card stock

  a. No problems here boy this is easy, exactly to plan, why did we
     wait so long to do this.

5. Wake Cubby

  a. He was already up that was convenient huh.

  b. Cubby was not only up he wanted to play.

6. Place one front paw in the paint.

  a. It sounded so simple but 3 paws ended up in the paint and the
     goop stuck to one of them.

  b. Cubby broke the sound barrier trying to shake the goop off his
     paws.

  c. At this point we had paint on all the appliances and black stripes
     up and down our shirts, faces, hair, a clump of goop slowly sliding
     down one of the cabinets and all the nicely placed card stock was
     fluttering around the kitchen like moths at the yard light.

7. Hold Cubby still while my wife sets out some new card stock.

8. Place one front paw on the new card stock to make a perfect
impression there was still plenty of goopy paint on them.

   a. Front paw is gently placed on the paper.

   b. Cubby immediately turns into a cartoon with the blurry legs and
      the card stock sets a new card throwing distance record as it
      flies off the counter neatly applying black paint to the dining
      room wall, followed by the paint covered notebook paper landing
      on the kitchen floor paint side down.

   c. Cubby finally gets a good solid grip on the counter and plows
      into all the things we had moved out of the way neatly painting
      each with his paws.

   d. We got some nice prints on the appliances, if only we could
      photocopy a blender.

9. Wash Cubby's paws while my wife returns to step 2 and gets ready
for another attempt

10. Apply paint for inking pad (thinner this time)

11. Lay out new card stock

   a. Tape it down

12. Place one front paw in the paint.

   a. Success this time, wet is not as bad a goopy apparently.

13. While holding Cubby in a patented two fisted ferret lock gently
press his paw onto the firmly secured card stock.

   a. Humm it is just a black spot must have too much paint.

14. Repeat steps 11 thru 13

   a. At least 20 more times with results varying from tiny blobs to
      perfect streaks that look like the cover of the howling dvd.

15. Lay out the last of the card stock

16. Wet down the last of the paint to get enough for the final attempts

17. Gently place the paw in the paint

   a. Easier this time because Cubby finally gave up and went to sleep

18. Slowly and firmly press the paw to each piece of card stock

   a. Finally sweet success and it only took 2 hours, not counting
   clean up time of course.

Ok it wasn't really that bad but I think if I were going to try it
again I would do it in the bathtub by laying down a few pieces of the
card stock and putting the paint on one and letting the ferret wander
around until I got a good print.

Any craft store will have washable non toxic paint, imagine all the
fun you can have.

Ken Nyren

P.S. if you use our method I would suggest you have a video camera
handy

[Posted in FML 7504]