Precious Happy Endings Thanks to ASPCA!

See the inquisitive little doll above?  His name’s Lyle (is that a great name or what?!?!).  He, along with 138 other precious cats were recently rescued thanks to compassionate cat lovers such as Lyle’s new parents.  ASPCA does so much for animals and has been responsible for so many animal lives saved and human lives touched that I’m sure there’s a special place in Heaven for each member.

Lyle was one of the cat’s rescued and now…. you’ll love this… has his very own room, filled with cat trees.  Lyle’s living the good life now and I have a  feeling his new family couldn’t be happier.

To read more about Lyle and this recent effort, please visit ASPCA’s News page – it’s currently the second story down.

Don’t you just love happy endings?!?!

Cat Lovers, Check Out Catios!

My husband, and father of our cats, e-mailed me this great article this morning.  It’s always, always, always warm and wonderful to see other people who love their pets to distraction and back, too.

I could give a little background or set the stage, or patio as it were, but it’d be best if you read – and saw – firsthand what these cat lovers have done for their pampered babies.

Alexa’s only question is, “When do the patio renovations begin?”

Enjoy! – Catios Bring Cats Outdoors

Iams Helps Find Loving Homes For Over a Million Precious Animals

Beautiful actress Hilary Swank and her two precious adopted dogs

I was sent a very heart-warming and encouraging final update on Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH).  IH4TH had its most successful adoption drive ever by placing nearly 1.4 million pets into loving homes in the last three months!

1.4 million babies!  If that doesn’t touch your heart, I’m not sure it can be touched.

Between Oct. 1, 2009 and Jan. 4, 2010, more than 3,500 animal organizations and the IH4TH ambassador—two-time Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank—proved to be a powerful combination in the massive effort to help reduce pet homelessness.

“I’m proud to be part of such an amazing cause and I hope the many families who adopted through the IH4TH program will experience the same unconditional love and fulfillment my dogs Karoo and Rumi give me every day,” said Swank. “I hope our success inspires everyone to get involved and continue to help eradicate pet homelessness because there are millions of animals who still need our help and we all have the ability to help make a difference.”

The following animals were adopted this year:
* 729,357 dogs
* 588,265 cats
* 46,016 other animals (including rabbits, reptiles, horses, birds and more)

As one of the most successful pet adoption programs in the world, IH4TH partners thousands of animal organizations dedicated to helping place homeless animals with happy, loving homes. Founded in 1999 by the Helen Woodward Animal Center and supported by Iams, IH4TH—along with nearly 3,500 pet adoption centers – has helped more than 4.6 million pets find shelter, including nearly 1.4 million from just this year!

The next IH4TH program will kick off on Oct. 1 2010, but this is still an issue that needs attention—and there are plenty of ways to get involved now! To learn more about how to make a difference in the life of an orphaned pet, including finding participating shelters, volunteering or making a donation to support animal organizations and pets awaiting new homes, visit www.iamshome4theholidays.com.

As a pet lover extraordinaire, I want to say thanks to Hilary Swank, Iams, and every single very special person who gave a precious animal a new home.  May your newly expanded family be ridiculously happy and your homes filled with love.

If Hilary weren’t already one of my absolute favorite stars, she would be now.  But, alas, I’ve adored her since I first saw her.

Max the German Cat is Reunited With His Family

Meet Max. This handsome cat is one lucky little guy.

Here’s his story: The 9-year-old cat (who reminds me of our own little Hannah) went missing in Boulder, Colorado in mid-June. A naughty little boy, he snuck out of the hotel that his family, the Deraneys of Niedernhausen, Germany, were staying in. They had spent the summer at the hotel, and were visiting a family member when Max stepped out.

Despite an intense search, Max had not been located before the family had to return to Germany. Can you imagine?!

Max was found October 5th, less than a mile from the hotel. A cat-loving couple saw him roaming the streets and took him to the Humane Society, hoping to adopt him if he didn’t have an owner. A microchip scan showed that Max did have a home … a German home – 5,000 miles away!

Max’s survival for four months could “quite possibly be due to the kindness of people in the community,” said Kim Terlau, animal services supervisor at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.

“He is an active cat and does show interest in prey behavior, but to be honest, I’m not sure how skilled of a hunter he is,” she said. When he was first brought to the shelter, he was famished, scarfing down his food as soon as it was set in front of him.

Max’s mother came to the states for him and flew him back home to Germany. I’m pretty sure he didn’t even get a stern “talking to.”

How wonderful is it to hear about animal story with a happy ending? Warms the heart.

The Healing Power of Pets

Good (healthy) news for pet owners:

Dog owners have 8% fewer doctor visits than pet-free individuals, while those who share their lives and homes with cats (notice we don’t humor ourselves by saying we own them) have to go to the doctor 12 % fewer times than the rest.

Furthermore, in stressful situations, people with pets have half the blood-pressure surge animal-less people do.

[From the book Healing Power of Pets, The: Harnessing the Amazing Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy by Marty Becker, M.D., with Danielle Morton.]

A Golden Kitty – Wow, What a Beauty

If you happen to have $22,000 lying around and don’t know quite what to do with it…I’ve got a solution for you. You can buy an Ashera. I know, just what you were thinking, right?

The Ashera is a new breed of designer cat that does, indeed, sell for $22,000. This beautiful, high brow cat is bred by Los Angeles-based Lifestyle Pets. The Ashera “is a new ultra-exotic breed of domestic cat that already has wealthy animal devotees paying to get on the waiting list…” according to the company’s press release.

They go on to say “…the Ashera is unique in that genetic monitoring is used to standardize breeding and ensure that the defining features and size of the [animal] remain exceptionally consistent.” When I chuck out $22,000 I pretty much insist on it being exceptionally consistent. The Ashera, which can grow to 30 pounds, is said to have been produced by cross-breeding an African Serval and an Asian Leopard Cat with a domestic feline.

Whatever went into the cat batter, it makes for one handsome cat – I’ll give them that. But $22,000? Man, that’s 4400 trips to Starbucks.

Even if I had thousands upon thousands lying around, and even if I were mightily tempted by this beauty, I wouldn’t dare even think about it. Alexa would eat it. Then she’d burp dollar signs.

$$$$$$

Mind-Boggling Fact About Cat Reproduction

I was reading an interesting article on cat health recently – mostly about their reproductive habits. Within the article included a letter from a cat owner who wondered why the kittens in her cat’s litter all looked so different. Two were long-haired and black, one was a long-haired white kitten, and still another was a short-haired, orange-ish kitten.

The thought of the babies made me weak in the knees, but the experts response made them buckle. Below was the answer:

“Believe it or not, they probably all had different fathers! One of the more bizarre biological attributes of a female cat is that she can go into heat while she’s already pregnant. So a single litter of kittens can have more than one father.”

That explains why I’ve seen so many litters with babies that looked nothing alike. Carly’s own babies, apparently had two different fathers. Alexa and Adam are both long-haired beauties while Bo has a short beautiful coat. I actually wish he had more hair with the weather being as cold as it is. If I weren’t afraid it’d get hung on a tree, I’d get him a sweater – he’s all about fashion, you know, and would embrace the chance to be big pimpin’.

But…alas, as clumsy as he is, he’d end up hanging himself or facing some sort of catastrophe – so I’ll just keep giving him plenty of straw to bury himself in.

Joi

Dangers of Flea Control for Pets

From the ASPCA News Alert Wire:

Each year as flea season approaches, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) receives thousands of calls from pet owners who have accidentally misused flea control products on their cats. There are almost 20 brands of products containing permethrin currently available that are labeled “for dogs only.” When used on cats—even in small amounts—these products can spell big trouble.

“The misuse of flea and tick products can be extremely harmful and even deadly to our companion animals,” says Dr. Steven Hansen, APCC Senior Vice President. Signs commonly seen with permethrin toxicity in cats include tremors, muscle fasciculation and seizures. These symptoms can develop within just hours, or may be delayed up to two days. Most cats have a good chance of recovering with prompt and aggressive veterinary treatment, which may include medication, IV fluids, bathing and other supportive care.

APCC experts urge you to consult with your veterinarian before purchasing products to control fleas on your pet or in your home—and always read the product instructions completely before using any product on your pet. Adds Hansen, “By simply taking the time to read a product label carefully, a pet owner could save his or her animal’s life.”

If you have used a flea control product and notice that your cat is exhibiting any of the above symptoms, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435 for round-the-clock telephone assistance. For more pet poison prevention tips, please visit APCC online.

When you go to the link mentioned above (and you really, really should go to the link mentioned above!), get a load of the adorable kitten in the top banner – Those eyes!!!

Have a great, safe, fun weekend – especially all you fathers!
Joi