It’s been too long since I last posted. But mom and me have been busy trying to get ready to become a pet-assisted therapy team. Well, I’ve been busy trying to get ready for that. Mom has been busy trying to study for her bachelor’s degree, which she says is real important since that’s what’s going to help her to buy me cat food, peacock feathers, and a house of my own (if I have my own house, then I can have my little sister Penny over only when I feel like inviting her over!!!).
Mom’s a broke college student, though, and she’s having a tough time affording the $95 evaluation that gets us registered through Pet Partners. Mom says all her money goes to gas and food. I don’t know about that whole gas part since my stroller seems to be on empty lately. And as for food, mom’s not buying me pate, so I’m not quite sure how she can’t afford a spare $95 to get me certified to go out and make people happy. You see, I want to visit hospitals, long-term care facilities, and nursing homes so I can play with the people there. I guess a lot of them don’t get the chance to play with cats very often; I want to help them out with that. So I made a page where people can donate to help get me registered to be a pet-assisted therapy cat team. If you feel like donating, you can go here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/certified-pet-therapy-team/x/6645712. Any contributions above what we actually need will get donated to the Berkeley Humane Society, which is where I was adopted from.
State of Emergency: The Mail is Here!!! Check it Quick! Humans, you should let us kitties check the mail more often. This is truly how it’s done!
Top Story in The News: Boxes We were planning on reporting on Colonel Meow’s adept reporting on boxes before we learned of his untimely departure from our world. We are keeping this piece in our news feed in honor of him.
Boxes, boxes, boxes. How does one deal with the enticement of a box (whether empty or not, but preferably empty or full of packing material or warm laundry)? Colonel Meow will help you decide how deal with those boxes.
Top Story in Home Decor: Birds Let’s face it: I’m a cat and I like birds (and lizards and crickets and bugs … and I keep telling my human that I really do actually want to meet that raccoon that comes through our yard every night!). So guess what?! I found a great website that tells you all about birds. And there’s pictures of birds. And its education about birds. So now when I finally catch one of those silly little birds in the bushes outside the front door, I can bring it back inside and tell my human exactly what kind of bird it is and how to take a fabulous picture of it to decorate our walls with right before I let it go so I can laugh at my humans bad hunting skills. Somehow, whenever I let her do some hunting, the lizard or bug (no birds yet, but that’ll happen, I promise!) inevitably gets back outside again. Man is my human a bad hunter! So where do you find this great website? Here at http://www.facebook.com/becausebirds or at http://becausebirds.com/
Top Story in Health: The Death of an Internet Master-Cat It is with a heavy heart that we must report the passing of Colonel Meow. We are very saddened by this news. Our thoughts are with his humans.
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Top Story in Community: Project Bay Cat Project Bay Cat is a San Francisco based feral cat organization helping to spay and neuter feral cats in the area (their facebook page is hereand their website is here). They’ve reduced the feral cat population by 59% simply through spay/neuter of the cats there. Research has shown that removing feral cats from an area does not eliminate feral cat populations. Rather, it creates a vacuum for new feral cats to come in and take over the consumption of whatever food source drew the cats to the area in the first place. Food sources can be human created or nature created food sources. If you see feral cats in your neighborhood, please contact a local feral cat organization. The feral cats you see may be part of a managed colony of feral cats, which means they are being cared for by volunteers and depend on generous donations from the community to continue feeding and medically caring for the cats. If the feral cats you see are not part of a managed colony, the local feral cat organization can now do what they can to spay/neuter these new cats and to try to care for them, as well. Please consider volunteering for a local feral cat organization. It’s easy to do. Simple feeding doesn’t take a lot of time for those busy folks. Being a driver to get trapped feral cats to and from veterinary appointments is another great way to volunteer for those who work odd hours and are available during the morning and evening hours (for pick-up and drop-off times). Trapping cats for veterinary appointments (usually for spay/neuter appointments) is another great way to help out. This is usually done at night with the trapper maintaining a safe distance from the trap while keeping an eye on it to make sure you can get the trapped cat to a safe location before predators can harm the cat. Also offering space in your home, if you have it, for cats to recoup from surgery or while waiting for surgery is another great option. However, your space needs to be entirely enclosed with no holes or escape routes for the cat (feral cats are super smart and sneaky when it comes to escaping and hiding). Asking the feral cat organization how to keep feral cats safe while recuperating is a great idea. Also, when
Project Bay Cat’s very own Grumpy Cat
contacting a feral cat organization, please keep in mind that most of these are all volunteer organization; therefore, it can take them a few days to get back to you. And lastly, if you’re unable to volunteer, please consider donating to a feral cat colony in your area. Check their websites to see if they have a donation wishlist of items they may need. The green stuff (and I don’t mean catnip) is also a big help and can keep the kitties in food. Also, see if you can sponsor a feral kitty. Be willing to offer the financial needs of that kitty throughout its life (which includes food, veterinary care, and shelter, even if that shelter isn’t an actual home). This can be a great way to care for a kitty if you’re unable to have one of your own (or if you want more than you have but can’t have more than you have – pesky rental pet policies). Do keep in mind that in a feral colony, the caretakes can, in no way, guarantee that the food given by that cat or the shelter provided for that cat will be eaten or used solely by that cat. We’re cats, after all. You know us when it comes to pet beds. You buy the coziest, comfiest pet bed and we still sleep on your pillow or in your laundry basket. And I have been known to share my crunchies and yet steal canned food from other cats.
Keep in mind that the kitties in the video below are Project Bay Cat feral kitties living together in a colony. Watch the love!
Top Story in Opinion: I Read This Story Today So beautiful. Too beautiful not to share. Please adopt your next best friend!!!
“I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them. As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one. I rescued a human today. Janine Allen”
State of Emergency: Empty My food bowl is almost empty, my food bowl is almost empty!!!!!
May I serve you?
Top Story in Business: Fine Dining At the Longcroft Luxury Cat Motel in England, they have a fine dining restaurant for us finicky felines. They serve Salmon, Fresh Cod Steak, and Simply King Prawns, just to name a few of their menu items. They also have a Sunday Brunch that includes ham, free-range chicken and shrimp. While I must travel to Britain just to stay at this wondrous hotel, fine dining for cats isn’t left to just vacation time anymore. There’s a new trend out there to buy and feed cats (and dogs) gourmet meals. People all over the country are seeking out better foods for their pets, such as organic, all-natural, made in the US, and human-grade foods (and what do you mean you haven’t been feeding us human-grade foods this whole time). Humans will pay big bucks for these types of foods, as well, even while those same humans will resort to eating take-out, fast food, or pizza … again!
Add to that, that even us finicky cats – and yes, we are very finicky eaters, so keep on buying us that expensive food – even have our own restaurants that cater just to us (out with those human-only restaurants, in with the cat-only restaurants). One of the cat-only restaurants is called Duncan’s Fine Diningwhere they serve items such as Toona Tortellini, Fresh Nip Salad, and Pouncie Bread Man. You can even top it off with a fine wine such as the ’95 Chateau Domainecoon Majeur.
Furthermore, there are even celebrity chefs cooking for cats now, such as the famous Simon Rimmer. He’s a wonderful guy, working with top-notch veterinarians to cook up some fancy food that’s not only super tasty, but good for our sensitive digestive systems. As a bonus, I’ve included the video below where you can watch the wonderful Mr. Simon Rimmer cook up a tasty, gourmet dinner for cats. So please watch, enjoy, and cook on, humans. Cook on!
Top Story in Style: Cat-Fashionable Humans
We love this shirt. Sleek, colorful and fashionably fitted, it can look good on a number of different body types or in any type of laundry basket (our favorite place for shirts are those laundry baskets that have just been loaded up from a nice, warm dryer). This top is called the Festival Cats Top and can be found on the Animal Rescuesite for the low price of $28.95. Us cats will enjoy seeing you humans in this shirt as much as you’ll enjoy wearing it.
Top Story in Health: How Cats can Benefit Humans Check this out! Cats can help heal humans. While that comes as no surprise to us kitties, you humans may not know all of this. So, as the flu season winds down, remember to keep us kitties nearby to help keep you healthy and happy!
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Top Story in Entertainment: Comic Break It’s snowy out there … at least in some parts of the country (ok, maybe all parts of the country except California). So let this comic warm you up.
Top Story in Sports: Kitten Bowl vs. Puppy Bowl We’re excited for February 2nd. It’s going to be a big game out there. We’re pulling for our favorite team to win – The Great and Mighty Kittens!!!! Yay. Who’s going to help me root them on?? Everyone??? Ok!!! Game night, big party at my house. Don’t forget to bring your own catnip, milk and tuna. If you bring extra for me and the boys, we’ll give you a front row seat during game time!
Top Story in Opinion: I used to be a Fire Hazard I used to live in a studio apartment in Alameda, Ca. It was on the top floor of a secure, 3-story building that had been built in the 1920s. It was a fabulous apartment, mostly because I knew how to get the door open as long as it wasn’t locked. Eventually, I even figured out how to undo the lock, so mom started using the chain when she was home, always worrying that I’d still be able to get the door open enough to squeak out. So, she started placing piles of stuff in front of the door, thinking I’d never be able to get the door open. And it worked.
But when she was gone, at work, I’d still work at getting that door open. One day, mom came home to find the door ajar, thinking that somehow, someone had gotten into the building and broken into the apartment. When I came running up the stairs after her to welcome her home, she frowned at me, but was whole-heartedly relieved to know we hadn’t actually been robbed. And then told me that under no circumstance was I supposed to open the door for strangers. So when she locked herself out of the building a month later, I refused to let her in, telling her there was no way I could have known it was her. Payback’s an empty food bowl, mom!
I’m on facebook and some of my friends have posted about some cats up for adoption. If you’re interested in any of these kitties, I’ve included the contact information I have for them. You’re also welcome to leave a comment here or find me directly on facebook (look for Todd Frederick Rumpus).
“THIS STUNNING KITTEN WAS DUMPED YESTERDAY AT DOWNEY SHELTER (L.A., CA) BECAUSE HER FAMILY WAS MOVING. LOLA’S LITTLE GIRL SADLY SAID GOODBYE AND IN AN INSTANT LOLA’S LOVED, HAPPY, SAFE LIFE CHANGED FOR THE WORSE. Please read the plea from someone who saw Lola being surrendered and let’s make sure Lola gets out today – before she gets sick…or worse. Plea from the person who saw Lola being dumped: ‘I met her yesterday at Downey as her family was surrendering her. She is an absolutely GORGEOUS 10 month old long haired “tabby-co” as I call them… a tabby/calico/tortie mixture of swirling beauty. She was dumped because her family moved to an apartment that didn’t allow cats… SERIOUSLY. The father was a douchebag… his daughter was CRYING as she asked to say goodbye to Lola one more time. I promised her I would see to it that Lola found a new home… can you all please help me help her? They found Lola as a tiny kitten last May and she loves kids and dogs. She was the only cat but I suspect she’d be great with them as well. She’s got the sweetest meow, it’s like a little chirp… When the daughter came to say goodbye to Lola she ran to the front of the cage and chirped away…. it was easily one of the saddest things I have seen in a shelter. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, we need to save Lola. As an owner surrender she can be killed at any time. She’s healthy, stunning, friendly, and still a kitten herself… she should be a really easy adoption.’ Animal ID: A4669717. County Shelter website link: http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/acc/our_animals/detail?animalID=A4669717&page=1. My name is Lola and I’m an approximately 1 year old female domestic lh. I am not yet spayed. I have been at the Downey Animal Care Center since January 19, 2014. I am available on January 19, 2014. You can visit me at my temporary home at D367. Downey Shelter – Phone: 562-940-6898, Address: 11258 S. Garfield Ave., Downey, CA 90242.”
“***CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS BEAUTY?*** We don’t have a lot of information about Lucas, but he sure needs a break just about NOW! He showed up in a feral cat colony at Oyster Point in So. San Francisco in September – clearly someone’s pet and very social. The feeder of the colony kept saying she’d take him when her elderly, ailing cat passed away, by the end of the year. Well that time has come and gone and Lucas urgently needs to be off the beach. He’s been to the vet and his microchip scanned, but sadly the phone number has been reassigned to someone who says they know nothing about the cat. Lucas is neutered, FIV-negative, up to date on his shots and just GORGEOUS! Don’t you think he’s irresistible? Can you help? Please contact: email.leahk@gmail.com As always, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Jeannette Patocskai. jeannette@brighthaven.org”
My mom loves senior kitties. A friend shared this photo of a 16 year old senior kitty named Maude (isn’t she adorable?!?!?). Maude is in need of a foster home, or, better yet, someone to adopt her. My mom would take her in a flash, but I reminded her that if she adopted every kitty she wanted, she’d never have time for me and my sister (plus, people might call her a cat hoarder if she actually did adopt all the kitties she wanted to). If you’re interested in fostering or adopting Maude, please contact Cat Town. You can find their website here and you can find them on facebook here. My mom and I looked for a phone number and couldn’t find one, but you can also email them about Maude at info@cattownoakland.org. Can you help give this sweetheart a warm, loving home for the last years of her life? The poor thing was found on the streets before being taken to the Oakland City Animal Shelter and then rescued by Cat Town. Even though I love to go outside, I’m always happy to come back inside with my people who love me. I think every cat deserves that!
If you can’t adopt Maude, would you mind terribly if I asked you to post about Maude? You can do that through twitter or facebook or on pintrest or anywhere you want to. Help me get the word out that Maude needs a home. You can link directly to the Cat Town post about Maude on facebook here or you can retweet or share my post, too!
Lots of people tend to give more during the holidays than at any other time of year. But both people and pets need your help year round. So this January, when giving tends to be at its lowest, think of donating items you no longer use. If you got lots of clothes during the holidays, clear out a few of your older clothes and donate those. If you got new sheets and bedspread, think of donating the older ones. If you got new pet toys and pet beds, donating those are a great idea. There are so many things we can give to others who need it at a time when a lot of people don’t think of doing so.
So, where do you take the items you’d like to donate? If you have canned food, maybe that fruit cake no one wants, you can take those items directly to your local food bank. They are always in need of unexpired items. Donating cash to local food banks is always helpful, as well, as is donating items such as toiletries and can openers. And there are lots of people who couldn’t live without the help of food banks who have pets, so donating pet food and supplies can be tremendously helpful (please don’t judge … we don’t know the history of how people ended up needing help, and pets are often invaluable mates to those in need – these pets are also well cared for, and the first to eat, even if that means the human goes without food).
How about clothes, coats and bedding? You can take all of these to local human shelters, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. You also can find clothes donation bins in some parking lots. These bins usually aren’t associated with thrift stores (there are some exceptions). If the name of the donation bin is not a familiar one to you or if it’s not associated with a thrift shop, then they are often not associated with any type of charity.
And, of course, if you have used pet toys, collars, leashes, beds, pet clothing, etc., you can take these directly to your local animal shelter or rescue. A few notes on a couple of items: please don’t donate used litter boxes (or at least call the rescue first). Litter boxes carry germs. Sometimes kitties can carry germs, like with a cold, and not actually come down with it. Those germs get in the litter box and taken to the shelter. If that litter box gets used in a shelter, even after it’s cleaned, another kitty could loosen debris and germs stuck in the scratches on the bottom of the litter box. And kitties in shelters tend to be stressed out and more susceptible to illness. So voila, kitty in shelter gets a cold and now has a hard time finding a home because people are less likely to adopt a sick kitty. Also, with any items, call your local animal shelter to make sure they can actually use the items. If not, you can try donating these items to thrift stores, at local human shelters, and at a local food bank.
Also, with any donation, if it’s something you wouldn’t use, maybe its not worth donating. By that, I don’t mean that if you got a really ugly blanket for Christmas that you shouldn’t donate it; by all means do. What I mean by that is if that really ugly blanket you got for Christmas was supposed to replace the blanket that’s so worn out, falling apart, that you can’t use it anymore, then maybe it’s time to head to the trash or recycle bin with it instead of to the donation bin.
Anyway, maybe you could try to donate one thing this January, whether it’s leftover Denny’s you hand to the homeless kid you often see on the street corner asking for money, or a can of beans you take to the local food bank, or a brand new cat bed you take to the local animal shelter. Remember that it’s often the little things that count, that mean the most to those in need. You don’t have to give a dog bed to every dog in the shelter, but if you give one to the dog that’s been there a while or to the senior doggy, they will be truly grateful; you will have made a direct difference in someone else’s life.
Aren’t these two kitties beautiful? They’re looking for a home in the San Francisco Bay Area. They’re best friends and would love to find a home together. Anyone interested (besides me)?
It’s been too long since I last posted. But mom and me have been busy trying to get ready to become a pet-assisted therapy team. Well, I’ve been busy trying to get ready for that. Mom has been busy trying to study for her bachelor’s degree, which she says is real important since that’s what’s going to help her to buy me cat food, peacock feathers, and a house of my own (if I have my own house, then I can have my little sister Penny over only when I feel like inviting her over!!!).
Todd, the cat 