Mini Me

Meet Indy and his little charge Sweet Pea. A friend of mine in Canada is fostering kittens for her local humane society. Her two adult cats are pretty mellow so she let them meet the kittens. The kittens have their own room and are separated from the resident cats most of the time. They generally stay until they are big enough to be spayed or neutered so they can be adopted out. Most vets do early age surgeries at 2 pounds, which is about 8-10 weeks of age. The kittens recover much more quickly than adult cats. I couldn't resist sharing this adorable shot!

Famous Fat Cat passes away

http://www.tailsinc.com/2012/05/meow-the-39-pound-cat-dies/

I've written about overweight felines before, and that currently 52% of domestic cats need to lose some weight. Meow was a friendly and adorable boy surrendered to a shelter where the staff was working on helping him shed pounds. Sadly, his body was just too stressed at his extreme weight and Meow died recently at only 2 years old. Attached is a clip where Anderson Cooper cuddles him on National television. Kudos to the the Santa Fe Animal Shelter for taking Meow in and using his situation to discuss healthy weight for companion animals.

KittyStar Cuteness

I love having the KittyStar so easily accessible when I get the craving for fuzzy tummy kisses! The kitchen is really where all the action is and this way Alexander is always ready. Alex turns 17 next month. I remember his 5th birthday party - he indulged in a catfood buffet and threw up a little on the couch afterwards. This year he will probably be treated to mashed yams, one of his favorite foods. In addition to healthy food, napping is one of his beauty secrets.

Spring Babies

http://halopets.com/freekibble/donation49.html

It's the time of year when bulbs are bursting into bloom, trees are budding, and wildlife are having cute little babies! Here's a story with a happy ending about a tiny orphaned raccoon. (Hopefully the mom cat in the story will be spayed as soon as all her charges are weaned!) Most babies in the wild you might see are simply waiting for their mom to return for them and not actually orphaned, according to Sarvey. So be sure some time has passed and the wee one is truly alone or injured and in need of urgent care before taking them to a wildlife rehabilitation location such as Sarvey or PAWS. Also keep in mind that spring is an extremely busy time for these places and you'll want to check and see if there is actually space for your critter or you run the risk of the baby being humanely killed after rescuing them.

Happy Spring!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBks3p0_Rz0

Today is the Vernal Equinox and tomorrow will be the first day of Spring - possibly time to think about an outdoor kitty enclosure? Watch the video of an incredible backyard enclosure for a family of lucky felines; at the end of the clip is contact information for the local gentleman who can build such structures. Think vertically when considering enrichment areas for kitty and plan for high towers or shelves they can get comfy in and safely observe the world around them. Choose a sunny spot to plant catnip in and you'll have kitty Nirvana on those sunny Seattle days to come.

From the Dog world...

http://www.tailsinc.com/2012/02/westminster-kennel-club-dog-show-drops-pedigree-sponsorship/

Here's an interesting piece about Westminster ending their association with the Pedigree brand dog food company because Pedigree has been focusing on shelter dogs and adoption efforts. Their savvy commercials are raising awareness about the dogs sitting in shelters waiting for a home and raising funds too. It appears to me that Westminster senses the shift with rescued pups becoming more fashionable than a Prius or orphan child from China these days. Remember the testy response from the American public when President Obama was gifted a purebred (purchased) puppy? As my favorite animal organization Best Friends says, "PUPPIES AREN'T PRODUCTS!" So doggy doo on Westminster - any of the charity events such as PawsWalk or Seattle Animal Control's Furry 5K beat sitting and watching dogs with silly hairstyles paraded about.

Miracle Kitty survival story

http://www.tailsinc.com/2012/02/miracle-cat-left-for-dead-survives-hit-and-run/

This story has a happy ending but will still make you cry! Last month this little guy was hit by a car on the frozen streets of Minnesota and a full two hours later was rescued by a kind stranger who took him straight-away to an emergency clinic. The doctor who performed an incredible surgery on the kitty also fell in love with him and they adopted each other.