CATLINES Blog

spot the stressors in your cat's life:

spot the stressors in your cat's life:
http://www.petspourri.com:8080/eng_nov03_01.htm
Spot the Stressors in Your Cat's Life
Written by Dr. Laxmi Iyer
What's a stressor? Well, you know what they are in your life. Pressure at the workplace, heated discussions, family problems, time constraints, energy constraints...the
list is long. Why? Even sweating it out in the hot sun or chilling it out in the cold winter night can be very stressful. What's the result of all that
stress? The big " I" word - Illness.

If you take a quick look into your pet's life, the same observations
hold good. Of course, it's more difficult to understand the dynamics and the politics
of a cat family or a dog family...because you are only human.

What can stress your pets may be things you may never imagine...It could be the buzz of construction work coming through from the next door apartment or
even that new, large, colourful (but frightening! Statue - for your pet) - that you may have unconsciously placed close to your pet's regular sitting place.

There are some signs that you can watch out for and some measures that you can take to minimize the chances of this happening.

12 ways to minimize stress in your cat's life
List of 12 items
1. Give your cat personal space
This is very important because just like you, your cat also needs that little space around to feel comfortable in.

2. Give quality time and attention
However busy you may be, always take time off to be with your pets. Give them attention and tender, loving care and watch the difference.

3. Be consistent in your behaviour
Always react in the same positive way with your cat. The tone that you use while talking to your cat is how your cat learns to identify your mood. So, always
remember to use a pleasant tone of voice that is at once bright and cheerful.

4. Don't scold or punish your cat
This cannot be overemphasised. That's because however much you may be irritated, never allow that anger to reflect on you while you are with your pets.
Scolding them unnecessarily can make a bad behaviour worse. In fact, it can set a trend of stereotyped repetitive, destructive behaviour patterns. This
may vary from wool sucking to pica to even damaging furniture and walls and sometimes yes - even spraying all over the house.

5. Watch out for the bully cat
When you have a family of cats as pets, always remember there's one going to be one big, male cat who's going to be there - sometimes terrifying the little
ones. Make sure that you give separate space to the smaller kittens and younger cats - far away from the bully cat.

6. Minimize noise
Noise! You may not realize this. But noise can severely stress your cat simply because their levels of hearing are far more acute than yours. So, the sound
of vehicular traffic which you may have barely noticed in your new apartment building can be very stressful for your cats.

7. Play a game everyday for at least 10 minutes
Games reduce stress like few things can. They help distract your pet while at the same time keeping your pet entertained.
Besides playing a game, always take care to make sure that each of your pets have their own toys to play with.

8. Avoid using strong perfumes
It's important to make note of this because your cat has a wonderful sense of smell. Strong perfumes though pleasant to your nostrils can actually irritate
your pet's Watch out for it!

9. Check the nutrition
In adequate nutrition or a poorly balanced diet can be damaging to your cat's health. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also cause stress. Consult with
your veterinarian and make sure that you are giving your cat a well balanced diet.

10. Observe your cat for signs for stress
It's very important to make a note of stress signs in your cat. Stress can show up in different forms. It may be seen as repetitive grooming done to an
excess, or in a repetitive up and down pacing of the rooms. It can even be seen as patches of fur that look suscpiciously like a skin infection but are
in fact patches of fur pulled off by your cat while you were away at work.

11. Measure cortisol levels
The cortisol levels always go high in a cat that's very stressed. That's one clear cut laboratory test to confirm your vet's suspicion about stress. Of
course, once diagnosed the second difficult problem begins and that is identifying the stressor.

12. Discourage your cat from wool sucking
Wool sucking can be dangerous for your cats. If left unchecked it can cause your cat to chew up everything from fur on the coat to carpets and even electric
cords. Woolsucking often transforms into pica wherein even litter material and faeces may be eaten up.
list end

Conclusion

Many times, the habit which begins in kittenhood stays uncorrected and continues to be a lifelong addiction with dangerous consequences. The Siamese, Burmese
and Himalayan breeds of cats are especially prone to wool sucking. It appears to be an inherited condition.

Speedy The Kitten

(Editor's Note:Yea human!  Yea! Kitty!)

speedy the kitten
http://www.altervistas.com/sites/weird/166
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ALterVistas - Bizarre Weird Strange Speedy Kitten

images/altereyebar

Speedy Kitten

AlterVistas
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Speedy Kitten Official Site
SPEEDY

SPEEDY'S FIRST CART. Photo by Jack Leonard, compliments Lancaster Newspapers, Lancaster Pennsylvania

The
news will appear here when the page has finished loading.

Thanks for coming to visit Speedy's web site.
Speedy was born July, 2000, without a pelvis.

Speedy is a very lucky kitten. His life was saved by Dr. Edwin Jeszenka of the Lincoln Highway Veterinary Clinic in Lancaster, Pennsylvania by the development
of a mobile prosthetic cart,created with *K'NEX® toys. This is a remarkable story of hope, love, and compassion, which has gained international attention
through TV, radio, and newspaper publicity. Within these pages, you will find Speedy's story, educational information about his condition and prosthesis,and
a contact page for correspondence.

We hope you enjoy your visit!

Stu and Sharon Barnhart  (Wishingwell Productions, Lititz, PA)

Click a Speedy wheel to visit pages.

ButtonAnim

Speedy's
Story

ButtonAnim

Speedy's
Cart

ButtonAnim

Slide
Show

ButtonAnim

Letters to
Speedy

ButtonAnim

Credits,
Links

ButtonAnim

Contact
Form

*K'NEX is a registered trademark of K'NEX Industries, Inc, (Used with permission)
Web site copyright©  2000, Dr. Edwin Jeszenka
Animated K'NEX® wheels, animated Speedy face, and page backgrounds by Stu Barnhart,
all other cat gifs obtained from Internet sources, listed as "public domain".
Speedy's e-mail address is:
[email protected]

Web Design compliments of:

visitors since Jan 1, 2001 !!
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Cat Therapy

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Cat proves purrrfect for therapy

By LEROY STANDISH

Staff Writer

HESPERIA — Mikie likes his time in a lap. It's the perfect place for a nap and a scratch.

Mikie, a Siamese cat, may not realize it, but his enjoyment is perfect therapy for the hundreds of seniors he visits every other week.

"Mikie is the first therapy cat up here in the High Desert," said his owner, Penny Woodbury.

A "throw-away cat," Mikie was adopted when Woodbury's ex-husband was about to drop him off at the shelter. Immediately she noticed his calm and soothing
mannerisms. While attending a Pet Partners of San Bernardino County cat show, she found out about therapy pets and wondered if Mikie would be up for the
job. Eight hours of training, offered over a three-day period by the Delta Society, and Mikie was certified as an official therapy cat.

"He is really laid back," Woodbury said. "I just thought it was a good idea to do this and visit people."

Story Photo

Sarah Alvarado / Special to the Daily Press
Alice Fredrick, resident of the Hesperia Senior Campus, enjoys petting Mikie the cat. Mickie is a cat that has been certified as a therapy cat through Pet
Partners of San Bernardino County.
Since July, Alzheimer's patients and residents of the Hesperia Senior Campus, formerly known as the Foremost Senior Apartments, have been receiving visits
from Mikie every other Wednesday.

"He's wonderful; he's perfect," said a smiling Alice Fredrick as Mikie purred in her lap and curled up for a nap. "Cats communicate in more ways than anyone
knows. It's just a feeling between you and the cat."

His partner in therapy is 8-year-old Brandy, a golden retriever. Together the two paw their way through the hallways and sniff out and play and visit with
seniors. With each visit, faces light up, and seniors recall happier times when they were young and perhaps had a pet of their own.

"They are for petting and loving," Linda Amrein, Brandy's owner, said.

Brandy was also a throw-away pet. Amrein said Brandy was found wandering the woods of Wrightwood, released by her former owner to fend for herself. Almost
immediately she noticed Brandy's kind and playful nature and decided to make her a therapy dog.

"At one point in time, they were just normal pets, but then we realized they love everybody," Amrein said.

Pet Partners is currently in need of more therapy pets. Amrein said almost any animal that is gentle could become a therapy animal.

"We are looking for more people that have animals," she said. The animal "could be a rabbit, a horse, a llama, but no rats — people don't like rats."

For more information about therapy animals, contact Pet Partners of San Bernardino County at 246-5441.

LeRoy Standish may be reached at 951-6277 or
[email protected].

(Editor's note:Sorry, I was not given the original link for this story.)

S. Elgin shelter hit with deadly cat virus

(Editor's note:Sorry, I was not given the original link to this story.)

S. Elgin shelter hit with deadly cat virus

Michael Smart / Staff Photographer
An Anderson Animal Shelter employee, dressed in gown, gloves, boots and mask, uses bleach to clean areas of the South Elgin facility's quarantined area
to prevent the spread of feline parvovirus.

By
Tom Polansek
STAFF WRITER

SOUTH ELGIN — An outbreak of a deadly cat virus sweeping across the country has struck the Anderson Animal Shelter here, killing at least 40 felines at
the facility in the past two weeks, shelter officials said Tuesday.

The shelter, which normally finds homes for strays, temporarily has stopped taking in and adopting out cats to limit the spread of the disease, known as
feline parvovirus or panleukopenia. Volunteers also have been told to stay away while employees clean the facility from top to bottom.

"We are waging war and we will win," said Executive Director Deanna Davies. "We are praying that we have seen the worst of it, and we hope we don't lose
any more to this insidious disease."

Dr. Sharon Colgan, the medical director, said an unvaccinated stray likely brought the disease into the shelter and spread it to other cats.

default/empty
She said strays often are more susceptible to the infection because they have weakened immune systems.

Animals can pick up the virus from each other or from objects, such as bedding or cages, which can harbor the virus for up to a year. Handlers' hands and
clothing also can transmit the virus.

"Unfortunately, the animals that come in here usually aren't vaccinated, usually aren't well cared for," Colgan said. "You're just taking in these really
susceptible animals that have been out there and exposed to a lot of things and can just bring it into your organization."

Colgan said humans cannot contract the virus. Instead, it attacks animals' intestinal tracts and often causes diarrhea or vomiting.

To guard against spreading the disease, all shelter employees who enter the cat rooms must wear gowns, gloves and cloth boots. Also, staff members must
dip their shoes in a bleach footbath upon entering and leaving the rooms.

The South Elgin facility is not alone in battling the disease. The TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb saw an outbreak in the beginning of June, and reports
also are popping up around the country. A shelter in St. Paul, Minn., for example, euthanized 100 infected cats last month, according to several newspaper
reports.

"We are seeing a renewed problem with it," said Kate Pullen, director of animal sheltering issues for the Humane Society of the United States. "There were
quite a few years when we just didn't see it."

Colgan said Anderson first identified its outbreak Aug. 12 and implemented a quarantine Aug. 16. She said the quarantine would last at least two more weeks.

In the meantime, officials said they are consulting with experts to make sure they are doing everything possible to protect the animals.

"Some shelters have actually dealt with it for a couple of months," Colgan said. "All the shelters that are dealing with it are finding they have a much
more severe outbreak on their hands this year."

TAILS' outbreak lasted 10 to 12 weeks, Executive Director Beth Drake said. The facility did not have to suspend adoptions, however, because employees were
able to isolate new arrivals and other animals that showed symptoms of the disease.

The virus killed cats at the facility, but Drake declined to reveal how many. She said there is not much any shelter can do to save the animals because
there is no cure for the virus.

Nevertheless, TAILS employees treated the sick cats' secondary symptoms, such as dehydration for those with diarrhea or vomiting.

"It's an extremely contagious and fast-spreading disease," Drake said. "All that can be done is contain it. It is just a really horrible disease to deal
with."

How to protect your cat:
Dr. Sharon Colgan of Anderson Animal Shelter said all cats are at risk for a fatal virus known as both feline parvovirus and panleukopenia. To help protect
your cat:
• Get it vaccinated.
• If your cat is not vaccinated, do not let it outside.
• Keep it well-fed to maintain a healthy immune system.
• Talk to your veterinarian about other measures you may want to take.
8/24/05

Presidential Cats

(Editor's note:We might be better off with a cat as President and cats in the administration.)

presidential cats
http://www.preventionforever.com/index1.htm
This country going to the dogs and we cats gonna take it back!
If you enjoy this site please tell all your friends. (both of them)

Don't miss the alternative medicine link at the bottom.
Cats everywhere
Sarah Katchamouskie
Gramalkyn Katchamouskie
Sonja Katchamouskie
The Cat is taking over.
This country is going to the dogs and we cats gonna take it back!

Only I can save the world from all the weird cats
who think only they they can save it! Gramalkyn Katchamouskie
He is sneaky, unscrupulous, self-centered,
and has frequent nocturnal affairs with kittens.
He has never, ever done an act of contrition!
Is this Cat qualified to be President or what???
Being a equal OpportuniCat, I even welcome the lower life forms like
dogs, bridge addicts, lawyers, politicians and Talk Show hosts!

More Cat Wit and Wisdom
His Platform....Awesome
Cat poetry, surprisingly beautiful
Kat Kar saves planet
Cat wins in 11th circuit court!
True tails of our fearless leader.

Despite their appearance, humans possess some intelligence and can be trained.
Remember, always take your cat to a Veternarian who is also a Taxidermist . . .
either way you get your cat back.

My campaign Manager
My message to business as usual politicians, Kindly note the mistletoe attached to my coattail!

Sign our guestbook-no email required.
Read what others have said.

I'm gonna run for President in 2008.
Care to
cast your SECRET vote now?
100 natural alternatives to drugs and the scalpel.

My shyster

Cat Diary

(Editor's note:The last I knew, these were "told" to Mark Mason.  I was aware of Cat Diaries 1 through 3 and I am now glad to know he's still at it, with diaries 4 and 5.  I encourage you to paw on over to get them.)

CAT DIARY

8/24/05

I love human appliances. Gadgets. Human doohickeys. Humans invent these devices to make their human life easier. They end up making a cat's life more fun.

Computers: Although keyboard surfing rates high among cats, don't discount the joys of chasing the pointer around the screen. It's an excellent exercise
for sharpening paw reflexes. Humans also appreciate the hairy screen cleaner.

Computer scanners: I like to sit on top of it while it purrs. The weight of my body actually causes the Big Owner's cheap scanner to seize up. The sound
of the gnashing gears makes the Big Owner cringe. It is, however, music to my ears.

Dryers: What a great invention. I like to ride on them. Not IN them! (I tried that, remember?) The steady whirr of the motor, tumbling clothes, and radiant
heat gives a cat a gentle ride into catnap land. It's even better with a warm towel underneath you. There is, however a downside and that's the buzzer
at the end of the cycle. The Big Owner had to peel me off the ceiling when it was set to 'loud.' Maybe a soft chime could alert the family the cycle is
over would be better.

Washing machine: Can't have one without the other, right? A lightly unbalanced machine is best, particularly on the spin-dry cycle. After a long day of
play, iitt mmaakkeess yyoouurr ttiirreedd kkiittyy ppaawwss ffeeeell bbeetteerr.

Big Owner's Car: They were not meant for driving. A human car is an elaborate, expensive, albeit hard, cat bed.

Television: I don't watch it, I sleep on it! I like 'cliff-hanging' on mine. (With one paw over the screen.)

Fish tank: It's always fishing season in my house. As the goldfish get fatter, you would think they get slower.

Toilet Tank: Upside: All the old newspapers and magazines stacked on top make a comfortable spot for a tired cat body. Downside: Too many interruptions,
and the Big Owner tends to live there some days.

Refrigerator: Since he is so tall, the Big Owner uses the top of his refrigerator as his personal coin caddy. I climb up there and use it as my personal
hockey rink. Most coins, and sometimes his keys, make it to the floor. Behind the fridge.

It was a good day.

Want to comment on Cat Diary?
E-mail the Big Owner
.

Order STILL alive...cat diary five
Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!
$4.95 + shipping!

Order Cat Diary 1 thru 4
($24.95 at Cafe Press)

Return to Cat Diary

urine spraying and cats

Antidepressant may put an end to cats' sprayingUrine spraying is a common feline behavior problem and a major reason people turn indoor cats into outdoor
cats, or relinquish them to shelters.
The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/miamiherald/living/home/pets/12314460.htm
Antidepressant may put an end to cats' spraying

miami/archives_title

Posted on Sun, Aug. 07, 2005

FELINE ANTICS
Antidepressant may put an end to cats' spraying

BY DR. MARTY BECKER
Knight Ridder News Service

Urine spraying is a common feline behavior problem and a major reason people turn indoor cats into outdoor cats, or relinquish them to shelters.

Although both male and female cats spray, unneutered males make up the bulk of the offenders, followed by unspayed females in season, according to Cats
For Dummies. Neutering a pet before sexual maturity, about 6 months of age, will prevent this problem from occurring in 90 percent of males and 95 percent
of females.

For those cats that don't respond to neutering, environmental stresses may be triggering the spraying. Dr. Arnold Plotnick, a board-certified feline practitioner
and owner of Manhattan Cat Specialists in New York City, reports in Cat Fancy magazine that a new study may help cat owners curb this behavior.

A study published in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association reports that the use of clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant licensed for
use in the United States to treat canine separation anxiety, successfully controlled spraying in cats. Eighty percent of cats treated with the drug showed
a greater than 75 percent improvement in spraying during the first four weeks of treatment, according to Plotnick. Side effects were minimal.

While clomipramine isn't licensed for feline use in the United States, veterinarians can prescribe the drug for spraying in an extra-label manner, which
Plotnick describes as a process where the veterinarian must tell the cat owner the drug has been shown to be effective, but has not been licensed for this
particular use, so the owner must sign a consent form. This process is actually quite commonplace in veterinary medicine because of the expense of getting
a drug licensed for a species.

© 2005 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miami.com

Pet cat sets the kitchen on fire

(Editor's note: The cat didn't nearly ruin the kitchen; fire did.  Of course, the cat did not do this on purpose.  Shutting the cats out for the night?  Not a good thing to do.  Worse than fire could befall them, especially young cats.)
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/170/170878_pet_cat_sets_the_kitchen_on_fire.html?ref=emtaf&archive=archive

Tuesday, 23rd August 2005

Pet cat sets the kitchen on fire
Yakub Qureshi

DAMAGE: The gutted kitchen.
DAMAGE: The gutted kitchen.
A PET cat nearly destroyed a family home after it switched on a cooker hob.

John Fielding was asleep at his home in Newton Heath when three-year-old Bubbles managed to turn an electric hob plate to its highest setting - then dropped
a plastic container on top of it.

The resulting blaze destroyed the cooker and fridge and melted most of the fixtures. Acrid smoke left the kitchen walls and floors of the terraced house,
on Ascot Road, coated in soot.

The 64-year-old was saved because his son Mark smelled burning and managed to put out the fire before it got out of hand.

Both men are convinced the pet cat was responsible for the devastation. Animal-lover John said he never expected the cat would start to play with his cooker.

"It was a freak accident," he said, "and I slept right through it.

"I was lucky that Mark was here with me for a few nights, because I don't think I would have been able to get out in time."

Firefighters who inspected the scene said the father and son were fortunate to be alive, as the blaze could have quickly filled the house with toxic smoke.

FLAMING CAT: Bubbles and owner Mark make up.
FLAMING CAT: Bubbles and owner Mark make up.
Perched

Mark, 33, who was visiting his father for a few days, said he saw Bubbles perched on the kitchen work surface before he turned in for the night.

He said: "I came down at about 10.30pm and the cat was asleep on the surface next to the hob.

"We think he's pushed on the knob with his paw and has got it on the highest setting. As it warmed up, he's panicked and jumped up onto a shelf and knocked
some containers on to the hob.

"I noticed the smell at 11.30pm and came down to the kitchen.

"The fire wasn't that big, but it was filling the room with smoke and I managed to put it out."

Mark, who works as a telephone engineer, extinguished the blaze using a damp towel, but not before smoke had caused damage through the whole kitchen.

Bubbles is one of John's eight cats, four of which are kittens.

But the retired bakery worker vowed he would begin a new regime to keep the fire raising feline and his other pets away from the kitchen.

"We have had cats since we moved to this house and they have always had the run of the place, but we are going to get a cover for the oven and throw the
cats out at night and put a stop on the cat flap.

"Bubbles is still only a kitten really. He is just acting as if he has done nothing wrong.

"I suppose he doesn't know better."

Can cats get cavities?

(Editor's note: Cats aren't as stupid as some of us humans; they don't rake in the sugar like some of us have done.)

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/12444600.htm

Can cats get cavities?

montereyherald/archives_title

Posted on Mon, Aug. 22, 2005

Can cats get cavities?

By DR. MARTY BECKER
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

Ireceive many letters from concerned cat owners regarding cat cavities, wondering how they get them, how to tell if their cat has a cavity, how to treat
and prevent them.

According to board certified veterinary dentist Dr. Jan Bellows in Weston, Fla., cats get tooth cavities but they are not the same as those in people.

In people, cavities are caused by bacteria that eat through the enamel and erode sensitive dentin. Outward-in.

Cat-cavities, also referred to as neck lesions, are properly termed feline resorptive lesions, called RLs. "They were originally called "neck" lesions because
they most often occur at the "neck" of the tooth, which is where the body (root) meets the head (crown)," explains Dr. Veronika Kiklevich, a veterinarian
practicing dentistry in San Antonio, Texas. "The tooth is a little thinner there just naturally."

Unlike human cavities, cat ones originate from the inside of the tooth and move outward. Inward-out. Also feline RLs do not come from eating too much cotton
candy or drinking too much soda pop. One thing they do have in common with human cavities is pain.

"Of course, as these lesions erode closer to and finally into the pulp, the pain is not just pain," says Kiklevich, "it is the mother of all pain! Pulp
exposure, or even near pulp exposure, as with a cavity, will get most people screaming at their dentist for help right away. And in addition to pain, the
chronic inflammation has been shown to adversely affect the heart, kidneys and pancreas."

Unfortunately, we know more about what does not cause cat-cavities than what does.

Research has shown that the lesions are not due to early neutering, feline leukemia virus or immunodeficiency virus status. The two distinct types of RLs,
I and II, appear to have different causes. Dr. Alex Reiter at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has found that those cats suffering
from type II lesions have significantly higher amounts of vitamin D in their systems.

Continuing research is focusing on feline diets as a possible cause. More than 40 percent of 50 canned cat foods sampled had in excess of 30 times the vitamin
D required by felines. Diet may be one of several causes that must interact together to cause RLs. Reiter is also studying use of medication that may reverse
the progression of disease.

We do know that cat cavities are common. Now that's a mouthful, no pun intended!

According to Bellows, recent studies have revealed that nearly half of all cats older than 5 years will have at least one tooth affected, and 20 percent
have at least two. Most affected cats can be diagnosed by seeing a small red area at the gum line.

"Years back, when our family vacationed in Santa Fe, New Mexico," Bellows related, "while my wife went shopping, the kids and I would examine the outdoor
cats, betting if I could find a cavity on their teeth. Most of them had at least one."

Young cats can be affected but most cats are older than 5 when resorptions are diagnosed.

"Common signs in cats include drooling or difficulty eating," says Kiklevich. "A cat owner can self diagnose by touching a Q-tip to the red spot on the
tooth. It will be extremely sensitive since RLs generally affect the pulp or sensitive part of the tooth."

Unfortunately some lesions are only recognizable by X-rays taken by a veterinarian. Since only 5 percent of the veterinary practices have dental X-ray machines,
you may be referred to a dental veterinary specialist. To find a dental specialist in your area log on to
www.avdc.org.

Although veterinary dentistry and oral surgery is practiced with the same equipment and materials as human dentistry, unlike human cavities RLs should not
be filled because they start at the inside of the tooth. To date, extraction (removal) of the tooth is the treatment of choice. Before surgery, each tooth
must be evaluated for RLs. Speak to your veterinarian beforehand to discuss the procedure thoroughly. For more information visit Bellows' Web site,
www.dentalvet.com
under feline dentistry.

© 2005 Monterey County Herald and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.montereyherald.com

Burned cat still in recovery

This is an article from The Record Courier.

Iva thinks you might be interested in this.

(Editor's note:This is an update on a previously posted article.  Hope the kitty will be okay and will find a loving family. 
Link to the article:
http://www.recordcourier.com/article/2005108240001

Record-Courier - News
Record Courier

Burned cat still in recovery

by Tracy Tierney
August 24, 2005

After receiving a jolt last week from a 25,000-volt power line that started him on fire, a Topaz Ranch Estates feline is still in aftershock, so to speak.

John Respess, supervisor of the Douglas County Animal Shelter, said the cat was still in the hands of veterinarians.

"They didn't think it was in good enough condition to be adopted at this time," Respess said Monday.

As for who will adopt the frazzled feline, Respess said the shelter has received quite a few calls.

"Seven or eight people put their names on a list for it," he said. "First come, first serve. That's how it is with all our animals."

The date for when the scorched kitty is released for adoption remains unknown at this time.

"It's just up to the vet," Respess said. "Right now, they're just giving it fluids, monitoring it and addressing the burns."

A modified version of The Record-Courier story was picked up by the Associated Press and within 24 hours had hit Web sites all around the nation.

Television stations from Florida to Hawaii posted the story, as did newspapers from Alaska, Colorado, Texas and North Carolina.

Even the ivy league was not immune with postings on Harvard Law and Columbia Web sites.

The largest news organization to pick up the story was ABC News, which broadcast it on Good Morning America.

A Google search revealed at least 30 different Web sites picked up the story, including the Drudge Report and several sites such as MSNBC, Free Republic,
News.Yahoo, America Online and Cox Cable.

For more information on adopting pets, call the Animal Shelter at 782-9061.

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