CATLINES Blog

cats on ebay

note:I agree wholeheartedly; no pets sold on eBay! It is not fair to them. Too much can go too wrong for the innocent animals. Lauren Merryfield, http://www.catliness.com I'm begging you all to please sign this petition and pass it on. Kari Leslie Rowen wrote: Block quote start To: [email protected], So Cal Siamese Rescue From: Leslie Rowen Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:40:26 -0800 (PST) Subject: [socalsiameserescue] E-bay to set Pet Classified Section E-bay is considering starting to allow animal listings on e-bay. If you've ever spent 10 minutes at an animal shelter - you'll know this is a bad idea. It reeks of puppy mill heaven. Don't know what a puppy mill is? Thank your lucky stars you've been spared that nightmare. Spend an evening or two watching Animal Cops on Animal Planet - you'll be introduced to it. I'm not A PETA freak, don't have any problem with legitimate breeders responsibly selling pets. I've been in rescue long enough now to hear some of the most horrifying stories about mill mommies. Each story eats a tiny piece of what's left of my heart. I don't pass along much and ask that you pass it along - this I am passionate about.Even if you aren't interested in signing the petition - PLEASE KEEP THIS E-MAIL MOVING until E-bay understands. Go here for the petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/148847541?ltl=1134929972 If you've already seen this and signed - please pass it along again! We might pick up someone we orignally missed! Crossposted with permission. " Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France Block quote end Kari Winters So.CA. Siamese Rescue Professional member of Cat Writers' Association www.ShelterPetsInk.com Changing animals' lives through writing

holiday humor

Just had to send this, it's so funny. My poor Annie has been thru hell this coming summer with this problem. Hope Yahoo let it thru. hugs sumanaju http://l.flowgo.com/redir.cfm/27978/251307/25669/36295747

decorating the tree with cats

A Cat's Christmas Tree Decorating 101 - from a cat's perspective! Great for cat lovers, but a site everyone will enjoy. Once again, thanks to Susan! http://www.fluffytails.ca/christmas.asp

home-made cat food

This STLtoday.com article -- "These meals go from table to floor"-- has been sent to you by: " [email protected]" These meals go from table to floor By Sarah Newman ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Here is the story. Do you cook for your calico? Or bake for your boxer? Would you admit it if you did? Even other animal lovers have been known to look askance when one admits that one regularly stirs up soup pots full of fancy concoctions just for Fluffy or Fido. Julia Szabo's eyebrows also inch up at the idea - and she's the author of two new cookbooks aimed at culinary-minded critter lovers. The books' titles - "Bow Wow Chow: Hearty Recipes for Happy Dogs" and "Meow Chow: Hearty Recipes for Happy Cats" (MQ Publications, 111 pages each, $14.95) - make them sound like typical cook-for-your-pet cookbooks. But they're not. As Szabo (sah-bo) said in a recent phone interview: "Nobody in their right mind wants to be their pet's personal chef." Szabo, who writes a pet column for the Sunday New York Post and Country Living magazine, speaks from experience. "I tried it. It's awful," she said. Play that role often enough - and long enough - and you'll start resenting your pet, she said. Or pets, in Szabo's case. Twelve of them. Six cats. Six dogs. All are rescued. And all of their meals are special, just like the meals she serves in "Bow Wow Chow" and "Meow Chow." What sets these books apart from other pet cookbooks is that their recipes aren't just for cats and canines - they're also for the cook. ("Serves two people and two large dogs, with leftovers" reads the recipe for braised osso buco from chef John Villa of New York's Dominic and Patroon restaurants. "Serves four people and two cats, with plenty of leftovers" reads the recipe for Tom's chicken soup.) Szabo believes that pet lovers have a "duty to cater to every aspect of a pet's life." She demonstrated how to do that in her 2001 book, "Animal House Style: Designing a Home to Share With Your Pets " (Little, Brown and Co., $35), which came out this year in paperback (Bulfinch, $19.95). In that book, and in these, sharing is key. It's the main ingredient in Szabo's recipe for happy hounds and Himalayans. "Pets want to be with us all the time," Szabo said. "They want to be part of all that we do, of what we lie down on, of what we eat. My feeling is that if we embrace that and work with it rather than fight it, we'll all be happier." Just as her design book offers simple, practical ways to make a home pet-friendly (as opposed to pet-proof), her cookbooks show "what a minimum of effort can do" to enhance your pets' meals. That effort can be as easy as cooking an extra soft-boiled egg and breaking it over your dog's kibble (shell included) or dribbling on some olive oil, which is healthful and which you probably have on hand for your own use, Szabo said. The idea that pets should eat only commercial pet food is as much a myth as the rule that they should never be fed from the table, she said. (Feeding them AT the table is a different matter, best left to the discretion of the diners.) The caveat is that pets should eat only the foods that they can eat safely, Szabo said. So don't give your canine or feline companion chocolate. Go easy on the fatty foods (don't fry if you can boil or bake). And if you plan to spice up your Italian greyhound's kibble with some of your homemade spaghetti, make her portion of sauce sans onion and wine. Szabo said she has been cooking and sharing food with her pets for years, "probably because I have so many animals and so little time, and I hate to think of doing anything without them. The food thing was just a natural outcropping of that. We all have to refuel anyway, so we might as well do it together." More important, she said, food is especially meaningful to animals. "It's everything to them. Love, motivation, reward, security. My feeling is that they're here with us for such a short time, why not let them eat what they want, as long as it doesn't hurt them." A couple of years ago, when Szabo learned that onions can be harmful to pets, it occurred to her to do "a book that teaches people how to share their food safely." That she ended up doing two books is hardly surprising. Cats and dogs have distinct dietary requirements. Dogs can live on just about anything. Cats "are serious carnivores" and must have meat to survive. Cats also are as finicky as their stereotype. They can even be finicky about their tableware. People who are owned by fussy felines ("Cheap plastic bowls are simply not acceptable") should note that "Meow Chow" includes a chapter on stylish dining accessories. To be honest, "Bow Wow Chow" boasts a similar chapter. Both books also contain chapters on breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and special occasions. Both have guides to some out-of-the-ordinary resources. And both serve up more than 30 tasty dishes, some from pet-friendly hotels and restaurants, which people and their pets can share in one form or another: chicken paprikash, grrreat grrrilled vegetables, The Hungry Cat's crab cakes, Melina's seafood salad sandwiches, carrot cupcakes - even catnip tea. But "Bow Wow Chow" and "Meow Chow" are not merely recipe books. They are colorful, fun-to-read lifestyle guides to making mealtime with Fluffy more than just another open can. There are menus; diet and nutrition tips; food-safety warnings; serving suggestions; pet-iquette advice for eating in and dining out; and photo after photo of cute cats and dogs, as well as a few equally adorable children. Szabo, who is a stylist, design consultant and photographer, took the photos for "Bow Wow Chow" and included her own dogs among the models. She also took the cover photo for "Meow Chow," which features one of the many cats she has rescued and "rehomed." She worked with another photographer for the rest of the "Meow Chow" photos, she said, "because cats require a lot more wrangling than dogs do." One of the things Szabo likes about the easy-to-handle softcover books is that they have protective vinyl covers. "That way you don't have to worry if something goes []splat[] all over them," she said. "Or if the cat barfs on them." "Bow Wow Chow" and "Meow Chow" are available at major bookstores and online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. [][email protected] 314-340-8264[] _____________________________________________________________________ If you enjoy reading about interesting news, you might like the 3 O'Clock Stir from STLtoday.com. Sign up and you'll receive an email with unique stories of the day, every Monday-Friday, at no charge. Sign up at http://newsletters.stltoday.com _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ All content copyright (c) 2004, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, L.L.C. All rights reserved. 900 N. Tucker Blvd, St. Louis MO 63101

catmas song

Note:This is by Mark Mason of catdiary.com. Lauren Merryfield, http://www.catliness.com THE CAT-MAS SONG Catnaps taken by an open fire I like to nip at the Big Owner's nose Yuletide purrs being meowed in the shire The litter is asleep, quite comatose. Everybody knows some Friskies and some Catnip herb Help to make the Cat-mas bright Tiny toms with their fur all disturbed Will find it hard to doze tonight They know that Santa Claws is on his way He's loaded lots of treats and cat toys on his sleigh And every mama cat's kitten is gonna spy To see if Felines are really that spry And so, I'm purring you this simple phrase To cats from Manx, to Blue Chartreux Although it's been mewed many times, many ways; "Merry Cat-mas" to you

helping cats

Millstone resident cares for hundreds of area cats Feline friend spent over $10,000 last year in vet fees alone BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer Front_Page/049p1_lg Millstone Township resident Layne Sultana takes care of a cat colony in her hometown. She also volunteers to manage colonies in Manalapan and Freehold. As the midsize sport-utility vehicle pulls into the parking lot, cats of all stripes suddenly appear. Their caretaker, Layne Sultana, has arrived, making one of her 13 daily stops to care for cat colonies in Millstone, Freehold, Marlboro and Manal-apan. The Millstone resident cares for the felines seven days a week, 365 days a year. She estimates that she puts 100 miles a day on her vehicle. While some friends donate food and money, the bulk of expenses falls on her, she said. Sultana spends $800 a month for cat food, which consists of 1,100 pounds of dry cat food and 840 cans of wet food. Last year, she accumulated approximately $10,000 in veterinary fees. The colonies range in size from one to 20 cats. All the felines have been tattooed or ear-tipped for identification. Front_Page/049p2_lg PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Layne Sultana, of Millstone Township, sets food out for her feline friends in a cat colony. Sultana did not want to give out the colonies’ exact locations because a couple of the landlords do not want the cats on their property. While she tries to get approval from landowners to feed a colony, she said, two landlords would have her arrested if they caught her. She said she takes the risk because she simply cannot allow the cats to starve. “I don’t like doing things that way,” Sultana said. “I’d rather have approval.” Sultana said that restaurant owners in strip malls are usually glad to have the cats around because they take care of rodent problems. She said that some local animal control officers are sympathetic to the work she and other colony caregivers do, while others do not believe in trap-neuter-release (TNR), the basic tenet of maintaining a colony. Sultana is a board member of Spay Neuter and Protect Strays (SNAPS). “We advocate the nonlethal feral cat population controls of trap, sterilize and release in supported areas,” Sultana said. “Spaying and neutering is the only effective humane way to eliminate overpopulation. This is an alternative to euthanasia.” Sultana uses various veterinarians in the area for spaying, neutering and treatments. Sultana takes care of the problem others have created by dumping their unspayed and non-neutered unwanted cats. “Colonies are developed by people dumping cats or leaving them when they move,” Sultana said. “Unfortunately,” she added, “all of my colonies were acquired when people called me up and said, ‘There is a colony behind a minimall. Would you help trap the cats?’ ” Most people say they will continue to feed the cats, “but that never happens,” according to Sultana. Sultana also helps her friends who have colonies when they must go out of town. “It takes a person who is totally dedicated to the cause to do this,” she said. “ I do not suggest anyone getting involved unless they look into the project ahead of time.” Winters are the most difficult, according to Sultana, as she must shovel the cats out of the protected shelters she has made for them. According to Sultana, one male and one female cat can produce 80,000 offspring in a decade. She said females can have three litters a year, with five or more kittens per litter. “That is why neutering is so important,” she said. All the cats in her colonies have been spayed or neutered as well as vaccinated, she said. Sultana said it took her 2 1/2 years to trap one particular cat, but she finally managed to catch her and have her spayed. None of the cats is scrawny or sickly, and all of the felines have names, she said. Sultana adopts out suitable cats and kittens, but she said so many of her cats need homes. She organizes adoptions through the Petcos in Howell and Freehold Township. She also has a pet food bin at the Freehold Township ShopRite, where people can drop off donations for the animals. Sultana has been involved in animal rescue for 20 years. Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., she rescued cats there and continued to do so when she moved to Freehold and then to Millstone 12 years ago. Sultana works as a dog groomer and pet sitter and owns her own business called Beastly Doos, which gives her the flexibility to care for the colonies. Over the years, she has rescued dogs, birds, ducklings and a host of wildlife. She has gerbils that someone dumped at a park in Manalapan. Someone once left a guinea pig at her Millstone colony, which she gladly found before the cats did. “People think that domestic animals can survive outside, but they cannot,” Sultana said. “Bring them to a shelter.” Sultana said she never takes a vacation. When asked why she devotes herself so much to the cats, she replied, “They’re a life. That’s the important thing. That’s why I feel so strongly about keeping the colonies going.” Sultana said she would pick up any donations of pet food for the colonies from interested area residents. To make a donation or for more information, call (732) 446-6242. Monetary donations for spaying and neutering should be sent to SNAPS, P.O. Box 92, Oakhurst 07755.

Christmas

Two new Christmas pages have been added to poofcat.com The First Christmas Tree http://www.poofcat.com/dmcg1.html Santa Prays http://www.poofcat.com/praysanta.html

Dear Santa Paws

note:I wish the sentiments in this poem didn't need to be stated, but they do, for cats' sake. Lauren Merryfield, editor/publisher, catlines http://www.catliness.com Dear Santa Paws, We’ve been told you have a list And that you check it twice. But we’ve been forgotten about before And wanted you to know We haven’t been naughty Not even to the mice. We are the garbage cats of the world Thrown away, discarded like trash. A heavy hand hurt some of us While others simply got sick And weren’t worthy of a vet invoice. Taken to a place that looks like jail or Pushed out of cars left alone to die Somehow we ended up in Hell. Terrified beyond belief Till a human called a Rescuer Looked into our lonely eyes And saw the love beneath the pain Gentle hands, kisses and eye hugs Warm beds, full bowls, clean boxes. We’ve been given a second chance! But, oh Santa Paws, there something amiss Our human, the Rescuer, has been crying in the night We try to lick away the tears and paw away the fears But there is someone called Bills Causing all this misery and grief. Surely in that in that big red bag There is some sort of relief. Help us Santa Paws, this is what we need, Scoopable litter for our boxes Wet and dry food for our tummies Bleach to keep our beds clean Money for our medicine and vet care And heat to keep our house warm. Won’t you please help us Santa Paws? Take the toys to someone else. We just want to live... Warm beds, full bowls and happy health Is all we ask for on this Christmas Eve. Peaceful Paws On Earth! The Senior Kittizens At Purrever Ranch Written for with love and hope for all the homeless animals in the world. Rita Cockrell Wood December 2005 Rita Cockrell Wood, Founder Purrever Ranch (A Sanctuary For Senior Kittizens) http://gotcats.org

cat of the year

note:This is cool; a dog named cat of the year! That reminds me of the song "walkin' my cat named Dog." Lauren Merryfield http://www.catliness.com title: The Dog Who Rescues Cats, The True Story of Ginny authors: Philip Gonzalez & Leonore Fleischer (with an introduction by Cleveland Amory) publisher: Harper Collins (1995) ISBN: 0-06-017273-8 second book:The blessing of the animals. same authors. The Westchester Cat Show recently eulogized a Schnauzer-Siberian husky mix dog named Ginny, who was named Cat of the Year in 1998 for her skill and bravery in finding and rescuing endangered cats, says an AP story. Ginny died in August at age 17, after a career as a one-dog rescue party for cats on Long Island's South Shore. The club says she saved hundreds of cats. Her owner, Philip Gonzalez of Long Beach, has written two books about Ginny and the cats she found, several of whom moved in with him. Once Ginny threw herself against a standing pipe at a construction site, toppling it to reveal kittens trapped inside. Another time she ignored cuts on her paws to dig through a box full of broken glass and find an injured cat inside. Gonzalez told AP, "I didn't train her. Ginny was just magical in a way. I adopted her from a shelter, and they said she's never been with cats before. But she just had this knack of knowing when a cat was in trouble." The memorial service was followed by the Cat of the Year award to Zoe, an 8-year-old Ragdoll cat from Larchmont who saved her owner from carbon monoxide poisoning. Debra J. White Leave No Homeless Pet Behind www.4-footedfriends.com "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress, can be judged by the way its animals are treated." M. Gandhi

kitty rescued

Note:I heard about this on the news on the radio. Made national news. Bummer that she had to go to such lengths to get help for her kitty. I am so glad it all worked out. Lauren Merryfield, http://www.catliness.com Call to Save 'Baby' Ends With Cat Rescue - Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051201/ap_on_fe_st/cat_rescue Print Story: Call to Save 'Baby' Ends With Cat Rescue on Yahoo! News Back to Story - Help Yahoo! News Call to Save 'Baby' Ends With Cat Rescue Thu Dec 1, 5:10 PM ET Many people treat their pets like children, but a woman is in legal trouble after calling 911 and claiming that her "baby," which turned out to be a cat named Baby, was stuck in the sewer. The woman, who was not immediately identified, called the Houston Fire Department three times saying that her cat was stuck in the sewer, according to police. On the fourth call the woman said her 2-year-old baby was stuck in the sewer. The firefighters arrived expecting to find a child, but rescued the feline from the sewer anyway. Police gave the woman a ticket for making a false report, a Class B misdemeanor. "They said they were desperate, didn't know what else to do," Houston Fire Department Capt. Keith Ellery told Houston television station KPRC. "They didn't know who else to call so they called 911. It is not the type of rescue we normally do ... but on this particular incident, we felt compelled to kind of help them out." Members of the woman's family tried to rescue the cat themselves before calling for help. Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Questions or Comments Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy - Ad Feedback