CATLINES Blog

kittens

My article on kitten adoption, warning about bringing a kitten into your household without adequate precautions, is now on my website. Go to www.SimonTeakettle.com and you'll see the "NEW" item at the top of the first page, with a link to the article. I had taken a couple of photos of the little black kitten, and have put them on the page. My thanks to everyone who "vetted" this article for me, and for those of you who are posting it on your websites. You all have my permission to do so, as long as you give me full attribution and link back to my website: www.SimonTeakettle.com. If anyone wants to quote me or my experience in an article for a magazine or newspaper, please get in touch privately. I really want to get the word out about this important matter. Bobbi Untitled Table with 3 columns and 3 rows   PLEASE READ THIS FIRST     before you take in a stray cat   adopt a kitten from a shelter add a kitten to your household obtain a kitten from a friend table end I had the unfortunate experience of losing the adorable kitten pictured here to what I suspect was "feline distemper." This doesn't happen very often, but I wish I'd known a few things before I brought this kitten home. 1. If you adopt from a shelter, ask if they have a resident vet who examines all animals before they're placed for adoption, and if all kittens and puppies are tested and vaccinated. Many shelters can't afford a resident veterinarian and rely on people who adopt to take the animal to a vet. 2. Make an appointment with a local veterinarian right away, and have the kitten tested and vaccinated. My vet has a policy of not vaccinating for a week, waiting to see if the kitten develops any symptoms. If you're faced with that situation, it's doubly important to take the following precautions. 3. Keep the kitten isolated from other animals in the family and from small children. Put him or her in a small room (a bathroom or laundry room is ideal) with newspapers on the floor, and a clean old towel you would normally use as a cleaning rag to provide a soft surface to sleep on. 4. Use a disposable litter box, because some of these communicable diseases are shed in feces. The lid of a sturdy cardboard box works well for a small kitten. Buy an inexpensive plastic litter scoop from the Dollar Store, in case you have to throw it away later. 5. Give the kitten fresh, cool water in a small glass bowl. Wash this bowl well every day and refill. Do not use several different bowls, because if the kitten gets sick, you'll have to make sure this bowl is not used for another animal. Do the same thing with a food bowl. 6. Always give a kitten a commercial food designed for kittens. Adult cat food isn't a good choice until the cat is about a year old. Don't feed table scraps, tuna, milk, or anything else but kitten food. If the kitten vomits, you want to make sure it isn't because you fed something that irritated his delicate digestive system. 7. Pay careful attention to any symptoms. If the kitten is coughing, sneezing, vomiting (even just a tiny bit), or has diarrhea, call the vet right away. A danger sign I didn't know about was lethargy. This kitten didn't seem interested in play, which isn't normal. 8. Play a radio station with soft music to keep the kitten company. This will reduce stress as well as loneliness. Go into the room to pet and play with the little one, but don't take him out into the rest of the house until you're sure he's not carrying a disease. 9. Diseases that can kill kittens are NOT communicable to humans. But they linger in the environment and can be passed to another pet long afterwards. If you should lose a kitten or puppy to distemper or something similar, be sure to ask your vet how long you should wait before adopting another animal, and how to take precautions to disinfect things the kitten or puppy came in contact with. 10. Learn how to care for your cat by checking some of the reliable websites run by veterinary schools. Ignore information from non-experts. A few websites to check include: Cornell: www.vet.cornell.edu/ Tufts: www.vet.tufts.edu/ Univ. of California-Davis: www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ A complete list of veterinary schools in the U.S. can be found at: www.veterinaryschools.com. The Cat Writers' Association, www.catwriters.org, has many knowledgeable members who run rescue and shelter operations, work for the Humane Society of the U.S. and the ASPCA, and includes eleven veterinarians. CWA members have published several comprehensive books on pet care, including care for kittens, senior cats, health, behavior and training. Some of these books are listed on the Resources page of this website (scroll down to Recommended Books for Cat Lovers). And after you bring your kitten home, please read Training Your Cat Like a Dog. This page is in memory of a Little Black Kitten who was found as a stray in Masson, Quebec, on August 23, 2006, and brought to the SPCA Outaouais in Gatineau. I adopted him on August 28, and loved and cared for him until he died on October 31. SIMON TEAKETTLE INK Gatineau, Quebec, CANADA www.SimonTeakettle.com Five Fast Steps to Better Writing 20th Anniversary Edition Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity new edition published in 2003 MEWSINGS/MUSINGS international award-winner

pet medications symposium

Shelter Medicine Symposium: Building Community Health, is scheduled for September 30 at U.C. Davis. http://sheltermedicine.org Sharon Melnyk Lauren Merryfield http://www.catliness.com

Steve Irwin

Note:yet another tribute to Steve Irwin. Thanks Lauren http://www.catliness.com Ode To The Crocodile Hunter February 22, 1962 - September 4, 2006 Ode To Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter" Our hearts were surely broken As we heard in disbelief Of your passing, oh so sudden Now a world is filled with grief. You taught us all the value Of each animal on earth Big and small, and in between We’ve learned they each have worth. Your lessons we will all remember And the joy with which you taught You brought laughter, fun and happiness Into every single heart. I think I hear in the distance The animals as they weep For they shall miss you most of all As now you gently sleep. ~ Charlotte Anselmo ~ To the family of Steve Irwin we extend our deepest sympathies. Especially to Terri, Bindi Sue, and Bob. Steve will never be forgotten!

Steve Irwin

Note:Here's another look at Rainbow Bridge. Lauren Merryfield http://www.catliness.comSubject: An Interesting Day at the Rainbow Bridge Rainbow Bridge is a place of both peace and anticipation as departed pets await their beloved owners. There are plenty of things to keep them contented while they wait: trees you can't get stuck in, endless meadows, splashing streams, thickets perfect to hide in for pounce-attack games. But one day the residents noticed some rather...unusual newcomers arrive. The koalas and the kangaroos slipped in rather quietly, but then came the bearded dragons, the skinks and the goannas. The influx of snakes startled an entire family of cats up a tree. Pythons, cobras, tiger snakes, brown snakes and even fierce snakes. There were so many at one point, it seemed the ground itself was alive with writhing. A burly wombat shouldered his way through the crowd and plopped down in a shady spot, barely missing a Jack Russell terrier who yapped indignantly as he abandoned his position. And then the crocodiles showed up. Finally, a Great Dane managed to get up enough nerve to approach one of the reptilian giants. "Um....excuse me," he said hesitantly. "But, why are you all here?" The croc dropped her jaw and laughed. "Same as you, mate," she said. "Waitin' for someone who loved us." The dogs, cats, gerbils and other "typical pets" looked at each other in confusion, then at the plethora of weird, ugly and downright deadly creatures assembled. Who on Earth could possibly love some of those faces? "I see him!" shouted a green mamba from his vantage point in one of the trees. A cacophony of squeeks, hisses, bellows and roars erupted as the mob surged forward toward a lone human walking across the field toward the bridge. The other animals managed to catch a glimpse of him before he was overwhelmed by the crowd. "CRIKEY!" he shouted joyously right before he was bowled over by the wombat. "Well I'll be," said a Persian as she tidied up her fur. "It's that Aussie my human liked to watch on TV. Had to be the craziest human on the whole planet." "Oh, please," remarked a echidna as he hurried by. "Is it really that crazy to passionately love something God made?" "No, it's not," they heard a voice say from their crowd. "You see, I, too, was with him, at his side, as he caught the crocs, the snakes, and the spiders and spoke on the importance they have in life. For you see, I am his mate, his dog Sui. To you ordinary animals he may seem crazy, but to me he is simply known as a Best Friend." And with that comment, as the animals looked on with surprise, she ran barking, clearing a path to him, and jumped in his arms, licking his face as he cried, "Sui, my mate, my friend. How I've missed you so." And with that, they all crossed the Rainbow Bridge together. -- forwarded from petvetcafe

excuses

Note:I've heard all kinds of excuses; the most often-used is that the person is moving and can't take their pet because pets are not allowed. I would not live where my cats could not live; they are part of my family. Lauren Merryfield http://www.catliness.com http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-lspets4827467jul24,0,7825561,print.column?coll=ny-news-columnists Pet dumpers' litany of lame excuses Denise Flaim Animal House E60057_Tilex_160x600 frame E60057_Tilex_160x600 E60057_Tilex_160x600 frame end July 24, 2006 Here's a question as bedeviling as that zen koan about the sound of one hand clapping: What is the most pathetic excuse for giving up a companion animal? Living as we do amid an epidemic of tepid commitment and laser-sharp detachment, people routinely discard their companion animals. Some reasons - like a child's allergies or sudden homelessness - are understandable. But many are not - at least not to those who consider their animals family members, a status that is not usually negotiable. Rescuers - you know them by the plastic airline crates in their hatchbacks, and the Milk-Bones in their glove compartments - are in the non-profit business of cleaning up the messes people make with the sentient beings they've brought into their lives. With big hearts and tiny budgets, they grit their teeth as clueless, oftentimes obnoxious owners hand over the leash - or cage, or tank. Excuses - they have heard them all before. But maybe you haven't. Moving is a perennial reason for dumping animals. "It's everyone's favorite," says Barbara Williamson of Best Friends Society, who polled staffers. "Nobody here can even begin to understand how you move into a place that doesn't accept pets when you have pets." (Another head-scratcher: The person who returned a cat to the Utah sanctuary because its neurological condition "wasn't bad enough." In other words, the cat wasn't special-needs enough.) Another common catalyst is the arrival of a sweetheart. New lovers or spouses who hate dog hair or slobber issue ultimatums, and their not-so-better halves comply. The dissolution of a marriage is a prime reason for relinquishing animal companions, as is the arrival of diminutive two-leggers. "When the excuse is that the owner is having a baby, I send her to the president of Alaskan Malamute Rescue of New England," says Malamute fancier Susan Conant, who writes dog-centric mystery novels. "She is the mother of triplets." Yep, family ties can be nooses for some animals. Marjorie Lipson of Long Island-based Second Chance Labrador Rescue offered up the interesting approach of blaming the kids: "My youngest child is now in college - it was her dog that we purchased 14 years ago," one owner told her as he turned over his gray-faced dog. "We never wanted a dog - the kids did." For those who have written their wills to ensure that their furry and feathered family members will be cared for after their demise, think again. "Even though I promised to care for the dog, I knew I really wouldn't," explained one relative Lipson encountered. "I just wanted the inheritance." Avarice is predictable. But this excuse isn't: "A woman had a 12-year-old male cat she wanted us to take because 'He won't play with toys anymore, so we want to replace him with a kitten,'" says Dottie Zammetti of A Home at Last Animal Adoption Network in Brightwaters. More than one rescuer reports cats rejected because they would not sit on laps. Or male dogs tossed because they don't lift their legs. "He doesn't photograph well in our family portrait" is so sad that it could be made up. But it isn't. Norwegian elkhound fancier Lexiann Grant of southeastern Ohio, who contributed that one, also had this doozy: "An Akita was surrendered because the family decided to do away with their current 'Japanese landscaping' and go with a southwestern theme." If you find it hard to believe that people can be that superficial, consider this chestnut from Barbara Sawyer-Brown, a Ridgeback breeder and longtime rescuer from Chicago: "We redecorated and the dog no longer matches the decor." As one rescuer put it, "It's the accumulated oblivious sincerity that really gets you." File this under "craven compassion": Pam Dennison, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training," had a friend who took in an 18-month-old Schnauzer. "She had a kidney problem and the owners 'loved her so much they couldn't bear to watch her die.'" (Postscript: The friend kept the dog, switched her to a raw-food diet, and five years later, the dog is still going strong.) People dump their bunny rabbits with such infuriating regularity that Mary Cotter of the House Rabbit Society keeps a list of common excuses. Some deadbeat owners have simply performed a cold-hearted calculation: "He's sick - we're not going to pay $50 for a vet visit for a pet that cost $15." Debra J. White of Tempe, Ariz., started volunteering at animal shelters in 1989. "I have seen and heard the most dumb, pathetic and lame excuses," she says. "The cat meows. The dog barks." But nothing prepared her for this beaut, delivered by a pregnant woman who was jettisoning her child substitute to make room for the real thing. "My fetus," the mother-to-be proclaimed, "is allergic to the dog." Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

cats:play on words

Note:Here is a piece using some well-known cat breeds. I am unaware of the author. Lauren Merryfield, http://www.catliness.com Breed All About it in the Daily Mews Driving through the Norwegian Forest in my Turkish Van, I stopped at a Scottish Fold in the road. I looked in the mirror and said, you’re a mess, just look at that American Wirehair. I had tried the American Shorthair but that went out of style. When I called Ms. Manx to talk about an American Curl, she was on her way to see the Sphynx. She suggested I see Mr. Birman. He ought to make me look better for my trip to Bombay. Chartreux always likes presents so I must stop and buy her a Ragdoll or a Ragamuffin, something simple, nothing Exotic. All that deserved a Fancy Feast. Oh God this woman is too catty.

Katrina Pets

To honor the thousands of ‘left behind’ Katrina pets All Pets Radio has launched a website to remember Containing interviews stories pictures movies and tributes To these ‘left behinds’ which debuted the first of September Here you can read memorials about pets lost Very happy reunions between animal and man How Harry Connick, Jr. helped in the relief effort How to develop your very own pet evacuation plan Here you can listen to a very sad and enlightening interview With the dedicated Director of the Louisiana Humane Society Here you can listen to podcasts of some of my Katrina poems And even a chat with an animal writer who happens to be me But every time that I visit this new Katrina memorial website I find myself watching the rescue movies over and over again I and thousands of other animal lovers in this vast nation of ours Hope and pray that this never again happens to our animal friends www.unconditionalfriends.com

cat facts

Thought you might enjoy this one. It's from my friend Sahar. Jo Our feline friends are unique and wonderful companions. Below is a collection of interesting and fun facts about cats. Cats are members of the Felidea family. A litter of kittens is called a kindle, and a group of cats is called a clowder. A cat's IQ is only surpassed by that of monkeys and chimps in the world of animals. Cats are the only animals that purr. They can purr at around 26 cycles per second, which is the same frequency as an idling diesel engine. Purring doesn't necessarily mean a cat is happy. Sometimes cats will purr when they are scared or hurt. A cat's nose pad is as unique as a human fingerprint. No two nose prints are identical. Petting or stroking a cat has actually been proven to help in lowering one's blood pressure. One way a cat shows s/he trusts you is by rolling over on his/her back. A cat's hearing is much stronger and more sensitive than a dog's or a human's. Our hearing stops at 20 khz; cat's at 65 khz. Cats have 32 muscles in each ear and can turn their ear very quickly to catch noise. Much faster than a very alert watchdog. A cat's sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than ours. Cats have five toes on their front paws and four on their back paws. If a cat is polydactyl, s/he has extra toes. Cats have over 100 vocals sounds, while dogs have only 10. Normal body temperature for a cat is between 100.5 F and 102.5 F. Cats drink liquid from the underside of their tongue, not from the top. Cats use their whiskers to determine if the space they are entering is big enough for them. To calm a frightened cat put your hand over his/her eyes and forehead or let him/her bury his/her head in your armpit. Only about 80% of cats have the gene that allows them to respond to the effects of catnip. The other 20% are not affected by it. Domestic cats are the only cats that can hold their tails vertically while they walk. Wild cats hold theirs horizontally or between their legs. The only "natural" breed of domestic cat in America is the Main Coon. Cats get an average of 16 hours of sleep per day. A cat lover is called an ailurophile. ---Jo

making excuses

Note:This was sent to me by Louise. It covers most of the excuses pet shelters receive. Lauren Merryfield, publisher, CATLINES http://www.catliness.com *Rescue Group Answering Machine *Author unknown Hello: You have reached 123-4567, Tender Hearts Rescue. Due to the high volume of calls we have been receiving, please listen closely to the following options and choose the one that best describes you or your situation: Press 1 if you think we are veterinarians and want free medical advice. Press 2 if you know we are a rescue organization but want to save money and have us give you free, untrained medical advice anyway. Press 3 if you make $200,000 a year but still want us to pay to spay the "stray" in your yard (house). Press 4 if you have a 10-year-old dog or cat and your 15-year-old son has suddenly become allergic and you need to find the dog a new home right away. Press 5 if you have dogs or cats, had a baby and want to get rid of your dogs.cats because you are the only person in the world to have a baby and dogs or cat at the same time. Press 6 if your dog or cat is sick and needs a vet but you need the money for your vacation. Press 7 if you just got a brand new puppy or kitten and your old dog or cat is having problems adjusting so you want to get rid of the old one right away. Press 8 if your little puppy or kitten has grown up and is no longer small and cute and you want to trade it in for a new model. Press 9 if you are elderly and want to adopt a cute puppy or kitten who is not active and is going to outlive you. Press 10 if your relative has died and you don't want to care for their elderly dog or cat because it doesn't fit your lifestyle. Press 11 if you are moving today and need to immediately place your 150-pound, 8-year-old dog or 10-year-old declawed, never-seen-a- vet cat with dental problems. Press 12 if you want an unpaid volunteer to come to your home today and pick up the dog or cat you no longer want. Press 13 if you have been feeding and caring for a "stray" for the last three years, are moving and suddenly determine it's not your dog or cat. Press 14 if you are calling at 6 a.m. to make sure you wake me up before I have to go to work so you can drop a dog or cat off on your way to work. Press 15 to leave us an anonymous garbled message, letting us know you have left a dog/cat in our yard in the middle of January, which is in fact, better than just leaving the dog/cat with no message. Press 16 if you are going to get angry because we are not going to take your dog or cat that you have had for fifteen years, because it is not our responsibility. Press 17 if you are going to threaten to take your ten year old dog or cat to be euthanized because we won't take it. Press 18 if you're going to get angry because the staff had the audacity to go on vacation and leave the rescue in care of a trusted volunteer who is not authorized to take your personal pet. Press 19 if you want one of our perfectly trained, housebroken, kid- and cat-friendly purebred tiny dogs that we have an abundance of. Press 20 if you want us to take your dog that has a slight aggression problem, i.e. has only bitten a few people and killed your neighbor's cats. Press 21 if you have already called once and been told we don't take personal surrenders but thought you would get a different person this time with a different answer. Press 22 if you want us to use space that would go to a stray to board your personal dog while you are on vacation - free of charge, of course. Press 23 if it is Christmas Eve or Easter morning and you want me to deliver an eight week old puppy or kitten to your house by 6:30 am before your kids wake up. Press 24 if you have bought your children a duckling, chick or baby bunny for Easter and it is now Christmas and no longer cute. Press 25 if you want us to take your female dog or cat who has already had ten litters, but you can't spay her because she is pregnant again and it is against your religion. Press 26 if you're trying to make one of our younger volunteers feel bad and take your personal pet off your hands. Press 27 if your cat is biting and not using the litter box because it is declawed, but are not willing to accept the responsibility that the cat's behavior is altered because of your nice furniture. Press 28 if your two-year-old male dog is marking all over your house but you just haven't gotten around to having him neutered. Press 29 if you previously had an outdoor-only dog or cat and are calling because she is suddenly pregnant. Press 30 if you have done "everything" to housebreak your dog and have had no success but you don't want to crate the dog because it is cruel. Press 31 if you didn't listen to the message asking for an evening phone number and you left your work number when all volunteers are also working and you are angry because no one called you back. Press 32 if you need a puppy or kitten immediately and cannot wait because today is your daughter's birthday and you forgot when she was born. Press 33 if your dog's or cat's coat doesn't match your new furniture and you need a different color or breed. Press 34 if your new love doesn't like your dog or cat and you are too stupid to get rid of the new friend (who will dump you in the next month anyway). Press 35 if you went through all these 'presses' and didn't hear enough. __._,_.___