Saturday, October 31, 2009

Real Tattooed Cats

Happy Halloween!

When we ran a Google search yesterday on the book The Tattooed Cat, which is about a guy who has cats tattooed on his body, we were disturbed to discover that folks in Russia are actually putting their cats under anesthetic to have a real tattoo put on them. Evidently Russians have an entirely different way of looking at animals considered pets in some parts of the world. Giving any animal an anesthetic carries a risk, but cats are especially sensitive to drugs and an elected procedure such as tattooing is inane even without the risk. Who does a cat have to impress? Cats are perfect as they are.

Did anyone ask the cat's permission? No, we didn't think so. And all the JFF furries vote NO TATTOOS! We don't have to ask Jan's opinion. She hates needles and isn't into tattoos. So we don't have to worry about going under the tattoo needle.

There is a short article and photo of a tattooed cat here. And a photo here of a cat with a tattooed body AND a pierced earring in one ear. Some might like these photos and approve this practice but we don't.

Veronica left a comment on our 101 Lakemore Cats post: Eric still needs our help so he can continue to help out the cats. He needs catfood, particularly canned; cat litter and especially the specially designed cat houses from www.feralvillas.com. Monetary donations are always welcomed. Doing the rescuing there are always unexpected expenses. Of course you can still foster and/or adopt one of the beautiful felines.

JFF: The correct website url is http://www.feralvilla.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1

We're sorry we haven't been able to get around to visit much lately. Jan spent days trying to get the new avg 9 to stop trying to kill zone alarm. It's been a battle. As of last night, the internet is a little easier, but the war isn't won yet.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Tattooed Cat

Buddy: Back in June we saw a blurb on The Tattooed Cat. The title intrigued us, so we offered to review it and it arrived recently.We were disappointed to find no cats were tattooed in the writing or photographing of this book.

Percy: Buddy is kidding. He didn't really think any cats would be tattooed.

Crystal: It's a tall book, so even though it wasn't a hardcover or a thick book, it was a bit of a problem for us kitties to handle alone. Sam graciously held one side open and Buddy the other while we read it.

Cotton: Yes, thanks, guys. It's great to have tall brothers.

Rusty, looks at Merci, hanging her head: It's okay, Merci. You can't help that you're short like us, even though you're a dog.

Percy: The book, guys, we're supposed to be discussing the book.

Cameron: Oh, right. The book is about Chas Taylor and his love of cats.

Cotton: And he's the one with the tattoos. 18 years worth of them, mostly sketches of different cats he's had over the years.

Crystal: We aren't interested in or involved in the occult, so we don't understand or endorse the parts about karma and the mysteries of the universe. But we enjoyed the pictures and the stories of Chas' cats.

Cameron: And there are a number of them. Pictures of Mimi (a male), Taco, Magick, Holly, Arthur ... The greatest number of photos, though, focus on the central theme -- Chas' tattoos.

Rusty: There are a lot of pictures of his tattoos, including photographs of a tattoo artist at work creating them.

Percy: If you are interested in tattoos and the reincarnation of cats, this book could occupy a place on your bookshelf. We were going to include a link to a website where you could get more information on this book, but we can't find one anywhere and Jan says we have to get off the computer. Like now!

Mercy: Should you be interested in your own copy, we did find it for sale on Amazon.com.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Rewards of Disabled Pets

Yesterday we posted a video on the Merry Misfits of Rolling Dog Ranch Sanctuary for disabled dogs, cats and horses. Today Dr. Susan Wright tells us about the extra work and extra rewards of living with a disabled pet.

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Unfortunately dogs, like people, may need to learn to live with a disability. They may be born with the condition, such as those dogs with congenital blindness, or they may acquire it later in life. An example of this is when a dog develops hindquarter paralysis and needs a cart to get around.

Dogs who are disabled don't appear to feel at all sorry for themselves. In fact, we are often more distressed about a dogs disability than they are.

If you're going to adopt a dog with a disability, you need to have a little more patience than the owner of an able bodied animal. You'll also need to be prepared for a bit more cleaning, if they aren't able to make it to the right spot to go to the toilet. Depending on the disability, you may need to budget for more frequent veterinary visits, for example if your dog develops pressure sores.

Let's look at a few of the more common disabilities that occur in dogs, and the ways in which you can help make their lives easier.

It's not uncommon for a dog to lose a leg. Whether it be from a motor vehicle accident or other injury, you may often see a dog with three legs in your neighborhood. Fortunately, dogs adapt to this disability very quickly. They learn to run with three legs, and are often just as agile as they were before their surgery. They don't need any specific care, so you can basically treat them as you would a normal dog. They may have difficulty going up and down stairs, and do keep an eye on how far you walk them, as they may tire quickly.

Dogs often go blind with age, but some animals are born with this disability. If your dog has recently become blind, he will need a period of adaptation to get used to his condition. This may mean they may go to the toilet in the wrong spot, and may bump into things. Help him by not moving furniture around, and leaving his food and water bowls in a familiar, easily accessed position. Don't get upset if you have a bit more cleaning up to do; he's not doing it deliberately. Make sure that when you approach him, you speak his name and touch him so he's not taken by surprise.

Although deaf dogs can see just fine, they can still be taken by surprise if they're approached from behind. To avoid the possibility that your dog may be startled by you, do what you can to make him aware of you. This may mean moving to the front so you're in his line of vision, and gently touching him to let him know you're there. Because he's not likely to hear warning signs such as car horns, don't ever let him off leash when you're out for a walk.

Unfortunately, there are diseases that lead to hind leg paralysis in our dogs. Not only do they lose the use of their hind legs, but they can become incontinent, and may go to the toilet where they sleep. These dogs can become mobile if they have a little cart to carry the paralysed back legs, and this can allow them to enjoy regular activities such as going for a walk. If your dog is incontinent, provide absorbent bedding and watch closely for urine scald. This is painful and can become infected. If they do spend some time lying down, they may develop pressure sores which will need antibiotic treatment, and regular cleaning.

It's hard work taking care of a dog with a disability, but the rewards often outweigh the disadvantages. If you are able to give a good home to a disabled dog, and spend the extra time meeting his specific needs, do it. With your help and patience, he will enjoy an excellent quality of life, in spite of his limitations.

This vet post is brought to you by Dog Fence DIY's staff veterinarian Dr. Susan Wright. Dog Fence DIY has the innotek sd 2100 system with a variety of other systems to choose from. Dog Fence DIY will not only show you how use your electric dog fence but also how to train you dog to use it as well. Overall, the sd 2100 is a solid system representing great value for the money.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Merry Misfits of Rolling Dog Ranch

We loved this video and we know you will too. Have a tissue handy because you might get teary-eyed, but in a pleasant way. The dogs, cats and horses are happy and the couple who has taken them in is loving and committed to their welfare for life. They demonstrate that an automatic, immediate, hasty decision for euthanasia is not necessary for animals with a disability. They can enjoy life. And thankfully, there are humans who will give them that opportunity. These two just provide a home for a larger number of disabled animals than most humans could.

This video is produced by KSPS TV in Spokane, Washington Our friend Evelyn who raised two kittens with Cerebellar Hypoplasia sent us the link.



If the video will not play, click here.

Visit the Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary website.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Catnip Candy Corn

We kitties got a neat present in the mail yesterday. A catnip candy corn from Peggy & the cats.

Cyndi: Hmmmm, just smell the nip in the package.


Rusty: Forget the package, I prefer a whiff of the real thing.


Crystal: This is worth interrupting my nap for.
Align Center

Cyndi: It's about time I got to sniffle the real deal.


Sam: Who cares about catnip! I'm still waiting to get my photo taken! How about now!

Buddy: I don't know what Sam's problem is. He actually loves to have his picture taken.

Thank you, Isis, Summer, Babe, Jeannie, Bob & Romeo!

The JFF kitties: Crystal, Cotton, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron & Rusty

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We tried unsuccessfully earlier to post some photos on JFF, but there was a monumental war being waged here. No, not between us. We've been good today. All of us. We cats are snuggling (independently) to stay warm and we dogs are trying to be invisible so Jan won't make us walk in the rain again.

But Jan installed avg free 9 a few days ago and it just about brought our internet to a standstill. There is evidently bad blood between avg 9 and Zone Alarm and we're not the only ones having a problem. She spent a good deal of time today trying to convince them to work together. So if you're thinking of installing avg free 9, you might want to wait until they work out the bugs. Earlier today we couldn't even see the videos on our own blog. Just a big box where the video was supposed to be. So after much googling and a couple of un/installs of avg 9, she thinks the 2 have reluctantly agreed to a guarded truce. At least for the moment..

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Some good news. Eric of the 101 Lakemore Cat rescue effort will receive a 34 lb. bag of World's Best Cat Litter. The name of the Bloomingdale Animal Shelter Society was also drawn and will receive a bag of WBCL. Congratulations to both of them.

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House of the Mostly Black Cats blog is having a contest. Just post the sentence below or write your own sentence linking to http://www.crystalsandjewelry.com. and then leave a comment on their post about it and your name will be submitted into a drawing for a kitty pin by their mom. Click for complete information and/or to leave a comment for HotMBC.

CrystalsAndJewelry.com has unique crystals and gemstones handmade jewelry, mystical goodies, handcrafted gifts, free metaphysical info and more.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Sassy Kat and Baby Cory



Last weekend Sassy Kat's friends threw her a retirement party in Paris. Today, with her final post, she officially enters retirement.

We have enjoyed Sassy's creative and fun ideas. Percy will always have a special place in his heart for her, as she took him under her paw when he played in a CCSI production. She invited Rusty to join some of her friends on a cruise. Rusty had so much fun on the trip, he didn't notice he was sunburned until he returned home. And although many find us a bit overwhelming en masse, Sassy wasn't intimidated by our number, so we were occasionally invited to parties as a group.

Sassy, we love you and we will never forget you. Thank you for these past two years of friendship. Perhaps you will send an occasional smoke signal to let us know you are okay. Farewell, for now, our friend!

As often happens in the cycles of life, as Sassy Kat has been closing down her blog, her little sister Gracie has taken over the keyboard. We look forward to getting to know her better. Perhaps she has an adventurous and mischievous streak too.

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We would like to thank those of you who hung in for the past weeks and voted for Merci in the Cutest Dog Contest. She didn't make it into the semi-finals, but she is still the cutest dog in our hearts.
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An update from Eric on Houdini, the last Lakemore Cat rescued. She has pneumonia --
HELLO ALL ~ My little girl Houdini is doing somewhat better today. I finally got her to eat, Fancy feast Shrimp did it yesterday. Back to the Vets today, she will be surprised Houdini is even alive :o} ~ So am I ~ MANY Purrs of thanks to all Jan’s wonderful readers for donations and PRAYERS ~ She still needs a Home when she is well. Many Blessings Eric

Eric's Animal Rescue page.

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To lighten this post a little, we're going to share a really cute video we found of baby Cory. His dancing reminds us of a human version of Snowball the cockatoo. That's a compliment. We love to watch Snowball keep rhythm.



If the video doesn't play for you, click here.
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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Rabbit and Cat

We love to see friendships between species, so we enjoyed this video of the rabbit and the cat napping together.



If the video doesn't play, you can watch the it here.

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Boris Kitty is raising funds to purchase a camera to take photos of cats and dogs needing forever homes in his area, including at a shelter his human is involved wit.. His human's camera died..

Jan used to take photos at the local shelter, so she understands the importance of being able to post pictures of adoptable animals on the internet to help them find homes. Visit Boris' 4 Paws for a Cause blog. He does some good work for kitties.

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The Cutest Dog Contest ended at midnight Saturday night. We don't need to wait for the official announcement on Monday to know that Merci isn't a runner-up -- not in their contest. But she is definitely a winner in our eyes!

We would like to thank those of you who faithfully voted these past weeks 11 weeks, even when our computer was down and we were offline.

Merci's proud siblings: Crystal, Cotton, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

PS -- Update to Houdini, a comment in "Houdini needs purrs."

Hi all ~ This is Eric from the Lakemore cat rescue ~ many Thanks for the prayers for my little Girl ~ She ate some today , but still has trouble breathing ~ we are doing all we can to save the last Lakemore cat. Blessings to all of Jan's wonderful raeders :o} Eric Schickendantz & Houdini

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Houdini Needs Purrs

This pretty girl is Houdini. She is the last of the 101 Lakemore Cats to be rescued from the home in foreclosure. We'll let Eric tell you about her.


Houdini needs your prayers.She was the last cat to be rescued at The Lakemore house. She was without food & water while hiding from me for three days at the house. She was shaky and under weight, but the Vet thought she could still go through vetting. I was worried and now she is fighting for her life with pneumonia .She had blood bubbles as she breathed. The Vet said if she lived through the night she has a chance. Although she is just holding her own, she is still alive and doing better than yesterday And she did make it through the night.

She is on Doxycyclin. I have a steam tent set up at my home, every two hours for her to breath. Please say a prayer for my little girl. She is a very very sweet cat, She still needs a forever home and allot of love. You can imagine how I feel as she is the last cat of 101 to be rescued. I must not lose this last effort to save just one more life. Blessings Eric

Not only do we all have our paws crossed, but we are all purring and wagging our tails for Houdini to pull through this and find a loving home. We know Eric is doing all he can to help her through this.

Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

PS -- Tigger, Munchkin, Jigsaw &Patches of Talk With the Paws blog left a comment:
Oh, my! Poor Houdini... we is sending mountains of purrs for her.
We hopes she gets better, and we hopes dis nice man gets at least great big hugs from someone for rescuin all these kits.He really should get a medal or sum munny to help with his effurrts.If all da cat bloggers could send a dollar or two to help, it would be great.. but we don't know how to set dat up.

Thanks for the kind thoughts for Eric and for reminding us we neglected to put in any links. So we'll just link back to one of our previous posts on Eric and the Lakemore Cats and you can find his contact information there. 101 Lakemore Cats

Pit Bull Awareness Day

Today, October 24th is the 3rd annual Pit Bull Awareness Day. We thought this video is a great way for JFF to celebrate the breed. We think you will enjoy the theme and the music. We hope you enjoy it. We did.




If the video won't play, you can find it here.

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Don't forget to vote for Merci. The competition will end tonight at midnight. We're about 6 or 7 thousand votes short of winning, but we haven't entirely given up. :) **************
We're perplexed and have a question.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is "revered" by some as an animal activist group that is helping make the world safer and better for all types of animals. It is despised by others because of some totally stupid -- and that's putting it mildly and politely -- media stunts and advertisements. PETA is well-known for its "undercover videos" of cruelty in fur trade, poultry farms, animal research labs, etc.

So we're wondering, if PETA is supposedly such a friend to animals and their welfare, why is there such a site as PETA Kills Animals?

According to PKA, PETA’s “Animal Record” report for 2008, filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, shows that the animal rights group killed 95 percent of the dogs and cats in its care last year." Supposedly, PETA only found a home for 7 of the 2,216 animals in its care. In one year. A 95% kill rate is higher than many licensed, regulated kill shelters.

So, our question is, if this is true, why are any animals -- even one -- being put into their "care"?

Friday, October 23, 2009

Momo, Baxter & Cat Food Recall


Graphic & text bySassy & Gracie's mom.

Momo is having some health problems now, she isn't eating much and doesn't drink, her kidneys are compromised. We need prayers sent her way by all praying that she will get feeling better soon.

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Cat food recalled for inadequate thiamine level

Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin is alerting Georgians to the recall of some cat food manufactured for Premium Edge because it contains an inadequate level of thiamine.

Diamond Pet Foods is recalling the following date codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult cat food and Premium Edge Hairball cat food:

RAF0501A22X 18 lb., RAF0501A2X 6 lb., RAH0501A22X 18 lb., RAH0501A2X 6 lb. The date of manufacture is May 28, 2009.

Symptoms displayed by a cat with a thiamine deficiency may include in coordination or muscle weakness, paralysis of the hind limbs, seizures, lack of appetite, vomiting, ventroflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, dilated pupils and abnormal eye movement called nystagmus. Any cats fed the recalled food that display these symptoms should be immediately taken to a veterinarian.

Veterinarians who diagnose any cat that has become ill from consuming the affected pet food are asked to file a report with the Food and Drug Administration.

To contact Premium Edge Pet Foods, please call 1-800-977-8797 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. Anyone who purchased the recalled products should return them to the place of purchase.

From HAGA email: http://www.HumaneAssociationofGeorgia.org

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We hope you will vote for Merci as cutest dog. Her link is
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And now we'd like to you visit Baxter, a 19 year-old therapy dog. He died October 16, but what an inspiration and comfort he was to those who were also in the last days of their life. Moments With Baxter has a blog with photos, information on his book, and misc. information. All proceeds from his book is being donated to animal and hospice charities.

There are a number of articles on the web. One is at examiner.com.

And if you haven't seen it, you will enjoy this video of Baxter. He became a therapy dog the last 4 or 5 years of his life. During that period, he became unable to walk, but he still visited patients.



If the video doesn't play, you can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIrDbzoOxZc

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Anatomy of a GA Raid

We want to share this Humane Association of Georgia (HAGA) email with you. A Georgia residence was recently raided and 97 dogs hidden in the woods were confiscated. 97 pit bulls -- some starving, some scarred -- and the property owner says they're family pets.


Georgia Alert from CNN on 10-15-09: Authorities raided a residence in Laurens County, Georgia, and found dogs scarred and malnourished

Anatomy of a raid to rescue dogs allegedly bred to fight From Brooke Baldwin and Susan Brown CNN

LAURENS COUNTY, Georgia (CNN) -- It was 8 a.m. October 15. Our CNN crew had been up for a while, waiting. We still didn't have an address.

My producer, Susan Brown, and I had several questions: What would the living conditions of these dogs be like? What about the man whose door the Sheriff's Office was about to knock on? He was unaware of the raid that was about to occur in his backyard. Despite all of our planning, unknown variables were at play.

First stop was the Sheriff's Office in Laurens County, which is in central Georgia. Starting with information from a tip line, authorities had uncovered clues that led them to believe they needed to intervene and investigate.

The plan was this: The sheriff would drive to the property to execute the search warrant for particular objects generally associated with dogfighting, and for the dogs themselves.

Expressing concerns about the conditions at this private residence where dogs were suspected of being bred for dogfighting, Laurens County Sheriff Bill Harrell said, "If anything is going wrong, we want to get it stopped."

Private investigators with Norred and Associates Inc. will work alongside Harrell and his deputies, leading tactical teams. The teams were made up of veteran investigators donating their time, effort and expertise, along with volunteers of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society, who would collect and care for the dogs.

(The Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society: can be contacted at 478-272-5341. Norred & Associates Dog Fighting tip line is 1-877-215-2250. A reward of $5,000 is offered for information.)

All of the team members had experience with animals, particularly pit bulls. Based on information from the tip line, they were starting the day prepared to find as many as 60 dogs chained up in the woods behind one man's house in East Dublin, Georgia. These men and women waited, braced for battle -- only the war they were waging was on animal cruelty.

"I want to thank everybody for coming. It's for a good thing. It's for the dogs." Chuck Simmons, a private investigator and former police chief, was mapping out the search area on a dry erase board.

He was warning his crew about snakes, water from recent rains and nonsocialized dogs. After loading up crates on several trucks, everyone headed out. With the address of the raid location in hand, our crew joined a convoy of half a dozen cars down several rural roads to our final location. We arrived at a one-story ranch house with several acres of grounds.

The sheriff beat us there. He and his deputies were already roping off this man's front yard with yellow crime tape. Rollin Monta "Monty" Loyd, the property owner, appeared furious. As the teams moved into the woods behind his home, our crew was stuck in front and across the street.

We could not go on the property to get the shots we wanted, because that would be trespassing. We couldn't see the dogs, but we could hear them. The private investigators, who were part of the raid, videotaped the operation.

Half an hour into the raid, reports began to come in. The good news: The dogs were still there; news of the raid hadn't leaked. The bad news: There weren't 60 dogs, as anticipated; there were more. The final count was 97.

Most of the dogs were pit bull terriers; many were puppies. They were found cowering in cages or chained. Some older dogs were scarred -- possible signs of fighting, investigators said. Others were malnourished, simply skin and bone.

Their conditions were atrocious, according to Terry Wolf of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society. "Their chains are too short to reach shelter, those who have shelter. The water that they have seems to be recent rainwater with algae in it, and I've seen no food bowls. Most of them are very timid," Wolf said. "They seem to be human-friendly, but they're attention starved, and they're definitely not socialized. You can tell they've been living hidden in the woods, out of sight."

Irene Sumner, director of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society, talked through tears, overcome before the count had been completed.

She told us about a puppy found dead and tossed aside into a used plastic bag. "I wouldn't do that to anybody. How can they -- what do you need 80-plus dogs for? There's no reason for it. It would be totally different if it was a kennel situation where they were housed, fed, vetted, all of the above. We don't know all of the information on that yet, but you can visually see that that's not the case here," Sumner said.

The Sheriff's Office says no evidence of dogfighting or training was found on the property, but veterinarians will examine the dogs for any physical signs of fighting. Test results will take several days.

As volunteers continued to count dogs and buzzards circled overhead, property owner Loyd waited out front with members of his family. He was angry.

CNN tried to speak to him, to give him a chance to tell his side of the story. He didn't want to talk. Instead, he shouted to go see his lawyer. When reached, Loyd's attorney said: "My client has not participated in dogfighting and is not charged with dogfighting."

Loyd was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. Neighbors and family members whom CNN spoke with came to his defense, saying Loyd loved the dogs and they were bred to be pets.

The founder and CEO of the private investigation firm heading up this raid isn't buying it. Since the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's dogfighting ring, Greg Norred has been donating his firm's time and expertise and his own money to rescuing dogs.

"I'm an animal lover. I've always been an animal lover. And in the wake of the Michael Vick case, I always thought there might be something I could do about animal cruelty, and with the type of business that I'm in and the resources that I have, it seems like dogfighting is the best vehicle that I can use to do something about animal cruelty."

In the past two years, Norred's team has volunteered for at least 16 raids. They've helped put 20 people behind bars and saved 200 dogs. Make that almost 300 after this most recent raid.

Several hours into the raid, the first group of dogs was transported from the woods to an undisclosed location. A CNN crew was allowed to go but could shoot only from inside this building.

Investigators feared that if there were any identifiable marks outside the property, someone might recognize it and steal the dogs. Authorities couldn't take that chance. But they did allow video of some of the dogs from inside the cages. They had taken many puppies, which looked helpless.

Volunteers feared one puppy wouldn't make it through the night. The next step for these dogs is to determine which ones are healthy enough to possibly be adopted. Some, sadly, won't share that fate. They'll have to be put down.

Please cross post and send to media:.Sent by: Humane Association of Georgia, Inc. A statewide coalition of humane societies, animal control and rescue groups and individuals.

Sent by: Humane Assoc. of GA (HAGA) A statewide coalition of humane societies, animal control and rescue groups and individuals.

There is a CNN video that goes with the story. You can view it here -- http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/20/georgia.dog.raid/index.html#cnnSTCText. Don't worry, it's not a dogfighting video, just the raid.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Clydesdale Donkey

We're short of time today, so we're going to post a video we really enjoy of the Clydesdale Donkey. We hope you enjoy it too.



If it doesn't play for you, this is the direct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD6ghskNKa8&feature=player_embedded

Don't forget to vote for Merci as cutest dog. This is the last week of the contest.

We received this email and can't find any more info on it, but it might be of interest to others in Georgia.

Please cross post and send to media:

Georgia Call to Action: Senator Robert Brown will call a hearing on November 5, 2009 at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia on the implementation and impact of the Animal Protection Act of 2000 that made some acts of animal cruelty a felony.

Who: Concerned Citizens

What: Hearing on the implementation and impact of the Animal Protection Act of 2000 that made some acts of animal cruelty a felony.

When: Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 10:00 AM

Where: Room 125 Georgia State Capitol,
206 Washington Street, SW Atlanta GA 30334

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?name=Georgia+State+Capitol&city=Atlanta&state=GA&address=206+Washington+St+Sw&zipcode=30334&country=US&latitude=33.749044&longitude=-84.38922&geocode=ADDRESS

Sent by: Humane Association of Georgia, Inc. A statewide coalition of humane societies, animal control and rescue groups and individuals. Visit our website: http://www.HumaneAssociationofGeorgia.

UPDATE: Oct 29: --
Hearing is cancelled.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tocks for Derby's Purrthday

Buddy: Hey, it's Derby's birthday and his mom is having a commentathon. For every comment left on his post, she will donate 50 cents to the Humane Animal Welfare Society - HAWS. One comment per blog. Also, since it's Tocktober, she will add some money to the fund for every tock photo posted during this month (retroactive). So go find a tock pic and post it soon.


Crystal: This is our tock photo. Don't recognize the other end? No, that's not me. I don't have a floofy tail. That's Rusty checking out last year's Christmas present from our friend Kay.

Cotton: The information is in Derby's Purrthday post.

Cameron: And more good news. World's Best Cat Litter is having a drawing to give away cat litter to "a charity, foundation, rescue group or needy cat that could use some litter." We fall under the "needy cat" category since Jan won't give us an allowance and claims she doesn't have any money when we ask, but we recommended Eric because he still has a number of the 101 Lakemore Cats he rescued in his garage to recover from spay/neuter and be socialized for adoption. On top of that, he has 14 special needs cats of his own, plus he does TNR rescue. You can recommend Eric or a rescue of your choice at WBCL's blog, Clearing The Air.

Percy: Don't forget to vote for my rescuer Merci as cutest dog. Her voting page is
Buddy: This video is just for fun. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for sending the link, Evelyn.
Eavesdropping.

Merci: Don't forget, this is the last day of the retirement party for our good friend Sassy Cat. And the party has a surprise ending. (Doesn't everything, when Sassy's involved?) Stop by CCSI's blog for After the Party..

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Cat Cerebellar Hypoplasia

This is a cute video of a cat with Cerebellar Hypoplasia, which means its motor skills are off but the cat can live a long, healthy, happy life. A friend took in two such kittens a few years ago.
Cat with Cerebellar Hypoplasia video

Don't forget to stop by Sassy Cat's blog. She is retiring from blogging. You'll have to scroll down a few posts to find the reason why -- if you aren't already aware of why she hasn't been blogging the past few months. Her CCSI friends are giving her a (virtual) 5-day Retirement Party in Italy. This is day 4. Sassy has brought you a lot of joy these last couple of years. Let her moth (mother of the house) know how much you appreciated all the effort she put into Sassy's adventures.

And if you aren't committed to another dog, vote for Merci as cutest dog. All you have to do is register and then click below her photo to vote. Her voting page is

Animal Welfare in Romania

We'd like to introduce you to our new friend Brindusa in Romania. As she says, "Much of the adults hate animals and they force their children to repress the natural feeling of loving animals." Brindusa not only loves animals, but she has a dream. Since it's her dream, we won't tell. Perhaps she'll blog about it one of these days.

She is also involved with Three spotted brothers Association. The website was made by Peace Corp volunteers but there is no one to maintain it at present. Still, it is interesting to go there and read the "About Us" page. You can click on "Read about our members" at the bottom of the page -- a group dedicated to the protection of animals.

Brindusa's blog is http://dashalovinganimals.blogspot.com/. We hope you will stop by and meet her and her daschunds. And if you can, leave her a comment. Anyone working to help animals in a country where animal welfare is not a popular cause undoubtedly can always use some encouragement.

She has a google translate button on her blog and a google translate bar dropped down for us on the Association's page.

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The 12th and final week of the Cutest Dog Contest began today. Please stop by and vote for Merci. We really need your vote. And pass the link on to your friends.


This blog is a dream.

We received this stamp from Alasandra the cats & a dog recently.

Rules
1-Publish Selinho(stamp)
This blog is a Dream and the rules.
2-Post a link of whom indicated.
3-Enter 10 blogs to earn the seal.
4 -Tell the nominees

Percy's paws are ice cold and he needs to stop typing. We'll have to get back with the nominees another time.

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Sassy has invested a lot of time to bring fun adventures to the blogosphere the past two years. She started the CCSI capers you've all enjoyed. She is now retiring for the sad reason explained in her post the other day and CCSI is giving her a sendoff party in Paris. It's time to give back and put a smile on her moth's (mother of the house) face. Please, go by Sassy's blog and then also to her ongoing party at CCSI, and take a moment to leave a message.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Lost Benny and Daddy Chihuahua

Benny, a white German Shepherd, was lost during interstate transport to his new home and needs to be found ASAP. There is a reward. Please pass on this link to anyone even remotely along the route, as dogs can travel.

We don't understand how anyone could not notice a dog this size was not there for such a long route, but strange things do happen, so we're just hoping Benny will be found soon.


Heartbreaking story... Benny, a white German Shepherd was rescued from a high kill shelter, received all of his vetting, and had a wonderful family adopt him. He was enroute to this family when he escaped from transport. If you have seen Benny or have any information, please call Traci Wood at 901 238 1724 or email her tparris2005b @ aol. com (take out the spaces first). Benny escaped from a transport between Atoka, TN and Corinth, MS. The route of the transport is detailed below.

There is a $500 dollar reward for his safe return.

He's about 70-75 pounds with long legs and knows his name. He's microchipped and was wearing a collar with a PAWS rescue ID tag and his yellow microchip tag.

Route taken from Atoka, TN to Corinth, MS:
Highway 14 going South to I-240
I-240 going West to Nonconnah Blvd.
Nonconnah Blvd. to Highway 72 in Collierville
Highway 72 straight south all the way to Corinth, MS

He was discovered missing when the transport pulled off at the McDonald's in Corinth, MS. Benny is an amazing dog who has had a terrible life; he was literally two days away from his happy ending. The family who is adopting him is set to spoil him rotten- please help us find him!


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We received an email from our friend Bill today, pointing us to a great story.

On the front page of the San Antonio Express today: Daddy Chihuahua leads his family to safety down a busy street during rush hour -- into the safety of the animal shelter. (This story will probably not be available on this url for long.)

Web Posted: 10/17/2009 12:00 CDT
Daddy Chihuahua leads family to safety

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And don't forget to vote for Merci.
http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=194291465301F78C17ECD3F5BA4AB250

Friday, October 16, 2009

Eric and the Lakemore Cats

It was our friend KC at Gentle Annie that brought Eric's rescue efforts to our attention back in August, asking if we could help him. We being eternal optimists (yeah, right!), figured since the rescue began in July, it was already over, but an email to Eric quickly dispelled that idea and alerted us to the urgency of his needs. We immediately wrote a post and started passing the information on. You readers helped by linking to our story or tweeting about Eric's undertaking.

We've had some very positive comments about Eric's accomplishments with each post, so we would like to tell you a little more about the rescue of the 101 Lakemore Cats.

Eric is 61 years old. That's not ancient but many folks half his age would not commit to such a huge investment of time, funds and energy -- especially on his own, with no group of supporters to back him up.

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A few excerpts from Eric's messages:

Aug 17: I have done TNR here in Akron for years now, but have NEVER done a rescue like this one. I never will again either. I have not had a night's sleep in 4 weeks now. All I see is the many faces under tables, beds, and in my cages. ALL are scared and require hours of socialization.

The bank is now active about the foreclosure and I may not be able to save the remaining cats without help. I have had 14 special needs cats of my own for years now, {three FIV}. I have no room at my house for more. My single garage is full of Lakemore cats being socialized now. The 36 remaining cats at Lakemore are in danger of being euthanized by Akron Animal Control.

Aug 19 (Eric's days): Cleaning cages at my home garage, feeding, cat laundry and most important socializing frightened cats I have here, posting, blogs, web site, calls, photos, vetting transport, recovery time for surgeries (takes hours).

(Also) driving each day to Lakemore house, feeding, cleaning & disinfecting, trapping new cats for surgery, etc. Water has now been shut off at the Lakemore house. So now I have to take water in 5 gal containers over too. We've had the electric on there in our name for two weeks now.

I also am starting a new gallery/shop here in Akron Ohio for my tribal arts business with remodeling a century house and painting, moving inventory and trying to open in 30 days. I have to deal with contractors each day also.

Other postings and news comments brought people saying "I should take the cats to a Chinese restaurant." Or, "just put them down, cats are like rats." I have had so much hate calls, wackos, emails, sick posts etc.

***************
We just tried to give a few insights from the rescue so you have just a small idea of what Eric had to contend with these last few months. (If you're interested in reading the earlier posts, just type "Lakemore Cats" in the upper left search bar.)

It has not been easy. The last cat was rescued from the Lakemore house yesterday and taken to the vet. It will recuperate in Eric's garage and be socialized so it is ready for adoption. He is still in need of funds and supplies. (More details in yesterday's JFF post, 101 Lakemore Cats.)

Eric wrote, "The sweetest letter I got was from a 9 year old girl who wanted a cat but could not. She sent me $2 and a drawing of a cat she wanted and said in crayon, "God help Eric's cats." Brings a tear to your eye and puts a smile on your face, doesn't it! Perhaps you too can spare a dollar or two to help Eric finish the rescue he began in July.

Information for donations can be found on Eric's site. Or donations can be mailed to:
Eric Schickendantz
Lakemore Cat Fund
P.O.Box 13227
Fairlawn Ohio 44334
330-864-2879

We're going to close with a comment Toby left on yesterday's post:

Not only is Eric a cat rescuer. He is a warrior for these & all cats. He is tireless, determined & unwavering. And he’s is unquestionably an expert in what he does.

But he’s not invincible; this experience has knocked him off his feet more than once; emotionally, physically & financially. But Eric got back up, dusted himself off & got back to the important task of saving these innocent lives.

He saved 101 cats. How many “shelters” or “rescues” do you know that have taken on a case like this? Not many. Yet this man did it single-handedly.

I am proud to call Eric a friend & mentor. The world needs more people like him.

These cats now have a second chance. They are beginning their new lives. Please help Eric to help these cats find their way.

We won't give out Eric's email address, but if you leave a comment, he will read it.

And don't forget to vote for Merci for Cutest Dog. Her photo is in the sidebar. Her voting page is

Thursday, October 15, 2009

101 Lakemore Cats

You probably don't remember these photos, but these are a few of the Lakemore Cats in Akron, Ohio.




We have done a few posts on the Lakemore Cats -- cats that were left behind in a home that was foreclosed. There turned out to be 101 cats. Today, we received some good news. But these cats still need your help.

These cats did not belong to Eric. If we remember correctly, he is into feeding and trapping feral cats for spay/neuter, not rescuing them. Yet took on the daunting task of rescuing the cats someone else left behind, never imagining how much work and funding it would take to complete the job. He has had some help but not nearly enough. He's raised all the funds and done almost all the work himself. We're going to let him tell you the current status. This is from an email received today, but the names and amounts of the donors have been deleted.


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Hello all, It's Eric the cat Man again.

It took me 4 months but the last Lakemore Cat at the abandoned house was rescued this morning! 101 Cats rescued from the lakemore house. I had one left hiding. She has been hiding for three days inside the arm of an old day bed. I had searched the house and set traps for 3 days without any luck. I cut the arm open and found her inside this morning. She is at OOAK clinic already. IT IS OVER. The house is empty of 101 cats today :o} :o} :o}

I have had some angels, they have been a real blessing for the cats, some as far away as Europe. Spay & Neuter, vetting, shots, food, care,supplies, etc alone has cost me over $6000 so far.We were using at one point, early in this rescue, 35 cans of wet cat food plus much dry food a DAY.

Most lakemore cats, about 60+ are in new forever homes with love & sunny windows. Others are safe with the "Few" wonderful rescue groups that have helped me. I still have 16 friendly cats left to find homes for in my garage.

Sadly we have 18 that will not socialize. Mostly older males. We had to make a very hard decision with the 18. I will not have them in cages for the rest of their lives. I WILL NOT PUT DOWN A CAT either. These cats were very feral in nature and have been VERY frightened, hard to socialize.

I found a cat friendly family that will maintain this new colony in a large Barn Shed we bought and moved to their large property in the country. The cats are all vetted and spayed & neutered and will have a large heated shed with outside windows. We put in many cat boxes and shelves, cat walks and hiding places. They will have a cat door open in a month to go outside or back in. They will be fed wet canned and dry food daily. I want to thank Toby Franks & Veronica for all the help fixing up the barn.

We are adding outside cat shelters by Feral Villa for any cats deciding not to stay in the shed. Also we have a garage on the property we are adding Feral shelters to the back of the inside of the garage. PLEASE ~~~~ I need funds to buy these shelters.These Cat houses are fantastic.

http://www.feralvilla.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1

911~~~ I am still in need of donations and canned, dry food, litter, etc. We want to buy a supply of flea & wormer meds. We are still in desperate need of money. We are over $1200 in the RED for vetting & supplies, before any new purchases. PLEASE, ANY DONATION WILL HELP!

Information for donations can be found on Eric's site. Or donations can be mailed to:
Eric Schickendantz
Lakemore Cat Fund
P.O.Box 13227
Fairlawn Ohio 44334
330-864-2879


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We think Eric has done an outstanding job with these cats, but he's not done yet. If you can spare a dollar or two, perhaps you can donate to Eric's cat rescue to help pay the rest of the vet bill and finish the job he began 4 months ago.

PS -- Oh, dear, we forgot to remind you to vote for Merci as Cutest Dog. Her voting page is: http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=194291465301F78C17ECD3F5BA4AB250

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

World's Best Cat Litter



Not long ago World's Best Cat Litter redesigned their packaging and their website. While our computer was down, we received another bag of their natural corn. They also have a multiple cat formula, but ... sigh ... Drew must have forgotten we're a multi-cat home.

What is the difference between the two formulas? The Multiple Cat Clumping Formula has an added ingredient that helps the cat litter clumps stay firmer and together longer. This should be of benefit in multiple cat households that have increased traffic in and out of the litter box. And you can guess there is increased traffic in and out of the litter box around here.

But that's okay Drew. At least you remembered us when you sent out the latest sample.

Last time we tried World's Best, some of us continued to use the box with our old brand, perhaps out of habit. Cats, even though we create chaos by whapping things off the shelves and furniture to redecorate the house, are creatures of habit and routine. But this time we confused Jan by using both boxes somewhat equally. In other words, this time we weren't so particular about where we pooped as long as there was a box to poop in.

Jan has said she prefers the Worlds Best because it is natural and isn't dusty like our old litter. We reiterate our last appraisal of her opinion: if Jan doesn't use the litter box, her opinion of the litter has no value.

Percy, holding up one paw: No, no, Jan, we don't want your opinion. This is our product review.

And we have decided we like World's Best Cat Litter. But not because Jan does. Cats, as you all know, have a mind of their own!

Crystal, Cotton, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron & Rusty

PS - Don't forget to vote for Merci as Cutest Dog. Her personal voting link is:

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Google Translator for Your Blog

We visit the occasional blog written in another language and although we have the Google Translate widget on our blog, we didn't realize we could also put a button in our browser toolbar to translate those blogs we visit. We always had to go google/find the translator to use it. We put a button in our bar (no, not a wet bar, the toolbar) the other day and it is very handy.

The translations can often be strange but you can get the general idea. Except for those scary moments, such as the other day when we visited one that translated into words like sad and killing. We thought something terrible had happened. But it turned out the cat's human went to visit a cousin for the weekend and they were sad because they missed each other. Google, we appreciate the translator; it's very helpful, but don't scare us like that again!

For any of you who aren't yet aware the translator is available, you can pick up the widget for your blog at the top of the page and a button for your browser toolbar at the bottom of the page. Google Translator. It's very handy to have available.

Oh, and don't forget to vote for Merci as the cutest dog. See, she is the cutest dog.

Her personal voting link is:
Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

Monday, October 12, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving, Columbus

Okay, so the title is a little strange. You don't usually wish a dead man a happy Thanksgiving. But today is a double holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends!

And Happy Columbus Day to all of us in the United States. Since all our local offices are closed and there is no mail delivery today, we were surprised to find news articles suggesting Columbus Day isn't celebrated in all part of the U.S. Is Columbus Day Sailing Off the Calendar?

Dr. Tweety & da Fab 5 left a comment on our last post, which we would like to share.

We wouldz likes to give da Merci an awardz. I callz it:
(drum rolllllllllllllll)
"Da bestee dawg in da wurld awward!"
Con cats to Merci!!!!
Love,
Dr T

Thank you, Dr. T, and we agree with you! You recognized the best dog in the world and we hope others will too.

You can vote for Merci by clicking on the link:
http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=194291465301F78C17ECD3F5BA4AB250

Crystal, Cotton, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam
(Merci is embarrassed by all this fuss.)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Vote Merci Week 11

We entered Merci in week two of the Cutest Dog Competition, but we have spent so much time offline with computer problems or the CDC site wouldn't let our friends vote or .... So we've pretty much given up hope of winning anything, but there are only two weeks left so we're going to stick it out.


If you would like to vote for Merci -- and we think she is the cutest dog! -- this is a direct link to her voting page.


Since we have financial needs and Jan has 9 of us to support -- kind of a mini rescue of her own -- we aren't promising to give everything we might win away as some are doing, but we would give $50 of the weekly prize of $500 to a blogger or animal group in need at the time. We can't donate it to the local shelter; it's run by the county, not on donation. But since Jan has long been helping furries even when she' has little or no income, you know there would be furries benefiting.

And now we have to give the computer back to Jan. She has more work to do. The computer is slowly coming together. She debated over reinstalling Works Suite 2005 so she can have Word again, but instead decided to install Open Office. Now she has to learn how to use it, since she has a local Humane Society column that is due first thing tomorrow morning.

We'll be "seeing" you soon.

Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

PS -- Please go visit Angel & Taz's blog. They have rarely posted in a number of months because their mom has been sick. She is very discouraged and is considering giving up blogging. We've all been there, so we need to encourage her.

Friday, October 09, 2009

Too Much Irony

Jan is still hogging the computer to load software and change settings. We thought of lighting a fire under her but Percy needs the chair to reach the keyboard.

We're glad a few of you missed us. We sure missed all of you! We spent an entire day a couple of months or so ago cleaning up our bookmarks -- adding, deleting, moving -- and wouldn't you know all of that was lost. Our bookmarks only go back to January now so we'll be FOREVER getting our bookmarks caught up and organized again. We lost 10 months of new bookmarks.

But that was all we lost. Our photos were on an external hard drive and Jan was able to retrieve all her recent documents and addresses from Windows XP when it had a heart attack, collapsed and wouldn't quite die, but couldn't recover either.

So, we're going to be here but not all here (no pun intended, so don't laugh) for a while. Still lots of work to be done to get back to where we were. We figure that should be around 2012 at the rate things are going.

Meanwhile, if you use Blogger and haven't read this today, it has some good advice for all bloggers. Keeping Your Blog Secure.

If you forgot what we look like, take a glance at the header. We're a good-looking group of furries.

We got a kick out of the comment Gandalf, Grayson & Whitey left after the demise of our operating system: "Ack! You just got a new computer table and now your computer is deaded! Jan must be taking too many vitamins because that's a lot of vitamin Iron-y."

Just in case, GG&W, we have restricted Jan's iron-y intake! (It really was ironic that she finally got a computer desk on the 24th and the OS keeled over on the 25th.)

Have a nice weekend, all. And if you would like, vote for Merci in the cutest dog contest.
http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=194291465301F78C17ECD3F5BA4AB250&page=1

Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Almost Back

Well, after 2 weeks of Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong will), Jan is hogging the computer loading programs and starting from scratch with Windows XP. But thanks to Mr. Doug, she can now download her emails and access the internet.

He arrived last night with a clean hard drive just in time. The laptop Jan was loaned overheated or something for the second time and scared her worse than when she backs up and steps on Buddy's tail. (He screams, she screams.)

That's where we stand now, waiting on Jan to get everything set up so we can kick her off and get back to some serious blogging.

We hope you have all had a good two weeks and haven't forgotten us. If we can send Murphy and his law packing, we'll be back soon.

Missed you all.
Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

PS -- We've given up on asking you to vote for Merci. But you're more than welcome to if you would care to. Her voting link is in the sidebar. Just click her picture.

Monday, October 05, 2009

Animal Cruelty and Free Speech

We can't do much on a borrowed laptop so we're just going to post a link to Dolittler's article on the Supreme Court, First Amendment and animal cruelty videos.

Cruel intentions: On the legality of animal cruelty in pictures

"The Supreme Court has agreed to take on a case pertaining to the First Amendment as it applies to animals. And that’s a good thing. When the highest court in the land is willing to review a legal matter that affects animals directly, it speaks to the growing concern for their welfare in all sectors of society.

"At issue is that, according to court watchers, the Supreme Court is likely to rule against animal defenders in this test of our stewardship mettle. But is that necessarily a bad thing?

"Hmmmm....how shall I equivocate?

"Tomorrow (October 6th) the Supreme Court will hear a case that questions the constitutionality of a 1999 law enacted to ban trafficking in 'depictions of animal cruelty.'”

You can read the rest of the article here.

Cruel humans always seem to find a way around any law passed to help protect animals. And that is all we have to say on this painful subject.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Romeo, one of our heroes

Many of you know Romeo the rescued cat who holds monthly fundraisers on his blog, Romeothecat.com. He's also on Twitter. And raising money for cats in need like crazy.

We were looking for cat and dog news since we've been offline for over a week, and we came across a story on Romeo. He has become quite famous for his successful fundraising efforts. If you haven't already read the article, check it out here.

We think what he does is wonderful. He has done quite a lot to help cat charities.

Keep up the good work, Romeo! Oh, yeah, and we mustn't forget his brother Pugsley or his human Caroline. They lend a hand or paw too.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Not Back Yet

No, we're not back yet. Just a note to let you know we're still working on getting the computer back up. A very kind gentleman loaned Jan a laptop so we can read our email and try to do a little something in the meantime.



Hope to be back soon!