Chapstick and Maxie

We needed a laugh today, so we were pleased a friend passed on a story to Jan. We borrowed it.

We had this great 10-year-old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on the mat in our bathroom. We have three kids and at the time of this story, they were 4 years old,3 years old, and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loved Chapstick. LOVED it. He kept asking to use my Chapstick and then would lose it. Finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my Chapstick and explained he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer after he finished.


That year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and trying to get ready for church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys were fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I was trying to nurse my little one at the same time I was putting on my make-up. Everything was a mess and everyone had long forgotten that this was a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood. We finally had the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I was looking for Eli. I searched everywhere and I finally went into the bathroom. There was Eli. He was applying my Chapstick very carefully to Jack's ... rear end.


Eli looked right into my eyes and said, "Chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right -- their little bottoms do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind. The only question to ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth!?!


And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your Chapstick on the cat's butt.

Author Unknown

And now that we've made you smile, we will update you on Maxie. Have a tissue handy.

Maxie is still alive after his surgery today, but the vet wants $6000 to insert a stent to hold his esophagus open. It was severely burned during a normal dental procedure due to negligence by the vet. Mom Laura tried unsuccessfully to find a way to borrow the money, so they are forced to choose the other option -- bring Maxie home for a few days so the family can say their good-byes and then have him euthanized within ten days. We are very sad for Maxie and his family.

Even if Laura does take action against the vet responsible, Maxie's need is immediate and it would not help him in time. There is a donate button on Laura's blog, should anyone care to make a donation to Maxie's care.

And as KC has posted on the Cat Blogosphere, "If anyone could help with an idea for a loan, please contact Mom Laura or even KC. They may be able to get the price of this surgery down somewhat."

You can read Laura's Friday update on Maxie's blog. We agree with the comment left by furkidsmom:"We hope that a miracle happens and that Maxie can get the operation."

See, Laura's apartment building burned in 2008 and her three cats were presumed dead. But Mu Shue, Lilly Lu and Iris were rescued a few days later. Mu Shue died of lymphoma and then Maxie joined the family.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Senior Cotton and Murph

Hi, I'm Cotton. In May we found this posted on the Cat Blogosphere.

We’ve often thought our seniors needed special attention!!! Any kitty that is 9 and older that would like a Kool Seniors Kitty Klub badge for their blog, please see ours bloggie for information. ~Sammy & Andy

Well, I'm going to be 11 the 23rd of this month, so I wanted to join. But our computer was down and we couldn't access our photos from the laptop we'd just borrowed.  As soon Jan's brother returned our computer, I sent off a photo.

In no time, their mom sent me my badge, and I was officially a member of Sammy and Andy's Kool Seniors Kitty Klub. You can see the first batch of member photos here.  There are more here that were posted today. If you are 9 years old or older, why don't you join too?  We seniors have to stick together.

We'd like to give you an update on Murph. We posted on him yesterday.

His human is dying and her nurse is allergic to him so there is an immediate need to find him a new home or he would be euthanized. We were very pleased to find a positive update on Space Paws' blog Tuesday. You can read it here. Please go by and catch up on the news of Murph. At age 14, he's a senior kitty too.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Murph Needs A Home

Today would have been Crystal's 12th birthday, but we lost him in January. 

It seems appropriate on this day when we are missing one of our own to post about a senior kitty that is in immediate need of a home because his owner is dying and her nurse is very allergic to Murph the kitty.  If someone doesn't take him in right away, he will be put to sleep.

You can read his story at Hubble Space Paws' blog. Humans, consider how terribly sad you would feel if you were dying and your beloved pet had to be put to sleep and he wasn't even sick. If you can't adopt him, perhaps you know someone in Maryland who could take him in.

Look at this handsome kitty. He needs your help. Please pass on the information and help save his life.

Ban Gas Chamber Petition

I asked to do today's post because Jan adopted me from the local shelter. I was shy and depressed and would likely have been overlooked by potential adopters, and I would then have died by lethal injection. My name is Merci. I am one of the fortunate ones, but millions of animals every year die in shelters across the nation.

Yesterday we had a temporary post at the top of JFF for those in the area of Garland, Texas to join together for one day, April 30, to telephone Garland officials to stop the use of gas chambers at their shelter.

Gas chambers are a barbaric method of killing that tortures the animals and should have been banned decades ago. Actually, it should never have been used.  On the other hand, those that don't use a gas chamber and enjoy torturing animals delight in an excruciating practice called heart-sticking instead of properly administering an injection. We realize that there are those who shed tears over the animals they try to euthanize humanely, but there are also those with perverted minds that actually enjoy the suffering of the dying.

But this post is about the gas chamber. We don't have any confidence in online petitions doing any good, but after some consideration, we decided to do a post asking if you will sign this one:

Ban Gas Chambers In All States Of USA
Target: Barack Obama's Animal Welfare Team
Sponsored by: Mike Moore & Ginger Geronimo

The details of euthanasia are hard to read but understanding the process is the first step to improving it nationwide. As you can imagine, gassed animals claw, cough, choke and struggle until they become unconscious.

Luckily, Florida is one of the twelve states that have banned the antiquated chambers into which homeless animals are herded and asphyxiated with lethal gas. Six more states are currently considering legislation pending to ban the chambers. Sadly, that still leaves 32 states using hundreds of the chambers.

The petition site is here. We hope you will take a minute to sign it.

Gas chambers are banned in Georgia, with exceptions, which means a lot of shelters still using them. They should be banned altogether!

In case any reader is not familiar with this type of killing at our shelters and is hesitating to sign the petition, we post this video.



If the video doesn't play, click here.

We know our readers love animals and would like to see a day when healthy adoptable animals are not "mass killed."

Despite the sad nature of this post, I hope you have a purring and tail wagging day.

Shelter Gas Chamber

If you have not read Thoughts Fur Paws' update on the shelter gas chamber being built in Utah, please click on the link to read the post.

And then, please contact the shelter director and the mayor and ..... TFP can send you a copy of a letter which contains all the contact information, which you can just copy and paste into your own messages. We have a copy, so you contact us for one if you prefer. The important thing is to make your voice heard before it is too late.

Death by gas is not humane! Neither is an abdominal injection! Included in TFP's update is a statement by the mayor after viewing several euthanizations.

There are groups in discussions with local officials there. They need our support. It doesn't matter whether you live in the US. You can still voice an opinion. Well, you can't, since humans don't listen to animals. But your humans can express an opinion. The more who protest the better. But keep it polite. Angry responses are likely to be ignored and just cause tempers to flare and it is the animals who would pay the price for it.

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

Please scroll down for our regular posts.

Puppy Mills on Oprah

We don't usually watch TV but for those who haven't yet heard, this Friday's hour-long Oprah show - April 4th - is scheduled to be devoted to puppy mills, and related topics, such as adoptions, euthanasia, and spay and neuter. Check your local TV listings for the time and channel.

Yes, Oprah Winfrey will do a tear-jerker, so have a box of tissues handy.

If you are interested in reading more on this subject, we refer you to the April 2 post on Wayne Pacelle's blog, A Humane Nation.

Since Oprah Winfrey is so popular and viewed by millions, perhaps this subject will get enough exposure to prompt more people to incite legislation to stop or at least stunt the proliferation and horrors of puppy mills.