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MEWSLETTER 49 SEPTEMBER 19 2006 (Issue 7) Hi there, and a very warm welcome to all the wonderful new subscribers who inched their way through the Daily Mews’ Cat Flap since the previous issue was sent out. Please feel free to send this Mewsletter to your feline loving family members and friends. You have another packed issue this time and at long last the Book and Products’ Review section is up and running. If you have read any cat related books that you feel other people would like to read, then please write, giving details such as the title, author, publisher, and ISBN number, and a brief outline of the story or content and whether you would recommend this book or not. And the same applies for any cat related products you may use or have used in the past for your cats to enjoy. If you bought the product from a website, then please give the details and write about the product. If you have any photos of your cat(s) actually using the product, then feline endorsement is the best advertisement there is – so submit them as well. Send them in the usual way to Stacy Mantle who will be maintaining the website and sending out Mewsletters while I’m in hospital. Stacy’s email address is as follows: stacymantle@gmail.com. Be sure to visit her website and sign up for her ‘mewsletters’ also! www.petsweekly.com. There is a link to Stacy’s website on the Home page – you’ll need to scroll down past all the new article links. NATIONAL CAT DAY National Cat Day which took place on August 15th was a success according to Stuart Hample, whose cat, Tiger, instigated this occasion. Reports from round the world showed that people did, indeed, take a day off work, and in some cases – an entire week – just to spend quality time in the company of their treasured feline companion or companions in order to solely pamper them and give them a day of pure love. Tiger is optimistic that this day will become a national day of celebration of all things feline and eagerly looks forward to next year’s National Cat Day. When I mentioned National Cat Day to Ricky, in his infinite wisdom he said: ‘Cats should be celebrated EVERY DAY of their lives, and not just on one day a year.’ I’m inclined to agree with him, don’t you? But I think Tiger is working up to that so we wish him luck for a time when all cats are given the love and respect that is their due. And while we wish that for cats, we wish it for ALL of God’s creatures – even the creepy crawly ones with many legs! A good quote which will make you think: ‘If the beasts were gone, we would die from a great loneliness of spirit.’ Chief Seattle (thanks to Kathy Pippig Harris). Kathy has a new book out called ‘For the Spirit-Soul’ – be sure to check it out as it’s a wonderful collection of short stories and poems. Click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/f5dqv In the previous Mewsletter, I mentioned about Garfield’s ability to say various ‘words’ and in response to this Cat Turner (Willi Whizkas’ author) wrote to tell me that she had a cat called Piggles who could say ‘Mama’, and said it sounded very funny when she first said it. Tushtots, who is Willi Whizkas’ partner in crime in the book, seems to say ‘don’t know’. What is more amazing is that he seems to use it as the appropriate response to questions like: ‘Who’s done that steaming pile of poo-pongs in the grit box?’ And he’ll reply ‘Don’t know.’ Cat says she can almost see an innocent shrug of the shoulders accompanying this as he then directs his gaze towards Willi. Tushtots also seems to be able to say ‘hello’ whereas Willis has been described as ‘terminally stupid and just minces around mewling.’ I also mentioned that Ollie’s head butts were quite fierce at times, and I had a wonderful response from Doreen Johnson in British Columbia, Canada, who said ‘I have a beautiful cat named Winston and he does the same thing only he also has very bad aim. Last week I thought he had broken my nose he banged it so hard! I also have another one named Suzi, she is a much gentler little soul though and rubs your face rather than bumps.’ Jena in Texas sent me this news story about a dying cat and his unlikely friendship with a deer. Click on the link to read more. http://www.king5.com/lifestyles/stories/NW_061306ANBcatand_deerSW.817a5913.html The 40th anniversary of my 16th birthday on 18th August was spent languishing on the sofa on the orders of the consultant whom I’d seen on 16th August. My blood count was the lowest it had been since all ‘this health stuff’ had begun and was due to the summer cold I’d had for 2 weeks up to that time. The cold lasted longer for 6 weeks in total and I was told to ‘rest’ – difficult when you have 5 cats all requiring cosseting and pampering throughout the day and a zillion trillion things to do. Speaking of the ‘health stuff’ this will be my last Mewsletter to you for a while as one day during the week beginning 18th September, the Hickman will be put in, and treatment will begin the following week. I’ll be in hospital for 4 weeks having an aggressive course of chemotherapy. This will be followed by another bone marrow test (my fourth!) to see if all the leukaemia cells have been eradicated. If they haven’t, then I’ll have to have another month’s course of chemotherapy. Then I’ll have a ‘rest’ to let my body recover before going to Kings College hospital, in London, to have the transplant. I’ll be in there, in isolation, for 4 – 8 weeks. I know many of you would like to write to me and some of you already have my home address. If you’d like to write to me at the hospital here is the address: Ms Pauline Dewberry, Gillies Ward, Queen Mary’s Hospital, Frognal Lane, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 6LT (England). Your letters will be most welcome! If you would like my home address, please email me within the next few days as I may not be around for too much longer (in the house I mean!) There is a health policy in the hospital which doesn’t allow any flowers on the wards or single rooms (where I’ll be) and any fruit has to be washed and peeled – so I’ll have to hire myself a eunuch who can peel all my grapes for me! (In my dreams!) So I guess it’ll be bananas and satsumas for a while! KATRINA – ONE YEAR ON On 29th August, it was the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and our very own Ed Kostro’s book, ‘Through Katrina's Eyes, Poems from an Animal Rescuer's Soul’, is the selected 'Book of the Month' of the North Shore Animal League, one of the largest 'no-kill' shelters in the world. For every book purchased from Amazon through their website, a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to the League. Click on the link below: http://www.nsalamerica.org/book_of_the_month/ For those of us not familiar with the origins and work ethos of North Shore Animal League America, Ed has written a very interesting article. You can find it here: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/northshoreanimalleagueamerica.htm Ed has written a new poem for the anniversary, and I’ve chosen one of the poems from his book – more about them later. Another of his poems, ‘Little Flower’ from the book was read out on www.allpetsradio.com And now, the radio station just posted a 25 minute interview with Ed, and if one or two new adoptions result from it, we will all be very pleased. To hear the interview click on either link below: http://www.unconditionalfriends.com/content.php?id=42 or go to: www.unconditionalfriends.com and click on "A Chat With an Animal Writer" – in the upper left hand corner of the webpage. Ollie finally overcame his manly pride (and fears) and sought counselling from Ricky, our resident psych-cat-therapist to help him get over his Awful Magpie Experience. Reluctantly, he has written about his experience – under Ricky’s supervision – and hopes that by writing about it, it will help others and be a cathartic exercise for himself. Ricky used a combination of regressive hypnotherapy and massage to help Ollie fully expunge himself and the result is a much happier and bouncier Ollie. In the Amazing Cats series, we have three lovely stories for you to enjoy, two of which are also in Napping on a Sunbeam as they are also tributes. No doubt some of you living in America will have seen on the news about the man who killed his step children’s 7 month old puppy by throwing it against the wall for urinating on a carpet. I will say again – most behavioural problems that animals present, are caused by something we humans have done. There is a petition to sign to get this person locked away and I invite you to take a few minutes to follow the link and sign the petition. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/257197619?ltl=1158602154 Please copy and paste the letter that you are sent afterwards by way of acknowledgement to send it on to others for their signatures. Cruelty of any kind MUST be stamped out. It is also well-documented that people who are cruel to animals are often cruel and abusive to their families. If you know of any such situation, please report it to your authorities – you could be saving lives. WARNING ABOUT PAPER SHREDDERS AND PETS I recently received an email containing fairly graphic stories about dogs losing their tongues in paper shredders and children losing fingers. A lot of office machinery is now found in homes because many people now work from home but it’s imperative that all shredders are switched off at the socket when not in use and that children and pets are not allowed unsupervised anywhere near them. Long hair, jewellery, loose clothing, ties, scarves, etc, have all been caught up in the teeth of the dreaded shredder and in all cases where dogs have caught their tongues, they’ve had to be euthanised. If you want to check the validity of this item out, please follow the link below. The URL for this page is: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/shredder.asp Here is another warning; this time on warm cars. Now the weather is getting cooler in most countries, be sure to check under your car and in the engine to make sure that there aren’t any cats asleep. Several cats have been seriously maimed by getting caught in the fan belts and some have been killed. Take a few minutes extra just to check – you could be saving a life and sparing the sorrow of a family who lose their much-loved pet. A good friend of mine called Jackie Staff is holding a Cat Behaviour workshop on 25th November 2006. It will be held at Crayford Manor House in Crayford, Kent (UK) and runs from 9.30 am to 12.pm. The course number is 0608E474 and will cost just £18.00. I have been on Jackie’s behavioural courses and they’re very good! I know Christmas is still a few months off but I’ve been bombarded at home with various charity catalogues. My favourite non-charity catalogue is The Cat Gallery and you can find a wealth of wonderful gift ideas for the feline loving friend or family member. Or treat yourself to something wonderful. Either click on the link in the Links section or click here: In the Links section you’ll find several other pet charities listed under CHRISTMAS CHARITIES; click on any of them to go to their on-line shops. There are also many new links that have been added, so take a stroll over there to check them out. The Mews’ Team has been amended and the Pussy Problem Page has been updated with a couple of new problems that have been added. If your cat has a problem and he or she would like one of the Mewsers to help, then click on the ‘contact us’ link and specify which Mewser you’d like to answer your problem. It might be that the Mewser you choose doesn’t necessarily have the expertise to answer your specific problem so he will take advice from the others and you may receive a ‘pooled’ answer. Either way, you can rest assured that your cat’s dignity will remain protected at all times and it’s in strictest confidence. The Egyptian Mau cats are still being poisoned on the streets of Cairo, despite protests against this inhumane treatment of this beautiful and revered cat. Cyanide is used and although people are warned in the neighbourhoods that it’s taking place and to keep their own pets inside, many pet cats and dogs have been killed this awful way. If you’d like to sponsor or adopt a Mau, then please visit the website: www.emaurescue.org. For more information on sponsorship or adoption then please email: info@emaurescue.org . IN YOUR MEWSLETTER THIS MONTH: *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A’mews’ment Arcade Book Reviews Cat Chat Charity profile: PurrEver Ranch for Elderly Kittizens Ed Kostro Feline Fitness Jim Willis Kitty Bits: Mewsers’ Mewsings Mewsletter Archives Napping on a Sunbeam Purrfect Poetry Quiz Willi Whizkas *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A hilarious and addictive game for you to play!!!! http://upchucky.com/games/hairball-bowling.html *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* BOOK QUIZ: I want the author to the book titles below and if you have a website you can nominate it, or you can nominate a favourite site. I have four great books to hand out this time as prizes, courtesy of Hodder and Stoughton who have donated them. Who wrote the following: Through Katrina’s Eyes Willi Whizkas: Tall Tales and Lost Lives Happy Cat Day Send your answers to p.dewberry@ntlworld.com If you get your answers in quick enough, I’ll be able to send your prizes out before admission to hospital. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* AMAZING CATS Following on from the amazing story of Lucas, the cat who stayed with residents in a retirement home and eased their journey into the next life, Daddy’s Last Days is a wonderful story about Hope, the cat who lived in a hospice and comforted a family during the father’s final few days on this earth. http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/daddyslastdays.htm This story is amazing, but true. You may believe it or you may not, but the upshot of it is that Homer took on his mistress's health issues at a great cost to himself. http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/homer2.htm Another amazing story of cats saving the life of their owner who didn’t even know she had a serious health problem. http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/4leggedheartspecialists.htm A’MEWS’MENT ARCADE Hart Dowd, in Canada, submitted a number of humorous anecdotes which I have at last got around to putting on the website. The first is Lost Cat – and you’ll laugh! BOOK AND PRODUCT REVIEWS To start off the reviews Trudi Rosie, from London, has written about a great little book called Utterly Adorable Cats by Stuart and Linda Macfarlane. http://www.thedailymews.com/bookproductreviews/utterlyadorablecats.htm There are other books that have been reviewed, so just click on this link and scroll down to all the others and if you’ve sent me a book and it’s not yet on site, please don’t worry – if I get the opportunity I will add more in the next few days. http://www.thedailymews.com/bookproductreviews/introbookreviews.htm CAT CHAT We all know someone that we call ‘the cat lady’ and the following story by P.S. Gifford, ‘The Cat Lady’, is a humorous look at life in the 1960’s and the neighbourhood lady who took in all the waifs and strays. http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/catlady.htm My neighbour thinks that my cats are responsible for my ill health! Stacy Mantle’s mother thinks that Stacy’s cats are responsible for not only her ill health, but the decline of western civilisation today! Click on this link to get a taster of Stacy’s brilliant style of writing: http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/catsdeclinewesterncivilisation.htm Sheila is a lovely lady who used to foster cats until illness put paid to that – and NO, her illness WASN’T caused by cats!!! So what she does now is to make quilts for the rescue centre she worked for and they auction them off to raise money. Every little helps. Sheila’s story tells of one woman’s way to make a difference: http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/fosteringandquilts.htm A minister describes how his cat served as his spiritual guide and why she deserves a place in heaven. Praying with Katie: http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/prayingwithkatie.htm Another of my favourite writers, whose stories regularly appear in PetWarmers, is Roger Dean Kiser. The End of the Rope is a story about a mama cat and her three little kitties that are given a second chance. Click here to read this lovely story: http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/endoftherope.htm Roger managed to get the three kittens rehomed and he is keeping the mama cat if they can get her spayed. If you would like to help Roger with any financial donations, or food, then please contact him at: Roger Kiser, 100 Northridge Drive, Brunswick, GA 31525, USA – I know that he would be very grateful – and so would all his rescue animals. CHARITY AND RESCUE CENTRES My favourite charity of the month is www.purreverranch.com which rescues senior Kittizens of 12 and over and lets them live out their autumn years with dignity and great love. http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/purreverranch.htm If you can help Rita who runs this worthwhile charity with any donations, please contact her at the website address. ED KOSTRO Ed’s book of poems, entitled: ‘Through Katrina’s Eyes: Poems from an Animal Rescuer’s Soul’ has some very moving poems, but there are some highlights when pets were reunited with their owners. I chose ‘Miss Salsa’ and I’m sure you’ll love it too! http://www.thedailymews.com/poems/misssalsa.htm www.unconditionalfriends.com is a website to mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and Ed wrote a poem about this, which you can see here: http://www.thedailymews.com/poems/katrinapetmemorialwebsite.htm In Remembrance is a tribute poem to all those animals that lost their homes, their families and their lives in the Katrina disaster. It should never have happened, and we pray to God that it never will again. http://www.thedailymews.com/poems/inremembrance.htm Ed has a very funny poem that appears on his Author’s Den site. His feral cat, Fat Louie, has fallen madly in love with Miss Flower, a Katrina rescue cat. Click the link to view their story: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?AuthorID=14300&id=161611 FELINE FITNESS Dr Brett Kirkland is a New Zealand vet who lodged with me some years ago when he worked at the practice where I take my cats. He has written a few articles which will appear over the next couple of months. The first warns on the dangers that wearing cat collars can inflict: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/collared.htm JIM WILLIS Following on from Rita’s work on the PurrEver Ranch, Jim sent me an email with a harrowing video link which deals with cats and dogs who have been surrendered to shelters because they are ‘too old’. Words fail me at this point that people would actually do this and if they knew what happened to their once beloved pets, I would hope they would think again. Everyone should be made aware of this video link so please copy and paste it and send it to all your contacts. Here is the URL for the video link: http://www.borntodiepets.com/html/doctor_death_wm.htm Click here to read Jim’s email to me with further information: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/homelessnessandeuthanasiavideolink.htm KITTY BITS Mike in Canada send me the following article about a cat who has a slight kleptomania problem. He wanders into neighbours’ houses and steals gloves and keeps them stashed in his own home. Follow the link: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/glovestealingcat.htm MEWSERS’ MEWSINGS Have any of your cats claimed a favourite item of clothing as their own? Read what happened when Ollie fell in love with a special jumper: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/ollieandjumper.htm Following on from his course of hypnotherapy and regression treatment under Ricky’s capable paws, he finally lays to rest THAT awful magpie experience: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/magpieexperience.htm NAPPING ON A SUNBEAM We have a number of tributes this month and all of them are told with such love and pride. Eddie Valentino is a very moving story about a faithful and devoted companion who showed his human that life could be a lot better. Click here: http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/eddievalentino.htm What happens when your cat takes on your illnesses? Read the wonderful story of Homer here: http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/homer.htm Because what Homer did was selfless, his story can also be found in the Amazing Cats section. More tributes to Garfield: There have been many poems and tributes sent for Garfield and this is just a few of them. The rest will be added at a later time. You can still visit his tribute page and add your own tribute here: http://www.apetcemetery.com/viewpet.php?theid=326.php If you want to add tributes to your own pets, contact Phil on the website – he’s very sweet and understanding and will guide you through what you have to do. Helen Dowd, in Canada, wrote a couple of beautiful tribute poems, which can be found here: http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/garfieldohgarfield.htm Dawn sent in a lovely poem entitled Still Here which you can see here: http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/stillhere.htm Don’t Cry, Mommy submitted by Sandy Antilla in California, is another lovely poem which you can see here: http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/dontcrymommy.htm Snookie was a special little cat who was only 14 months old when a car hit him. Read Trudi’s moving tribute here: http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/snookie.htm PURRECT POETRY Margy Ohring (who wrote Cat House sonnets, which is reviewed in the new book and product reviews section) wrote a lovely poem about her new little calico (tortoiseshell) cat. Click on the link: http://www.thedailymews.com/poems/paisley.htm Jackie Brooks has written a poem about her whirlwind kitten called Rapscallion, or Rappy for short. http://www.thedailymews.com/poems/rappythebandit.htm Another gripping instalment in the Orlando’s Adventures series by Jackie Brooks, http://www.thedailymews.com/poems/orlando8downohio.htm This Old Cat is a very moving poem written by Rita Cockrell Wood (founder of the PurrEver Ranch – featured in the Charities and Rescue Centres section). It brought tears to my eyes and I’m sure it will yours as well. http://www.thedailymews.com/poems/thisoldcat.htm WILLI WHIZKAS Tushtots had to go to the cattery while his Mummikins had the temerity to go on holiday. He wrote an anguished plea to the Daily Mewsers from his ‘prison cell’: http://www.thedailymews.com/Williwhizkas/jailhouseblues.htm There are two more episodes in Tushtots Prison Nightmare and you can read them here: http://www.thedailymews.com/Williwhizkas/escapefromcoldkitz.htm http://www.thedailymews.com/Williwhizkas/holidayromance.htm I’m sorry that this Mewsletter is so long, but I had so many items that I wanted to try and put on the site – I hope you’ll make yourselves a drink, plop the cat on your lap and have a good read. Enter the book quiz as soon as possible to be in for a great book prize from Hodder and Stoughton (their link is on the Links page: www.madaboutbooks.com ) And now, this is me, signing off for a while. I leave you in the very capable hands of Stacy Mantle and my friend Jeff (who helps with technical problems) so please send all your articles, poems, tributes, anecdotes, funnies, etc to her and she’ll add them to the site and send out the Mewsletter with the usual links and chatty stuff. Before I forget, a HUGE thank you to all my prayer warriors who prayed their socks off for me – I really do appreciate all your prayers, gifts, letters, emails, etc that you’ve been kind enough to send me. Thank you all and God bless you. Take care, everyone, and hopefully, it won’t be too long before you’ll hear from me again. All being well, I’ll send Jeff text messages from hospital (if I’m allowed to use a mobile in hospital) and he will send them by email to Stacy so that from time to time she can let you know how things are progressing for me. Have a PURRFECT time!!! Your friend Pauline – Editor Billy and Timmy: Product Reviewer and Redundant Carer respectively Sam: Ethnic Minority Advisor Ricky: Health and Fitness Guru Ollie: Recovering Magpie-phobic
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