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MEWSLETTER 63 JANUARY 31 2008 <continued ...> ANIMAL WELFARE Some time ago I received the following item in an email. I managed to track down the author to ask for her permission to put it on the website. Although it’s about dogs, it’s worth while reading it because it will make you think long and hard before you surrender a dog (or a cat) into an unknown fate. Many people who surrender their pets assume that someone else will come along and take them home and they’ll have a new life immediately. Sadly that is often not the case and many once-loved cats and dogs are euthanised just because they exist! A staggering 38 dogs and cats per minute are euthanised. That is totally unacceptable. Imagine if that were to happen to people! There are two parts to this story and there is a link at the bottom of the first page which will lead you to the second part. Sally Hull’s details are at the foot of the article so please write to her to let her know your views. Here is the link: http://www.thedailymews.com/AnimalWelfare/interview_at_dog_pound_1.htm ARTICLES The Tree of Cats is the latest story by Lynn Schifforst in the Honey series. If you have missed any of the other stories, go to the Article Archives section: http://www.thedailymews.com/articleindex.htm and they are the first stories listed. http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/tree_of_cats.htm BOOK AND PRODUCT REVIEWS: January has been a pig of a month for me as I had to spend three days a week throughout the month between the two hospitals that have been responsible for my medical care. During my visits, I managed to get through several books. I love reading, but not all of them were cat books. One that I really loved is called: Angel Cats: Divine Messengers of Comfort by Allen and Linda Anderson. You can read my review here: http://www.thedailymews.com/bookproductreviews/angelcats.htm There are many interesting stories in this book but one that really ‘spoke’ to me was called ‘The Man Who Got His Purr Back.’ I’ve been given permission to include this excerpt on the website and at the end of the review you’ll find a link for it. I’ll discuss in the next issue why this was so poignant for me. http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/man_who_got_his_purr_back.htm Let me know if your cats (or dogs) have done something similar for you and how it altered your way of thinking, or even your way of life. Beginning on January 12th until February 14th, you can buy any three books from the Angel Animals Online Bookstore and receive their gift of one ANGEL ANIMALS: Divine Messengers of Miracles with your package. Visit www.shop.angelanimals.net to purchase the books. Some time ago I read a sweet little book by Barbara E Moss about her ginger cat, Mo. At the time I wrote the review in the Mewsletter but while I was looking for something else recently, I found it – so I have now added it to the Book and Product Review Section. Barbara has kindly said that the first 5 people who put in a request for the book will receive a discount price of $20 which includes the postage. The only condition of this excellent price is that you have to have homed or worked with or helped a stray cat. The link is here: http://www.thedailymews.com/bookproductreviews/Mo.htm My Cat Loves Me Naked by Stephanie Piro is a great little book which would appeal to people of all ages. Stephanie wrote and illustrated the book which features mostly a single woman and her relationship with her cat – it’s very funny – and I greatly enjoyed it. Here’s the link: http://www.thedailymews.com/bookproductreviews/my_cat_loves_me_naked.htm A number of people wrote to ask me if I’d ever read John Grogan’s book, ‘Marley and Me’. At the time, I hadn’t – but I have now! It’s a laugh out loud book but when you get to the sad bit, I am not ashamed to say that I cried like a baby. As Marley (an American Labrador) ages and he is unable to climb up the stairs anymore it so reminded me of Garfield’s last months where I’d have to hold him up over his food bowl or when he was going to the toilet in the garden. Reading about Marley reminded me how faithful, loyal and loving our companion pets are to us – and how much we can learn from them. So here is this month’s poser: has a cat or dog taught you something that you didn’t work out for yourself? Let me know in time for the next issue. You can read my review of Marley and Me here: http://www.thedailymews.com/bookproductreviews/Marley_and_me.htm The 81 page, humorous, photo-essay book that cat lovers and their friends have been waiting for by Anna Marie Fritz called Funny Feline Fotos is out now in paperback and can be found on www.amazon.com The ISBN is: 978-09660959-7-5. I hope to get a copy of this book pretty soon for review in a future issue of the Mewsletter. If any of you have read any books that you think the rest of us might like to know about, please write a short review and submit it to me in the usual way. Thank you. CAT CHAT In response to the people who responded with anecdotes about their cats seeing themselves in the mirror, I have amalgamated them into a little article which you can find here: http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/mirror_image.htm Pyramid of Friends by Michael T Smith first appeared in PetWarmers some time ago. I remember at the time thinking I’d like to put it on the website but for some reason, I never got around to it and I lost the link. Cue to present day and via another website I managed to get in touch with Michael and he sent me the article. It’s certainly true that you meet friends through your cats as Michael’s article reveals, although the cats in question are not his cats. Here’s the link: http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/pyramid_of_friends.htm Michael has his own website with inspirational stories which you can sign up for at www.heartsandhumor.com. If that link doesn’t work, please try this one: http://subs.zinester.com/86758/ CHARITIES AND RESCUE CENTRES: If you have time on your hands, you might like to volunteer at your local animal rescue centre as there are usually not enough people around to carry out all the different tasks involved in caring for animals. Chris, who is 13 years old, helps out at the Exploits Valley SPCA in Newfoundland, Canada. He has just started writing the junior newsletter for the centre and has a wonderful website as well called: www.evspcapawsandclaws.piczo.com . Chris has written a little bit about his day at the Exploits Valley SPCA. You can read it here: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/paws_and_claws.htm FELINE FITNESS Continuing the theme of neutering and spaying (from A interview at the dog pound) I have written a short piece entitled Nuking the Neutering Nonsense. You can read it here: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/nuking_neutering_nonsense.htm And my vet friend, Brett, in New Zealand, has also written a timely piece on neutering called Testosterone Wars which you can read here: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/testosterone_wars.htm JIM WILLIS Some time ago, Jim sent me a harrowing video link about dogs being put to sleep. It’s not pleasant viewing and the most hard hearted will still have a job to not cry – I’ve watched it a couple of times and it does make me cry. The whole point of the video is to educate people about neutering and spaying. I forget the figures but there are a phenomenal number of cats and dogs that are born each day that just do not have homes. If they’re not abandoned on the streets, or dumped in the river, or left to their own sad devices, they are rounded up and taken to shelters where, if they’re not rehomed inside a week, they are put to sleep. What a waste of life. The link to the video is here and if you watch to the end, you’ll be given a website address to go to. You can make donations if you want to and sign up to their newsletter which will keep you in touch with what’s going on. Here’s the link: http://www.brightlion.com/InHope/InHope_en.aspx Jim says. ‘And the responsibility does rest on our shoulders. I don't need to tell you that. Our hearts will break long before our shoulders give way.’ The website address is www.brightlion.com and one of the comments on their home page is this: 'Every cat or dog who dies as a result of pet overpopulation whether humanely in a shelter or by injury, disease, or neglect is an animal who, more often than not, would have made a wonderful companion, if given the chance. Tremendous as the problem of pet overpopulation is, it can be solved if each of us takes just one small step, starting with not allowing our animals to breed. Here's information about this crisis and why spaying and neutering is the first step to a solution.’ –HSUS As Jim writes:
‘I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter ... the cast-offs of human
society. MEWSERS’ MEWSINGS Jimmy, our resident Feline Columnist now has his own section in the Mewsers’ Mewsings section – you can find all his Mewsings here at this link: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/Jimmys_Mewsings.htm This month’s Mewsings can be found here: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/being.htm The Mew Year’s Resolutions have provided plenty of food for thought which we, Humans, can take a note of and perhaps act upon. For evidence that your cat DOES have a conscience about all those mice and furry creatures it brings in on a regular basis, click here: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/mew_years_resolutions.htm There is an introduction page where all the Cats’ Resolutions are listed, but you can just move from one article to the next by clicking on the ‘NEXT ->’ link at the end of each piece. NAPPING ON A SUNBEAM Val in Florida has written a moving tribute to her 20 year old cat, Sabastian who had to be put to sleep on 25th January 2008. You can read it here: http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/Sabastian.htm Although this next piece is about a dog, the feelings that the writer shares are those felt by all of us when we live with an animal companion, love it and then have to say good bye to it. My friend Slim has written a poetically beautiful piece which will mesmerise the reader. http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/zak.htm I think that’s about all there is for this month. I’m sorry it’s a bit late – that was due to the hospital visits and the zero energy I have experienced for most of the month. I’m also sorry it’s quite a lengthy issue but I hope that you’ve enjoyed it and will let me have your feedback – good or bad – and any other topics you’d like to see covered. The next issue will hopefully have information on litter types and litter trays. Wow – curb your excitement! If you have sent me something which hasn’t appeared this time, please remind me, and I’ll include it next time. Take care, and until the next time, love those Mewsers and Dawgies Pauline, Billy, Timmy, Sam and Ollie <- Part 1 BACK TO THE MEWSLETTER Archive Index
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