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MEWSLETTER 78 AUGUST 2010
Hi everyone and a humongous hug and belly rub to all the new subscribers who have joined the Daily Mews’ merry band of intrepid cat lovers. You are very welcome, so pull up a chair, settle a cat on your lap, grab a cappuccino and enjoy the peace and quiet of gentle purring while you read the latest Mewsletter.
I had a great birthday; it lasted the entire week beginning on the Monday night and finished the following Saturday. My favourite bit was a complete surprise which my beau, Lawrence, arranged for me. We have a beautiful park a short ride from my house with a mansion house which dates back to the 1700’s and a lake. Click here for details: http://www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/dansonhouse/ It held the first ever ‘Screen on the Green’ on Thursday 19th August and what that entailed was a huge screen in the open and people sat on little chairs or on rugs on the ground and we watched – wait for it – BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S. How romantic is that! Being mid-August you’d think it would have been a hot summer’s night, a balmy evening with a spectacular sunset but you’d be wrong. This is the UK after all! I’ve told you plenty of times that most of the time we’re blue (with the cold!) and this night was freezing and it kept raining. But that didn’t dampen our spirits; that indomitable Stiff Upper Lip that we Brits are good at (don’t forget we’re useless at everything else so Stiff Upper Lipping is one of our major things!) kept us going. Dressed in jumpers, coats, AND a blanket wrapped around us, we huddled together for warmth as we ploughed our way through a picnic that Lawrence had packed up – a veritable feast fit for a king (but in this case – a Princess!). It truly was a magical evening and very romantic! Several people sent me links to a cruelty case which has shocked the world. An apparently ‘normal’ respectable woman put a cat in a bin (trash can) and walked away. The poor cat was left in this bin for about 15 hours before being discovered. The RSPCA are investigating this case and I haven’t (at the time of writing this) heard what the outcome is. What concerns me about this is that she is classed as ‘respectable’; she is a bank clerk and therefore had a modicum of intelligence which is required in order to do her job professionally and properly. Children are mimics of their ‘elders’ and if a child thinks this is a pretty neat or funny thing to do, I feel sure that this incident will be sadly repeated all over the world. As grown ups, we’re supposed to set an example to those who are vulnerable and younger; we’re supposed to pass on the benefit of our knowledge and education so that children won’t do horrible things to animals but when a so-called ‘respectable’ member of our society does something like this to an animal, what message does it give? Personally, I would love to mete out the kind of punishment she inflicted on the cat. Put her in a narrow environment where she can only stand up for 15 hours in the dark and see how she likes it. The kind of punishment that is handed out by the courts is not a deterrent these days; most people get a modest fine, a slap on the wrist and told they can’t keep another pet for about 5 years. But I don’t know who polices this and whether or not there is any follow up (like having to see a parole or probation officer) to check up to ensure they don’t have any more animals. It’s also been proven that people who are cruel to animals inevitably go on to be cruel to the people around them; child abuse, spouse abuse and even worse (torture and murder) and so it’s up to us as responsible human beings to be vigilant. If you do see any signs of any cruelty, both to animals and to others, please report it (anonymously if you prefer) to the authorities. It’s a fact: that more and more animals are being disposed of in harsh circumstances because of the current economic downtrend. Ed Kostro has written a heartbreaking article about a dog he found in an alley, close to death, flea ridden, emaciated body and his spirit all but diminished. Ed writes that he frequently patrols the area where he lives and the surrounding areas and rounds up cats and dogs that have been abandoned by their families. Although life is tough for many of us – I don’t think there is a single person I know who hasn’t been affected by this global meltdown – it’s imperative that we keep a proper perspective on what is going on. Abandoning pets to fend for themselves is tantamount to cruelty and abuse and many animals literally starve to death or end up being killed on the roads or as prey to bigger animals. One way to stop the tide of unwanted pets is to neuter and spay all animals. Stop buying puppies from puppy mills; stop unlicensed breeders from breeding cats and dogs without due consideration to the poor female bitch or queen constantly being kept pregnant; and stop buying pets from pet stores. If you want a new puppy, dog, kitten or cat – please visit your local animal rescue centre or hospital. There are MILLIONS of animals that are being euthanized all the time because they are unwanted. ON WITH THE MEWS *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A hilarious and addictive game for you to play!!!! http://upchucky.com/games/hairball-bowling.html *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* BOOK QUIZ: Last month’s Book Quiz was won by Jared Kline in Belgium. The answers were:
Thanks to everyone who took part; Jared’s prize – a copy of Wonder Cats – is on its way to Belgium even as we speak. Richard Carlyon, (UK), Kevin Wilson, (UK) Mary Scoones (Australia) Jean Johnson (US) were our other intrepid sleuths. The Book Quiz will return next month. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* CAPTION COMPETITION Last month’s (well, July’s) caption competition was won by Ham Moran and you can see his and all the other worthy entries here on this link: http://www.thedailymews.com/KittyBits/caption_competition_13.htm Here is the latest picture of a cute little kitten sent in by Mandy Besgrove. Send your captions by 21st September to the usual address and you could win a prize! http://www.thedailymews.com/caption_competition_14.htm CAT CHAT This next story first appeared in Angel Animals and Emma Laurence, its author, kindly gave me permission to include it on the website. http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/can't_resist_love.htm Linda Gavitt rescued a kitten of about 2 weeks old that lived to be 19 years old. But Gremmy came with her own rules, which she added to over the years – and woe betide anyone who disobeyed them! http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/Gremmy's_Rules.htm Ham Moran and his partner, Kirsten, were taking a break when they discovered a tiny little kitten which had been thrown into a storm drain. You can read Ham’s account of her dramatic rescue here. http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/Stormy_a_cat's_tale.htm Ham would like to ask the readers and subscribers to the Daily Mews to please contact the people named in his story (their email addresses and postal addresses are given at the end) to thank them for their part in this amazing and touching rescue of one poor defenceless little kitten. FELINE FITNESS Why do cats spray? Well, the reasons are many and varied but one of them is to mark their territory. This tells a visitor passing by who lives on this patch, what they ate for breakfast, their sexual preferences and whether they’re dating anyone right now. A kind of ‘Hello’ magazine report if you like. Here’s part one of this article – which previously appeared on the www.nutrecare.co.uk website: http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/why_cats_spray.htm MEWSERS’ MEWSINGS I really admire Jimmy and his forthright way of getting straight to the crux of the matter. This month’s thought-provoking article from his mighty paw is probably his best yet. See what you think and whether you agree with him. http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/Iraq_jewel_of_the_tigris.htm Little Dumpty Roo – a Himalayan Lynx - lives with Willi Whiskers and his feline chums at Tom Cat Towers. When her ‘Maid’ introduced her to the Purina challenge, a new world of stardom beckoned for her – and Dumpty became the Purina Pin Up Puss for July. The Daily Mews readers have got privileged access to her Royal Mewness’s Unabridged No Holds Barred Diaries: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/Dumpty's_diaries.htm Stormy has also got on the bandwagon of writing her diaries, believing it to be a therapeutic and cathartic way of expunging the memories of being thrown down into the storm drain. Read her first entry here: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/August_down_the_rabbit_hole.htm Tilly is the latest cat from Sue Fallon’s wonderful feline family to write her ‘memoirs’ for the readers of the Daily Mews website. She makes a valid point: don’t overlook older – less pretty – cats in favour of cutesy kittens. Here’s her story: http://www.thedailymews.com/mewsersmewsings/Tilly.htm NAPPING ON A SUNBEAM Twinkle made her home with Paul and his family and lived happily with them for about 10 or more years. Then the unthinkable happened, she crossed to Rainbow Bridge in her sleep and the family were devastated. http://www.thedailymews.com/NAPPINGONASUNBEAM/Twinkle_Ferguson.htm CANINE CORNER I have always loved Will Perry’s laconic style of writing and his latest story about brother and sister, Holly and Toby, will entertain you like his other stories did. http://www.thedailymews.com/catchat/Holly_Toby.htm Lastly, but not least, is Ed Kostro’s story about that poor little dog I mentioned earlier in the Mewsletter. He’s been named Lucky – let’s hope he WILL be lucky enough to find a new forever home. http://www.thedailymews.com/articles/Lucky.htm That wraps it up for now folks. I do hope you enjoy the articles and I look forward to your feedback – good, bad or indifferent. Until the next time – take care and try to give a little cat or dog a home. All good wishes Pauline (who is incredibly ancient now – in cat years at least), Billy, Sam and Ollie |
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