Did you know?

Not all cats repond to catnip, but for those that do, it can be a non-addictive, pleasurable experience for cats.

Did you know...

Although pleasing to you, scented candles can overwhelm your cat's sensitive senses. Choose mild or frangrance-free varieties and always monitor lit candles in your home.

Do cats dream?

Scientists say that cats do reach deep sleep where they experience rapid eye movement (REM) and many cats move their paws, claws and whiskers, and change positions. Some even make small noices or snore.

Did you know....

One of the most sensitive parts of your cat's body is its belly. For a cat to lie with its belly completely exposed or to allow you to rub its belly is a huge compliment and statement of your cat's trust in you.

Who Will Find Them...

Lowellsun.com (Lowell, MA)
Article Launched: 06/19/2006 11:27:48 AM EDT

Who Will Find Them, I Hid Them So Well
By MARY LEE HARRINGTON

I didn't ask they be born. I didn't ask they have life;
All I asked was to be spayed, to cut this cycle of endless strife.
I've often dreamed of having a home and a friend, but mostly a name;
And I've waited and waited, yet no one ever came.
So I birthed another litter in this old abandoned mill,
Where the walls are crumbling and the floor are starting to fill.
But it's where I call home, though my bed is on the ground,
It's where night predators are lurking; I can't let them be found.
So I'll move them again, higher up, a new place I must seek,
And I'll carry each one though my legs feel so weak.
They'll be safer now, well hidden, completely out of view,
Yes safer now from predators and sadly humans too.
Each one's unique as I feel their breath,
I will feed and defend them until my death.
I wash them and warm them; their ears feel like silk,
Each open mouth needing my milk.
It's a small litter this time, two tigers and a grey,
I wish their life was different is what I want to say.
I'll just wait now till they all fall asleep,
Then leave for food that I must seek.
The night is cold and it's starting to snow
The dumpsters will be empty, my search will be slow.
Sometimes I'm lucky and people are kind
Mostly I'm scared; I don't know what I'll find.
The snow is falling harder, it's more difficult to see
I can't see the cars and they can't see me.
I should have been more careful and searched during the day
It's just that I'm so hungry; I have to make my way.
I'll cross the street but, wait, a light's coming this way
I'm too weak to run -- too long as a stray.
If I should die and be covered with snow,
No one will find me, no one will know.
If I could speak, I could tell,
But no one will find them, they're hidden so well.
All I ever wanted was to be a friend and have a name
But no one ever caught me and so the litters came.
Now as I lay here, I can't hear their cries,
They are in my thoughts and in my eyes.
I know where they are, but I can't tell
Who will find them, I hid them so well.

FROM THE AUTHOR: The poem's purpose is to increase awareness of the continuing problem of hundreds of stray cats that are needlessly born into a life of starvation, loneliness and death. Most shelters are overcrowded and do not take in feral/stray cats. If litters are found and rescued, the kittens can be put up for adoption. The mother cat, however, remains behind and continues going through endless cycles of births until her death. Since moving to Lowell, I have become involved with a nonprofit, no-kill shelter called Kitty Angels. It is a volunteer organization whose members possess hearts of gold but have limited resources. Two years ago, Kitty Angels helped me trap several feral cats living in an abandoned downtown building. I had heard their cries as I walked by. They were spayed and returned to the building, the only home they had ever known. They are feral and not adoptable. Now with the help of two dear friends, I am able to care for them on a daily basis. On the mornings when I feed them, they usually wait for me by the fence. If they are not there, I simply call and they come running. You see each one is unique, if only a stray, each one has a name now; there are two tigers and a grey. If you would like to adopt a kitten or an older cat, make a donation or simply volunteer, please visit Kitty Angels at www.kittyangels.org or call 978-649-4681.

Best Friends Day

Today is Best Friends Day. And all weekend, we’re asking people everywhere to perform at least ONE ACT OF KINDNESS TO ANIMALS, and to report it on the Best Friends website.

Many folks are asking for examples of things anyone can do – like friends and family. So we’ve posted a “101 Acts of Kindness” list of suggestions on the Best Friends Network at http://network.bestfriends.org – in the Resources section. Here are a few of them:

* Bake some cat or dog treats and give them to your local rescue group

* Take an elderly neighbor’s dog for a walk, or help them groom their dog or cat

* Spend an hour or two at your local shelter or rescue group. Pet the cats, clean litter boxes, spend time with some homeless pets who are least likely to be adopted right away

* Donate yarn and thread to the “Snuggles Project” or knit a cage blanket to donate

* Take your dog to work on today. (It’s actually Take Your Dog to Work Day, too!)

* Make a donation to a local humane group – or to Best Friends

Imagine what a difference we can make if, this weekend, thousands of us unite to carry out an act of kindness to an animal.

The odometer is already running on the Best Friends Network website at http://network.bestfriends.org. Let’s see how many AOK’s we can clock up this weekend!

Michael Mountain
Best Friends Animal Society

Kittens 101

Kittens learn to hunt from their mothers, but can any adult cat serve as a teacher? The answer came in a study conducted in the 1960s. After two and a half weeks of watching an unrelated cat perform a specific task, kittens completed the same task with flying colors.