Sebastian The Sensitive Soul

136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Is In The Books!

2012-02-15T22:04:00.001-06:00

Mom and Grandma finished watching the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last night. The first group up on the second night of group judging was the Sporting Group. These dogs are the hunters' friends, the gun dogs. The emblem of the WKC is a Pointer, like Josh from Colorado. The group also contains the ever-popular Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever. There is another breed that is a favorite of Mom's, the Clumber Spaniel. She says that if Grandpa was a dog he'd be the Clumber Spaniel! Mom's pick to win the group was Max the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Grandma went with the Spinone Italiano, Atticus. The winner was the Irish Setter, Emily. She had 15 puppies last May and still had a killer figure! MOL!

The next group was the Working Group. This group includes the Portuguese Water Dog, which is what Bo Obama is. The Tibetan Mastiff in the group, Major, served in his owners' wedding party earlier in the day-he gave away the bride! Imagine that, a wedding on Valentine's Day at Westminster. How fun! Mom chose the Doberman Pinscher, Fifi. She has her own Facebook page, The Fifinator. Grandma chose the Great Pyrenees, Raleigh who actually works as a livestock guardian for free-range chickens. Guess what? Mom finally picked a winner! Fifi went to the Best In Show judging!

The last group of the night was the Terrier Group. A new breed was part of this group this year: the Cesky Terrier represented by 7-year-old Brubeck. It also includes the Scottish Terrier that they described as "openly feels superior to its owner." I wonder if they're part cat! Mom almost picked the Colored Bull Terrier to win, but decided to go with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Daphne. Mom thought she had a great smile and liked the fact that Daphne loved to spend her time playing fetch with a special needs child. Grandma picked the Airedale Terrier, Dane. The winner was the Kerry Blue Terrier, Chelsey.

Best In Show judging is always exciting. Competing for the ribbon was the Wirehaired Dachshund, Pekingese, Dalmatian, German Shepherd Dog, Irish Setter, Doberman Pinscher and Kerry Blue Terrier. Mom was rooting for Fifi, the Dobie and Grandma thought Emily the Irish Setter was going to win. The winner turned out to be Malachy the Pekingese. Mom was shocked! She really thought Fifi had it in the bag.

Next year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held February 11 & 12, 2013. I'll be watching, will you?

Mom Has Gone to the Dogs

2012-02-14T10:56:00.000-06:00

What I'm about to say is shocking, especially to my kitty readers. My mom is a *whispers* dog person! I know, I know. How can that be? She doesn't even own a dog! She volunteers with cats, has owned more cats in her life than dogs and is the best cat-mom a kitty could ask for. Still, she loves dogs. So this time of year is like a holiday to her-it's Westminster time.

Yesterday was day one of the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Mom and Grandma have made a tradition of watching it together every year and when Mom moved away, that didn't change. She travels to Wichita to stay with Grandma for a few days and watch the dog show. It's their special "bonding time" I guess. *rolls eyes* They eat out, go shopping and then in the evenings they settle in for the doggie festivities. They have a great time oohing and ahhing over the dogs, then they each pick their favorite one to win.

Mom's favorite group is the hounds. Her heart dog was a sighthound, a borzoi named Oscar. Before that, she had another sighthound, a whippet named Crystal when she was growing up. She just has a thing for those skinny dogs.

This year there was a new breed in the hound group, the American English Coonhound. They said the breed is supposed to be kind and have a "houndy" expression. The lucky American English Coonhound to represent his breed in the group judging was named Gin. The whippet in the group was Chanel, who Mom recognized. She actually won the hound group two years ago. She was also gaga over the Ibizan Hound and the Petit Basset Griffon Vandeen or PBGV. She learned that there are less than 1000 Otterhounds in the world, which made her sad. She hates to think that any breed would become extinct. Her favorite to win, and Grandma's too, was the Borzoi. His name was Aiden and he gets to go to McDonald's after every show for a plain McDouble. Unfortunately, he didn't win, didn't even get in the top four. The winner of the hound group was the Wirehaired Dachshund named Cinders. The PBGV came in second and Chanel the whippet came in third.

Next was the Toy Group. This is probably Mom's least favorite group, but she still thinks the dogs are cute. She thought Andy the Silky Terrier was cool because he had attitude. They said he was into home remodeling-he chewed a pipe once and caused a flood! MOL! Mom's pick in this group was the Chinese Crested and Grandma's was the Italian Greyhound. Again, they were both wrong. The Pekingese, Malachy, won, but that bad boy Andy came in fourth!

The third group to show on the first night was the non-sporting group. This group had two new breeds this year. First was the Norwegian Lundehund. Mom fell in love with this breed. They have very flexible skeletons and six toes on each foot. This is because they used to hunt puffins and would climb rocks to get to them. The other new breed was the Xoloitzcuintli or Xolo for short. They are a hairless breed, which Mom really loves. The Xolo in the group was named Armani and was Mom's pick to win. Grandma's pick was the Tibetan Spaniel named Jackson, after Allen Jackson because he loves to sing. Mom was also kind of pulling for the Keeshond named Journey because she was from our city, Shawnee, KS! Again, they couldn't pick the winner. The Dalmatian named Ian won. A Dalmatian has never gone Best in Show, maybe this year it will happen!

The last group for the night was the herding group. My grandpa's dog, Yaz, belongs in this group. He's a Corgi mix. There are two Corgi breeds, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, which is the one with the tail and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi who doesn't have a tail. This group also saw a couple of new breeds. The Entelbucher Mountain Dog is a Swiss breed and the Finnish Lapphund. Mom and Grandma both picked the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Pilot to win, but they were wrong again. The German Shepherd Dog, Cappy won the herding group.

Tonight the last three groups will be judged: the sporting group, the working group and the terrier group. After that, Best in Show will be picked and that dog will become a star, just like Hickory the Scottish Deerhound did last year! (Mom whooped and hollered so loud when she won I could hear her all the way up here in KC!)

#MOblogPaws - KC By The Numbers

2012-02-06T10:17:00.000-06:00

The gang from ATonksTail.com are back to tell us more reasons BlogPaws should come to Kansas City!

Hi everyone! We're baaaack! Thanks to Sebastian & his mom for letting us guest post on their blog again about one of our fave topics - our hometown.

_________________

Mommy loooves lists, so when she saw this one in the newspaper, she knew she had to share!

Kansas City is popping up on all sorts of national lists and here's where we rank in them:

Top Five

Kansas City was in the top 5 in.... (hit it, Faraday!)

#5 - Most Charity-Conscious City (Charity Navigator)

This is not ranked, as you might think, per capita. Instead, Charity Navigator looked at the financial health of the nonprofits in a city. And KC ranked fifth most healthy!

(That's because we have such big hearts)

#4 - Most Underrated US Cities (shermans-travel.com)

Did you know we house the US's only WW I Museum? We also have an American Jazz Muesum (we *are* the home of 19th & Vine after all) and the Negro League Baseball Muesum, to name a few.

#3 - America's Manliest Cities (Sperling's Best Places)

*puffs out chest* They must have seen my Fabio picture. 'Nuff said.

#2 - Top 10 Cities for Book Lovers (Livability.com)

As kittehs we love this! More lap time! Mommy definitely contributes to this statistic, since she loves to read.

aaaaand......

#1 - Favorite City for Barbecue (Travel + Leisure Magazine)

No really! We didn't make this up! Our city has tons and tons of places filled with the smoky mouth-watering aroma of barbecue. One of our faves is housed in a real live, still working gas station, too. YUM!

*giggle* But wait, there's more!

Other Honorable Mentions:

17th Most Literate City (Central Connecticut State University)
12th Smartest City (Daily Beast)
14th Best City for Families (Parenting magazine)
10th Most Affordable Place to Buy a Home (US News & World report)
One of America's Best Ice Cream Cities (Food & Wine Magazine)
11th Most Frugal City - Hey! You can prolly get a coupon for that ice cream! (coupons.com)
9th Most Tattooed City - you gotta come over & check out Sebastian's Mom's Cattoo
2nd Most Drivable City in America (Travel + Leisure)

And we wrap this list up by mentioning something Sebastian's already blogged about:

Frommer's listing KC as a TOP 10 DESTINATION!! Woot!

Now don't you want to come visit us?

Wow! We sure have a lot of top rankings! Thanks again guys for contributing to #MOBlogPaws!

Camping With Camper

2012-02-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when Mom volunteers, she hangs out with a bunch of different cats. She'll go kennel to kennel taking pictures of all the cats to play on my slideshow. She'll pet each one for a little bit, then move on to the next one. Other times, Mom spends more time with just one cat. That's exactly what she did this past Wednesday. She browsed around and decided to go into one of the hug rooms, Catfish Cove, where Camper is staying.

Camper is a male, yellow, medium-hair cat. He's 7 years old and is FIV positive. That just means he has a weakened immune system. He'll be able to live a full life, but if he gets sick, it will take a bit longer for him to recover. He should either be an only cat or live with other FIV positive cats. When he came to the shelter, he had a wound on his hip. Although it's healed up, he prefers not to be petted there. He likes pets on his head and upper body instead.

Mom sat with Camper for about an hour and a half. They sat together in a chair for a while, then he got down and went to his little campsite that one of the volunteers set up for him.

Isn't it cool? He's got a campfire and everything. Mom went and sat by the campfire with him. He was very quiet and calm. He enjoyed sitting on Mom's lap and she enjoyed sitting with him. Mom really likes evenings at the shelter like she spent with Camper. She gave him a lot of one-on-one time that he probably needs since he doesn't have a home of his own yet. At the same time, she was able to sit and relax, just listening to the sounds of Camper's purrs.

Volunteering is very special for Mom. Sometimes she gets distracted by other stuff and forgets how lucky she is to have the opportunity to give a homeless kitty a warm lap to sit on for a little while. It's rewarding and gives her a sense of peace.

If you can volunteer, you should give it a try. Do it for yourself. Do it for homeless kitties like Camper.

Camper is available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

Featured Furry: Kookie and Fluffy

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

This edition of Featured Furry spotlights two doggies, Fluffy and Kookie. They're sisfur dogs who were given up by their owner when she could no longer care for them. They're great girls who really need to find their forever home.

Fluffy is 6 years old and has vision problems. She's not completely blind, but can see shadows. Kookie is 5 years old and acts as Fluffy's caretaker. Both girls are housebroken and walk well on leashes.

Fluffy

Kookie

Recently, they were chosen to be furloughed, meaning they got a field trip out of the shelter to go home with a volunteer. Check out the video of them when they got to spend some time acting like normal dogs.

If you think you're the right match for these two full-figured gals, come out to Wayside Waifs and meet them. I'm sure you'll find they're about the sweetest doggies you'll ever meet!

Big thanks to Katie Quirk for the video!

Wordless Wednesday-Valentine Photo Shoot Outtakes

2012-02-01T09:14:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday-Chasing Da Bird

2012-01-25T14:22:00.000-06:00

Two Days of Birthday Celebration? Yes, Please!

2012-01-25T11:35:00.000-06:00

I'm such a lucky kitty! Yesterday was my birthday-I'm 9 years old now-but I got to celebrate Monday, too. Let me tell you all about it!

Monday was my birthday pawty day because Dad is off work that day. We wanted to have a family celebration so we made it a day early.

I got lots of birthday attention all day, then that night we had a special dinner. I got Luna Tuna! I usually only eat kibble, so this was a tasty treat for me.

Then I got Dad's spot on the new loveseat.

Later, it was time for cake and presents!

My cake looked like a piece of cheese with a mousie on top. Pretty cool, huh? I didn't get to eat any of it, but I did get a little lick in while Mom was taking my piccie. *giggle*

My big present was a new carrier with an expandable side. I didn't think that was a very good gift. Why would they get me a little prison used to transport me to the V-E-T for my birthday?

But this morning I discovered what a cozy bed it makes! Mom set it up under the table so I'd have a nice dark place to snooze.

Yesterday was my actual birthday, so I got another special meal and more presents!

The new bed is for behind the loveseat. And I finally got Da Bird! This is such a cool toy-it ranks up there with my milk ring!

So, as you can see, Mom & Dad spoiled me for my special day. I had a great time and don't feel a day over 5!

#MOBlogPaws: Delicious Doggie Treats

2012-01-23T20:10:00.000-06:00

So far, I've told you about many of the cool things that humans would like about Kansas City. Now I'm going to tell you why the doggies will want to have a BlogPaws conference in Kansas City: KC is home to a gourmet dog bakery, Three Dog Bakery.

The founding bakery is located on the Country Club Plaza, which has been featured in a couple of previous #MOBlogPaws posts. Dogs are always welcome in Three Dog Bakery and are even offered a sample treat when they visit! Three Dog Bakery offers all-natural, baked treats, pastries, and food. Don't worry kitties-they have cat treats too! "We Pity the Kitties" treats come in chicken and salmon flavors.

Three Dog Bakery was started in 1989 by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff and their three dogs, Dottie, Gracie, and Sarah Jean The Biscuit Queen. Mom actually got to meet Sarah Jean! All three dogs have now gone Over The Rainbow Bridge, but their legacy continues. There is even a book about Gracie titled Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale by Dan and Mark.

In order to help not-for-profit rescue groups, the Three Dog Bakery Foundation was created. The company gives up to 1% of its net profits annually to help the Foundation.

There are several locations around the world, but the founding bakery on the Plaza is pretty special. It is the heart of the company and is very warm and welcoming. Three Dog Bakery is a must-see for any dog visiting Kansas City. In fact, every time Mom goes to Wichita, she goes to Three Dog Bakery first and buys treats for Grandpa's dog, Yaz, since he doesn't get to visit them himself. So, start barking doggie pals! Tell your humans you want to come to Kansas City for BlogPaws in 2013!

#PawPawty Benefiting Wayside Waifs

2012-01-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

I'M SO EXCITED I HAVE THE ZOOMIES!

I found out this morning that this month's #pawpawty-being held this weekend on Twitter-chose Wayside Waifs as its recipient! You can read @GeorgeTheDuck's bloggie for all the deets.

You all know how much I love and appreciate Wayside. I stayed there temporarily until I met Mom while she was volunteering. Meeting Mom was the best day of my life!

The theme of this month's #pawpawty is James Bond, so I'm going to go as 007 himself!

Pretty handsome, huh? I think there's probably no better way to celebrate my birthday next week than to pawty it up with my pals on Twitter all while raising money for Wayside.

Unfortunately, our pal @FrugalDougal won't be able to make it. His grandma just passed away. Our family sends big love to Dougal and his Mum, Lynn. We know they would want the pawty to carry on, so we're going to do our best to have a good time!

I hope you can come and join us this weekend on Twitter!

Wordless Wednesday: Could You Cover Me Back Up, Please?

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Temporary Cattoos from Cattoo Design

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Mom loves cats (duh) and she likes tattoos. In fact, she recently got a cattoo-a cat tattoo-on her wrist. She thought for over a year about the cattoo. She had to figure out the design and where she wanted it. She has never taken getting a tattoo lightly, it's always been a big deal to her. This is something that will be with her forever!

There's a great product that may help with the cattoo decision making process from Cattoo Design...temporary cattoos! You can choose from five different designs and give a cattoo a test drive. They're really easy to apply and look very realistic.

Mom chose to try the paw prints. She put the small paw prints on the inside of her right forearm, opposite of her permanent cattoo. She was able to cut out each individual paw print so she could use however many she wanted and arrange them in whichever design she liked. She put the large paw print on her foot, right below her ankle.

Paw prints on Mom's arm.

Close-up of paw prints.

Large paw print on Mom's foot.

Mom applied the temporary cattoos on a Saturday evening. The packaging says that they last 3 to 5 days. On day 3, they still looked just like they did when she first applied them. On day 5, they were just starting to show a little wear. The ones on her arm were looking pretty good still & you could only see the wear if you looked closely. The one on her foot was showing more wear, but of course, she had been wearing shoes/boots/socks that rubbed on it every day.

At that point, she removed the one on her foot using the baby oil method. It came off very easily without much rubbing. She continued to wear the temporary cattoos on her arm for another five days before they really started to show noticible wear. That means the ones on her arm lasted for TEN WHOLE DAYS!!

Mom would highly recommend Cattoo Design's Temporary Cattoos. They are a fun accessory and a great way to test a cattoo before you actually commit to the real thing. You can buy them on the Cattoo Design website. While you're there, check out all the photos of the cool cattoos that have been submitted by fans. Mom is going to submit hers!

Mom got the Cattoo Design Temporary Cattoos free of charge to try out. All opinions in this blog about the product are our honest feelings and are not influenced by the fact that we received the product for free. We really love the product and think that Cattoo Design is about the coolest idea ever and that Kate Benjamin (who runs the site) is the coolest cat lady in the world!

#MOBlogPaws: Kansas City Is In Its Golden Age

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

There was a great article last Friday in the Kansas City Star. It's all about how Kansas City is coming into its "Golden Age." Do you know what would help add to that? A really cool pet bloggers conference! BlogPaws should be part of KC's Golden Age and bring the conference here in 2013!

Read the article here. Then tell the BlogPaws peeps that you want to see a #MOBlogPaws in 2013!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday-Meeting Twitter Pals in Real Life

2012-01-10T23:40:00.000-06:00

Mom met the stars of A Tonk's Tail!

Mom and Allie

Mom and Faraday

Mom and Maxwell (she looks like she's been hittin' the nip!)

And I got to meet their Momma!

Getting smoochies from Ryker's momma!

Wordless Wednesday-Do Not Disturb

2012-01-04T20:44:00.000-06:00

When you care enough to visit the very best - #MOBlogpaws

2012-01-02T17:46:00.000-06:00

We want to thank Sebastian for letting us post again on

one of our favorite topics!

You’re talking about ME right?

No, silly! We’re talking about yet another reason BlogPaws should be hosted in Missouri: it’s the home of one of America’s icons, Hallmark Cards.

Momma’s job is an American icon???

Where she works is! It’s one of the very few privately held third-generation family run companies in the U.S. (Only a third of all family run companies make it to the second generation, and even less to generation #3.)

And it’s a company that’s all about helping people connect with one another and share how they feel. How many companies can claim to do that?

And it’s not just through cards, either. They make ornaments, gifts, interactive storybooks, even TV specials like “Jingle All the Way” (voted by the NY Times as best new holiday TV special)! And it all started from one man’s dream and two shoeboxes of cards hidden under a bed at the YMCA.

We won’t give away the whole story cuz we wants you to come see the fab documentary mommy produced that plays in the Visitor’s Center Theatre here in Kansas City, but Hallmark is a pretty cool part of American history!

And their art collection? Mowzers! Mommy walks past Picassos, Salvadore Dalis & Grandma Moses Originals *every day*!! She knows the curator at the Hallmark Archives & will ask them for a Special Tour just for BlogPaws, if it comes to Kansas City. (included are an entire Tibetan Thai Temple, tons of Illuminated Manuscripts from the 1500s, and loads of other really cool stuff!)

But here's a teaser, with some great pics of Hallmark's international headquarters at Crown Center in Kansas City, also home of Kaleidoscope (a free creative ideation facility for kids) and the soon-to-open LEGO Land and Sea Life Experiences. I think Sebastian plans to tell you more about them in an upcoming blog post, so be on the watch for it.

Master Artist hand lettering a card

Hallmark's Corporate Entrance

Master Artist sculpting an ornament

Hallmark At Night

The hand of the artist - using watercolor

Kaleidoscope: A place kids are invited to be creative & have fun

Visitor's Center & Museum: make your own bow & see fads from the past like paper dresses

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T10:15:00.000-06:00

Mom says that a new year brings hope for better things to come. Purrsonally, I can't imagine how things could get any better than they were in 2011. I made even more pals on Twitter, learned the joys of playing with a milk jug ring, and helped kitties get adopted. (Well, at least I tried to help kitties get adopted and they did).

Mom doesn't usually make new years resolutions, but this year is different. She wants to make things better for herself and for me. She says we need to take better care of ourselves. That means we're going on a diet. I'm a husky boy and need to lose about 3 pounds. The V-E-T tech says I'm overweight, but I'll always weigh a bit more than the average cat because I'm long. Mom thinks that I can lose weight by cutting back on treats and exercising. Honestly, I'd like to just try this exercise thing and see if that works without giving up treats, but Mom says no.

Say good-bye to that floofy belly. I'm going to be svelte.

I'm not the only kitty out there on a weight loss plan. Halo, Purely for Pets surveyed more than 1,000 pet parents to find out their New Year's Resolutions. Of those, 45.9% said they planned to help their pets lose weight in 2012. 34% said they would do it by feeding fewer treats and 68.7% said they would have them get more exercise. Looks like I could have some diet buddies out there to keep me on track!

I hope Mom and I can both be healthier. I know we like to indulge in our favorite snacks (I could eat freeze-dried salmon all day!) but we should treat them as a bonus, not a regular item.

Happy New Year to all of my pals. I hope that 2012 brings you much happiness and health. Thank you for reading my bloggy in 2011. I'll do my best to bring you fun things to read this year as well. *pawhugs*

Wordless Wednesday-Close Up

2011-12-28T21:41:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas at My House

2011-12-21T23:15:00.000-06:00

Meet Me in St. Louis, BlogPaws!

2011-12-12T13:51:00.000-06:00

My pal Maggie is here again this week to share why #BlogPaws should come to Missouri. Take it away Maggie!

Hi all! This is MaggieTKat again writing from the wonderfulcity of St. Louis, MO. I am joining my buddy SeabassCat to encourage BlogPawsto come to one of the cities in Missouri. St. Louis is truly the Gateway to thewest, almost dead center of the United States. There are several interstatesthat converge in St. Louis: I-44, I-55, I-70, and I-64. I looked up mileagebetween St. Louis and some cities where bloggers and anipals live. Most ofthese cities are less than a days’ drive, or so Mom says, and she likes to stopfor available litter boxes. Here’s my list:

City Miles

Columbus, OH 396

Chicago, IL 263

Oklahoma City, OK 459

Kansas City, MO 238

Denver, CO 796

Madison, WI 310

Atlanta, GA 468

Austin, TX 720

If you don’t want to drive, Lambert International Airport(code STL) is serviced by the following airlines: American, United, Southwest,AirTran, SA3000, Airchoice1, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Cape Air,Continental, Delta, Frontier, and US Air. Amtrak comes from Chicago and KansasCity, and Greyhound goes everywhere.

So, now you know that we are central to everything, areasonable idea of mileage, and airlines you can take. So, please tell BlogPawsyou would like to come to either Kansas City or St. Louis, Missouri! We wouldlove to show you our state. As the song says, “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

Wow, St. Louis sounds pretty drivable! And look at that gorgeous picture of the Arch! Mom has always loved flying into St. Louis and seeing the river below her. Now don't you think we should have #MOBlogPaws?

The Sweet Sound of a Midwest #MOBlogPaws

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Many thanks to Sebastian for allowing us to pawticipate yet again in the ongoing campaign to bring BlogPaws to Missouri in 2103.

Reason # 2309675 (or thereabouts):

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Designed by the famous architect Moshe Safdie and in collaboration with renowned acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, this facility was designed to produce near perfect acoustics. Pretty impressive for a midwestern town, huh?

My human knows someone who's been involved in filming the story of its construction and he tells us that there is a magnificent pipe organ designed specifically for this space by the renowned Casavant Frères company.

The organ has 5,000 pipes, partially housed in a secondary building behind the Center that is 4 stories tall. And it took 6 weeks to tune, or "voice" the instrument to the fabulous acoustics of the hall!

The famous architect, Moshe Safdie, had this to say about the design of the building itself:

"The opportunity to design a major new performing arts center was precipitated by two significant decisions: the selection of an extraordinary site...and the decision to construct two dedicated halls for symphony, ballet, opera, and theater.

Each [of the two halls] reads as a distinct volume; metaphorically evoking a musical instrument and visible through the glass shell.

As the natural light changes, so does the building's transparency, reflecting the structure's surroundings and, at the same time, hinting at its interior.

At night, the entire building becomes inverted, displaying all of its interior activities to the community outside."

We think this is another pawesome reason for BlogPaws to be hosted in Missouri. Wouldn't you want to come hear a concert at one of the most acoustically perfect venues in the world?

Featured Furry: Jazz Man

2011-12-01T22:50:00.001-06:00

Oh my cat! I have a doppelganger! His name is Jazz Man and he's a ten year old, very handsome, domestic shorthair mancat. He recently became homeless and is awaiting a new home at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

Unfortunately, his owner lost her home, so Jazz Man, along with his brofur Kiki, had to come to Wayside.

Kiki, Jazz Man's brofur.

Jazz Man is very sweet and loves to be petted. He's a little timid, but will venture out of his kennel in the cat adoption area occasionally to explore. He looks around, then will take cover under a kennel before coming out again. He gets along with other cats, but would probably do well in a quiet home as an only cat, too.

Jazz Man thinking about coming out of his kennel.

If you're thinking about adopting a new family member, Saturday is the Holiday Open House and adoption event at Wayside Waifs called "All I Want for Christmas is You." Starting at 10AM, all pets will be available for adoption for only $25! What a deal! At that price, you could adopt both Jazz Man AND Kiki! Don't forget, all pets adopted will already be current on their shots, be microchipped, and will go home with a 5 pound bag of Science Diet food.

Now, what do you think? Are we twins separated at birth?

That's a couple of good looking cats, right?

Kansas City: City of Fountains

2011-11-28T21:41:00.001-06:00

When you think of the City of Fountains, you probably think of Rome, right? Well guess what? Kansas City, Missouri is called the City of Fountains, too! In fact, KC has the second most fountains of any city in the world, right behind Rome, Italy. Some say that KC actually has more working fountains than Rome.

Many of Kansas City's fountains are located at the Country Club Plaza. You can read what my pals over at A Tonk's Tail had to say about the Plaza in another #MOBlogPaws post, it's a pawsome spot to visit!

The J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain is the most photographed fountain in the city. The four horses are supposed to represent four rivers: the Mississippi, Volga, Rhine, and Seine.

The Neptune Fountain on the Plaza originally came from England and was installed in 1953.

The Bronze Boar has a sign telling visitors to rub his nose and drop a coin. All the coins go to Children's Mercy Hospital.

The Frog Fountain is located at Zona Rosa, another shopping district in Kansas City.

Some of Mom's favorite fountains are at Kauffman Stadium where the Royals play. Called the Water Spectacular, it is the largest privately owned fountain in the United States.

Although Kansas City, Missouri is known for its fountains, the entire metro area has fountains. This is the Lenexa City Hall Fountain, dyed pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They also dye it green for their annual Spinach Festival! It runs 24 hours a day, even in the winter.

My favorite thing about the KC fountains? The first fountains in Kansas City were designed by the Humane Society so that dogs and horses would have fresh water. Sounds like KCMO has been thinking about its animals for a very long time!

You can learn more about the fountains at the City of Fountains Foundation. Wouldn't you love to visit Kansas City? It would be a great location for a Blog Paws Conference if you ask me!

Thankful: Today and Every Day

2011-11-24T10:26:00.001-06:00

Today is my second Thanksgiving with my forever family and things just keep getting better. Every day I appreciate how good I've got it, but today is the day we express our thanks for what we have.

I'm thankful for Mom and Dad. We're a little family and it shows. There's nothing better than when we all cuddle together.

I'm thankful for Wayside Waifs. It's not fun being homeless, but the staff and volunteers at Wayside make it bearable. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have my mom!

I'm thankful for my Greenies. I get them every morning for breakfast and again at night before bedtime. I love Greenies!

I'm thankful for warm blankets on cold days.

I'm also thankful for all of my pals! I appreciate that you take the time to stop and read my little bloggie. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Holiday Season. *pawhugs*

Kansas City: The Fashionable Choice for BlogPaws

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'd like to welcome another guest blogger today, the crew from "A Tonk's Tail"! They're on board with #MOBlogPaws too. Take it away!

First we want to thank Sebastian for letting us be a guest on his blog today!

We’re here to give you another compelling reason why BlogPaws should be hosted in Missouri in 2013.

*chants* MOBlogPaws! MOBlogPaws! MONoloGues!

*shoves the boyz out of the way* Oh bother! If you want The Job done right, get a Woman to do it! Right @MaggieTKat?

Missouri has a little of everything for the enterprising vacationer, and we’re here to tell you today about one more reason you will want to come see us in 2013:

*cue squee* SHOPPING!!

Kansas City is home to The Oldest Shopping Center in the U.S. – The Country Club Plaza.

The Plaza’s 55 acre site was the very first shopping center in the world to be designed to accommodate automobile traffic, and attracts 10 million tourists each year.

*dreamy look* ooooh, and the architecture – soooo romantic! The Old World Spanish and European lines, and the open-air public art gallery with its sculptures, murals and fountains! (*whispers* I do love to wiggle my pink toenails in a nice fountain, I do, and there are TONS of them here!)

But I digress. Did I mention the shopping??? Stores like Anthropologie, Armani Exchange, Kate Spade, H&M, XXI Forever, Tiffany & Co… *sigh….*

And the food, too: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Plaza III, Three Dog Bakery…*giggle* well, I didn't say I was talking about human food exclusively did I?

There's this lovely event in the fall called WaterFire...

It's a live art installation featuring the UMKC Conservatory of Music, the Cirque-style performances of Quixotic Fusion, the Vesuvius Fire Dancers, Irish vocalists and more!

AND…. The Plaza Lights!! *SQUEE!* Miles and miles and miles of holiday lights adorn every rooftop from Thanksgiving Night through mid-January. Isn’t it lovely?

Oh please make Kansas City (or at least Missouri) the BlogPaws destination for 2013! You won’t regret it!

Mom just loves the Plaza! It's one of the places she always had to visit when she would come to KC before she lived here. Thanks for guest blogging for me!

Wordless Wednesday-Chillin' on the Couch

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Bring BlogPaws to Missouri: Equal Time for St. Louis

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, I posted about bringing the BlogPaws conference to Kansas City, Missouri. This week, I'm happy to have a guest blogger to talk about bringing BlogPaws to a different Missouri city, St. Louis. Thanks so much to Wanda Kruse, aka @MaggieTKat's mom, for helping us out with our #MOBlogPaws mission!

I’m Wanda, part of #MOBlogPaws, and I will be highlighting greatthings about St. Louis!

St. Louis is the Gateway to the West, and we celebrate ourgreat city with the incredible Gateway Arch. You can actually ride up the legsof the Arch to an observation point at the top! The Arch grounds and museum arefree, but to the ride to the top requires a paid ticket.

There are lots of free venues, so St. Louis is perfect for afamily trip. We have a great art museum, science center, Anheuser Busch brewerytour, Purina Farms, Grant’s Farm (pay to park), and a wonderful zoo (pay topark). For those who enjoy adult beverages, you can sample beer or soda at boththe Brewery and Grant’s Farm.

We have all sorts of paid attractions, most very reasonable.The Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the country’s premier gardens, andfeatures the largest Japanese garden outside of Japan. Various other sitesinclude the AKC Dog Museum, Museum of Transportation, and of course the Arch.St. Louis is home to 3 sports teams, the Rams, Cardinals, and the Blues.

Anyone love theater and music? There are a number oftheaters and theater groups in the metro area. In the Grand Center Theaterdistrict, you will find the Fabulous Fox which features Broadway touringcompany musicals. Across the street you will find Powell Hall, home for the St.Louis Symphony. Other venues include Stages St. Louis and the RepertoryTheater. Concerts can be found at the Scottrade Center and the Verizon WirelessAmphitheater by checking ticketing companies.

I love living in St. Louis. I can get anywhere in under 30minutes from where I live. We have some of the cheapest gasoline in the Midwest!St. Louis is often described as a big little city. I have barely scratched thesurface, so I invite you to come and experience my town for yourselves!

Wow, Wanda! St. Louis sounds amazing! How will anyone be able to decide which city should get the BlogPaws conference? As much as Mom loves KC, she wants to visit St. Louis, too.

Check back again next Monday when we will take a closer look at one of Kansas City's attractions!

Featured Furry: Phylo

2011-11-10T17:14:00.001-06:00

This week's Featured Furry is a senior kitty named Phylo. Poor guy has really had his world turned upside down. He had lived with his family for 10 1/2 years when he was surrendered to Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. Unfortunately, one of his humans is battling leukemia and the doctors said it would be best if there were no cats in the home. So, Phylo is now at Wayside looking for a new home.

Phylo is about 11 1/2 years old and is a rather large domestic shorthair cat weighing in at 22 pounds. He's pretty laid back and isn't much into playing. He would make a great pal for someone who wants a cat to keep them company around the house. He doesn't get along with other cats, so he'd like to be the only kitty in the family.

Mom and I talked about it and we don't think the doctors were right in this case. We think both Phylo and his human are worse off for not being together during this difficult time. Unfortunately, that's the way things are now. Phylo looks pretty depressed and really, why wouldn't he be? I hope that his stay at Wayside is as short as possible and that he finds a caring family that will understand his situation.

Keep in mind, November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month. Petfinder.com has a great article outlining the Ten Reasons Senior Cats Rule. Take a look at the article, then come over and meet Phylo. He'd like a chance to get to know you and show you himself why he'd make a great addition to your family.

Wordless Wednesday: Cattle Dog of Wal-Mart

2011-11-09T22:16:00.002-06:00

Bring BlogPaws to Missouri!

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Mom has attended two BlogPaws conferences: BlogPaws West in Denver, September 2010 and BlogPaws 2011 in the Washington, D.C. area. The next conference will be in Salt Lake City in 2012. I am now going to start a campaign to bring the 2013 conference to the midwest, specifically Kansas City, Missouri.

J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, a Kansas City landmark.

I live in the Kansas City metro area, on the Kansas side of the state line. It's a great place and I think it would be the perfect place for a conference like BlogPaws. You might think I'm biased because I live here, but other people think KC is an awesome place too! Check out this article from the September issue of Wild Blue Yonder magazine featuring KC and many of its unique offerings. You'll get to hear more about some of these places in upcoming blog posts (this is a full campaign!) from me, Mom and other local Kansas Citians who love this city passionately.

And there's more! Frommer's recently named Kansas City as a Top Destination for 2012. Why wouldn't the BlogPaws crew want to come to a Top Destination? Not only is it a top destination, it's a convenient destination! We're in the middle of the country, so we're easy to get to, whether it is by flying or driving. According to the website travelnotes.org, from KC to Dallas/Ft. Worth it is about 510 miles. To Denver or Columbus it's about 610 miles. To Chicago it's about 540 miles.

I hope you stay tuned for all of the upcoming posts and I hope you jump on board with team #MoBlogPaws. KCMO has a lot to offer and I would love to share it with all of my blogging buddies!

Heavy Hearts for Jack the Cat

2011-11-06T18:03:00.000-06:00

Me and Mom are very saddened to hear that Jack the Cat went Over the Rainbow Bridge today.

We were sending lots of prayers when he was lost that he would be found. When he finally was, we were thrilled. He got more prayers from us while he was undergoing treatment and we thought that he was on the road to recovery.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He was just too sick to make it. We now send prayers to him, his human Karen, and all those that fell in love with him over this journey.

We know that the Rainbow Bridge is a beautiful place to be and he will wait for Karen without any more suffering.

Featured Furry: Stitch

2011-11-03T16:37:00.000-05:00

Oh my cat! Mom can't stop talking about Stitch! He's a five-year-old Siamese mix available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. She keeps saying things like "He's such a lover!" and "He gives the best hugs!" Well, I beg to differ since I'm the sweetest, cuddliest cat in the world, but it's hard to argue with Mom when she has found a new shelter love.

Stitch has quite a story. He was transferred to Wayside from a smaller shelter that didn't have the resources to give him the care that he needed. He was in pretty bad shape, possibly having been attacked by another animal. The other shelter sewed him up, but by the time he got to Wayside, the wounds were opening up and had to be tended to again. He had stitches around his neck and running down and under his right arm. The awesome V-E-Ts at Wayside got him all fixed up and sent him to foster to heal properly.

Let me tell ya, now that he's all better, he hasn't let those old injuries turn him sour. When a volunteer opens the door to his kennel, he gets up and wraps his paws around their neck, nuzzling their face and purring like crazy! Of course, Mom is a sap and eats it all up.

Now, being a cat, when Stitch is done with all that nuzzling and hugging business, he lets you know. He's not shy about telling you when enough is enough so of course all his cuddling is done on HIS terms. Another thing, Stitch isn't fond of children, so he would be best as a pet in an adult home.

If you think Stitch would be a good match for you, go meet him at Wayside Waifs. You'll at least get a hug out of the trip!

UPDATE 11/5/11: STITCH WENT TO HIS FOREVER HOME TODAY! CONGRATS STITCH!!

Halloween At My House

2011-10-30T20:22:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad decorated the house for Halloween. We never have trick-or-treaters, so the decorations are just for us and the neighbors.

Our Front Door

Our Deck

Black Cat in the Office Window

Ghost in the Bedroom Window

The First of the Decorations on the Table

Electric Jack-O-Lantern

Halloween Arrangement

Bat in the Living Room

Halloween Kitty Nutcracker

Final Table Decorations

Not only were there decorations and candy for Mom and Dad, but I got a treat too! I got a compressed nip pumpkin!

I didn't even have to say trick-or-treat!

Stay safe on Halloween, pals! I'm going to roll around on my nip pumpkin now.

Food For Less Fortunate Kitties

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mama had BAGS AND BAGS of kibble sitting around last night. I just had to check it out.

It smelled really good, but I didn't open any of the bags. Still, Mom scolded me. "No, Sebastian, that's not for you. Get out of those bags. That food is for less fortunate kitties."

Mom explained that Chain of Hope was out of cat food and needed donations to take to the kitties they help out on the streets. She said it's getting cold and there were kitties who lived outside all the time. It's hard for me to believe that there are kitties who don't have a warm bed to sleep in at night, but I'm glad that there are nice people like Chain of Hope to make things a little better for them.

If you can donate to Chain of Hope, please do so. They're out there, in the streets, day after day, helping less fortunate animals. Follow them on Facebook and you can learn about what they do. They're a great group!

Featured Furry: Fast Forward

2011-10-27T22:37:00.000-05:00

This week's Featured Furry has a funny name: Fast Forward. He is 9 years old and was admitted to Wayside Waifs as a stray. He was quite matted when he arrived, so he had to have a haircut, but I'm sure his full coat is beautiful!

He has a cool little crinkly ear too. It really adds character, don't you think?

He's very friendly and loves to be petted. He will need to be groomed to keep his long coat in tip-top shape, but that's just another way to have some quality time together!

Check out his video on his page and you'll see Mom petting him and talking about him. She just better not think about bringing him home!

UPDATE: Fast Forward has gone to his forever home!

Wordless (Whisker) Wednesday: Earl

2011-10-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

Featured Furry: Encore Presentation of Jellybean and Veronica

2011-10-20T19:11:00.000-05:00

Back in August I introduced you to a pair of kitties who need to be adopted together, Jellybean and Veronica. Well, they're still waiting for their forever home!

This weekend, they have their chance to find the perfect family. Wayside Waifs in Kansas City is having a special promotion called "Find Your Boo" starting tomorrow at 2 PM. During this event, all pet adoption fees will be HALF PRICE!

Surely this will be the weekend when these two lovely kitties get to move out of the shelter and live in a real home!

Jellybean and Mom's newest tattoo, modeled after the black beauty on her lap!

Veronica. Doesn't she have the most amazing whiskers?

If you're looking to add a pet to your home, this is the time to do it! How can you beat a deal like half price adoptions? Even if these gals aren't the right fit for you, stop by and say hi to them, and tell them Sebastian sent ya!

Wordless Wednesday: Mommy's Protector

2011-10-19T22:24:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: My New Bed

2011-10-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

Book Review: Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund by Blaize Clement

2011-10-10T23:37:00.003-05:00

Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund is the second installment in the Dixie Hemingway Mystery series by the late Blaize Clement. In the series, Dixie, a former law enforcement officer is now a pet sitter in Sarasota, Florida. During her pet sitting duties, she finds herself discovering dead bodies and ending up in the middle of theinvestigation.

In this book, Dixie is walking a dachshund when the dog finds a body. Dixie is once again in the middle of the case, at times working with Lieutenant Guidry who is handsome (probably not as handsome as me) and a bit mysterious. Dixie, not able to fully escape her law enforcement past, begins asking questions and ends up being chased by a psychopathic killer.

This was a pretty good book, but my one complaint is there were dogs in it but no cats! *sigh* There better be cats in the next book!

Speaking of the next book, I plan on reading the entire series. There is going to be one more Dixie Hemingway Mystery published (the seventh installment) that Ms. Clement wrote before her passing. After that, it is planned that her son will carry on the series. I hope he writes about cats.

Featured Furry: Jasmine

2011-10-06T19:31:00.000-05:00

There's a quiet girl at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City who is waiting for her forever home. Jasmine is a 3 year old domestic shorthair. Most often, you'll find her on a shelf in Meow Mansion, minding her own business. She's rather shy, so you have to approach her slowly. Once she's comfortable with you, she enjoys being petted.

Don't those eyes just speak to you?

One thing she really likes is playing with a wand toy. Volunteer Kathryn commented that once after playing with her, Jasmine was very affectionate. She must have felt much more relaxed after a good play session!

Jasmine's Glamour Shot. Picture by Cathy Sherman.

Mom thinks that Jasmine may have been feral-did you notice that her left ear is tipped? It just might take a little extra time for her to settle in somewhere if she's lived on her own her whole life. She's been at Wayside for about 3 months now, so she's experienced the love and caring of lots of people though. Hopefully that will make the transition into a family easier!

Bissell Stomp 'N Go Product Review

2011-10-05T00:12:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have read my tweet on Monday about my barfisode on the newly cleaned carpets. I haven't had a barfisode in quite a while, so I thought it was about time and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to break in the clean carpet! So, I nommed on a grass plant on the deck then I puked in two seperate places in the hallway.

WARNING: GRAPHIC GROSSNESS TO FOLLOW

Luckily, Mom had a couple of these new Bissell Stomp 'N Go pads handy.

She wiped up most of each barfisode, then put down a pad on each spot, pressing down on the plastic backing that kept her foot from getting wet. The directions say to leave on the spot for at least 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours), so after half an hour Mom checked, but the stains were still there. She put the pads back down and left them on for a total of an hour and a half. She picked them back up again, threw the pads in the trash, and waited for the spots to dry.

After the carpet dried, Dad vacuumed the hallway (Mom and I hid in the office with the door closed, neither one of us like the sound of the vacuum). Here are the final results:

The first stain, the bigger of the two, is completely gone! Mom isn't even sure if this is the exact spot where I puked because it came out so well!

The second, smaller stain is still a little visible, kind of a darker spot on the carpet. (By the way, Mom wants to point out that the big dark area on the left of the picture is just a shadow.) Mom thinks if she had left the pad down longer on this stain, it would have come out as well as the larger stain.

Final verdict: Pretty good product! Mom likes the convenience of the pads. They are individually wrapped and there's no elbow grease involved. Just throw them on the spot, plastic backing up, and press down with your foot. Walk away for a while, then throw the pad away.

We received two Stomp 'N Go pads free from Bissell. This in no way influenced our review of the product. The opinions stated in this review are our honest thoughts on the product. In fact, Mom is going to buy a box to have on hand for my next barfisode!

Featured Furry: Bandit

2011-09-29T17:31:00.000-05:00

Mom has been telling me about Bandit, a six year old male cat available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. She says he's a very nice boy, but people just don't know about him because he's not in the Cat Adoption area at Wayside.

He's not hidden away because he's been bad or anything-he's quite loving and playful actually! It's just that, well, Bandit likes to think of himself as the only cat. In the world. Ever.

Bandit definitely needs to be a single cat in his new forever home. But with him, one cat is all you need! He'll be happy to snuggle with you or sit on your lap. He'll follow you around the house and keep you company. When you're ready for a good game of "Kitty Fishing" just bring out the wand toy and he'll be ready to chase it!

If you're interested in meeting Bandit, just tell one of the nice people at Wayside that you want to meet him and that he's in the CAT room. Oh, and tell them Sebastian sent you!

Wordless Wednesday: The Aftermath of Guinea Pig Grooming

2011-09-28T14:11:00.000-05:00

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: It's A Wrap!

2011-09-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #17 in a series. You can read post #18 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Well, pals, we've reached the end of Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week. I hope that you've kept up with all the posts here and over at Ryker's blog. We've covered a lot of issues that might make cats seem less adoptable, but hopefully we've given you lots of reasons to overlook those issues and see all the benefits to taking one of these kitties into your home.

Remember, just because we blogged about these pets this week, doesn't mean that there aren't pets like these waiting for homes all year long. There will always be a homeless pet that's just a little different, but they will give just as much love as any other pet you adopt. They will be likely to linger in shelters, however. Give them another look when you're trying to decide who will be your next family member. If you're not sure if your shelter has one of these "less adoptable" pets, ask a volunteer or staff member if they have a hard to place pet. They will be more than happy to direct you to one of these animals and will tell you all the things that make him special.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Alex the Wobbly Cat

2011-09-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #15 in the series. You can read post #16 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is Bonnie Still who leads the Feline Comfort Crew at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. All the kitties tell her their special requests. She's going to share about Alex, who was adopted despite being "less-adoptable."

For 1 week, I fostered a 10 month old kitten namedAlex. He had been surrendered to WaysideWaifs in Kansas City, Missouri because his owner had to move. Before I met Alex, one of the ladies I workwith told me I would immediately fall in love with him, but did not mentionanything “different” about him.

Photo by Bonnie Still.

Alex was in the C.A.T. room (Cats Awaiting Transition), oneof the rooms new cats are housed until they are ready to move to the adoptionfloor. I walked in and said hello to allthe cats, including Alex. I didn’tnotice anything “different” about him, he was lying down watchingeverything. My co-worker had said Alexwas fine to be let out into the room, so when it came time to clean his kennel,I opened the door, and out walked this shaky, wobbly, kitten. I then looked at his paperwork and saw thathe had Cerebellar Hypoplasia aka Wobbly-Cat Syndrome. The vets told me Alex’s condition was mild.

Definition of Cerebellar Hypoplasia adaptedfrom Wikipedia

Symptoms

Usually symptoms of cerebellar hypoplasia can be seen immediately at birthin cats, but sometimes can take two months or so to become apparent in dogs.Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generallyuncoordinated motion. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking.Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease.

Causes

There are several bacterial infections and viral infections such as felinepanleukopenia, caused by feline parvovirus,[1] that can result in the disorderin both cats and dogs. However, the disease can also be caused by malnutrition,poisoning, injury or general accidents during development in the fetus.

Prognosis

The disease does not get better or worse with age, but the cat or dog canusually learn to somewhat compensate for it and should have a normal lifespan.Most afflicted animals can lead a fairly normal life if special considerationsfor the animal's disability are taken by the pet's owner.

I had seen much younger kittens with CH at the shelterbefore, but this was the first time I’d seen an older cat/kitten. For some reason, this made me more emotionaltowards a cat than normal. Maybe it wasbecause he wasn’t a stray that had been brought in, but someone had owned him,and gave him up.

I watched Alex walking around the room. I realized he was wobbliest when he firstcame out of his kennel, but as he continued to move around, it lessened. I picked him up and snuggled right into me,purring and making biscuits (kneading with his paws). Yep, I fell in love completely.

Photo by Bonnie Still.

The following day, I found out that before Alex could moveto the adoption floor, we had to know for certain that he could use hislitterbox consistently. I offered tofoster him, and within a few days, I was able to take him home with me.

Alex did very well in my home, using the litterboxconsistently and properly. He enjoyedsnuggle time and play time. It was a newexperience for me. I was used toallowing a cat to go wherever s/he wanted in our basement, but I couldn’t dothat with Alex unless I was there to supervise him. He was not afraid or timid of anything, I wasthe one constantly worrying! Nothingstopped Alex. When he first saw the stairs, his eyes lit up. He was cautious at first, and then became soconfident that I had to stop him before he would overdo it and possibly hurthimself – he was not happy with me for that.

I had researched CH and found a fantastic yahoo groupdevoted to CH cats. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/chkittyclub/ These cat owners are phenomenal! I was blown away by their passion for thesecats, and the extremes they would go to for them to have a safe, comfortable,loving home. They offered so manywonderful tips. One of the mostimportant ones I probably never would have thought of – CH cats can not havetheir nails trimmed short – they need them to pull themselves up ontofurniture.

Our last day together in my home, I brought him upstairsinto our den. I watched him shakilyreach up to look out the window, and then pull himself up onto the futon tocurl up next to me for a nap. That isone of the sweetest fostering moments I have had and will always cherish.

I love all the cats that I have fostered, but there isdefinitely a special place in my heart just for Alex. He taught me to not feel sorry for him, butto encourage and help him. I alsolearned it takes a special person to adopt a CH cat.

Thank you Alex, for allowing me to be a small part of yourlife. Alex was adopted a few weeks afterbeing fostered!

Thank you, Ms. Bonnie for telling us about Alex and CH. I bet you miss him, but you helped him find his forever home by sharing yours with him for a week.

CH kitties need a little more supervision, but an experienced cat owner could be a great match for a wobbly cat. Please consider these special kitties when looking for your next family member!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Chronic "Cold & Flu"

2011-09-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #13 in a series. You can read post #14 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is none other than Ryker's mom, Lisa Richman from A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale... and Mom's partner in crime at Wayside Waifs. She's going to share about Arnet, a kitty with calicivirus.

Meet Arnet, a 3 month old darling who’ll purr herway straight to your heart! Arnet wasalmost adopted a few days ago…until they learned she had just recovered fromcalicivirus.

Photo by Cathy Sherman.

Calici is one of two viruses responsible for mostupper respiratory infections, or “kitty colds,” in cats. (The second is felineherpes virus or FHV-1.)

Don’t blame the adopters – this time. They have anolder cat undergoing treatment for cancer. In their case, with an older cat whohas a compromised immune system, it was the right thing to do.

But most cats have healthy immune systems. And manycats have not only been exposed to calicivirus, they’ve been vaccinated againstit as well. Responsible cat ownerscontinue to vaccinate against it annually.

Every feline wellness exam includes FVRCP, the corevaccine that inoculates kitties against both calici and FHV-1. And while it can’tguarantee your cat won’t ever catch the kitty flu, it’s a good way to ensurethat any upper respiratory infection they come down with is much milder.

Does this make Arnet less adoptable? Yes.

Arnet taking a break from a play session.

A responsible shelter has to provide full disclosureto any potential adopter, and that full disclosure includes the fact that a catinfected with calicivirus can become a lifelong carrier. And those are scarywords to the uninformed.

Here’s what those words don’t mean.

They don’t mean a cat like Arnet is contagious allthe time.

Infact, barring any stress in this young lady’s life, it’s possible she’ll nevershow signs of calici again. Usuallyafter the age of three these kinds of infections are mild or asymptomatic,according to one feline medical journal.

However,things happen. A move to a new home. The introduction of a new pet – or a child– to the family. Disruption in routine. These stressers could cause Arnet’scalicivirus to flare up. If she were to get sick again, then it’s important thatArnet see a vet…for the same reasons you’d take your child to see a doctor ifshe came down with the flu.

Andjust like the flu, calicivirus symptoms can include a runny, snotty nose,sneezing, lethargy, a fever, achy joints and disinterest in food. Like yourchild, you’ll want to push the liquids, make sure they stay warm and rested,and get plenty of good things to eat. Unlike your child, you can’t exactlytell a cat she needs to eat and drink more! Food doesn’t taste as flavorfulwhen your nose is all stuffy whether you’re human or feline…so warming it a bitmay help entice her to eat.

Ispeak from experience. If you’ve read my blog on deaf cats at A Tonk’sTail…err, Tale… then you’ve met Maxwell and heard about his early run-in withear infections. What I didn’t mention in my blog was that poor Maxie also camedown with calicivirus in the middle of it all! (Have you ever heard a snottycat purr? *purr SKRANKKKK purr SKRANKKKK*Kinda noisy…) But today he’s hale & hearty, and my vet’s not a bit worriedabout our other cats contracting it.

Bottom line: do whatyou can to educate potential adopters. Often it’s the unknown that’s theboogeyman in the closet. Shed a little light on medical conditions likecalicivirus and FHV-1 and help adopters understand it’s not something theynecessarily need to shy away from.

I have great news! Arnet went to her forever home yesterday! She was adopted by a Wayside Waifs volunteer who has renamed her Cloe. What a lucky girl! There are other kitties out there like Arnet though. Make sure everyone knows that calicivirus doesn't have to be a reason to NOT adopt a cat.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Divas

2011-09-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #11 in the series. You can read post #12 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

I welcome Michelle Cour as guest blogger once again.

Hey there, Halley here! My name was formerly Luna because I had acrescent moon shaped patch of light fur on my dark fur. One of mom’s roommatesused to call me Lunatic and unfortunately the name fit, so I had to get myattitude adjusted and stop being such a diva. I whined a lot at the shelter andwanted tons of attention from everyone, but nobody wanted me. I missed myfamily I had for 11 years and had to come to Wayside Waifs because my owner hadto report for basic training. It would be fair to say I was rather cranky, andsome people called me a diva.

Photo by Michelle Cour.

I’m Hannah (formerly Josie). I loved free time out of mykennel and I’d purr like crazy for anyone who took me out and gave me loving,but then I’d swat them when it was time to put me back. I didn’t get it that mybehavior discouraged them from letting me out, which I loved. The worst waswhen I slapped a nice lady who fed and cared for me because I was mad shebrought kittens to live next door to me. I wasn’t getting enough attentionalready, and kittens are huge competition for a scrawny 10 year old like me. Iwasn’t very friendly and made little effort to meet adopters. Lots of peoplecalled me a holy terror.

Photo by Michelle Cour.

I’m mom. I adopted these two. They needed and deserved ahome, and I knew their behavior was most likely due to the stress of living inthe shelter so long, more than 6 months. Halley was 11, a tortoiseshell whichmany people don’t find attractive, and black too; 3 strikes against her. Hannahalso a senior was skinny and swatty. I’m an experienced cat owner so took achance knowing life in a shelter can turn even the sweetest cat into a diva. Hannahhas only swatted me once, more than a year ago. Halley whines far less oftenand learned to share my attention with Hannah and Harrison, my male cat. We’re all good!

No happy ending so far for Annabella, who’s available foradoption at Wayside Waifs. She’s also 10 and wouldn’t have been given up butfor the failing health of her owner. She’s an example of a cat who sometimesbehaves like a diva, but actually is a very nice cat. She acts territorialabout her kennel, (hey, it’s all she has left after losing her person and herhome) so is particular about who can visit her at her kennel and how theyinteract. She also doesn’t like the Comfort Crew changing her litter orcleaning the kennel. She hangs out in the sunroom while they work and grouches ifthey put her back in her kennel. If they leave the door open, she goes back inon her own, especially if they leave a few dry treats for her.

Photo by Cathy Sherman.

I’dencourage anyone who’s an experienced cat owner and open minded to consider Annabella.It’s tough on some cats, with different volunteers and adopters walking throughall the time. It’s too busy and noisy a place for some, so they can begin to actout. When our “diva” cats go to their forever homes, we almost always get anote or email how the cat’s personality changed once they got in a stable quietplace with a person of their very own. And the adopters? So happy they chosethem.

I sure hope somebody adopts Annabella from Wayside Waifs very soon! Too much time in a shelter can make any cat a little grumpy, but once you get settled into your forever home, you start enjoying life a whole lot more!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Diabetic Cats

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #9 in the series. You can read post #10 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Once again, I welcome Kathryn Bloomer, volunteer at Wayside Waifs. She spoke with Jason, a diabetic kitty who went from a very sick kitty to thriving and enjoying life.

Jason the Argonaut here. I'm one of those shelter cat success stories that you sometimes hear about. I came to Wayside Waifs as an elderly stray in September of 2010. I was very thin, very loving, but unfortunately I turned out to be diabetic. I had won the hearts of everyone who met me, and they were going to try to treat the diabetes, but bad turned to worse when my frequent upper respiratory infections became systemic. Not a good prognosis for a shelter kitty.

Jason on his first night home with his foster mom, October 2010. Photo by Sarah Dieterle.

I was pretty sick by then, but one of the vet clinic staff decided to foster me, to give me a good end of life experience. My life expectancy at that point was a couple of weeks. But, enterprising woman that she is, Sarah my foster mom decided to treat the diabetes and the systemic infection while she had me. First she tried several antibiotics to find one that worked for me. And, just like for human diabetes, my new mom learned how to give me insulin shots, how to test my blood sugar to make sure I was okay for the insulin shot, and how to track how the insulin was affecting my blood sugar. I even got to go on a diabetic friendly low-carb diet. You can't go wrong with high protein for a cat!

And guess what. After about a month of insulin and antibiotics, I was doing a lot better. My URI symptoms resolved and my blood sugar began to reach more normal levels. Finally, I didn't even need the insulin any longer. I was officially an in-remission diabetic.

Jason in May 2011. Photo by Sarah Dieterle.

And here I am, a year later, still a kitty to be reckoned with. My foster mom officially adopted me last December. I was a calendar kitty for our 2011 calendar, and you can see from my photo how good I look now. Although I'm in remission, I still am, and always will be a diabetic, and there is always the possibility that I might go back on insulin at some point. But I just wanted to let you know that you CAN deal with us diabetic kitties. I may be old and sometimes bratty, but I'm a dearly loved miracle kitty. Thank you so much to my foster mom Sarah. Like her, maybe you, too, will someday make a difference in the life of a less adoptable shelter cat.

Thanks Kathryn and Jason! And special thanks to Jason's mom Sarah for making such a difference in the life of a shelter cat! Just because a cat has special health needs, it doesn't mean they should be overlooked at the shelter.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Bombay the Black Cat

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #7 in the series. You can read post #8 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is, once again, Michelle Cour. She spoke with Bombay, a three year old cat available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

Hi, I’m Bombay and I’m an all blackdomestic shorthair cat. As cute as I am, you’d think I’d have found a home bynow, but I’m still stuck at the shelter. We black cats have a really hard timefinding families. Some people never got over that old superstition of blackcats and witches (witches, really? – this is the 21^st century,folks). Some people may have been outside when it’s dark and one of us walkedin front of them. Scared them too; not because we’re snarly or evil, they justgot startled they didn’t see us coming. And some folks believe that deal aboutgood guys - white hats, bad guys - black hats. It wasn’t true for cowboys and it ain’t true for cats neither! Thanksfor letting me vent. I needed that! Ahem…

Okay, Iadmit sometimes it’s hard to see details of our pretty faces clearly. A blacknose no matter how cute doesn’t stand out very well against black fur. Andunless our photographer takes us into a sunny room for our photo shoot, youreally don’t see all the beautiful coppery brown tones in our fur and underfur.Gorgeous! You’d pay hundreds of dollars for highlights like this at the salon, ladies!So please, next time you’re shopping for a cat, please consider us.

Here are thetop 10 reasons to own a black cat:

10. You can always find your black cat in the snow. For Florida, easy to find on any light colored surfacesuch as carpeting or the beach.

9. Black goes witheverything and it’s a powerful color. It's true. You know it. We knowit. You've got your black power suit, your little black dress, best black heelsetc.

8. Black cats look like little panthers.Their regal breeding is very apparent under their sleek blackcoats.

7. A black cat will match anydécor. You won't have to redecorate your house to coordinate with your cat.They go with gold brocade, white velvet, pink moiré etc.

6. Black is beautiful.There's deep auburn black, blue black, the black with tiny white highlights,sleek black, fluffy black, the black with bunny-soft fur, you get the idea.

5. Black is slimming. Hold a black cat on your lap and you look 10pounds thinner.

4. Black cats have more fun. You only thoughtit was blondes that had more fun, look at their black roots.

3. Blackcats try harder to make up for the image they somehow got of being scary orevil. We’re nothing like that. We go overboard to be as affectionate and lovingas any fluffy white, pink-nosed bunny kitty could be.

2. Loveknows no color! Black cats don’t care what color YOUR hair is! Turninggrey or falling out? Fine with us.

And the # 1 reason to adopt a black cat is that Black Catsare the least likely to get adopted! Weneed you. You seem like a really nice person reading about us, kind andopen-minded. So come meet a few of us and take one or two home today.Otherwise, I’ll have to put an evil spell on you. Just kidding!

Thanks Bombay and thanks again Michelle! So many great reasons to adopt a black cat. If you're not in the Kansas City area to give Bombay a forever home, there are always plenty of black cats to choose from in your area.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Jaguar

2011-09-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #5 in the series. You can read post #6 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is Kathryn Bloomer. She's the hostess with the mostess for the kitty parties during the mornings at Wayside Waifs. She spoke with Jaguar who is available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. This is what he had to say about his situation:

Hi, I’m Jaguar and I’m a 12-year-old shelter cat. That makes me a senior cat, and it’s not easybeing a senior shelter cat, because, well, seems like everyone wants a kitten. But we seniors have our attractions as well,the first being – we’re not kittens! Nocurtain climbing, no screaming banshee raids from room to room, no sudden ankleattacks – well, not usually. We seniorcats know how to savor life one dignified step at a time.

I can tell you from experience that shelter life isn’t easyfor us seniors. For one thing, being asenior is a little like having a hangover 24/7. You know – everything hurts, you hate bright lights and loud noises,you’re a little cranky, the brain is a little fuzzy, you don’t want to have tolearn anything new, you don’t move very fast, and most of all you just want togo home and go to bed. So we senior cats are usually to be found napping.

We senior cats might act a little depressed here at theshelter, missing the old life maybe. And if we look a little scruffy, well, sometimesit’s hard to get excited about grooming when surrounded by a new environment,new faces, and the occasional noisy visitor who likes to poke us to see ifwe’ll respond. Just ask my friendAnnabella about the visitor who kept poking at her just to see her slap at him. “Oh, I like to box with cats – theyenjoy it!” the guy said. Grrrr. Is it any wonder that we get a little swattysometimes?

But just because we might get a little grouchy at theshelter doesn’t mean we will stay that way. I mean, you get cranky at work sometimes don’t you? And then you like to go home to the cozysanctuary of your home? It’s like thatfor us, too. We just want to go to aquiet, cozy home, where we can nuzzle you in peace, climb into your lap, andgive you the loving that you deserve. Then we will blossom. We will geta new spring in our step, take extra care in our grooming and probably look andact years younger.

I’ve heard some visitors say that older cats don’t bond aswell to new people. Excuse me? I don’t know about you, but when I meet thatspecial someone, I don’t care how old I am, I’m gonna love on them like crazy –make up for lost time, you know?

It takes a special person to adopt a senior cat. I may not have as many years left as theyounger cats, but we indoor cats have pretty long life spans – 16, 18, maybe 22or 23. And then after I’m gone, thatwill make room for another sweet kitty in your life.

How will you know that I’m the senior kitty for you? Just come and visit me. I’ll look up into your eyes, and you’ll know…you’llknow.

Thank you Kathryn and Jaguar! I can understand where Jaguar is coming from. When Mom adopted me I was 7 years old. Not elderly, but certainly not a kitten. She saw the benefits of adopting an older cat and we have lived in harmony ever since!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Snowflake

2011-09-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is post #3 in the series. You can read post #4 at A Tonk's Tail...err, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is Michelle Cour, one of the dedicated volunteers at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. Michelle is known for getting the inside scoop from the Wayside kitties. She spoke with Snowflake, a two year old male, domestic shorthair, FIV+ cat available for adoption, and has relayed his story for me.

Hello

My name is Snowflake and I’ll bet you can guess why if you look at my photo. Yep, all white with beautiful blue eyes, very soulful people say. I’ve had kind of a hard life living on the streets getting bitten by another stray, and having to find food where I could. Things are better now with regular meals, medical care and nice people to talk to and play with me. But I could really use a permanent home.

The one challenge to quickly finding me a family is that I’m FIV positive. Don't be a scaredy cat! Many people don’t understand it and are afraid, so let me explain a little. It’s not a death sentence for me and doesn’t require expensive meds to keep it under control as is often needed with the human form, HIV. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is an active viral infection causing an increased susceptibility to other infections. I can live a long healthy life if you take me to the vet if I develop an infection, like respiratory or urinary tract, easily curable with low cost antibiotics.

FIV isn’t communicable to dogs or humans; only to other cats through bites, not through sharing food or water dishes. If you would like a cat and have none, I’d be a super sweet and special friend, so come meet me today! In fact, why not take me and one of the other FIV positive cats too? Two is always more fun than one. Also, cats who test positive can develop neutralizing antibodies and clear the infection. Yep, it's true, so I should be retested about 3 months after the initial test that confirmed my FIV positive diagnosis. I might be just fine. Please come meet me. You won’t regret it and you’ll be my hero forever.

Until later!

Snowflake

Thank you Michelle and Snowflake! I hope they cleared up any confusion about FIV+ cats and their adoptability. If we get information out about FIV, more people would probably adopt cats like Snowflake.

I hope you consider an FIV+ cat the next time you're in the market for a new family member. If your local shelter has any FIV+ cats, please help spread this message:

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week 2011

2011-09-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is the first in a series. You can read Post #2 here.

It's that time of year again! Petfinder has designated September 17-25 "Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week." What makes a pet "less adoptable"? There could be many factors: special needs, blindness/deafness, FIV+, black coats, or advanced age. Sometimes, these pets linger in the shelter, waiting for the right family to come along and adopt them.

This week, I'm going to turn my blog over to some guest bloggers to help spotlight some different pets who are, for one reason or another, less adoptable. I'm teaming up with my pals over at A Tonk's Tail...err, Tale... and together we'll share the stories of pets who, on the surface, might not seem very adoptable, but once you get to know them, you will learn that they make great additions to the family.

Also, as a look back, you can check out my posts from last year's Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week. Last year I posted about both cats and dogs, but this year I will focus on cats because, well, there are a lot of "less adoptable" cats to talk about! You probably have a few "less adoptable" cats at your local shelter, too, so be sure to give them a second look if you're thinking about adopting.

My Adoption Story

2011-09-10T16:11:00.000-05:00

This post is my entry into the BlogPaws Blog Carnival Contest sponsored by BISSELL Homecare, Inc.

I had been surrendered by my family to a Kansas City area shelter. They said I was an "attention hog". They said I was jealous of the other cats in the house. They said the recent move upset me.

I was lonely and sad living in the hug room at the shelter. The volunteers were very kind to me though. One in particular, named Cat, loved me a lot and was thinking about adopting me. Another volunteer had the same thoughts. That volunteer came back the day after we first met and told me she was taking me home with her! That volunteer is now my Mom. I felt a little bad, because Cat was so nice, but things have worked out beautifully.

See, Mom needed me as much as I needed her. She was living in a new city and was all alone. She didn't have any friends or family nearby. She works from home, so she didn't even have any coworkers to talk to. She was lonely and sad living in her little apartment.

When I moved in, we took away the loneliness for each other. She let me start my Twitter account and my blog. We started meeting people and anipals online. A lot of those online friends have turned into real life friends. Mom lets me know everyday that I am loved and I do the same for her. Life is much brighter for both of us now.

These days, Mom and I blog about adopting pets. It's more than giving a homeless pet a home. Sometimes it can really turn someone's life around. It did for Mom...and for me.

Featured Furry: Butter

2011-09-08T19:02:00.000-05:00

I usually focus on pets that are harder to adopt or have been at Wayside Waifs for a long time, but this week I'm going to post about...

A KITTEN!

This is Butter. He is 4 months old and cute as can be. That's the problem. If he doesn't get adopted VERY SOON Mom is going to bring him home. He's the kind of cat she always talks about. She seems to think that orange striped cats are cool. She's also fascinated by polydactyl cats. Guess what? Yup. Butter has thumbs.

Thank goodness he doesn't have freckles on his nose; he would have moved in last night. So please, help me out here. Get Butter adopted quickly. I'm sure tons of families would love a 4 month old, male, polydactyl, orange tabby kitten. Get him out of Wayside before Mom does something silly and adopts him. I'm an only kitty type of guy. I can't share my Mom with Butter-I can barely share her with Dad!

Wordless Wednesday: Our New Neighbor

2011-09-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

Tuna Juice!

2011-09-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad are going to the zoo today. In order to save money, they take a little picnic with them. Since Mom made tuna salad for the sandwiches, that means that I got the tuna juice!

I don't like most people food (which is probably a good thing since I have such a sensitive tummy) but I do enjoy tuna juice! I don't drink it all in one sitting, instead I drink a little bit then save the rest for later. (I do that with my Greenies treats sometimes too. I like to have a couple left to eat later.)

Having the tuna juice almost makes up for the fact that Mom and Dad are going to leave me by myself for a while today. Almost.

Product Review: CatIt Self Groomer with Catnip

2011-09-04T22:14:00.000-05:00

Last month I posted about some gifts Mom took to the kitties at Wayside. Those toys came from Big Apple Pet Supply @BigApplePet and Steven Spitz aka @veganpetman. Because Mr. Spitz is such a cool guy and he knew I wasn't going to get to play with the toys, he threw in a little something for me! He sent me a self groomer made by CatIt.

It comes with the frame that attaches to any flat or corner surface (Mom picked a corner for mine), plastic bristles, sticky mounting strips and my favorite part of all, CATNIP!

Mom put it all together (with my help-that catnip smelled soooo good!) and put it on a corner between the dining room and the kitchen where I already like to rub up against the wall. There weren't many directions, but after looking at it for a little bit, she figured out where the nip was supposed to go and the best place to put a couple of mounting strips.

Let me tell you, this thing is great! I like to be groomed by Dad, but with my CatIt Self Groomer, I can get that feeling anytime I want. I love to rub my cheeks up against it and walk against it when I go into the kitchen.

Check out all the hair in the bristles! That's after having it up less than two weeks!

The CatIt Self Groomer is a really neat product. It's fairly easy to put together and mount. I love to use it and it helps get loose hair out of my coat. It doesn't take up much space and can be put in a number of places. I don't know how easy it's going to come off the wall though or if it will come off cleanly. I guess we'll find that out when it comes time to move. All in all, I (and Mom) would recommend this nifty grooming tool!

Disclosure: I received this product at no cost from Big Apple Pet Supply. All opinions expressed in this post about the product are my honest and true feelings about the product. The fact that I received the product for free did not influence my review.

Featured Furry: October

2011-09-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

This week's featured furry is a sad little kitty named October. She is a 7 year old, domestic shorthair, dilute tortie. She has the saddest eyes I've ever seen on a kitty cat.

Poor October is sad because her family left her at Wayside Waifs as the result of a divorce. Unfortunately, that's something that people don't plan for and they really should. They work out custody arrangements for children, but pets very often are surrendered to shelters.

October is still in the back at Wayside and isn't on the website yet, but she should be available for adoption very soon. When she is, she will make a great addition to a family. She loves to be petted and really needs the attention.

Please send nice thoughts to October to make her time at Wayside Waifs short so she can move on and mend her broken heart.

Wordless Wednesday: Checking Out the Goodies Mom Brought Me From BlogPaws

2011-08-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

Take Your Cat to the Vet Week 2011

2011-08-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

Today, August 22, through August 28 is Take Your Cat to the Vet Week. Did you know that cats only get taken to the vet about half as often as dogs? As much as I don't enjoy going to the V-E-T, it has to be done. In fact, I'm set up to go for a routine exam every 6 months.

Today was the day that I went in for my routine exam, including bloodwork. Mom had to drop me off and leave me at the V-E-T for a little while so that they could wait for the results. When the V-E-T called Mom about an hour later, she said that everything looked good and Mom could pick me up any time. Mom and Dad came right over to get me because they know I don't like it there (the staff says I get pretty "angry" the longer I'm there) plus they missed having my handsome face around the house.

When they got there, the vet tech gave Mom my "report card" for the visit.

It listed all the things they checked on me and if I needed to have anything done. It showed I was in good health, with only some tartar on my toofers. The vet tech reminded Mom that at my next exam in 6 months, I would get my vaccinations, have more bloodwork and would have my dental cleaning.

It's important to make sure you're a healthy kitty, especially as you get older. I would encourage all my kitty anipals to check out the Facebook event that Petfinder created for Take Your Cat to the Vet Week and pledge to go to the V-E-T for a check-up. There's lots of good information and tips on their Facebook page about making the trip to the V-E-T easier for you and your human.

Featured Furry: Encore Presentation of Mya

2011-08-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

This week's Featured Furry was going to be a little brown bunny named Barley, but lucky for him he got adopted!

So instead, I want to remind you all about Mya, the pretty girl kitty I interviewed a couple of weeks ago. Since she's in foster, she doesn't get the exposure that the kitties at Wayside Waifs do, so please spread the word about her!

Wordless Wednesday: Grandpa's Dog, Yaz

2011-08-17T23:09:00.000-05:00

Gifts for the Wayside Kitties

2011-08-12T16:57:00.000-05:00

Mom took a couple pretty cool toys to Wayside Waifs this week for the kitties to share. Check out this Activity Mat by PurrPet!

It folds up and has handles so it's easy to take along somewhere. Great for travel or for just moving from room to room.

Mom took the first one into the sunroom, opened it up and put it out.

It has a scratcher, a reflective surface, two dangling toys (one rattles!), a bell, and ears that crinkle. She had a few different cats try it out.

First, Frisky gave it a go. She seemed to like the scratching surface.

Next Harley and Leo in the storefront got to check it out.

Leo seemed to really enjoy the reflective surface!

Even when Mom left the room, Leo was still sitting on the activity mat!

Mom and I want to send a BIG thank you to Steven Spitz aka @VeganPetman on Twitter. He donates $1 to his shelter fund for every follower he gets. Mom was his 700th follower and he generously gave her a $25 gift card to his store, Big Apple Pet Supply (@BigApplePet). I told Mom not to spend it on me, but to get something for the Wayside kitties instead. I suggested mice but changed my mind when I saw the Activity Mats!

When Mom called to place the order, Steven himself helped her! Now THAT'S customer service. When he heard she was donating the items, he comped the shipping too! He's such a nice guy and he's doing great work. I think everybody should follow him!

Thanks again, Steven, from me, Mom, and the Wayside kitties. Their lives are a little better now while they wait for their forever homes!

Although I received these neat toys at no cost, the opinions here are my own (along with Frisky, Leo and Harley).

Featured Furry: Jelly Bean and Veronica

2011-08-11T23:31:00.000-05:00

Since this week's Featured Furry post is coming so late in the day, I'll try to make up for it by doing another two-fer! Meet a sweet bonded pair, Jelly Bean and Veronica. They are available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

Jelly Bean, an all black domestic shorthair, is the older sisfur of the pair at 5 years old. She's also the shy one. Jelly Bean has the cutest little squeaky meow! Can you see her right ear? It's kind of wrinkled at the top, but I think that adds to her beauty. *blushing* It's starting to sound like I have a little crush!

Even though she's pretty shy, after she gets to know you, she'll let you pet her a little and can be quite affectionate. It just takes her a little while to get comfortable with you.

Veronica is the younger sisfur at 4 years old. She's a black and white medium-hair cat. She'll need regular brushing to keep her coat in good condition. She has amazing whiskers too-check out those eyebrows!

Veronica is more outgoing than Jelly Bean, but not without checking someone out first. It doesn't take long though, and she's feeling comfortable enough to ask for pets.

Veronica and Jelly Bean have always lived together, so they must go home as a pair. I'm sure there is the perfect forever family out there just waiting to bring two cats home! They would get two very sweet kitties that, in time, would fit right into their life!

Wordless Wednesday: Petting Dottie

2011-08-10T10:31:00.000-05:00

My BIG Prize

2011-08-08T20:48:00.000-05:00

Remember when I posted about being a winner? Well here's my prize! Isn't that the biggest bag of kitty litter you've ever seen? Plus we got a reusable bag and a stainless steel scoop. Big thanks to World's Best Cat Litter for hosting the contest. Also, when my prize got lost in the mail, they sent out another one right away. Mom said they have the best customer service too! She says we won't have to buy cat litter for MONTHS! MOL

Featured Furry: Mya

2011-08-04T00:02:00.000-05:00

This week's Featured Furry is a special lady named Mya. In order to capture all the details about her essence, I've decided to let Mya tell you herself! I sat down with her and asked her some very personal questions, but that's the only way to find her perfect forever home.

Sebastian: Hi Mya. Thanks for talking with me. Explain to me where you're living at the moment and why.

Mya: Although I'm available for adoption through Wayside Waifs, I'm actually in foster right now. I live with Bonnie who works at Wayside. Living at the shelter can be quite stressful, as you probably remember. I was getting pretty cranky with all the noise, other cats and commotion even though all the volunteers and staff tried their best to keep me happy. I just have a very strict set of rules I live by.

Sebastian: You're a very independent lady. Tell me about some of your rules.

Mya: I have some rules about petting me. I do enjoy petting, but not while I'm grooming myself. I'm taking time to make myself presentable and can't be bothered while I'm going about it. If I'm not busy with that, someone cat pet me, but they must let me sniff their hand first. It doesn't matter if I know you or not, or even if you were just petting me, I still want to be sure that it's okay for you to touch me. Every. Time.

Next, I can be petted or brushed, but slowly and gently. If I feel like having my back rubbed, I'll sit with my back turned to you. If I want you to scratch my ears, I'll tilt my head toward your hand. Those are my favorite things to have done and I will give you a clear signal which I would like. I also give you a clear signal when I would like you to stop. I will politely put my paw on your arm and that is your cue that I have had enough. Keep in mind, I don't want to sit on your lap, so please don't try to pick me up and cuddle me.

Sebastian: How about play time? Do you enjoy toys?

Mya: I have play sessions three times a day with Bonnie. I rather enjoy wand toys, my favorite is the Cat Dancer toy. Sometimes I don't feel like playing right away, but with a bit of positive encouragement, I get right into the game! I also like hiding in and running through the agility tunnels that are in the house. Every now and then, I like the things in my room to be changed around. If Bonnie goes a week or so without moving things, I meow at her to let her know it's time for a change!

Sebastian: You sound like a fun girl! What do you like to eat?

Mya: I have simple tastes, really. As long as you keep a bowl of fresh water and a bowl filled with kibble around at all times, I'll be satisfied. Bonnie gives me a bit of canned food in the mornings for breakfast which I have come to expect and let her know if she's late in getting it to me.

Sebastian: Tell me what you're looking for in a forever home.

Mya: I need patient, experienced cat owners. It must be a calm and quiet home without children, dogs or other cats. I need owners who will understand that I need my space sometimes and will pay attention to my ways of communication and respect my desires. I am well behaved, use my litter box properly and make a good companion. I'm front declawed so I won't scratch up doors or furniture, although I do enjoy rubbing my paws on carpets.

Sebastian: So what happens if someone wants to adopt you?

Mya: I'll be living with my foster mom until I'm adopted so if someone thinks they would be a good match for me, they would need to call the adoptions department at Wayside Waifs at 816-761-8151 to set up an appointment to come to Bonnie's house to meet me. They would fill out some paperwork and if everything worked out they would come back to pick me up here. I'm up to date on all of my shots, so a trip to Wayside isn't necessary. Oh, I even come with my own bed. I've gotten quite accustomed to it so it will go to my new forever home with me.

Sebastian: Thanks for taking the time to tell me about yourself, Mya! You're quite a gal!

Check out Mya's YouTube video to see her in action:

Want more piccies of this beautiful girl? Check out her album here. I hope Mya finds her forever home soon. Even if she's not the right cat for you, all of us who have gotten to know her hope you'll spread the word about her!

Big thanks to Mya for answering all my questions, Bonnie Still for fostering Mya and providing the piccies of her, and to Lisa Richman, Wayside volunteer, for providing the video.

Wordless Wednesday: Some Nights Are Rougher Than Others

2011-08-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

Readpawty Review: "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards" by Lilian Jackson Braun

2011-08-02T21:54:00.000-05:00

There was only one book to read for the upcoming #readpawty and it was "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards", the first book in the series by Lilian Jackson Braun who recently went to the Rainbow Bridge. First published in 1966, this book started a series of 29 books featuring newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cat Koko.

In this first book, Koko the Siamese cat (who is very sophisticated and can read newspaper headlines backwards) does not actually live with Qwilleran, but lives upstairs with his landlord and art critic at the Daily Fluxion, George Bonifield Mountclemens. Qwilleran also works at the Daily Fluxion but he is in the Features Department, writing feel-good pieces on the artists that Mountclemens has offended with his harsh criticisms.

Qwilleran is used to writing more serious articles, at one time working as a police reporter. When a local art gallery is the scene for a brutal murder, Qwilleran's old instincts kick in and he begins to ask questions, trying to figure out who might have committed the crime. When two more deaths occur, Qwilleran develops new theories and is even assisted by Koko, who leads him to clues.
You know what the best part of this book was? The fact that Koko was treated exactly the way all cats should be treated. He is given the finest foods and is highly respected. In return, he helps to solve a crime!

"The Cat Who Could Read Backwards" is a fun mystery that I would recommend to fans of cozy mysteries and to cat lovers. We have another book in this series, but I think I might read them all in order instead of just reading the one we have.

Featured Furry: Tex

2011-07-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

Tex is a big boy.

When he first came to Wayside Waifs, he weighed over 30 pounds! Now, he's on a diet. He eats low-cal kibble and treats & wet food are a big no-no. The volunteers try to get him to exercise, but he's not much into moving around yet.

Tex will need a home that is willing to keep up with his weight loss program. At five years old, he has the potential to live many more years, but like humans, his obesity puts him at risk for health issues.

Tex's previous owner was a man and from his reaction when Dad met him, Mom thinks he is a "man's cat" meaning he might like a home where there is a man rather than just a woman. He's a little shy and likes to be hidden away, but if people go slow with him, he likes to be petted. In fact, when Dad was petting him he purred and purred.

Tex will make a great companion and will do well in a home where his family pays close attention to his eating and exercise habits. Maybe he'll even get skinny enough that he won't be "as big as Texas" like his kennel card says!

Wordless Wednesday: My New Shoes

2011-07-27T22:12:00.001-05:00

Featured Furry: Dusty

2011-07-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

This week's featured furry is a special needs kitty. Dusty is a sweet girl who needs to go to the perfect home.

Dusty has been at Wayside Waifs since March and although all the volunteers there love her, they know she's been there WAY too long. It's hard to find the right home for a girl like her though. You see, her ribcage never formed correctly, so she has to be handled just so in order to protect her internal organs. There's a sign up on her kennel explaining her unique situation.

Oh, and that little kitty face in the sign? That's a magnet painted by one of the volunteers. Dusty's adopter will get to take that home too! That's quite a deal if you ask me! ME-WOW!

Do you know the right person for Dusty? She does like to play, but shouldn't be around young children or other pets that may accidentally harm her. Make sure to spread the word and let's get her out of that kennel and into her forever home!

All About Me Meme

2011-07-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to be tagged by the stunning Cathy Keisha to tell you a little about myself. There are some very personal questions, but I'm willing to answer them in the interest of sharing with my anipals.

1. Where do you like to hang out?
My favorite place is wherever Mom is. I'm not ashamed to say I'm a Mama's boy and I like to be close to her. She spends a lot of time in the office since she works from home, so I do as well. There is a futon in there for when Grandma and Grandpa visit. I love to nap the day away there, but don't tell Grandpa. He wouldn't like knowing I'm laying on the same bed he is!

2. Who is your favorite kitty crush?
*blushing* I've never said this out loud, but I'm pretty sweet on Daisy the Curly Cat. She already has a mancat in her life though, so I just admire her from afar. She looks so pretty in her outfits and she's really smart. You should see her do her modeling shoots for treats!

3. What is your favorite scent?
I absolutely love salmon! When I get a whiff of my dried salmon treats I am in heaven!

4. What is your favorite TV show?
I like anything on Animal Planet. If Mom and Dad are going to be gone for a while they will leave the TV on for me on Animal Planet. I also like the Golden Girls. Well, Mom loves the Golden Girls and watches it every night. Since I'm always with her, I watch it a lot too.

5. What is your favorite movie?
I don't have a favorite movie. The only thing Mom watches that lasts that long are Red Sox games.

6. What is the best piece of feline wisdom?
There are a couple of rules I live by. First, cuddle all you can. It's those moments you'll remember when you look back at your life. Second, eat the good noms first. It's kind of a play of the JFK Jr. quote, "Wear your good stuff now." Why save the yummy stuff for later? Make the most of every moment.

Now I get to tag three more bloggers to answer these same questions. I pick:
Ryker and his Boyz
Tatiana and Bailey
Shilo T. Dog
I really hope they all play along!

Help My Former Shelter Win A Prize

2011-07-18T20:17:00.000-05:00

You've heard me talk about my former shelter, Wayside Waifs, and my favorite adoption counselor there, Sharon. She encouraged Mom to adopt me (she knows a good match when she sees one) and now she's doing something just as pawsome. She has made a video about what she does at the shelter for a competition hosted by her alma mater, Capella University. The winning videos get a $10,000 grant and of course this means that Wayside Waifs would get the prize! That would buy a LOT of mousie toys.

In order for Sharon's video to win, everybody must vote, vote, vote! Here's how:

Go to http://capella.thismoment.com/us/youtube/action?region_id=us
Scroll down to the "Community Submissions"
Click on the right arrow until you see the screen shot of cages titled "Achieving my Goal of Making a Difference in the Lives of People and Animals"
Click to play the video (Sharon is the pretty lady talking!)
Click on the VOTE button

Here's the screen shot to look for.

You can vote every day and I hope you will! I'll be sure to send out reminders so you won't forget. Thanks for voting!

Featured Furry: Rosie and Priscilla

2011-07-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

This week's featured furry is a double feature! Rosie and Priscilla are besties who have lived together all their lives and need to go home together. They're both 5 years old and just as friendly as can be!
Here's Rosie:

She's a Russian Blue Mix and has the most beautiful eyes! She climbed right up on Mom's lap and made herself comfortable.

This is Priscilla:

She's a Nebelung mix. She has a beautiful blue coat like Rosie, but a longer coat. She's a petite thing under all that fur!

These girls love each other a lot, cuddling close and grooming each other.

If you have room in your heart-and your home-for these two BFFs, they are available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

Featured Furry: Virginia

2011-07-07T00:00:00.001-05:00

Last week's featured Waif was adopted on the following Saturday, so I hope luck continues this week and the same thing happens for Miss Virginia. Every time Mom sees her, she thinks of the Train song "Meet Virginia". Do you know what song I'm talking about?

She doesn't own a dress

Her hair is always a mess

If you catch her stealin'

She won't confess

She's beautiful.

Other than the part about her hair always being a mess and stealing, the first verse of that song really fits. Virginia is beautiful. Of course a proper ladycat like her would never steal, she probably wouldn't even sneak extra treats if she had the opportunity. That wouldn't be very ladylike. Virginia is quite the lady. She likes to be petted, but only for a little while. When she's had enough, she lets you know. Also, she's not a lap cat, but is quite happy to sit next to you and have you talk to her.

Virginia has been at Wayside Waifs for a few months now. The volunteers there don't know why she hasn't been adopted yet. She really doesn't have that many demands.

She would prefer to be in a quiet home without children.
She gets along with most of the other kitties at Wayside, so another cat in the home would probably be okay.
She likes to play with ribbon toys.

The volunteers are doing their best to get her adopted by doing things like decorating her kennel and wearing buttons with her picture on them. She's an older lady at 8 years old, but I think that's a benefit! At this age, she's a cat who knows who she is and what she wants.

I would love it if you would help to spread the word about Virginia! She's a great gal who needs to have a life outside of the shelter.

Meet Virginia

I can't wait to

Meet Virginia

Yeah.

Wordless Wednesday: Keeping Watch

2011-07-06T21:09:00.001-05:00

Weekly Waif: Jimmy 2 Toes

2011-06-30T15:28:00.003-05:00

Hi pals! I'm trying something new with my blog, a weekly feature where I highlight a pet who is available for adoption from Wayside Waifs. I hope this keeps Mom from getting lazy with helping me with my blog!

My first weekly feature is a handsome mancat named Jimmy 2 Toes. He's Mom's new "shelter love" so we need to find him a forever home before she starts getting any thoughts about bringing him here to live with us.

Here are some facts about Jimmy 2 Toes, or J2T as the volunteers refer to him:

He is 1 & 1/2 years old.
He has been at Wayside before, but was returned after his family discovered the children were allergic to cats.
He is front declawed.
He gets along with other cats.
His adoption fee is $50.

Jimmy got his name because he only has two toes on his back left foot as the result of some kind of accident. It doesn't seem to cause him any pain though and he gets around just fine.

He does seem to be bothered a little by his recent declawing, though. (He was declawed by his adopters.) He sits up on his haunches quite often and this could be his way of taking the pressure off his front feet. The volunteers call it his "prairie dog imitation" and it is kinda cute looking!

J2T is a really cool cat. He enjoys being petted and loves to hang out with you, but he's not crazy about being held. I can't imagine not liking a good cuddle, but that's just me, I guess! He's pretty playful too. Here's a video that Ryker's mom filmed and my mom narrated:

Please spread the word that Jimmy 2 Toes is looking for his forever home, he deserves a loving family.

Video used with permission of LLRichman.

UPDATE: JIMMY 2 TOES WAS ADOPTED ON SATURDAY, JULY 2ND!!

Wordless Wednesday-Me and My Ducky

2011-06-29T00:00:00.001-05:00

Thinking About Rosie

2011-06-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of Mom's kitty Rosie making his journey to the Rainbow Bridge. He has been on her mind a lot and she thinks that he has been visiting her. Recently, he appeared to her in a dream. Unfortunately, he was old and ill, near the end of his life. Mom would have preferred that he appear young and healthy again, but it wasn't to be. The one thing that she found comforting is the fact that he looked her right in the eye and they had that moment of connection.

Another time Mom thinks Rosie was around was a couple of months ago in the bedroom. Mom keeps three boxes of ashes on a shelf in there: one box is Rosie, the other two were her dogs. Each box has the pet's collar on top of it. Twice, the first instance within a week of the second, Rosie's collar was on the bed. The first time, Mom walked into the bedroom and saw the collar on the bed. There was no way for it to fall there, as the bed is not under the shelf, but a couple of feet to the side of it. The next time was a bit spookier. Mom was standing by the bed with her back to the shelf. She was wrapping her hair up in a towel and heard a jingle. Since the towel was over her ears, the sound was muffled. She looked down and there was the collar on the bed once again.

Mom has no way of explaining these occurrences. It is even more baffling that the only collar that has moved from the shelf to the bed is Rosie's, not either of the dog collars. She figures it is his way of saying he is still around.

Mom misses Rosie a lot. He was with her for 17 years and it was very hard for her to move away and leave him with Grandma and Grandpa. She always felt like she abandoned him because she couldn't explain to him why she had to move. Even after a year, she still looks for him when she visits Grandma and Grandpa.

He was a very different cat than I am. Mom said he was street smart and that he understood English (more than just his name and words like "treat" and "outside", he was fluent). She said he was independent and did everything on his own terms. He was a tough guy. Now he's a kitty angel, letting Mom know, on his terms, that he's always with her.

EBook Giveaway: 15 Great Pet Blogs

2011-06-27T22:48:00.002-05:00

I'm having my first giveaway!

There's a new book from Happy Tails Books all about pet blogs. 15 Great Pet Blogs highlights 15 pet blogs, including mine! The others are: Bocci's Beefs, Catlady Land, Champion of My Heart, Dogspired, FIDO Friendly, Grouchy Puppy, Life with Dogs, Petfinder, Speaking for Spot, The Pet Health Care Gazette, This One Wild Life, Thoughts for Paws, Two Little Cavaliers and Woof Report.

If you would like to read about pet blogs and see favorite posts from each one, you need to order this book! It is 6"x9", 128 pages and costs $12.95. Of course, like all books from Happy Tails Books, 25% of the purchase price is donated to the rescue of the buyer's choice! Even better, if you order 15 Great Pet Blogs by the end of June, you can save $2.00 by using the code blogbuddy2.

Now what about the giveaway?

I'll be giving away one eBook copy of 15 Great Pet Blogs. If you'd like to enter, just leave a comment on this post and be sure to include your email address so I can notify you if you're the lucky winner! I'll choose the winner at random on July 3rd.

I hope this is just the beginning for giveaways here, so be sure to check back and see what I might be doing!

Wordless Wednesday-Surrender to the Belleh

2011-06-15T13:00:00.002-05:00

I'm a Winner!

2011-06-14T20:59:00.003-05:00

Holy cat! I just won a ginormous 34 pound bag of cat litter from World's Best Cat Litter! I've been using it for a few months now and both Mom and I love it.

They recently had a contest on their Facebook page called "Cats Across the Country." I sent in a picture of myself looking as handsome as possible and I was chosen as the winner for the state of Kansas!

My prize, along with the bag of litter was a stainless steel litter scoop and a reusable tote bag. Since I'm feeling lucky, I just entered another contest. World's Best Cat Litter has a cross-promotion with The Sensible Feline for another giveaway. The winner gets a prize pack with MORE litter, food, natural cleaners and lots of other stuff. Just click on the link to sign up!

NOTE: I wrote this blog out of sheer excitement for winning the contest. I was not paid or otherwise rewarded to write this post by either company mentioned above. I really just love World's Best Cat Litter!

The Truth is Revealed About Lily

2011-06-10T21:26:00.005-05:00

There is a dog at Wayside Waifs who has created quite a stir. Her name is Lily and she's bald, er, hairless. When she was brought in, they said that she was a Kerry Blue Terrier and that she had come from a Kerry Blue Terrier breeder. Mom took one look at her and said "No way! That's a Mexican Hairless Dog!", or a Xoloitzcuintle, Xolo (prononounced sho-lo) for short. Mom wasn't the only one who thought the breed information was wrong. Lots of staff and volunteers were debating this. Mom couldn't find any information on hairless Kerry Blues and her research on Xolos showed dogs that looked just like Lily. Finally, a volunteer decided the only way to settle the discussion was to have a DNA test performed, so she covered the costs and the test was done.

Mom couldn't wait for the results. She knew that she was going to be right and that they would have to change the breed on Lily's information card. Every week she would ask the volunteer manager, AnnMarie, if the results had come back. This week, they were in. AnnMarie took Mom to Lily's kennel to show her the actual information sheet that came back with the DNA test. Mom couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the results. Lily was a...

PUREBRED, 100% KERRY BLUE TERRIER!

Not only were Lily's parents Kerry Blue Terrier, but so were her grandparents and great-grandparents! Mom was stunned!

So, Mom was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Also, she was incorrect. But that's beside the point. The main thing is that now there is no denying Lily's lineage and the debate is over. Lily even dictated a list of reasons why someone should adopt her:

Ten Reasons to Take Me Home
by Lily
1. Nostalgia-- I look like an adorable Jim Henson creature, like one of the goblins from Labyrinth. Don't I remind you of your childhood?

2. Pragmatism-- who wants to clean up dog hair off the furniture? Adopt me, and you won't have to!

3. Frugality-- you won't have to get me groomed, and I don't need any fancy shampoos or brushes.

4. Tan lines-- I have them! Have you ever seen a dog with tan lines before? I didn't think so.

5. Fashion sense-- not all dogs like to be dressed up, but me, I'm a total clothes hound. We can even wear matching outfits if you want to. Won't that be fun?

6. Snuggling-- pet me and you'll see how warm I feel. Can't you just imagine cuddling me on a cold winter day? My skin is soft and smooth, too.

7. Distinction-- walk with me, and you'll be sure to stand out in a crowd! Everyone will want to know more about me. Imagine all the friends you'll make!

8. Trolling-- you can tell people you've captured the elusive chupacabra, and I'll totally play along. Heck, even if I did spill the beans and admit I'm a pure-bred Kerry Blue Terrier, no one would believe me.

9. Hipness-- having hair is so mainstream! Furry dogs? Yawn! Everybody has one of those.

10. Friendship-- sure, my unique appearance is incredibly awesome, but the best thing about me is my personality. I want to be everyone's best friend! Take me home, and you'll find out just how much love I have to give.

So, if you're in the market for a dog and want something unique, Lily is the girl for you! She comes with a pretty cool story, if you ask me!

Valentino's Journey-Part 3

2011-06-07T21:21:00.003-05:00

This is the third and final post in a series about Valentino, Mom's favorite kitty at the shelter. You can read part one here and part two here.

On Friday, Mom made brownies for Dr. Pickett and Danny to thank them for their kindness. She took them to the shelter that afternoon. After dropping off the brownies at the vet clinic, she headed back to memorial services with a couple other volunteers. When she got there, Danny wasn’t there and Valentino’s ashes weren’t ready to be picked up. However, since she was there, she decided to ask for a tour of the facility. She was impressed at the services they provide and their level of professionalism. Just as she stepped out of the chapel room, Ryker’s mom walked in. They spent some time chatting and trying not to cry-not just about Valentino, but about other pets of theirs that had gone over the Rainbow Bridge as well. The circumstances brought up a lot of memories for both of them.

Our moms talked about what to do with Valentino’s ashes. Mom had wanted him cremated by himself because she couldn’t bear to think about his ashes being buried with a bunch of other ashes. She suggested scattering his ashes somewhere. Ryker’s mom felt like Valentino’s ashes should go home with Mom if that was what she wanted. Mom didn’t want Ryker’s mom left out though and felt bad taking them herself. Since she had to wait until Monday to even pick them up, she knew she had time to think about the situation.

Monday morning, Mom drove over to the shelter. She picked up Valentino’s remains and went straight home. When she got home, she opened the box and found an envelope that said “Valentino Palmer.” She was stunned. She never expected them to give Valentino her last name. The certificate in the envelope also mentioned Valentino being part of the Palmer family. She thought his name should be Valentino Volunteer since so many volunteers and staff loved him. But there it was, in black and white. She felt like it was a sign that she should keep his ashes like Ryker’s mom had said.

Mom has decided to keep Valentino’s ashes in the office where she helps me blog and tweet. She plans on getting a special shelf to sit them on so he can be a constant source of inspiration to us. With Valentino so close by, we will be reminded of why we do the work we do for homeless pets. We want them all to have families of their own, somebody to wait for at the Rainbow Bridge.

Valentino's Journey-Part 2

2011-06-06T20:22:00.005-05:00

This is the second post in a series about Valentino, Mom's favorite kitty at the shelter where she volunteers and his journey to the Rainbow Bridge. The first part is here.

When the time came on Thursday, Mom went to the shelter and went directly to Valentino's kennel. She spent about 20 minutes with him, cuddling and kissing him, telling him what a good kitty he was. She explained the Rainbow Bridge to him and told him that Ryker would be there to greet him, along with many other animals. She said he could run in fields of catnip, eat an endless supply of tuna and that he would never be sick again. Mom told him that since he didn't have a family of his own to wait for at the Rainbow Bridge, that he could wait for her and she would be his family. She said they would be together again when the time came.

After a few treats and lots of petting, Mom went to tell Dr. Pickett that she was there. She went back to Valentino and the vet came in shortly after to give him a sedative to relax him, then left the two of them alone again. He rested on his bed and was soon snoring away, Mom still petting him and talking to him, giving him kisses on his cheek. After a few more minutes, Dr. Pickett came back with another vet. They brought Valentino out of his kennel to give him the final injection. Before Dr. Pickett started, Mom bent down close to Valentino's ear when the vet told her "He can still hear you. You can keep talking to him." Mom couldn't hold back the tears as she stroked Valentino and told him what a good kitty he was. She continued to talk to him about the wonderful things at the Rainbow Bridge until he left this world and his earthly body behind. Dr. Pickett moved him back to his kennel on his soft bed and covered him up. Mom spoke with him about what would happen with Valentino's body. Among several options, Dr. Pickett told her that he could be cremated by himself and she could get the ashes. Mom liked this option, but had to consider Ryker and Allie's mom's wishes as well as the financial side of it. They agreed to speak the next day about her decision, then Dr. Pickett told her she could have as much time with Valentino as she wanted.

She only stayed with him for a few minutes, feeling relieved that it was over and Valentino would never be sick again. She wanted to speak with the adoption counselor, Sharon, who is so loving and caring (she took great care of me while I was there!). Sharon immediately called the memorial services section of the shelter and worked it out with Danny to have Valentino cremated by himself at no cost! Mom was very touched that they would do that. She gave Sharon a big hug and told her that she would check back the next day.

On her way home, she stopped and bought a white candle and some white spider mums. Once home, she lit the candle, laid the flowers beside it and placed a magnet with Valentino’s likeness with them. We had a little memorial service for Valentino, thinking about how he was surely enjoying his new life at the Rainbow Bridge. It wasn’t much, but we knew we needed to honor the memory of this kitty who never had a home.

Tomorrow I will post the last part of this series about Valentino.

Valentino's Journey to the Rainbow Bridge

2011-06-05T18:34:00.003-05:00

Many of you were aware of the sad news I shared on Twitter last week. Valentino, Mom's favorite kitty where she volunteers-her shelter love-was quite sick and had to be euthanized. We had such an outpouring of thoughts and pawprayers that I thought I would fill everyone in on the details. This will be the first post in a series about Valentino.

Mom visits the shelter every Wednesday. Last Wednesday she knew that Valentino was not on the adoption floor as he had been moved to a back area the week prior for what was believed to be a case of ringworm. Valentino had been dealing with some fur loss so they decided to quarantine him while he was being treated for the sake of the health of the other cats in the adoption area. She was saving him for last to go and visit so she wouldn't cross-contaminate the healthy kitties. Before she could visit him, though, she was paged over the intercom to go to the lobby. When she got there, the vet (Dr. Pickett, who I've mentioned before) was waiting for her. He verified that she was close to Valentino and took her back to see him.

When they got to Valentino's kennel, Dr, Pickett explained that Valentino was a very sick kitty. Mom was aware of his recurring upper respiratory infections, his bouts of lethargy and the fact that he had a herpes virus. Dr. Pickett went on to explain that he felt Valentino had feline leukemia, but that it was in his bone marrow and not showing up in the two blood tests they performed. Because Valentino had been picked up as a stray in an area known for a high number of cases of feline leukemia, Dr. Pickett was certain this was another one of his issues. He told Mom that he felt Valentino wasn't adoptable. He even spoke of a family who wanted to adopt him, but chose to go with another cat when his health issues were disclosed.

Mom understood the situation and knew that Dr. Pickett felt that euthanizing him was the most humane option. Mom looked at Valentino's eyes and could see how sick they looked. He had never been the most handsome kitty; his coat always seemed dirty and he felt grimy to the touch. He was a lover though and she couldn't resist petting him, no matter what his fur felt like. She agreed with the vet that Valentino didn't have a good quality of life; always sick and feeling poorly. Dr. Pickett said he would perform the procedure the next afternoon and Mom agreed to go in to be with Valentino as he made his way to the Rainbow Bridge.

Mom was miserable all Wednesday evening. She knew it was the right thing, but her heart still ached. She called her friend who volunteered at the shelter and also found Valentino to be a special kitty, @Ryker_Tyker and @Allie_Kitti's mom. She was out of town, but Mom felt she should know since the vet had wanted to speak to her as well. They discussed the situation and both tried to hold back the tears that continued anyway. Their shared love for this shelter kitty was obvious and the sadness was very real. They both knew how hard the next day was going to be.

Tomorrow I will continue the story of Valentino's Journey to the Rainbow Bridge with a recounting of Thursday's events.

Wordless Wednesday: Goodbye Valentino

2011-06-01T22:08:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday-Watching TV

2011-05-25T09:34:00.001-05:00