June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat" month

According to the ASPCA, June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat" month. If you're thinking of adopting a new kitty into your life, you'll find a lot of great information at the ASPCA website, including adopting an older cat, a cat care guide, and solutions to your cat's behavior problems.

The ASPCA site also has a link to local shelters in your town. Every time I visit their site, I find something new and interesting, so if you haven't visited them before, here's their website link.

The ASPCA is also holding a photo contest, so if you've got a cute picture of your cat being a typical cat, you might want to enter the contest. The top 10 winners will receive an ASPCA prize pack and be featured on the website. I've entered Lola's picture - who knows - someone has to win.


All of my cats have come from local shelters. Jackie was 11 years old and had been in a cruelty situation before we adopted her, and she adjusted almost immediately and blended in with our household with no problem. Gidget and Lola were both around 8 months old, and Gidget had suffered abuse and neglect. Even she adjusted very quickly. We think Lola was someone's pampered pet before she got lost. They all seem to be so happy to have another chance at a good life that they demand very little except meals on time and our affection. Cats are such low-maintenance pets, and give so much in return. Their playful antics alone bring so much joy and laughter to our lives. So consider adopting a shelter cat - your life will be fuller because of it.

Free Valentine's Day cards help shelter animals

Planning to send a Valentine's Day card to special people in your life? Why not use the site below to create your cards (totally FREE), and help shelter animals at the same time. Here's a great article I found at Saving Lives One At A Time that tells you all about it:

Send a Valentine's Day Card and Help Shelter Pets for FREE!

Purina is offering a really cool promotion from February 1 - February 14 that allows you to send a free customizable e-Card to your friends and family. The best part is that for every card sent, Purina will donate $0.50 to help shelter pets in need.

Send a cute, goofy card to everyone in your address book and help animals in need at the same time, for FREE!

I tried it out and made a card featuring a bulldog wearing a cowboy hat sitting next to the Mona Lisa spouting mushy poetry. You should also note that by sending a card, you must agree to receive e-mail updates from Purina and its affiliates, although you can opt out later.

Contest & challenge - Help the animals

Cindy at Contests and Challenges blog read my previous post about the Animal Rescue site needing help, and she has started a contest to band all of us animal loving bloggers together for the sake of the animals. Even if you've had this widget on your site for a long time, you can still enter the contest. All you have to do is leave a comment on Cindy's site. Here are the details of the contest from her site. If you enter the contest, please be sure you leave the comments on her site, as she is running the contest:

"Because I feel that this is an important cause this will be the first contest I sponsor. Since it's my first and because I don't have any experience hosting contests, it's going to be a real easy one.

First, a brief introduction and then we'll get to the contest part.

On a visit to Wild Cats Three this morning, I found the following post:

I received word from a friend of mine who is a foster mom for Lil Paws Rescue that the Animal Rescue site is experiencing a low number of clicks, and therefore is not getting enough sponsor money to buy food for the rescued animals.

If you have a website or blog, and would like to help the Animal Rescue Site by displaying their clickable widget on your site, click here. Once on the page, look in the upper left corner for "Link to us." That will take you to the page where you can choose your widget, and get the code to paste into your template.

This is such a worthy cause. It costs you nothing, but can go a long way in helping feed the rescued animals until a permanent home is found for them.


I'd like to see this widget on thousands of blogs and web pages all over the internet so here are the guidelines for this contest.

1.) Get the widget and place it on your blog or web page. (the instructions for doing this are in the italicized portion above)

2.) Leave a comment on this post linking to your post and telling me that you've placed the widget on your page. Please, and this is important: include your e-mail address in your comment so I can reach you if you're the winner.

3.) This one's optional, but it would help spread the word. Write a post like the one I copied (above) from Wild Cats Three and include the appropriate links.

That's it. A winner will be selected randomly thirty one days from today (February 29th)from the list of comments.

The prize is twofold.

First the winner will receive this pin. It's all gold in color (camera made shadows) and that's a real pearl in its' paws.

and second, a donation of $20 worth of pet food will be given to our local chapter of the SPCA in the winners' name.

You may comment once daily throughout the contest for multiple chances at winning."

The Animal Rescue Site needs our help

If you've visited my site a few times, you've probably seen the "Animal Rescue Site" widget that asks you to click daily to help feed rescued animals. Based on the number of clicks received, their sponsors donate food to feed rescued animals. I received word from a friend of mine who is a foster mom for Lil Paws Rescue that the Animal Rescue site is experiencing a low number of clicks, and therefore is not getting enough sponsor money to buy food for the rescued animals.

If you have a website or blog, and would like to help the Animal Rescue Site by displaying their clickable widget on your site, click here. Once on the page, look in the upper left corner for "Link to us." That will take you to the page where you can choose your widget, and get the code to paste into your template.

This is such a worthy cause. It costs you nothing, but can go a long way in helping feed the rescued animals until a permanent home is found for them.

Animeals - helping feed rescued animals

I received the following email from Animeals, and thought it was worth posting about, as they need help providing food for rescued and homeless animals. Here is the email:

Dear Pet Lover,

Let me introduce myself. My name is Karyn Moltzen, I am the founder of AniMeals, a non-profit animal food bank based in Missoula, Montana.

Ten million animals are abandoned to shelters and the streets in this country every year. Many of the shelters and the rescue groups that house and feed these animals are struggling to keep them fed. Since 2003 AniMeals has been providing food and supplies for these hungry and homeless animals. We also feed the pets of the homebound and disabled, feral cat colonies and thousands of animals living on the streets. In the last two years we have sent out over 46 tons of food Our territory covers all of Western Montana...an area of approximately 29,600 square miles. Our deliveries are made by the "AniMeals Express" a volunteer network of drivers. Please see our website at www.animeals.com If you would be interested helping us get the word out about AniMeals please contact us at info@animeals.net Thank you.

For the animals that have no voices.

Karyn Moltzen
AniMeals
1700 Rankin St.
Missoula, MT. 59808

http://www.animeals.net/

(406) 721-4710

Bloggers Acts of Kindness Day

As my act of kindness, from this point on, I would like to use my blog as a tribute to all rescued dogs and the people who gave them a new life. These dogs have experienced being lost, mistreated, abandoned, usually spent time at local shelters and/or rescue groups, and then adjusted to their new permanent home. They've been through so much in their short lives, and I admire their adaptability.

So here's your chance to have a post on my blog devoted solely to your beloved pooch. Tell us what you know of his or her history, name and general location of the shelter or rescue group (if adopted from one and you'd like it shown), how your dog is doing now, problems you've encountered and how you dealt with them, cute stories about him or her, a favorite picture, etc. I'd also like to know a little something about you. What made you decide to adopt your pouch, and how did you know this was "the" dog for you. If you have a blog, I'll be glad to include your link in the post, with a short review of your site.

If you've adopted multiple dogs, submit each one--they're all welcome. Just email everything to me at wildcatsthree@verizon.net. (Your email address will never be sold to anyone and will be deleted as soon as I post about your dog).

Featured Dog Breed - the Boston Terrier

If you're thinking of getting a purebred dog, you should consider the breed's personality, energy level, exercise requirements, health issues, size, life expectancy, and your living conditions. Also, if you plan to show the dog or train it for agility, consider the skill level of the breed. You might also want to read this Boston Terriers Dog Guide Article.

Also called the Boston bull, the Boston Terrier is a member of the Mastiff, AKC non sporting group. The breed was originally bred for dog fighting, but today is bred to be a less agressive companion dog, and the breed is gentle, alert and well-mannered. They are highly intelligent, easy to train, somewhat stubborn and willful, playful, affectionate, and make a great family dog. They may be difficult to housetrain.

Their size is small, weighing 10 to 25 pounds, and measuring 15 to 17 inches. Life expectancy is 15 years or more. Very little grooming is needed for this short-haired average shedding dog.

Health issues common to the breed include breathing difficulties caused by the short muzzle if the dog is over-exerted in hot or cold weather. The short muzzle may also cause the dog to snore or drool. The protruding eyes are prone to injury, so care should be taken not to let the dog stick his head out of a car window or leave the dog out in bright sunlight too long. Heart and skin tumors are also common.

If you decide on a Boston Terrier, choose a reputable breeder, and stay clear of puppy mills and pet stores, as these dogs tend to be sickly. Also consider adopting from a rescue organization. There are many online for specific breeds.

November is "Adopt a Senior Pet " month

The ASPCA has made November "adopt a senior pet" month. The shelters and rescue groups usually have no problem finding homes for puppies, and the older dogs available for adoption are often overlooked. However, an older dog will most likely blend more easily with your household, and require far less effort than a puppy. Quite often they were not strays, and came from families who for whatever reason could no longer keep them.

Reasons to adopt an older dog include:
*The dogs require less supervision because they are usually already trained.
*The dogs don't need as much exercise and will match your lifestyle better.
*The dogs make good companions for other animals in the home.
*There are usually no surprises- what you see is what you get.

Having adopted 3 pets that were no longer puppies or kittens, I can personally attest that adopting an older pet is much easier. Each of them has been eager to please and they blended in quickly with our lifestyle. The two that we adopted as a puppy and kitten were the ones that turned our household upside down until they were older. Please consider giving a senior pet another chance at a happy life-you'll be glad you did.

The battle between Ellen Degeneres & Mutts and Moms

No doubt you've heard the turmoil surrounding Iggy, Ellen Degeneres, and Mutts and Moms rescue organization. I personally love Ellen's show and feel she is a kind and caring animal lover. I feel Mutts and Moms had the dog's best interest at heart as well.

The media coverage this week has repeatedly shown Ellen breaking down on her show, which was heartbreaking to watch. Now Mutts and Moms has received death threats and had to close down their website, which means animals won't be getting adopted from their organization any time soon. Animal abuse or the perception of it brings out strong feelings in people, but we need to have all the facts, not just opinion or hear-say being passed around. But it appears that things could have been handled better by everyone involved.

Last night, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News interviewed the attorney for Mutts and Moms. He stated that when Mutts and Moms learned Ellen had given Iggy to her hairdresser's family, they asked them to complete an adoption application, so that he could remain with them, and they refused to do so, and claims they have emails to prove it. I am sympathetic to this family's situation, but wonder why they would refuse to do what was needed to rectify it. Only the family knows their reasoning. So things aren't as cut and dry as they appeared when this story came out, and they never are. The truth usually lies somewhere in between.

I hope that anyone wanting to adopt a pet won't be scared away from going through one of these rescue organizations because of this sad story. The rescue groups are privately run by people who donate endless hours and funds to give dogs and cats a last chance to find a good home, after their time has run out at the local shelters. If a rescued dog or cat has health issues, they use their own money to bring them back to health so that they can be adopted. They have to be careful in their screening process, because these poor creatures have already been through so much, and they want their new home to be the final one. The terms of the adoption agreement are in place to protect the animal as well as the rescue organization in case of a lawsuit. There is so much good done by these organizations, so don't let the media circus that surrounded this story deter you....your new best friend is there and waiting for you to give him or her the chance to love you unconditionally.

Today is "blog against abuse day"

A subject close to my heart is animal cruelty. It's so heartbreaking to see all the dogs and cats that are abused by their owners either by neglect or outright cruelty like dog fighting. If they're lucky they are rescued and end up at the humane society, or rescue organization. If their luck holds out, they will be adopted and hopefully someday forget their tragic beginnings. The humane societies and dog wardens are so inundated with lost and neglected pets that euthanasia is their only option, so thanks to the privately run rescue organizations that step in and give the little orphans the time needed to find a new home. These privately run organizations have volunteers who donate their own time and money to foster pets in their homes until a "furever home" is found. They scout all the local animal shelters in their area so that the animals can be saved before euthanasia. They will also accept pets from people who can no longer care for them. My Rosie was one of these adoptees from Lil Paws Rescue, who saved her in the nick of time from being euthanized by the dog warden. They provide complete veterinary care, and some of these animals are there because their medical expenses became too much for their previous owners. So consider a donation to these organizations; they really could use your help.

There are no bad dogs....just bad dog owners!