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Saturday, January 31, 2009

DMX Sentenced for animal cruelty and other charges.


Rapper DMX was sentenced to 90 days in jail Friday for convictions on theft, drug-possession and animal-cruelty charges. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, also was placed on at least 18 months' supervised probation by Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Phemonia Miller.
Simmons pleaded guilty Dec. 30 to three felony counts — theft, possession or use of marijuana, and possession or use of narcotic drugs — and one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty.

Gracie was adopted today!

Gracie Mae and her brother, Diego, were adopted today by a very nice, older couple who recently lost their cat due to illness.  Diego was in a different foster home but they were together today for adoptions.  Sorry, I don't have a picture of Diego but he is solid black.

I brought a new kitten home today.  Her name is Lucy and she is actually Gracie and Diego's remaining sibling.  She needs some time to get more used to humans before she can get adopted.  She is beautiful!  She is solid grey with gold eyes.

I will take a picture of her tomorrow and post it.  I don't want to freak her out too much on her first night in her new (foster) home.

My top 10 favorite animal movies...

I have always loved movies telling stories about animals.  Here is a list of my 10 favorite animal movies, in no particular order.  


























Friday, January 30, 2009

Badly injured kitten healed herself!

Not many cats can give vets the kind of jaw-dropping double-take that C.C. pulled off. But then, C.C. is no ordinary girl. When C.C. was found as a stray kitten, she was injured badly. She couldn’t use her back legs, she had a fractured pelvis, and she was incontinent.
C.C. had been living as a feral kitten and learned to be afraid of people. Still, the folks who found her knew she needed help. They wouldn’t take no for an answer! She came to Best Friends for emergency care.


At Best Friends, she received all the medical help she needed. (Along with some TLC she didn’t think she needed!) It was obvious from the beginning that she would require long-term special care. A shelter specializing in incontinent cats heard about C.C. and offered to take her once she was healthy enough to travel. Until then, C.C. had a cozy bed and all the comforts she wanted right at Best Friends.


It’s amazing, though, what a determined kitten can do. That TLC worked wonders, even though C.C. resisted affection at first. Not only did she start trusting people, she began to feel better … lots better. In fact, as her body grew and matured, it seemed to miraculously fix itself. She lost the limp and started using the litter box more often than could be considered accidental.
The vets and caregivers wondered if she was regaining continence. Nerve damage hardly ever reverses, but all signs pointed to a complete recovery for C.C. So, they monitored her closely during a trial period without expressing her bladder. 


Call it luck, call it a miracle, but C.C. passed with ease! After many days of observation, she was pronounced cured. The only thing left from her injuries now is a slightly crooked tail, but even that looks somehow exotic on C.C.
The shelter that had offered to take her bowed out once they learned she was no longer incontinent. After all, they need the space for harder-to-place cats. So C.C. decided to call Best Friends her home for now. But, with all the tricks she has up her sleeve, it won't be long before she woos a family of her own. Welcome, C.C. What a way to turn those medical books upside down!


Story by David Dickson
Photo by Molly Wald



http://news.bestfriends.org

Peta was going to spend $3 MILLION dollars on Superbowl Ad!

Isn't Peta a non profit organization?  Aren't they funded solely on donations?  They were willing to pay THREE MILLION dollars to get a superbowl ad, which was rejected by the way.

For one thing, they are used as "experts" in all kinds of news stories, interviews, etc.  They kill almost every single animal they obtain, under the owner's false hope that they will find good homes for their animals.  They lie to the owners but kill the animals.  They have one of the highest donation rates to their organization (I use that word loosely).  They compare eating meat to one of the most tragic times in human history (the Holocaust).  Geez, I could go on and on...

I can't believe people are not up in arms about their donated money going for killing animals and paying 3 million dollars for a 30 second ad on tv.  I understand they want their propaganda ad on national tv during one of the most watched game of the year, but come on!

Peta has a low cost spay/neuter clinic .  According to their website, they charge $40 to spay or neuter a cat.  They could have fixed $75,000 cats with that three million dollars...oh wait...how much does it cost them to kill them?  They don't want to fix cats, they want to kill them. Ahh!  I really can't stand Peta.

Click here to watch banned the commercial.



Low cost spay/neuter in Alabama


Spay Day Discounted Surgeries, Birmingham Area
Event Location:
Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic
2721 Crestwood Blvd.
Birmingham, AL 35210
Upcoming Dates:
Feb 1st - Feb 27th
Contact: Donald Kendrick, (866) 977-2925, donald@spayalabama.org
Event Description:
Spay Alabama, with a generous grant from the Doris Day Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States, is offering subsidized spay/neuter services to needy pet owners in Jefferson and surrounding counties. Appointments are required. This event will continue throughout the month of February until all funds are used.
Donation Needs Information:
Spay Alabama is a project of the Alabama Animal Control Association a 501[C][3] non-profit organization with the goal of ending the euthanasia of healthy and treatable dogs and cats in Alabama. All donations received will be used to subsidize spay neuter procedures for needy pet owners. Donations may be sent through PayPal on our web-site or mailed to Spay Alabama 106 Bedford Street Hueytown, Alabama 35023.
Spay Day Discounted Surgeries, Shelby County
Event Location:
Shelby Humane Society
381 McDow Rd
Columbiana, AL 35051
Upcoming Dates:
Feb 1st - Feb 28th
Contact: Jessica Marable, (205) 643-3499 , jessica@shelbyhumane.org
Web Site: http://www.shelbyhumane.org
Event Description:
In the month of February Shelby Humane will provide 7 transports from various locations in Shelby County to Alabama Spay/ Neuter in Irondale. A $5 dollar off coupon will be provided in the local newspaper for all participants. We will also offer 1 FREE male cat neuter for every female cat spay to residents of Shelby County.
Volunteer Opportunity Information:
We need participants to hand out flyers, hang posters, and deliver brochures and flyers to the local schools.
Donation Needs Information:
Shelby Humane's Quick Fix is a spay/ neuter transport and subsidy program. To date, we have facilitated nearly 1000 surgeries, half of which were subsidized for low-income residents of Shelby County. Please sponsor a surgery for a pet in need. Just $38 sponsors the surgery of a male cat neuter, or you can sponsor an entire transport for only $500.
Spay Day Discounted Surgeries, Montgomery Area
Event Location:
Alabama Animal Alliance Spay Neuter Clinic
5316 Atlanta Highway
Montgomery, AL 36109
Upcoming Dates:
Feb 1st - Feb 27th
Contact: Donald Kendrick, (866) 977-2925, donald@spayalabama.org
Event Description:
Spay Alabama, with a generous grant from the Doris Day Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States is offering subsidized spay/neuter services to needy pet owners in Montgomery and surrounding counties. Appointments are required. This event will continue throughout the month of February until all funds are used.
Donation Needs Information:
Spay Alabama is a project of the Alabama Animal Control Association a 501[C][3] non-profit organization with the goal of ending the euthanasia of healthy and treatable dogs and cats in Alabama. All donations received will be used to subsidize spay/neuter procedures for needy pet owners. Donations may be sent through PayPal on our website spayalabama.org or mailed to Spay Alabama 106 Bedford Street Hueytown, Alabama 35023.


**If you read this after the date listed, contact the organization/clinic.  Often times, they offer these services on a regular basis.  If not, these clinics may offer the low cost clinics once a month.  You can use the same contact information listed above.**


Thursday, January 29, 2009

Cat survives 3 weeks on roof!

A stray cat in South Carolina climbed a tree near some apartments and walked down a limb onto the roof.  Then the cat was too scared to climb down the way he came up.  A concerned resident was feeding the cat with a pole and a bucket.  She had called many people to help, and the fire department came out twice but couldn't get the scared, skittish cat.

Finally, somehow the local news station came out and called a tree service company.  The man said this cat rescue made his 1, 010th!  Yes, that's one thousand and ten!

The cat was rescued but only because it was cornered.

Click on read more to watch a video of the rescue.

Read more....

Dog skinned and eaten by convicted child molester recently released

Dog owners in a quiet Crandall neighborhood can't imagine what made 54 year old Randall Blaylock, 50 year old Richard Roach and 45 year old Jeffrey Fuller brutally kill a medium-sized black dog early Tuesday morning. Roach was just released from prison this past October after serving time for child molestation.

Lee Cagle lives across the street from the house where the incident occurred. "It's kind of bad for the neighborhood. Just living across the street from someone like that," he said Wednesday afternoon.

Around 1:00am Tuesday, a Murray County sheriff's deputy responded to Blaylock's home on Greyland Farm Road. The caller said some men cut off a dog's head and were then eating the dog's remains.

Murray County Sheriff Howard Ensley described what the officers saw when they responded: "Three males in the kitchen and living room area had quite a bit of blood on them. On their hands, on their face, on their clothes, on their shoes."

All three men were very intoxicated. They first said they killed a deer. Later Fuller admitted Blaylock and Roach killed a dog.

"The officers found a spot in the backyard where it had an axe with some blood on it," Sheriff Ensley added. "[They] found some wood out there with a tremendous amount of blood on it, around the ground there."

The report then says the deputies noticed a bad smell coming from a burn barrel nearby. Inside the deputies found the dog's head, skin and feet. "At that point found the animal that had been skinned in the freezer in a plastic bag," Sheriff Ensley said.

Cagle said he couldn't believe it when he heard the details. "They put it in the freezer. The way they talk, they cut it up like a deer and everything."

Neighbors tell us a sign that says, 'Dog House for Sale' was up about a week ago. That's before this incident happened. We found the sign on the ground covered in snow.

"I saw it when I went down to the mailbox the other day. I just happened to see the sign over there. It was down there for quite a while," added Cagle.

Sheriff Ensley had no explanation for this case of animal cruelty. "One of them made the statement they had just carried out God's plan."

The felony aggravated cruelty to animals charge carries a maximum fifteen thousand dollar fine and up to five years in prison.

Deputies had to wait for the men to sober up before questioning them... After Deputy Brown read Randall Blaylock his Miranda rights, he asked what was in the plastic bag in the freezer.

Blaylock said it was "processed dog."



Read more... 

11 dogfighting cases going to court

Pit bull neglect - 12 seized from rapper DMX 
Cave Creek, AZ (US)


Dog-fighting - 5 dogs seized
Steele, MO (US)



Dog-fighting - 4 dogs, guns, drugs, cash seized
Philadelphia, PA (US)



Dogfighting - 150 dogs seized
Tucson, AZ (US)



Dog-fighting - 12 dogs seized
Robbins, IL (US)



Dog-fighting
Dayton, OH (US)



Dog-fighting - 3 dogs seized
Enfield, NC (US)



Dog-fighting - 80 dogs seized, a dozen dead
Mayfield, KY (US)



Dog-fighting - 21 dogs seized
Lynwood, IL (US)



Dog-fighting - 37 dogs seized
South Holland, IL (US)



Dog-fighting - 2 dogs, guns seized
Chicago, IL (US)

Catswell Enriched Chicken Treats Product Review


Is your cat suffering from achy joints or a severe limp? Are you trying to maintain your feline's healthy hips and joints? Try Catswell HAPPY HIPS true jerky treats containing glucosamine and chondroitin. These all natural treats are made from cage-free chickens and are enriched with Antioxidants and Omega 3's.





INGREDIENTS: Chicken Breast, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Flaxseed Oil, Vitamin E Supplement.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION for ONE TREAT
crude protein……….55% (min)
crude fat…………2% (min)
crude fat…………..5% (max)
crude fiber………4.8% (max)
moisture……………27% (max)
vitamin E……………5i.u. (min)
glucosamine hydrochloride………10mg (min)
chondroitin sulfate…………5mg (min)
omega-3 fatty acids……..0.05% (min)

NO By-Products
NO Antibiotics
NO Hormones
NO Added Salt
NO Wheat
NO Corn
NO BHA/BHT
NO Fillers
NO Flour
NO Soy


These treats are very thin strips of dried, jerky like treats. There are 3 types and are all made with Chicken Breast with vitamins for healthy eyes, skin and coat, mint and parsley for bad breath and the one above. They are definitely worth the money. They are $3.99 for 2 ounces but they last a long time.

I thought they also had a beef treat but I don't see it on their website.

I have given these to my own cats and the cats at the shelter. I would say that about 2 out of 60 cats didn't like the treats. Most cats take one sniff and can't get enough of them! They think it's good and it's good for them.

They also have treats for dogs! I don't have any experience with the doggie treats but I am sure they love them as much as the kitties love theirs!

Do your cats like them?  Do you notice a difference in their health?

Take a look for yourself on their website!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Cute kitten pictures!

I have some cute pictures of Artie, Karma and Gracie for your viewing pleasure!

Low cost Spay/Neuter in Massachusetts-call soon!


Charles River Alleycats will hold a low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinic in Somerville Saturday, Feb. 14. As a Valentine’s Day special, the cost is $65 and includes spay/neuter surgery and rabies shot.
Space is limited and advance registration is required. For an appointment, call
617-244-0200 and leave a message including name, address, telephone, and sex of your cat, or email to charlesriveralleycats_general@yahoo.com. Your call will be returned within two to three days with more information and the location of the clinic.



**If you read this after the date listed, contact the organization/clinic.  Often times, they offer these services on a regular basis.  If not, these clinics may offer the low cost clinics once a month.  You can use the same contact information listed above.**


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

$10 Spay/Neuter Feb. 25, 26 in Arizona


The City of Prescott and United Animal Friends are hosting a low cost spay/neuter clinic for dogs and cats on February 25th and 26th at the Petco on SR 69 and Walker Rd.
According to Community Planner, Ryan Smith, the cost for dogs will be $10 for either spay or neuter. "The balance of the surgery will be paid from a five-thousand dollar grant awarded by the AZ Companion Animal Spay and Neuter Committee."
The funds, explained Smith, are authorized through the sale of Arizona's "pet-friendly" license plate, which are used to increase spay and neuter efforts in our community. "City staff will be on hand to issue a dog license to anyone who may be interested. Rabies vaccinations will be available for patients undergoing surgery, but not to the general public," he added.
The City of Prescott Animal Control does not intake cats. Therefore, United Animal Friends will offer feline spay and neuter for a fee of $10.
The City works cooperatively with United Animal Friends to meet their goal of No More Homeless Pets, Yavapai County (NMHP). "By increasing the number of animals that are spayed and neutered, we will reduce the number of animals that come into Animal Control and other facilities. That saves lives and tax dollars," said Smith.
Veterinarians and medical facilities are provided by Plateauland Mobile Veterinary Clinic. To schedule an appointment on February 25th or February 26th, please call 928-526-5964 x200.
Hours of operation: Tuesday thru Sunday, 11am to 6pm (closed Monday). Cash is preferred. Income verification and proof of address required.
To order a pet-friendly license plate, click here then click on personalized /specialized plates. Or, call the ADOT Motor Vehicles Division at 800-251-5866.

**If you read this after the date listed, contact the organization/clinic.  Often times, they offer these services on a regular basis.  If not, these clinics may offer the low cost clinics once a month.  You can use the same contact information listed above.**



Ramses was adopted!!

Ramses was adopted about a week ago but I forgot to blog about it.  A fellow volunteer adopted him.  I am so happy with who adopted him because I know she is a good pet parent.  Ramses now lives with 3 children, 2 other cats and 2 dogs.  He is adjusting nicely to his new home.

We still miss Ramses but because I know the person who adopted him personally, I feel better about him not living with us anymore.  Artie misses him but he has some new friends living here now.

Gracie Mae is available for adoption!

Gracie Mae is available for adoption.  Click here to visit her petfinder page.  She is a sweet, playful kitten who would prefer to live with other cats.  She is spayed, microchipped and up to date on her vaccinations.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Options in Florida-Free for those who qualify, low cost for others

If you live in Pinellas or Pasco County, Florida, you may be eligible for low-cost spay/neuter surgeries:




1,500 Low-Cost and No-Cost Cat Spays and Neuters 
Now Available to Pinellas, Pasco Residents
Palm Harbor - Suncoast Animal League is proud to announce it is a recipient of the Florida Animal Friend Grant. The League was 1 of only 16 groups from around the state selected to receive these funds which are generated from sales of the Florida Animal Friend license plate.
Grant monies will be used to provide spay/neuter surgeries for a total of 1,500 cats belonging to residents of Pinellas and Pasco counties by August 31, 2009.
Under the grant, Suncoast Animal League will offer a total of 1,000 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for cats at a cost of only $30 to the owner. There is no income eligibility requirement for these low-cost services.
Owners must reside in Pinellas or Pasco county and provide proof of current rabies vaccine for their cats. Rabies vaccines will be available, if necessary, at a cost of $5.
Grant monies will also be used to provide a total of 500 no-cost surgeries for cats belonging to residents receiving public assistance (i.e. medicare, medicaid, SSI, Food Stamps, etc.).
Surgeries will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.
For more information or to schedule a cat spay or neuter surgery, please contact:
Suncoast Animal League
1030 Pennsylvania Ave.
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
727.786.1330
A cat "Neuter-a-thon" is scheduled for Saturday, January 31st. More information about that event will be made available shortly.
For more information about the Florida Animal Friend organization, click here.
*****

The Suncoast Animal League is a community supported not-for-profit, no-kill animal rescue agency, caring for abused, neglected, homeless, and unwanted animals.
You can help the League by making a tax deductible monetary donation. Donors are encouraged to make a contribution online at www.suncoastanimalleague.org. For more information 
call 727-786-1330.

**If you read this after the date listed, contact the organization/clinic.  Often times, they offer these services on a regular basis.  If not, these clinics may offer the low cost clinics once a month.  You can use the same contact information listed above.**

200 dead animals in trash bags, 100 feral cats, 9 puppies and 1 dog removed from home.

A total of 310 animals were removed from a rural home in Temecula, California.   Elisao Gilbert Jimenez, 66, was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty on January 23, 2009 after authorities were called to the residence about a vicious dog, said Riverside County sheriff's spokesman Javier Rodriguez.



The residence is located in northern Temecula off a dirt road with a sprawling, grassy front yard surrounded by wire fences. A tall gate with a thick chain and bulky lock secured the grounds.
A red barn and a large mobile home are atop a slope about a quarter-mile from the dirt road.
When animal control officers initially arrived, packs of dogs attacked each other, and the officers saw other horrifying acts, Bagwell said Saturday.
About 70 dogs circled officers and threatened to attack, leaving authorities with no choice but to euthanize the animals, she said.
The mobile home had been turned over to the animals, Bagwell said. Officers even discovered animals hiding in cupboards.
"The smell, I can't tell you how bad the smell was," Bagwell said.
Outside, there were more than 100 plastic trash bags filled with animal feces and animal corpses, Bagwell said.
"He didn't know what to do with them," she said.
Jimenez put animals that had died into bags instead of burying them because he didn't own the property, Bagwell said.
"He was very calm," Bagwell said of Jimenez. "He was like, OK, it's over."

Dog returned to dog fighting suspect, per his request!

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office, acting on intelligence provided to them by the Humane Society of the United States, arrested Johnson at his Hwy. 98 home on July 3, charging him with eight felony counts of dogfighting, one for each of the dogs seized during the raid and one for the seizure of alleged dog fighting paraphernalia. He was released on a $26,450 bond the following day.

Johnson was reportedly the owner of “Shakedown Kennels .”

At the time of his arrest, law enforcement officers, Humane Society officials and a forensic veterinarian from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reportedly found barrels scattered around Johnson’s backyard, logging chains attached to stakes in the ground near each barrel, along with other evidence. Each dog was attached to a chain by a heavy collar.

The sheriff’s office said in a press release at the time that information regarding Shake Down Kennels was first provided to the HSUS via their tip line earlier in the year. An investigation was launched at that time, but authorities waited to make an arrest until after the new law took effect July 1.

The animal fighting tip line was established as a pro-bono venture by the Atlanta-based security firm, Norred and Associates, in the wake of the Michael Vick case so that Georgia residents can easily report illegal animal fighting to authorities, officials said. The HSUS offers up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in animal fighting.

The new law makes it a felony to own, possess, train, transport or sell a dog for the purpose of dogfighting.

If convicted, Johnson could serve up to five years in prison, a minimum fine of $5,000, or both, according to the sheriff’s office.


Madison County’s Animal Control Board voted 3-2 last month to return temporary custody of a male pit bull dog to his owner, a man who was the first person in the state arrested under Georgia’s new felony dogfighting law, which took effect July 1, 2008.

The animal control board released the dog to Johnny Stewart Johnson, 28, of Danielsville, per his request, until his court date, which is tentatively scheduled for next May. The custody of six other dogs seized at the time of his arrest were not under consideration.

In return, Johnson agreed to provide adequate care for the dog and to allow animal control officers to conduct regular visits to his home in order to ensure that adequate care is provided, according to the animal control board minutes.

The decision was made during an animal control hearing on Nov. 12, where members of the animal control board heard testimony from assistant district attorney Jimmy Webb, animal control officer Andy McLendon and Johnson.

“The purpose of the hearing was not to determine innocence or guilt related to dog fighting but whether it was in the dog’s best interest to be held by the state, or returned to the dog owner while the trial was pending,” hearing minutes stated.

The board heard information from Webb regarding the dogfighting arrest; from McLendon, who spoke of his experience with dogs and answered questions from the board; and from Johnson, who maintained that the dog in question, as well as the other dogs, were kept for personal enjoyment and not for fighting.

“A question of whether the animal should be neutered prior to release to the owner was discussed, however the motion/second was unaltered and a vote followed,” according to hearing minutes.

Board members Barbara Freeman, Decator Dunugan and Nina Grass voted to return the dog to Johnson under monitored foster care until his trial. Chairman Greg Bleakley and board secretary Phil Munro voted “no.”



Shakedown Kennels

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Man who brutally beat puppy gets slap on the wrist!

A San Rafael man charged with beating his Chihuahua puppy pleaded guilty after a judge said she would reduce his charge to a misdemeanor and limit his sentence to 44 days in jail.

Jose Misael Cardenas, 20, will be sentenced March 11 by Judge Kelly Simmons, who offered the deal. Cardenas pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty count that prosecutors charged as a felony, but the judge has the discretion to make it a misdemeanor.

The investigation began on Aug. 27, when authorities received an anonymous tip from a resident on North San Pedro Road about someone beating a Chihuahua, according to the Marin Humane Society.

An animal control officer arrived to find the 6-month-old dog, Scooby, needing emergency treatment; it had bruises, was limping and lethargic. Cardenas, who said he owned the dog, denied any wrongdoing.

The dog was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with
hemorrhaging to the left eye, bruising to its legs, chest and right ear, and fluid in its lungs, authorities said.

Prosecutors filed charges of animal cruelty, dissuading a witness and failure to take care of an animal. After a preliminary examination of the evidence in September, Judge Simmons ruled there was sufficient evidence to hold a trial on the animal cruelty charge, but she dismissed the two other charges.

Scooby, who was taken from Cardenas by the Marin Humane Society, has since been adopted, said Deputy District Attorney Aicha Mievis.




Cardenas told investigators he bought the dog at a flea market in Vallejo.



Wednesday, Mar 11, 2009: Report and Judgment



Here is his case number: SC160895A, Jose Misael Cardenas


Judge Kelly V. Simmons, appointed to the bench in 2005, received her bachelor's degree from San Diego State University and law degree from Pepperdine Law School. 

http://www.marincourt.org/bios_judge.htm



To contact the court locally:
Phone: (415) 473-6225
Location: Civic Center, Hall of Justice, Room C-10
Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm


Email the judge:

Mailing address:
Marin County Superior Court
3501 Civic Center Drive
San Rafael, California 94903


Read more here... 

Hagen Living World Cat Spa Product Review


I don't have this for my own cats because I see how neglected this is at the shelter. I have never seen one cat show any interest in this. The top middle piece falls out a lot and it simply collects cat fur that is floating around the room.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

No Adoptions at Petsmart...ugh!

We did adoptions at Petsmart today and unfortunately, nobody was adopted.  Nobody even looked seriously at any of the cats!  Some people wanted to hold Gracie but not because they wanted to take her home.  It was the slowest adoption day I have ever helped with.

Gracie did much better than anyone expected. She let strangers hold her, she was curious about what was going on, she didn't hide or hiss at anyone, she did great!  She came to me pretty scared and skittish so I expected her to be a little nervous with strangers and definitely scared of all of the noise of Petsmart but she reacted like a well adjusted kitten.  My hard work has paid off!

Taming Gracie is going well!

Gracie came to us to be tamed.  She was trapped with her siblings about a month ago.  There were four siblings and we separated them into 2 boys and 2 girls and brought them to different houses to be tamed.  The two boys were doing fine together but the two girls were not interacting with the humans and were not making progress.  So they were separated.  I have one of them.

It takes a lot of work and energy to tame a kitten.  For my opinion on taming adult cats, please click here.  
I agreed to tame Gracie because she is 3 months old.  At 3-4 months old, it is possible to tame them.  It isn't easy, though.  Taming (among other things with kittens) requires patience, energy, time and space.

My job is to get her used to be around humans, get her comfortable around the noises she will hear in a household (such as vacuuming) and begin to enjoy being around us.  Gracie is not considered feral.  She is very shy and very skittish.  She is just a "hard stray".  She is a stray cat that requires a lot of work to get her to be like a normal house cat.

Using baby food helps immensely.  I have noticed with all of my ferals, they are the most nervous and skittish when you are walking towards them or around them.  They run and hide.  I am trying to show her that she will not be hurt if I walk by her.  So, I carry around baby food and walk to her and give her some baby food.

I sit with her to lure her to my lap with baby food.  Once she gets some baby food, usually she will lay on my lap and let me pet her.  Sometimes she will snatch some baby food and run away to play with the other kitties.  She purrs and rolls around so I can scratch her belly.  Taming is a constant process.  You can't really tame them once a day, or even twice a day.  You have to keep on them and keep challenging them.
Gracie and Artie are meeting for the first time.  Gracie loves Artie!  When she sees him, she instantly purrs.  It is so cute! :)
Gracie is eating baby food off my finger.  In order to tame her, we use baby food to get her to interact with us.  
Gracie is on the cat tree with the "big" cats.

Gracie is making some new friends!

Arkansas Senate Unanimously Passes Animal Cruelty Bill


Update Jan. 23, 2009: This bill is moving fast through the Arkansas legislature. The Senate has now passed it 34-0! 
The bill moves to the House. Contact Arkansas House members and urge them to vote yes on S.B. 77.
Read Animal Law Coalition's earlier reports below for more information and a copy of this bill.
Update Jan. 21, 2009: Today, the Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee approved S.B. 77 on a voice vote.
Here is a copy of the bill.
For more on this bill and why you should urge Arkansas legislators to support it, read Animal Law Coalition's earlier report below. 
Original report: The promised felony animal cruelty bill, S.B. 77, has been introduced.
If it passes, Arkansas will have for the first time a law that makes animal cruelty a felony in some circumstances.
Right now, Arkansas is one of a few states where animal cruelty is not a felony no matter the circumstances. Efforts to make some animal cruelty a felony has failed in past legislative sessions. 
The Arkansas Farm Bureau, representing 227,000 farmers in the state, has said it will support this legislation as has the Arkansas Poultry Federation.

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Karma is doing very well 4 days after surgery!

Karma is such a sweet and loving kitty.  As I type this, she is laying next to me, purring and rubbing on my leg.  What surprises me is that she has been this way since she came to me.  One week ago, I brought her home, two weeks after she was hit by a car.

She is 6 months old and her size is a benefit.  She has less weight to carry around so it is putting less stress on her bones.  She weighed 4 pounds 3 ounces one week ago.  We have not weighed her since then.  She came to me emaciated but we want to put more weight on her to get her to a healthy weight.

She has been walking around like a cat who had not been hit by a car.  She has been jumping on the couch and jumping down, even though I have made up a little ramp for her.  She doesn't want to use it-even though I have been trying to get her to.

This morning, I saw her run for a few seconds while chasing a toy but I think she stopped because she realized it was too much for her body.  I just wish she would realize that jumping is hard on her!

The vet told me that being active is key to her recovery.  The more she walks around, the better.  We put her in a cage at night so our other cats don't try to tackle her or jump on her while playing and so we don't roll over her or kick her while we sleep.

The vet is amazed at how well she is doing.  She is touching down with her leg, even though the vet said that some cats don't do that for a week or two.  She was walking the morning after her surgery!  She is doing very, very well.