Munchkin Is Mad

Hai, effuryone...dis is Patches, and I wishes to fank effuryone dat wished me a happy gotcha day...I finks I is a purrty old lady by now, but my medicines haz me kinda confuzled 'bout dat.  I still like to walk all offur da howse, and chow down mai foodz, and help all da odder kittehs finish der foodz, too!

And now, Munchkin wants to take over da keyboard...

Hai, dis is Munchkin, and I am furry madz at mom!  She got owt da sucky macheen today, and she sucked up mai spring toy dat I had gotted shortened up to just da rite size, den, she sucked up mai plastic flag tab thingy...it came in dad's noo keyboard...and it wuz funz to chase and bat and made a neat crinkly noise!
Den, she threw away mai fafurrite catnip mousie...just cuz it wuz coming apart wif da stuffing sticking owt.  I mean, isn't dat wot we kittehs is s'pozed to do wif mousies??? Kick and bite da stuffin' owt of dem???
Now, I haz to start all offur agin wif a noo mousie, just when I had dat one all broke in!  Duz any of you odder kittehs owt der know how to break a sucky-macheen?  Dat wud fix dis problem, I fink!

Take Action Against Bad Laws--Be the Change for Animals

Greetings, fellow anipals and animal lovers.

I post today's post in red, to memorialize and emphasize the lives lost needlessly through callous attitudes and failure of laws.

It is with heavy heart that I write today's post, having just learned that the Governor of Connecticut has signed a bill into law that will make it extraordinarily costly to transport animals into that state.

This misguided piece of legislation will have the effect of limiting the ability of rescue groups to transport animals to effect their salvation from what is euphemistically termed "euthanasia," but is, in fact, murder!

In order to prevent the mass murder of anipals of all types at the hands of so-called "shelters," these kinds of laws must not be allowed to pass.  Sadly, this one has already been signed, but it is not altogether too late for the animals, as it is not scheduled to go into effect until September.

For folks in Connecticut who wish to help repeal this horribly unjust action, as well as for all peoples everywhere facing similar problems, here is a 14-step plan of action:

1. Create a Face Book page about the issue.
2. Post, and cross-post several times a day, to catch all time zones and people on different work schedules.
3. Tweet, Digg, StumbleUpon, Blog, and whatever other options you may be able to use to spread the word, and get everyone you gather to do likewise.
4. Gather like-minded folks in person where you live and organize a petition drive.
5. Plan a march on the capitol building to hold a demonstration / march /rally; have plenty of signs & posters showing what happens to the poor animals otherwise.
6. Button-hole legislators and show them horrible graphic photos of the fate of animals in need of rescue.
7. Start a letter-writing campaign and flood the offices of the legislators, the governor, and any other persons in positions of power.
8. Start an e-mail campaign, and use it for the same purposes as above.
9. Distribute flyers in pet stores, at shelters and humane societies calling attention to the issue.
10. Get everyone you know, and even those you don't know personally, involved.  There is power in numbers.
11. Start a telephone tree campaign by phone to call these people several times a week--even a few times per day.
12. See if local businesses will help by donating printing of handouts.
13. Send out press releases to ALL the local media outlets, both print and TV/radio.  Use this to either gain an interview or write-up, or call attention to your planned demonstration.
14. Look into setting up a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so you may legally collect monetary donations to support the expenses of your cause.

In short, make a pest of yourself--the more noise and attention you can attract, especially if it is an election year--the better.  Remember the human's saying:  "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."

Important note:  These same ideas can also be used to lobby for GOOD laws to help animals, as well as against bad ones!! 
I wish everyone the best of luck in turning this into a true No-Kill Nation!


Best wishes to one and all.
Signed, Jigsaw Puzzle, Esq.

Keep Kitty Safe

Mom haz written a post on her bloggie abowt keeping us kittehs safe, and also keepin' da wildlifes safes frum us expurrt hunters.. You can check it owt heer: Mom's Blog .
We thot it wuz furry impawtent so we iz posting dat linky as our bloggie post fur today, so you kin shares it wif effurryones you knows who needs dis infurmashun.
It haz a linky to a bideo dat iz abowt an hour long by da Nashunlul Geograficks Society...and parts of it iz purrty hards to watch, and mom got sum leaky eyes an also gots mads...but she sez dat iz good, iz wot peeps needs to see.

Fanks you furry much.

Sined, Tigger and Munchkin

Overdue Posty

OMC!!  We iz guilty of not posting in a furry long time!  We blames da typist.  She keeps hoggin' da compooter.  But, we has fownd out dat der iz a furry impawtent orginizashun doin' furry good werks fur all kinds of kittehs dat odderwise mite neffur get adopteded into furever homes.

Der name iz:  Puffy Paws Kitty Haven, and dey operates The World's Greatest Cathouse, located in Englewood, Florida.  Dey iz a real non-profit charity, (with a offishul 501(c)(3) designashun frum da IRS peeps), and spends all of der time and green papers on helpin da kittehs.  Iz furry expesives, and da fundraisin neffur stops.

We wants effurryone to go take a look, and help dem owt iffen you cans.  Dey even haz a purrogram you kin sine up to donate automatikly by plastic card thingees effury month, wif any amownt you kin manage.

Heer iz a linky to an artickle a nice lady wrote on about.com, tellin all abowt dis wunnerful cupple of peeples, an how folks kin helps.

Purleese go bisit dem at der website az well:  puffy paws kitty haven .

Dat's all fur nows..da typist wants da compooter back so she kin write anodder artickle on her Hub Pages site.

Sined, Munchkin

Toyz, Toyz, and More Toyz!

Hai, Furriends!

Dis is Tigger heer!  I sneekeeyed in when no one wuz lookin!  Mom haz been so furry bizzy writing articles day gives her sum green paperz dat our bloggie dooties has bin neglecktid fur a long time! (I hopes you likes dis color--it matches mai furz!)

We haz missed all our furriends boff heer on da CB and at da Twitter Pawties.  Den Jiggy gots a big hed on accounta he went to skool to learn "gud inglish" to be da 'spokes-cat.'  Boo, hiss at him!  Now he finks he iz all dat!

Well, I am heer to tell yous all how to make sum furry fun toyz iffen your beans haz no green papers!  Iz funz an easy, an Meowmy haz made us a bunches of dem!

One:
Furst, have yur beans save up all da empty rollz frum der litterbox room. Dese iz fun to play wif in many ways.  Our meowmy fixed up a bunch of dem on a string, an she pulls it down da hall.  Iz just like chasing a worm or sumpin. 

Just have your beans take a long string, almost as tall as dey are, and run it inside da rollz.  At da end you will be chasin, dey should poke 2 holes in da side of da roll, and stick da string out one an back in da odder, den tie a knot to da rest of da string.  Tape da string inside, offur da knot--dey kin use wide tape like fur closin' up boxes--den, put da next roll on da string, and stick da string to da insides of da rollz wif da tape. Do this fur each roll.  Uses abowt 7 or 8 rollz.  Dey kin leaf part of da string stickin owt da top, and tie a loop fur dem to pull it wif.  We luvs dis toy!

Two:
If it iz neer da howlidays, (or sum bean's birfday), dey kin save up da plastic spools frum da ribbon.  Deez are funz all by demselves!  Dey roll reely gud, and fur a long time.  Da beans only has to set da spool up on edge, and gives it a push.  Will roll alla way down da hall, wif kittehs in purrsooot!  Iz gud fur starting a game of THoE.

Three:

Boxes!  Kittehs, do not let yur beans throw away purrrfecktly gud boxes!  We all knows us kittehs luvs boxes!  We don't effen haff to fit inside da box!  Da challenge of tryin' to git in iz haff da funz! Our sisfur, Soot (who now lives offer da RB) luved to try an stuff herself into tissue boxes!  She wuz so silly!  Heer iz anodder example:  Lookit dis bideo of da famus cat, "Maru" tryin' to git into an impossible box!

Four:

Anyfings wif strings espeshully shiny ribbon strings, is fun to chase.  Da beans can easy tie dem or tape dem to a stick or a great big paper rolly fing, like dey gets wif dat gift wrappin' paper!  Is grate funz, just tape or pokey holez to tie da strings or ribbons to one end, and put enuf down thru da paper toob so it sticks owt da end abowt a tail length.  Den, yur beans kin wave ta toob arownd, an you kin jump at da string, an see how hi you kin jump.  If dere iz more dan one kitteh in yur howse, it iz a gud contest!

Dis toy kin also be used as a sneeky-up toy, if yur beans keep it owt of yur sight, 'cept fur da ribbon, which dey kin wiggle..den, when youz go to pownce on it, dey kin pull da ribbon up inside, an you kin stick ur paw in to try an find it. 

Five:

Iffen your beans haz any old leather wallets dey is abowt to throw away, meow yur head off, and don't let dem!  You need dis toy!  You kin nom on it, bunny-kick it, carry it in your mouth, and if yur beans really luvs you, dey can sprinkle da inside wif NIP! (Just be sure dey takes owt any plastic window parts dat mite cut you, or zippers dat mite hurt your teeth.)

Dat is sum of my suggeschuns.  And a word of warning: as temting as it mite be, purrlease stay away frum your meowmy's hair ties, and those paper clip and rubber band thingees you may find in da beans baffroom or in der desk.  Dese iz furry dangerus fings fur kittehs, an not toyz.

As fun as it iz to make toyz owt of wot looks like nuffing, dere are a lot of gate toyz to be had as well as lots of odder nice kitteh stuffs iffen your beans haz any of dos pesky green papers dey all seems to fuss offur.

Heer iz a link to a sooper place to order all kinds of fings fur us kittehs.  (Oh, okay..dey haz woofie stuffs, too--but we furgives dem fur dat, on accownt of dey is so nice!)

So, purrlease also bisit our furriends at Nip and Bones fur grate toys, grooming, traveling and all kinds of fings.  Dey haz furry fast shipping, an all da toyz an stuffs iz purrsonally tested an inspected by Chief Kit, Baby Patches!  I'm sure many of you knows her frum da CB, da Facey-Book or Twitter!  (We allus keeps a linky to der shop offur to da left in da sidebar, so you kin find it anytime.)

Stand Up, Speak Up for the Animals!

Today’s post is for a very special cause, as part of the “Blog the Change for Animals” challenge.  Our topic is the sorry state of the nation’s so-called animal shelters.  Too many animals entrusted to these facilities suffer everything from inadequate care to being killed outright--(so I have published in blood red type).

“Euthanasia,” they call it.  Euthanasia, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is as follows:

 

 “The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment.”  (Emphases mine.)

There is nothing ethical about the reasons for killing animals at the very facilities responsible for their temporary care until a permanent home can be found.  Instead, they are concerned only with their bottom line, and available space.  They do not discriminate overmuch about which animals are chosen to be killed.  In some cases, it could be older or ill animals, but it is far more likely to be perfectly healthy adult animals or baby animals just beginning their journey of life.  They are not 'suffering from terminal illnesses or incurable conditions.'

Instead of focusing their efforts on education, adoption, spaying and neutering of family pets and TNR (trap/neuter/release) programs for feral populations (especially cats), these places would rather collect and kill. 

It is a shameful practice, and reduces to nearly insignificant numbers the equally horrific tales of individuals committing animal abuse and causing extreme harm and death.  However, there is a conspiracy of silence in the media:  only individuals perpetrating cruelty upon animals are exposed and held accountable under the laws of the land.

The ultimate irony lies in the very names these agencies give themselves:  “American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” (ASPCA);  “Humane Society of the United States” (HSUS); and local branches of the ASPCA, going by the shortened “SPCA” label.  Happily,  a few shelters are beginning to get the word, and are adopting out more pets than they kill, but the numbers are still skewed too far toward the high-kill shelters.

Even more shocking are the recent reports coming out about the so-called animal rights group, “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).  PETA also operates a supposed shelter, but has managed to adopt out  only 8 animals of the many thousands it took in during 2009, the last year for which figures are available as of this writing.  The rest, they killed!  Check out that story here: http://petakillsanimals.com/ 

This is not a pretty subject, and there is no way to dress it up to appease those easily shocked or sickened.  In fact, it is that very shock and horror that is needed to create a massive cry of outrage from the public at large.  It is unconscionable that the great majority of these organizations run on volunteer labor and monetary donations from the public.  They get the donations by running bleeding-heart campaigns in the media, convincing animal lovers to open their wallets, and then betray the trust by acting contrarily to the advertising on which they waste the donations.  Before you donate, please do research on the organization asking for your hard-earned dollars.

The statistics speak for themselves:  the facilities that like to call themselves shelters are in fact, themselves directly responsible for the wanton slaughter of over four million dogs and cats annually.  Four million!  Yes, a four followed by six zeroes! 4,000,000! Annually! It’s a huge number, and it must come to a stop.  They are murderers, plain and simple.

Even in instances where rescue groups have offered to pull the animal and find it a home, and physical rehabilitation if needed, the animals were quickly put down instead of being turned over to the rescues.  This happens more often than you would think, and speaks of horrible, sadistic, evil people who kill for the sheer sick pleasure it must give them.

There are laws proposed such as this one dubbed "Oreo's Law," to force the shelters to live up to their names, yet the bills are getting tabled by political pressure from these very same organizations.  What can you or I do to help stem this bloody tide and turn  the screws on these powerful lobbies?  Nathan Winograd’s No Kill Nation is a good place to start (http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/). The link to "Oreo's Law," mentioned above, is found from a link on this site.

    

At his website you will find links to the various laws being proposed, and a comprehensive detailing of the problems being faced with convincing the directors of these agencies who are interested in protecting only their salaries, and not the animals with whose lives they’ve been entrusted.

You can start the ball rolling by calling attention to this blog post.  Share it on Face Book, Tweet, Digg, StumbleUpon, e-mail or whatever other means you may use to spread the word.  Working together, we can do this.

Thank you, from the bottom of all the "anipal's" hearts, thank you!

Read Mom's related post here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Human-Rights-vs-Animal-Rights-Is-There-a-Difference

Signed,  Jigsaw Puzzle, Esq.,
Spokescat for the Talk With The Paws crew
(Tigger, Munchkin, Jigsaw Puzzle and Patches)

 

Jigsaw Puzzle Makes an Announcement

This is Jigsaw Puzzle speaking.  Mom said I had to go to school to learn "proper English" if I wanted to be the Spokescat.  That is why I've been missing and not posting for a while. 

 I begin with a serious post.  Watch for it tomorrow, Jan. 15th,  2011.