The puppy with the big ears
Thank you all who entered the contest, giving me lots of fun and ideas for more contests! I hope you all enjoyed it and will come back to see what I come up with next!
Winner, Roscoe, sent in a letter regarding his dangerous temptation. The letter first goes off to the news editor and after it is published in the paper, it will appear in my blog. Stay tuned!
And by the way, how did you like the contest? Should we do another one?
It’s a movement.
It’s a beautiful idea.
It’s happening!
Operation Happy Sock —
give a homeless cat a lift!
Operation Happy Sock is a fun, simple way for kids (or anyone) to help homeless cats at their local animal shelter.
Collect unwanted socks and turn them into simple — but very effective and highly desirable — catnip toys!
Happy Socks are super simple to make: just take a sock and stuff it with a fistful of poly fill and a big pinch of catnip. Tie a knot in the ankle and you’ve made a Happy Sock!
Happy Socks can be made from almost any kind of sock. And cats love Happy Sock catnip toys because they’re big, fluffy and durable.
Dipper with the very first Happy Sock!
For complete details and how to get started, go to: Happy Sock headquarters.
Send suggestions to add to the list of groups and organizations:
- Brownies, Cubs and Scouts
- Any festival or event that has a special kids area
- Meet-Up groups for animal welfare
Are you a calendar cat, dog, horse, or any other kind of pet? Enter now by sending your story and a photo!
But first, we are all getting more aware of the consequences we pets may have to suffer if the economy continues in a downward spiral. One of my friends, Dr. Lucy Pinkston Schroth is working diligently on a new website to help all of us who have health issues and nowhere to turn. Dr Schroth has spent the last 28 years as a practicing small animal veterinarian and that includes 10 years in emergency and critical care. She knows “how often people cannot afford adequate emergency care for their pets.” Please visit her amazing new web site Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission to read more about this fantastic woman and her incredible mission.
Now back to the new calendar
Excerpt from her blog posted on October 27, 2008: Our first fundraising project is a calendar.
The theme is “Your Stories.” Please submit a photo of your pet, along with the story of an emergency that your pet has faced. Photos will be judged on clarity, composition, and appeal.
Stories will be judged on how well they fit in with theme of VEFM’s mission. The final choices of the winning photos and stories are made at the discretion of VEFM.
Find out how to submit how to submit your entries here. Show off a little, have some fun, and please let others know about this amazing mission.
Please stop on over to Fisher’s Findings and see what all the excitement is about. Pass it on and help to form the RESCUE TRAIN! Add PEOPLE Power+ PAW Power + Community, Cooperation, and Commitment and the whole WORLD ROCKS!
Dear Fisher,
My name is Rasta and I have this frequent impulse to scratch the furniture at the house I live in. My humans get pretty mad at me. They got a new sofa for the guest room and I just couldn’t help digging my claws into the woven stripes. I like the dark blue ones the best because I thought it wouldn’t show up so much. Well, that wasn’t really true.
My humans rarely go into the guest room, so of course, I could get my fix and be free to do my work without them getting mad at me. But then, the dreaded company was going to show up, and that ruined everything. Now I am in trouble. They are pretty mad at me. Help!
Rasta
Dear Rasta,
You are in more luck than you might think. First of all, your humans made a conscious decision not to do away with your claws because they feel it is an abhorrent procedure and did not want to put you through that. At the same time, they were probably well aware of the scratching-the-furniture needs cats seem to have.
However, things may look a little differently to them now that you have exercised your creative side. How nice that you decided on only the dark blue stripes. That does show some sort of consideration for the new sofa and the dreaded guests. In the old day, everyone thought cats were color blind. Later, scientists studying color-blindness in cats found first, that cats are not color blind, and second, cats just do not give a hoot about color. So, I commend you for your rare insight (no pun intended).
Cats scratch for various reasons. Glands between your toes give off a secretion with a distinctive odor to you. You just signed your name to that sofa. Cats are at home just about anywhere once they cordon off their own happy places. It really is a natural response to a new piece of furniture in the house.
Sometimes, cat scratching is just a way to get rid of your old molting claws. This is a grooming decision you might have made for yourself. I do caution you though, that if you make too many like decisions, the kitty toenail clippers will come out to help! It is not such a bad thing once you get used to it. Nail clipping by your humans can go a long way to dissolve the anger over the new fringed furniture. If they decide to make a habit of helping you with your grooming, you will be wise to accommodate them.
On the really upside of all this, you may be the proud owner of a new spectacular scratching station made just for you. Check this out. I found a way for your humans to build you a scratching post to beat all scratching posts. It is made from a 4-foot wooden ladder, wrapped with about 600 feet of ¼ inch un-oiled manila rope. Remember to mention that oiled rope can be toxic to cats. Get a few Berber carpet tiles, round shaped plywood, a staple gun, a few carriage bolts, and a drill. Walla! Get complete directions at CAWS. Talk about a happy place!
Both you and your humans should take a look at the decision not to de-claw and feel good about it. By your very nature, you are going to get into a scratching frenzy somewhere in your house. They will do well to provide you with the place. There is really not much else they can do. Getting mad at you will not help at all. As for punishment, there really is no humane way to punish a cat. They are just being cats and rarely understand what all the fuss is about.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt* Tampa Bay
