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Spay Day USA is celebrating it’s 15th year in 2009!

Taken from the HSUS website:

Spay Day USA takes place each year on the last Tuesday of February. Created by the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) in 1995, Spay Day USA became a program of The Humane Society of the United States when DDAL combined operations with The HSUS  in 2006.

Why have a Spay Day?

Spay Day USA because of all the dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens that are euthanized everyday in your local shelters. These animals are not put to sleep because they are ill or injured. These animals did not have a full life, being loved and cared for by a family. These animals are put to sleep because they don’t have a family, because the pet population is out of control. Pet overpopulation is a problem in every city in the USA, the only way to stop it is to spay and neuter our pets!

If you can’t find any Spay Day USA activities in your area here are some ideas to get the ball rolling for next year.

Fuzzy valentines around the world will take part in our celebrations of love at home this February 14. Admit it, even if you want them around, the more you try to shoo them off, the more they will want to hang out with you and your sweetie.  There are several things we need to be aware of when it comes to their safety, but I want to point out three that are more likely to surface this week.

Two Valentine hazards to be aware of are chocolate and lilies. In the week prior to Valentine’s Day 2008, cases involving chocolate ingestion increased by 74%—a number comparable only to cases seen during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Here are some helpful tips I got of the ASPCA website.

- When sending a floral arrangement, request that it contain no lilies, as all species within the plant genera Lilium are toxic to cats. And please de-thorn your roses, as their sharp, woody spines can hurt your pet if chewed, stepped on or swallowed.

- Stow chocolates (any candy) in paw-proof drawers and cabinets. The darker the chocolate, the more likely a pet who’s ingested it will suffer vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures and an elevated heart rate.

- Spilled wine is nothing to cry over—until a curious pet laps it up. Because animals are smaller than humans, a little bit of alcohol can do a lot of harm, causing vomiting, lack of coordination, difficulty breathing and even coma.

- Gather up tape, ribbons, cellophane and balloons after you open presents—long, stringy and “fun-to-chew” items can get lodged in your pet’s throat or digestive tract.

As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested a toxic substance, contact your veterinarian or the APCC’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

This video is of Mimi stalking a spider on the ceiling. She is so intent on getting that spider, but things just didn’t work out for her, so in the end she gave up. Poor kitty…