“Feral cats live healthy, quality lives outdoors, but there are ways to make their lives even better, including programs like trap-neuter-return,” said Becky Robinson, National Director of Alley Cat Allies. “National Feral Cat Day is a great opportunity to learn more about feral cats and why trap-neuter-return is best for the cats and the community.”

So what’s the difference between a feral cat, stray cat or free-roaming cat? Free-roaming cats are usually pets that are allowed outside, but are still family pets. Stray cats were once pets, but were lost or abandoned and live permanently outdoors. Feral cats are the offspring of lost or abandoned cats or other feral cats who are not spayed or neutered. Females can reproduce two to three times a year, and their kittens, if they survive, become feral due to lack of contact with humans.

Here are ways to prevent feral cat colonies or assist existing ones in your area.

* Spay or neuter your cat and encourage others to do the same.
* Keep cats indoors or, if outdoors, in contained spaces.
* Donate cash or time to shelters.
* Adopt from shelters.
* If you see feral cats, report them to your local animal shelter or a trap-neuter-release group.

Marie Belew Wheatley, president and CEO said, “Kindness toward animals is a building block of a humane and compassionate society.”  “We celebrate and encourage that all year long,” she said.

Not that we need a designated time of year to do this, in honor of Be Kind to Animals Week, here are some tips on how you can show your appreciation for animals:

Speak out for animals
Get informed about policies and legislation that can impact the animals in your community and throughout the country. Also, register to receive Action Alerts from American Humane — you’ll be able to speak out for animals with just the click of a mouse. Advocacy for animals can make a huge difference in their safety and well-being.www.americanhumane.org.

Report animal abuse
Animal cruelty and abuse is not only tragic for animals, but also an indicator that other forms of abuse such as domestic violence could be happening. If you see something that looks suspicious — a dog chained in your neighbor’s yard that looks underfed, a child putting a cat in a box and kicking it around the yard –  please don’t hesitate.  Let your local animal control, humane society or animal shelters know.

Appreciate wildlife
All animals deserve to be treated humanly — family pets and animals in the wild. Create an inviting space in your yard and garden for butterflies, hummingbirds and other creatures. If wildlife comes too close to home, look for ways to coexist with animals or to protect your property humanely. Teach children to appreciate animals and wildlife. Lead by example and demonstrate how we can make a difference in the lives of all animals.

Adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue
Every year, an estimated 3.7 million animals must be euthanized at our nation’s shelters because they could not be adopted into loving homes. Help animals find a second chance at happiness by adopting your next pet from your local shelter or rescue group. American Humane has tips to find the animal companion that’s right for you and develop a bond that will last a lifetime.

Take care of your pet
Pets are like children who never grow up. Along with love, they need you to help keep them healthy and safe throughout their lives.  Take your pet to the veterinarian regularly. Keep your animal’s vaccinations up-to-date. Make sure he’s wearing proper identification and/or get them microchipped.  Know what it takes to be a responsible pet owner.

For more resources, visit http://americanhumane.org.

Each year, the ASPCA and the makers of FreshStep Kitty Litter,  urge supporters across the country to “Go Orange for Animals” throughout the month of April-when the ASPCA’s charter was signed in 1866-to raise awareness for our cause. Going orange is a tribute to the work of the ASPCA and a celebration of compassion and kindness for all living things everywhere.

How Is the ASPCA “Going Orange” for Animals? The ASPCA will kick off Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month on April 7, when iconic buildings and landmarks across the country will light up orange. On the heels—or shall we say paws?—of the April 7 lightings, the ASPCA will hold three events featuring live music, ASPCA experts and a host of pet-related activities:

• April 7, New York City, NY
• April 18, Austin, TX
• April 25, Venice Beach, CA

Ways to Go Orange

So How Do You “Go Orange” for Animals?

It’s fun to go orange-and the more creative you get, the more fun it is! Orange is a vibrant, energetic color that most people find inspiring. So use it joyfully to show the world you care about animals during the month of April! We’ve provided the following ideas and suggestions on how you can go orange in your community, classroom, business, library, website, etc.! Whether you organize a pet parade in your neighborhood, get your town hall to light up in orange or decorate your car with orange paint-we thank you for being a vision in orange and helping the ASPCA spread the word about preventing cruelty to animals.

Lighten Up

- OK, so you don’t have a tower like the one on the Empire State Building on top of your house, but you can still let the world know that animal lovers live in your home. Purchase orange string or rope lights, available online and at hardware and specialty lighting and novelty stores, and wrap your house, terrace, trees, lamppost, porch steps, mailbox…even the family swing set. Start small by replacing your porch light or driveway light with an orange bulb, and see where that takes you. Don’t forget to ask your neighbors to join in!

Let it Shine

- Know of a cool building in your town or city that would look great lit up orange? Ask your town hall, local groceries, libraries and others to help you go orange by “lighting up” their places of business to help raise awareness about kindness and compassion. Find out who the management company is and ask them to join in with New York City’s tower buildings and the many buildings that will be lighting up orange during April. As an added incentive, let them know that their building could receive great coverage if they light up for animals; good idea to alert the media first.

How “Glow” Can You Go?

- Get that orange GLOW by wearing and handing out orange glow sticks and glow jewelry. How about a glow light party or parade in your town? (These colorful accessories can be found online or purchased at party supply stores.)

Tie One (or Two!) On

- Decorate with orange bows and ribbons. They’ll look great wherever you put them-on trees, over your office door, hanging from your dashboard, on your pooch, even in your hair!

Play Dress-up

- Open your closet and get out those bright orange pants, shirts, ties, shoelaces and socks and don them every Friday-or any other day of the week-for the month of April. If you suffer from a dearth of citrus-colored clothing, simply visit the online ASPCA Store. You’ll find a variety of orange accessories!

On the Move

- Plan a community walk in your city or town where dogs and their humans go orange! For the organizationally challenged, walking through town with your friends (both furry and human) is just as good, but do be sure you’re all wearing something orange and carrying our poster, or your own sign, telling people why you are walkin’ and glowin’! Visit ASPCAAmbassadors.org to register your walk!

Take a Big Gulp

- Mix up some batches of orangeade or orange Kool-Aid and have a sale to benefit your local humane organization or animal shelter. There’s a reason this is the quintessential kid’s fundraising activity-it’s fun, it’s inexpensive, and it works!

Sweet Treats!

- Organize an orange-themed bake sale for animals at your local shelter or rescue group. Make orange cupcakes or cookies, or even cat- and dog-shaped cookies wearing orange frosted collars! Set up a table at your school, church, local library, club or office and let people know their purchase of orange deliciousness will benefit animals for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month! You can also convince your local bakery to create special orange baked goods and ask if they might donate some of the proceeds to animal welfare efforts.

Pimp Your Ride

- Vroom-vroom for animals! Write some animal friendly messages on your vehicle- “Go Orange for Animals!” or “Celebrate Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month!” Most auto parts stores sell specific window-marking chalk for writing on your windows. You’ll be surprised by how far a little creative writing can go to help animals!

Mind Your (Local) Business

- Have your local pet store or tack shop go orange and feature special promotions or discounts for the month of April, with some proceeds going toward local animal welfare efforts. Encourage your local bookstore to go orange by promoting and displaying humane literature for kids and adults. Visit ASPCAEducation.org for a list of top animal-themed titles. Local students and teachers could help create the display, too!

Grow Orange

- Got a green thumb? Plant an orange garden for animals. Ask your local garden center what orange flowering plants work best in your area, and do some creative landscaping. Trim your shrubs into animal shapes, and decorate them in orange bows or lights. No garden? Try window boxes or flower pots, but do let people (and the media) know that your orange garden is all for and all about animals. (Be careful though, as some plants can be toxic to animals and wildlife. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center to find out which ones.)

Litter Box and Litter Mat Experiment with different litter boxes to find out which kind your cat likes better — some prefer a covered environment while others, an open one. You might even get a mat to place right outside the litter box to ensure that your cat doesn’t track excess litter throughout your home. Make sure the opening to the litter box is nice and large so even a larger cat can get in easily. A cat should not have to struggle to fit into the litter box — if your cat can’t fit inside the box, it will surely find somewhere else in your house to do its business. Covered boxes are great if you have dogs in the house, who often consider cat poop attractive. It’s also important to use one litter box per cat — they, like humans, prefer privacy when using the facilities.

Litter It’s important to keep your cat’s litter box as clean and odor-free as possible. If your cat’s litter box is not pleasant to the cat, it could lead to house soiling, which is a leading cause of cats being returned to shelters. There are lots of different litters on the market — some are clumping (also known as “scoopable”), and some are non-clumping. It is important to find a litter that controls odor, like Fresh Step, which contains carbon. Carbon works to continuously eliminate odors, helping to keep your cat happy and your litter box smelling fresher. Scoop litter daily. For more information, visit freshstep.com.

Scratching Post Cats need to scratch! It’s a natural instinct to them. When a cat scratches, its old outer nail sheath is pulled off, and the sharp, smooth claws underneath are exposed. Provide a sturdy scratching post, at least 3 feet high, which will allow your cat to stretch completely when scratching. The post should also be stable enough that it won’t wobble during use, and should be covered with rough material such as sisal, burlap, or tree bark. Many cats also like scratching pads. A sprinkle of catnip once or twice a month will keep your cat interested in her post or pad. It’s also important to cut your cat’s nails every two to three weeks so they will be relatively blunt and less likely to harm the arms of both humans and furniture.

Climbing Tree Similar to a scratching post, a cat climbing tree can be a great source of enjoyment for your cat. Cat trees usually include several resting platforms atop the “trunks” and can be covered in tree bark or carpeted. Placement near a sunny window or patio door guarantees enjoyment.

Catnip Toys Cats love catnip — more than 50 percent of felines go wild when they smell it. Catnip comes from the leaves of the Nepeta Cataria plant, and even scientists don’t fully understand why felines respond to it the way they do. What they do know is that the reaction is caused by a chemical in the herb called transnepetalactone. A sprinkle of catnip once or twice a month will also keep your cat interested in his scratching post or climbing tree.

The video is long because Steve and I are new at this and don’t know how to edit yet. You wont be sorry though, Keep watching so you can see another of Lucien’s favorite things; getting his little kitty but spanked!

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.

Who ever said Christmas was just for kids, does not know what they are talking about. Just ask my kids, err I mean cats.

Lucien VS Nip Cane

SantaClaws

Pandora VS Nip Cane

For us?

I

Boy loves his Nip Cane