A Pit Bull and Cat live peacefully in the same family
A pit bull and cat reside in the same household.
Street Cat Rescue
This all volunteer non-profit organization serves the Austin, TX area and its surrounding communities. Their program provides a humane solution for the Community Cats of the Austin area – Helping the Community and the Cats. Donna Powell will share the organization’s mission as well as many of the programs offered to the public.
Tree House Humane Society
Tree House provides a cageless, home-like environment for the many shelter residents. People often ask them why they take their adoption process so seriously. The answer is simple – their goal is not to adopt out the highest number of cats, but to place each cat in a loving home where he or she will live for his or her entire life.
Emancipe+ (awareness + action)
Asha Thune, Director of Outreach for Emancipet, is my guest for today’s show. Emancipet envisions a world where no cat or dog is ever killed just for being homeless. They work towards realizing that vision every day, by providing services and advocacy that effectively and humanely reduce the homeless pet population in the local communities.
The Debate Over Indoors or Out For Cats
There is probably no single issue in cat care that generates stronger debate among pet owners than the question of whether Kitty should be allowed to spend time outdoors.
Animal welfare associations and most veterinarians urge cat owners to keep their pets indoors, where they will live longer, safer lives. The statistics are sobering: more than 1 million outdoor cats are killed each year by dogs, traffic, and exposure to disease. The average indoor cat lives longer than 12 years, while the average outdoor cat survives for less than five years.
Alternatives to roaming
A growing number of cat owners, concerned about the health and safety issues of unsupervised roaming, have found alternatives to provide Kitty with outdoor time – from fencing the backyard to provide a safe outdoor play area, to providing Kitty with access to a screened porch or balcony, to teaching her to walk on a leash and harness. For more suggestions on creating safe outdoor alternatives for your cat, see www.21cats.org.
It takes patience and work, but, the experts say, an outdoor cat can be turned into a perfectly content indoor pet. The key is to make the transition slowly and to provide lots of attention and stimulation while the cat is indoors. Gradually replace those outside excursions with special periods of play time with you. Introduce new and intriguing toys that will satisfy Kitty’s desire to prowl and pounce.
For tips on helping an outdoor cat adjust to the indoor lifestyle, visit the Humane Society website at www.hsus.org
Keeping safe outdoors
It’s hard to deny that outdoor cats are at much greater risk for injury, disease and death. Still, many cat owners believe that their cats simply won’t be happy unless they can go outside to prowl and exercise their natural hunting instinct.
If you decide to provide an indoor/outdoor lifestyle for your cat, you must be willing to supervise his outdoor play time to ensure his safety from the many hazards of the “great outdoors”:
Don’t allow unlimited access to the outdoor world. Limit the time your cat spends outdoors to a few hours each day.
Never leave your cat alone outdoors when you are away from home.
Always be sure your cat is wearing proper identification when he is outdoors. A cat can disappear in seconds and ID tags increase the chance that he will be safety returned if he is lost or injured.
Best Friends Pet Care Post Summer 2001 Newsletter – Between Friends!
Unconditional Love: A Lesson Taught by our Pets
(In Photo: Tucker Justus age 4, adopted from Town Lake Animal Center in Austin Texas in 2004)
By Mariah Justus, 10th Grade
How can one family live with two dogs, six cats, and a fish? It’s not easy and it can be a lot of work, but apparently it’s possible. Ever since I can remember, we’ve had more than one animal in our household because my family (which consists of my mom and dad, my little brother and myself) believes animals help us be better people.
Before I was born in 1993 in Austin Texas, my parents had three cats, Taz, Romeo and Bookie. When I was a baby, my mother reports “cat” was one of my first words and I was able to imitate cat behavior sometimes by purring or hissing at various people to communicate my feelings. Not something every three-year-old would do. I was also highly influenced by a cat’s independence, how they take charge, and how they are all very self-aware. My personality, even today, is much like that of a cat’s because I’m tidy, careful about choosing my friends, but once I know who one really is, I am very loyal.
Even though I didn’t have dogs at a young age, my mother always told me to never be afraid of them. I liked some dogs, but not nearly as much as cats. This really changed when I started volunteering at our local animal shelter when I was 9 years-old. I began bonding with various dogs of all personalities and realized not all dogs were sloppy, unclean, and well, dumb as I had once thought. Like cats, I learned that dogs just need your patience. This is a good lesson to learn when making friends or dealing with family. Patience is needed in all relationships.
When we had been going to the animal shelter for a while and this led me to think long and hard about how maybe, just maybe, our at-the-time four-cat household (which also included my then 3 year-old little brother Marshall) could welcome in a dog. My parents disliked the idea at first, but my persuasive skills soon won them over and my brother and I both fell in love with an Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix. We adopted him from the shelter and we named him Tucker. It was an adjustment for our whole family (cats included), but once we moved to Houston that summer, I managed to persuade both my parents into getting another dog amidst all the post-move chaos, this time, a Golden Retriever puppy from Oklahoma City.
Having pets has taught our family so much about life. For one, cats and dogs never judge and will always give humans a chance. Second, they learn (eventually) how to get along in a human living environment. And three, no matter what you do, pets forgive their humans and will always give them unconditional love. Our family tries to emulate how our animals coexist. Even in the hardest times, our pet inspired patience pays off.
Original story posted on Nov 26, 2008 at Houston Pet Talk.
Elderly People with Pets Have Reduced Healthcare Costs
Helping elderly people and their pets is not just the right thing to do, but it can also reduce healthcare costs, and that can save lives. Pets can be a great source of comfort and joy. By emphasizing our pet’s role in our mental and physical lives, over a period of time we can also reduce overall healthcare costs to society. We know that people who live with companion animals receive numerous health benefits.
For example, people with pets visit the doctor less often and use less medication. People with pets recover from illness more quickly. People with pets have lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure. And exercising a pet can provide valuable exercise to an animal’s elderly guardian. There are measurable social and economic benefits to elderly people by providing services and care for their pets.
Get involved with your local humane society and see where you can help.
3 money-savers for pet owners
Issue Date: March 29, 2009
Animal Smart
Steve DALE
The nation’s economic woes have trickled down to even our furry family members. Here are some helpful cost-saving tips.
Search for discounts on food. Use coupons, especially if Fido eats premium pet food. Or slowly transition your pet to a less costly brand (you’ll avoid an upset tummy and potential vet bill) approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Seriously cash-strapped? Look for a pet food pantry, which offers low-cost or free food to the needy.
Find deals on medical services. Some shelters offer low-cost veterinary care, including low-cost or free spaying or neutering. Spaying or neutering is the responsible thing to do, and it may prevent costly medical issues. Also, big-box pet stores sometimes offer low-cost vaccinations. Know your pet’s vaccine history to avoid over-vaccinating.
Apply for a grant. If you’re in financial hardship and your pet goes to one of the nearly 3,000 American Animal Hospital Association-accredited clinics, you may qualify for a grant of up to $500 per year to pay for a specific procedure.
Spay/Neutering in US
Also from LoveThatCat.com:
Spay/USA
1-800-248-SPAY
“Call Spay/USA to get the names, phone numbers, and prices of services that have agreed to provide lower cost spay/neutering for cats and dogs in your local area. Private veterinarians, community programs, and special clinics participate nationwide.”
Source(s):
California listings: LoveThatCat.com/stca
National listings: LoveThatCat.com/spayneuter
Spay/USA: 1-800-248-SPAY
Bubble Wrap
Is your cat scratching your furniture? Here is one method to save your furniture from being used as a scratching post by your favorite feline(s).
Tape bubble wrap to the area of the furniture where your cat scratches. This method should prevent any continued scratching from your precious feline(s).
Now if you prefer not to place bubble wrap on the furniture yet need to relieve the stress caused by your feline(s) try this process. Place bubble wrap on the floor, grab your iPod, begin listening to your favorite tune then start dancing on the bubble wrap. Instant stress relief!!
One fun interesting fact: more than half of all people misuse bubble wrap. According to packers the correct way to use bubble wrap is to put the bubbles on the inside when protecting an item.
The following two ideas plus many more are listed at How to use Bubble Wrap
Relaxing pillow and mat. Bubble wrap can be used not only as insulation for items but for your body as well. It’s a great alternative if you’re tired of sleeping in beds or if you fail to bring your bedding for camping and other outdoor activities. You can spread it out as a mat or you can fold it in layers as a pillow. Either way, you will surely relax and dream with a smile on your face.
Bubble popping. Now, here’s what everyone loves, not only because it’s fun but also because of the funny popping sound. Bubble wrap popping can be done as a relaxing game. But beware, you could become a bubble pop addict!
