Thursday Purrs: Dakota

"Who's black and white and pink all over?
Me!

I have a stunning, super-soft, black-and-white coat and the most adorable pink nose and paw pads. See?"

"Oh, and my name is Dakota. I came to Wayside from another shelter that was low on space, so I'm thrilled to be here, where I just know my forever person or people will walk in and fall in love with me.

I can be a little shy at first, but I enjoy being petted and have a cute little meow.
I have a soft, gentle purr, and I make great headbutts!"

"You may have noticed that I'm 10 years old, but that is just middle age for a cat. If you take good care of me, we can expect to enjoy many happy, healthy years together.

I will need my adopter to feed me canned food because I have no teeth. They were causing me problems, so they have all been extracted.

But that's okay. I'm doing fine.

In fact, the only thing that would make life better would be to find my forever person or people.

Could it be you?
Love,
Dakota"

Dakota is available today at Allie's Alma Mater, Wayside Waifs.

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Sunday's Shelter Sweetie: Inky

"Hello there, my name is Inky!

From the moment you meet me, you will notice the beauty mark on my face.
I suppose that dashing little smudge might be where I got my name - you never can tell!"

"You may notice that I'm a bit mature at 13 years, but don't judge me based on my age. I've still got a lot of spunk in me!

I love to be petted and would be a great lap cat companion. In my opinion, the best cats are ones that will just relax with you on a lazy weekend or a calm night after a long day of work or school."

"I'm a great listener, too. You can tell me anything and I'll love you for just talking to me!

I love to curl up on soft blankets and take it easy. I would possibly test out some fun toys with you. So come on in and meet me today.
I'm waiting patiently to meet my forever family and go home!

Purrs,
Inky"

Inky's available at the Merriam Campus of Great Plains SPCA, waiting to meet you today!

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Have you entered yet?   
Just 5 days left! 

Sunday's Shelter Sweetie: Julie

"Hi there, my name's Julie. I came to Great Plains with my sister when my people could no longer care for us and now I'm looking for my purrfect forever home."

"I'm a refined, middle-aged lady which means all that kitten craziness is far, far behind me. Nope, you won't have to worry about the drapes being pulled down with me around. I'm really only interested in spending time with you or lounging in a nice sun puddle, maybe looking out the window.

I'm no spring-kitten at ten years of age, but trust me on this - I have many years of love left to give.

I get along fine with the other kitties here in my room and in my last home, I even lived with a cat-friendly doggie. I also get along with all ages of respectful children.

I'm declawed which means you'll need to make sure I remain an indoor kitty; I have no way to defend myself in the big, scary outside world.

If you're looking for a laid-back, loving companion then won't you come over to meet me soon?
I'll be waiting...
Purrs, Julie"

Julie is available today at the Merriam Campus of Great Plains SPCA.

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More on Senior Cats

I pondered quite a bit about what to write for this Saturday's Pet Blogger's Blog Hop.

Then a friend told me about Bella, the senior kitty owned by actor Chris Pratt, who stars in the movie Moneyball that just recently came out in theatres. In a (failed) attempt to add a little comic relief to his troubles with his cat Bella, Pratt posted on his blog asking if anyone knew the best way to kill a cat.
Like I said, HUMOR: FAIL.

I'm not going to play the blame game here; Pratt is a comedian and was probably just trying to get a laugh. Thanks to public outcry he now knows not to E-V-E-R do that again. It takes a real act of stupidity to get that much bad press.

Can anyone say PR: FAIL? From his description, Bella - a 12 year old white Persian - was beginning to have incontinence issues. In the end, Pratt was able to place Bella in a home where she's the only pet.

Since part of the problem may have been the stress of an elderly cat having to coexist with two energetic pug dogs, this is a happy ending for Bella. But the entire brouhaha brought to light another issue: Bella falls solidly into the demographic of the Senior Cat. And as senior cats age, they often develop illnesses and chronic conditions that owners may not be prepared to deal with.

According to VetMed Team, more cats are living into old age than ever before, and with that comes a greater need for education on how to care for senior pets. Here's what they had to say about it: "Many, if not most, geriatric cats have multiple medical conditions, and managing them is where the art and science of veterinary practice meet. Challenging it may be, but also incredibly rewarding when the veterinary team and owner working together see the tremendous impact on the cat's life.

Many cats live for years with good management of multiple chronic medical conditions." They're currenty offering a free online course on the care of Senior Cats to anyone who has joined their community. Membership is open to all veterinarians, their employees, veterinary students and animal shelter workers. Please encourage your vet - and especially your local shelters - to take advantage of this free resource!