PAWTY Time at Wayside Waifs!!

Well Faithful Followers, as much as I hate to give The Great Grey Menace (aka my Sister the Terror) any credit, her Alma Mater is a pretty awesome place. So because Person asked nicely, I have Graciously Decided to step aside and let Person blog about the latest events going on at Wayside Waifs.

For those of you who may not have heard of this organization, it's one of Kansas City's largest No Kill, not-for-profit animal adoption facilities. And *sigh* Allie's former home. (I don't hold it against Wayside. Rilly.)

So without further ado *flourish*.....Person?
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*discreet cough* um, why THANK you, Ryker....
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Seriously guys, Wayside Waifs is a wonderful organization and I'm proud to be associated with them. Ryker and Allie have mentioned Wayside on several occasions over the past few months and this garnered the attention of a former breeder in another state - the owner (and Human Servant) of @twittinSuki.

Since Suki's mom used to breed Tonkinese (Ryker and Faraday are both Tonks as you know) we struck up a friendship. Unknown to me, Suki's mom investigated Wayside's facilities and was so impressed that she contacted me, asking if she could donate a gift box of toys for the center's kitties waiting for adoption.

Are you kidding? You bet!! Well, the package arrived a few weeks ago, and then we had to wait out a blizzard or two. (Yanno, Kansas City didn't have such harsh winters a few years back, I'd swear it!)

Finally the evening came where I could take Suki's gift up to Wayside - and we turned it into a huge party.

"PRESENTS! We got PRESENTS!" one volunteer gleefully exclaimed.

 Boy did we!! Just take a look:

Balls and mice and cat dancers galore!

This is a much-needed and VERY appreciated gift for an adoption center full of cats awaiting their forever homes. The cat dancers were especially wonderful and we've found that some of our shyer (and a few grumpier) cats really come out of their shells when faced with this incredible toy!! For a kitten cooped up for hours on end in a kennel, a bit of a romp with a cat dancer is sheer joy.

So....

THANK YOU SUKI!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Invaluable Work Assistants During Blizzard

The *True* Purpose of Sheets

Well dear Readers, I have decided in my magnanimity to dedicate this post to a cause near and dear to my foster sister @Allie_Kitti's heart: Sheets.

(Besides, it's a rather slow day up here at the RB and I just might be a teensy bit bored.)

So. Sheets. Allie would like to Inform all Humans that, contrary to popular belief, sheets are not for SLEEPING on. They are a versatile and interactive Play Toy.

Sheets make wonderful caves when draped over chairs, and in her own words, they make "FABulous Tunnels" too. There's nothing quite so delectable as stalking the Sheet Monster, shaped, oddly enough exACTly like Person's hand as you can see here in one of my many EPIC battles. Sometimes we kitties also engage in the delightful stalking of the Surprise Sheet Monster, otherwise known as Human Feet, though I have observed that this pastime tends to be frowned upon by humans in the middle of the night (go figure).

Allie would like her humans to know she prefers PINK sheets (though the burgundy ones are at least in the correct color palette, so she will forgive that one), whereas I, purrsonally, was always fond of white as you can see in the above link.

Allie would also like everyone to know that sheets should be Made Available for kitties (such as her Delightful Self) to paw at, climb and generally commandeer at will. Allie would also like at this time to solicit any comments from her fellow anipals in the hopes that Solidarity might bring about Real Change on the matter of the Sheets. Perhaps another issue to bring to the attention of those illustrious Purritime Ministerettes, @ShivaandJaya?

Wordless Wednesday

Blog the Change - For Animals

Hello all,
Being the Incredibly Magnanimous Feline that I am, (was that a snicker I hear, coming from my Tweeps in the Twitterverse? Please. Pay them no mind.) I have Graciously Decided to Yield the Floor to my human on this, the 15th of January - notably the Blog Day for Blog for the Change.

I know how you'll miss my Devastating Wit, but be assured it is for a Good Cause, and - in my best Ahnold voice - I'll Be Back.

Humbly,
Ryker
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Ryker's Person Here: Sorry to say, guys, that the Rainbow Bridge doesn't seem to have blunted my little guy's Ego any...! But I do appreciate the opportunity to tell you about an organization close to my heart, and ask you to encourage your own local shelters to consider similar programs.

I volunteer at Kansas City's Wayside Waifs, a non-profit, no-kill shelter which places an average of more than 5,000 animals a year in their forever homes. Wayside's been around since the 40's and is located south of the city proper on 44 acres.

The organization also has two income sources, a newly-opened store where you can buy pet and pet-centric products (Ryker's sister Allie has been their spokes-model in their print ad campaign) and a very nice pet cemetery where Ryker and his older brother, Caleb, are buried.  There have been times in lean years when donations were scarce that the cemetery was practically all that kept Wayside afloat, as all proceeds from the cemetery go to the care and placement of animals at Wayside.

Wayside's great strength is its volunteers.  I had never thought about it before I began volunteering, but if every dog at Wayside is to be granted just 30 minutes of freedom outside its cage per day, that translates to sixty volunteer man-hours per day for the 120 dogs kept there. Same goes for the cats.  I cannot stress enough the importance of volunteering at your local shelter. Giving just a few hours of your time a week is how organizations like Wayside Waifs stay open.

Wayside was not originally a no-kill shelter.  Prior to becoming no-kill, they had an "open door" policy - you had a pet to surrender, they'd take it. They were overflowing with animals, too many to really care for effectively. But then several years ago, they changed their operating model, limited the number of animals to a manageable amount and changed their policy to no-kill. And in 2009, they incorporated this policy into their brand identification and began advertising themselves as no-kill.

Because of a policy shift that began years ago, you now see animals thriving who would have been given the death sentence immediately at another shelter.  Thursday night, while volunteering, I saw up for adoption a 4 month old one-eyed kitten, an FIV positive cat, a cat who was prepped and ready for an unfortunately necessary leg amputation and a (rather grumpy) "Sage" who had just had her tail amputation stitches removed. Sage and the kitten are on the adoption floor now, and the FIV positive cat is waiting in the holding room in back for an enclosed "hug room" to open up on the adoption floor so he can be safely transferred there without danger of infecting any of the other adoptable cats.

(FYI: a cat tested FIV positive can live a very healthy and normal life-span if provided with good veterinary care and the only stipulation for adoption is that the family be a one-cat family - or in possession of another FIV positive cat.)

Wayside has committed to partnering with other Missouri organizations to put an end to puppy mills and animal hoarding, and it's not uncommon to hear an announcement that "another 100 dogs have been rescued from puppy mills this week."  (Until Proposition B passed in Nov, 2010, Missouri had the dubious honor of being the state with the most lax rules regarding animal care, resulting in numerous documented atrocities  - and also resulted in the state becoming the largest supplier of puppies to pet stores, nationwide.)

But there's another facet to Wayside that needs to be told.  They help train counselors who work in battered women's shelters how to accommodate the pets of the abused women in their care. I had two such women in my own orientation class.  I don't know the statistics, but I can see how anyone in an abusive situation might be more hesitant to leave that situation if they have a deep emotional attachment to a pet - and no women's shelter in their area will accommodate them.  Conversely, I can see how integral to a battered woman's recovery the role a beloved pet might play.  Won't you consider encouraging your own local animal shelter to partner in the same way that Wayside is?
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The Pet Blogger Challenge

Well all, it's been hard for Person to blog for Moi since my untimely ascent to the Rainbow Bridge, but Seabass Cat (Sebastian The Sensitive Soul) at http://www.seabasscat.com/2011/01/im-up-for-challenge-pet-blogger.html inspired me by posting his response to the Pet Blogger Challenge. I think I might be able to Prod Person into picking up the Blogging Baton for me once again with this Challenge - at least I'll give it the Ol' Tonk Try.  So...here goes!

Challenge Questions:

1. When did you begin your blog?

Fairly recently (Person was a Late Bloomer). Just a month before I *ahem* Transitioned, in fact:  October, 2010.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

To be able to expound on my opinions in more than 140 characters!

3. Is your current purpose the same?

Maybe to give my two Proteges, Maxwell and Faraday, more of a stage to stretch themselves as they grow out of the Rugrat Stage.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

Oh, as the spirit moves me ... and when I can Effectively Guilt Person into thinking she's TERRIBLY neglected me!

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

Nope, but I'll bet the two Pipsqueaks could use the extra cash for Treats (Person's a bit stingy yanno).  NOTE FROM Ryker's PERSON:  I am just looking out for their health! Stingy has nothing to do with it. Ryker: HAH!

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular

PERSON:  The creative challenge

RYKER: Being able to have my YOWWWWWWWWWWLS (properly) translated.

7. What do you like least?

Trying to carve out the time to do it justice!!

8. How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?

Not really sure - am still learning the ropes, but I have High Expectations that Person will be Required to meet. No, Rilly.  I plan to rope Faraday into High Pressure Sales as one tactic.

So, how'd I do with my first Challenge?

Ryker's Last Day

Yit'gadal v'yit'kadash sh'mei raba ....

May His great name be exalted in the world He created...

I just broke down when I saw those words, posted by @danapixie. They are the first line of Kaddish - often called the Mourner's Kaddish.  It's a Jewish tradition to recite this prayer when a loved one passes.

(for those of you who are interested in the content of the prayer, here it is, excerpted from the Orthodox Union:
"the theme of Kaddish is the Greatness of G-d who conducts the entire universe with careful supervision. In this prayer, we also pray for peace - from apparently the only One who can guarantee it - peace between nations, peace between individuals, and peace of mind.  Paradoxically, this is, in fact, the only true comfort in the case of the loss of a loved one. That is, to be able to view the passing of the beloved individual from the perspective that that person's soul was gathered in, so to speak, by the One who had provided it in the first place."  It tends to elicit a deeply emotional reaction when you hear it....)

Our loved one has passed. Quite suddenly, and in the blink of an eye. And, looking back, I have to say that if there had to be a "last day," I have no regrets. Ryker has always slept with us, and I have awakened these past 13 years more often than not with a little brown nose and sleepy blue eyes blinking up at me from a face resting on my pillow, snuggled up close under the covers. I have to say I highly recommend it as a fantastic way to awaken, with a cuddle and a purr, and I will miss it terribly.

Two weeks ago, we returned from a 5-day trip to find that Ryker and Allie - with the help of a cat sitter - had their first uneventful span of time alone. You could see in Ryker's eyes that this time there had been no trauma. (Many thanks to the cat sitter for wearing Allie out by playing with her daily and keeping her from being so bored she resorted to picking on Ryker!)

Ryker, however, did not want to let me out of his sight. He followed me everywhere, and when I sat, would beg to be picked up.  There were several times in the past few weeks where I consciously chose to cuddle with him instead of cleaning the kitchen or some other mundane chore. Something about his intensity spoke to me, and I decided the dishes would just have to wait. I am SO glad I did this!

Ryker has had many favorite pastimes that he's become partial to over the years, and sitting next to me on the bathroom counter while I get ready in the morning is one of them. Yesterday was no exception. I must confess though, that since Allie has joined our home - and she has a peculiar fascination for running water - he has had to share that space with "The Great Grey Menace" as he called her.  It woudl often become comical as Allie ended up shoving her rear end right in Ryker's face while leaning over to get to the water. Ryker's expression of disgust as he shifted out of the way was priceless!

Ryker loved all things warm and got to experience it to the fullest yesterday, from the bathroom space heater to a nice kitchen sunpuddle to the freshly dried (and oh so warm) sheets in the dryer to a nap by the fireplace.  All in one day - what more can a kitty want?

Treats you say? Why he had those too. We'd been concerned over the past month that his interest in his special diet food was waning, so had begun enticing him with warmed canned food and Whiskas Temptations - the only treat that seemed to not cause a flare up of his IBD.  He got both. Quite a few of the Temptations in fact. So much so that when he first fell ill I initially thought it was his IBD, brought on by feeding him too many treats.

We spent several hours outside yesterday afternoon working in the yard, and Ryker asked to join us. He and Allie inspected our work, then Ryker did his usual perimeter sweep, investigating all the smells and ensuring his domicile was properly chin-marked as "his".

Then he and I went inside - me to my laundry and him to his bed on the hearth...or so I thought. I had just taken a load from the dryer when he began calling out to me at the top of his lungs. Because he often does this, just to get me to come in for a cuddle, I hollered back at him, closed the dryer and went in leisurely search of him. Couldn't find him in his usual spots, and he wasn't "talking back" to me in conversation as he normally does - his cries were more sporadic and arbitrary than that - it took me a minute to find him, sprawled under the piano.

I'll leave the details out, but it's utterly heart-wrenching to have your fur-child reaching out to you beseechingly, with eyes frantic to escape the pain. I wish with all my heart I could have "fixed" this last thing he asked of me: "please Momma, make it better!"

That was at 4:30. By 7 PM, CST, he was gone.

One final word: many of you have been “sitting shiva” with us on #RykersPorch. Words cannot express how you have touched our hearts through this act of kindness.  You may not have realized, but the #nipclub honor with the donations for @WaysideWaifs is very much in keeping with shiva.

As one rabbi described shiva, “Every custom of Jewish mourning and comforting has, at its core, the overwhelming motivation to surround those who grieve with a supportive community. [Shiva] places loss and grief in the communal context of family and friends. …A donation to a charity designated by the mourners is an appropriate way to honor the deceased, while comforting those who mourn.”

I can think of no more supportive community than our twitter anipal community, and your offer to donate to @WaysideWaifs in Ryker’s honor does indeed bring us comfort.

Please accept our heartfelt thanks. You guys are wonderful.