'Toon Tuesdays

....ahh, the things we do for our pets....

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Toon Tuesdays feature cat & dog cartoons made by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) - where our mom works, too!

National Volunteer Week

This week is National Volunteer Week. It was established here in the U.S. in 1974, and was created as a way to direct national attention on the power and vital necessity of volunteerism in our country.

Truer words were never written. Yet I think it's even more true when considering animal shelters.

These organizations could not function without the help of the many unsung heroes who:
     arrive before the sun to walk a dog...
     swab out dirty kennels...
     dump box after box of used litter...
and who give their hearts to countless needy animals, praying they will finally find a home.

Please take a moment this week to thank a volunteer. Better yet, why not go to your local shelter and offer to help out?

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For those of you in the Kansas City area, we'd like to spotlight one unusual effort being done by a group of cat volunteers city wide. I call it unusual because it's the first time ever that volunteers from six different shelters have banded together to raise funds - and awareness - for the needs of homeless cats in K.C.

This fundraiser is a VIP "Cat Mojo" Reception with guest speaker Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet's "My Cat From Hell."

We call it "Cat Mojo" because that's what Jackson calls these educational talks about cat behavior. This is a wonderful learning opportunity for anyone who is a cat lover. It's also incredibly valuable for anyone who is a cat volunteer. 

Everyone knows shelters are stressful for animals. It's especially true for cats, who tend to be more resistant to change than dogs. As volunteers know, stress can cause cats to behave in a way that is truly counter to their personalities. This, or course, makes it that much more difficult for them to find a home. 

Jackson's Cat Mojo lessons will help you understand cats on a deeper level. After hearing what Jackson has to say, don't be surprised if you find yourself approaching, understanding and connecting with cats at a completely new level.

As a result, you'll be helping to make each cat's time in the shelter a much less stressful experience -- and probably shortening their length of stay in the process.

At first glance, you might think the tickets are a bit pricey.
But let me walk you through what you spend - and what you get:

Tickets cost $50 per person, but they include a $15.95 copy of Jackson's book, Cat Daddy, a private Cat Mojo presentation, admission to the private reception (really good hors d'ouvres and wine - I just sampled them last night!), a chance to meet Jackson personally, and reserved seating at the author event that follows.

By buying a ticket to this event, you're doing good on several different levels:

• you'll be hearing information that will help you understand your own cats better
• if you're a volunteer, you'll be equipping yourself with tools that will make you more effective at your shelter, and...
• you'll be helping to raise funds for six outstanding animal organizations in Kansas City!

All proceeds from this event will benefit these six Kansas City organizations:

The project that Would. Not. End.

The floor refinishing project that began Jan 4? It was finished in time for the holiday, and the kitties are enjoying the results. 

Mostly.

Whaddaya mean, 'no skittering around on the new floor and putting scratches in it'? Those add CHARACTER.

Caturday Temptations

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We're also participating in the Weekend Cat Blogging blog hop...

...and the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop, hosted by Baby Patches, Life with Dogs and Two Little Cavaliers.

"Fun Finds" Friday: Cat Stamps

If you have a fun find you'd like to share, send us a shout-out by clicking on the Contact Us tab above.

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Yep, another Pinterest find! 

Anyone into collecting stamps? These gorgeous cats hail from Thailand, and you can purchase them from a philatelist (stamp collector) in New Mexico.

If interested, you can contact Baxley Stamps at this link here and order them from him.

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We apologize for being scarce lately. Our mom's shooting on location, but promises to make it up to us this weekend!

Thursday Trivia: "Dog Eat Dog"

© Melis82 and © Korshenkov | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Believe it or not, this saying actually began as "dog does not eat dog"!
And it was quite well known - in that form - literally for centuries.

The saying dates back to the writings of Roman scholar and writer Marcus Tarentius Varro. In a commentary on the human condition written in 43 BCE, he observed that even "Canis caninam non est" ("Dog does not eat dog").

The point he was making is that sometimes humans can act in ways that 'lesser creatures' never would: through the destruction of their own kind. In light of the horrendous act of terror perpetrated on innocent victims in Boston, this seems tragically timely....

By the 16th century, there is evidence that the phrase had been turned around, with "dog eat dog" being used to describe the ruthlessly competitive individual.

Both phrases were in use up until the late 1800's. Shakespeare was still using it in its original form in 1602 when he wrote Troilus and Cressida (one of his lesser known works) as was Hugh Henry Brackenridge in his book, 'Modern Chivalry,' published in 1792.

Not surprisingly, by the time of the Industrial Revolution, phrases such as "it's a dog eat dog world" had become commonplace, and eventually overtook the original phrase altogether.
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Sources:
The Word Detective
Etymology Online
Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House, New York, 1996.

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Comment-a-thon Update: We've had over 130 comments since last Sunday, and at 50 cents each - well, we talked mom into rounding up to $75 to donate to the Jackson Galaxy fundraiser that will be held here in Kansas City in 3 weeks. Thank you all for participating!

Wordless Wednesday: Birthday Edition

Eyeing Maxwell's birthday loot.

He'll never notice if one or two things find a new home...