Person has a wee rant

It's not that she doesn't like dogs. Rilly! But she's a Cat Lady at heart. And so when she watches a video that's a "tribute to Animal Rescuers" ... and out of the entire 5 minutes, she sees one (count'em ONE!) "token" kitty... she feels like the video should have been named "Tribute to Dog Rescuers."

Not that Dog Rescue isn't terribly important! And a video that tributes them is a very nice gift.

BUT. As a cat-specific volunteer at her local no-kill shelter, she knows she's in the minority. If her shelter is typical of all U.S. shelters then the number of people who choose to care for the feline overpopulation and the needs of stray and displaced cats is shockingly low when compared to the number of dog volunteers.

It's just heartbreaking to see. Especially when considering statistics from the ASPCA which state that:
"it is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States; estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million."

70 million!

According to the ASPCA, "approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats)."

Yes, it's epidemic for both species. But the number of people willing to chip in their time, dollars and resources to help care for and rehome dogs far exceeds the number of volunteers willing to do the same for cats.

How can this be, when the number of pets in the U.S. is just about 50/50, according to the National Pet Owner Survey? Yet the number of cat volunteers versus dog volunteers in the average shelter (again if hers is any indication) is more like 20/80!

Recently, when our shelter rescued animals from another shelter where conditions had rapidly deteriorated and the animals needed out if they were to survive, the only reason many dog volunteers were willing to take a cat was from fear they would expose their own dogs to disease.

Cat rescue is in need of strong advocates, people willing to promote this desperate need for volunteers to help. Please pass this along! And if you haven't ever considered volunteering to help your local cat population...you're missing out on a rewarding experience.
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The Animals have Arrived At Furball!

Here's your Exclusive Sneak Peak of all the Super Double Top Secret Special Guests at tonight's Furball event for Wayside Waifs:

Oh My Cat...PUPPIES! Person's salivating. LOOK at these guys!

And now for the Patio Dogs - top bidder on these special animals tonight wins the opportunity to become their potential adopter!
Take a look at these special dogs...

A Landseer? Sounds like something you'd order from a catalog, but Person was impressed:

This boy is a 3 month old purebred bulldog named Sam:

A gorgeous purebred German Shepherd named Toby:

And last but certainly not least (well, okay, maybe she's the least in SIZE...) a Pomeranian named Angel:

What’s all the Excitement About?

There’s a whole lot of hubbub circling round the Overland Park Convention Center today (for those of you non-Kansas Citians, that’s South KC’s main distribution for all large events).

Why’s all the fur flying? (And you think I’m speaking figuratively, dontcha *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*) Why it’s none other than the mad preparation for the big Fur Ball, Wayside Waif’s annual fund-raising event!

It’s all happening this Saturday evening, May 7th – which also happens to be my AlphaPerson’s birthday, BTW. That’s so purrfectly wonderful of them to honor him by holding his fave charity’s fund-raiser on his special day, wouldn’t you agree? I’m pawsitive that’s the reason they did it! >^..^<

You should see it! TONS of people working like dogs to make this a night to remember. (Of course, I’m speaking literally here, as we all know that a cat wouldn’t be caught dead lifting a paw to do something as menial as work *delicate shudder*. But thankfully that’s why God created dogs, and I can guarantee you, these folks are slaving away just like one!)

I instructed my Purrsonal Typist to give you, my fellow bloggers, an Exclusive Sneak Preview of what’s in store for my fellow partygoers (ahem, you *did* get my tux pressed, didn’t you? It’s important for a cat to look his Very Best at all times, yanno). And without further ado…your Preview awaits:

The Sa-FURRy Grand Entrance being built (can't wait to show you what lies beyond!)

And the requisite barktending area, being set up (I hope they stock plenty of meowmosas, niptinis and Mousy Mai-Tais - I plan to cat around a bit at this event, if yanno what I mean!).

A squillion volunteers helping set up the acres-wide Silent Auction (hmmm, wonder if they got my Pawtographed Photo in there - I know that'd be a hot item!).

Finally (for now at least), some great shots of former waifs to decorate the halls (anyone spotting a pic of The Great Grey Menace - aka Allie_Kitti - has my purrmission to do the moustache-painting thing to it, 'k?).

Oh no! I hear the theme's going to be Photo SaFurry! Person - quick! Scrap the tux, I need my best Indiana Jones ensemble, stat!

Operation Rescue To Foster

Those of us who are animal lovers and volunteers in Kansas City received an SOS email yesterday afternoon. Two of the area's top animal welfare organizations, Wayside Waifs and No More Homeless Pets KC, are planning an emergency intervention to save the lives of abused and neglected animals.

That in itself isn't news; the location of these abused animals, on the other hand, is. You see, they're in Kansas City's city-owned animal shelter.

Two years ago, the city bid out management of its shelter to a privately-owned corporation run by a veterinarian. Initially, adoptions increased and the private management saved the city nearly $200,000 a year. But the blush fell off this rose very quickly.

In the past two weeks, over 15 animals have died in their kennels at the shelter, or had to be euthanized within hours of being pulled from the facility due to severe health issues.

WDAF TV 4 reported that the city of Kansas City recently announced that they will not renew their contract with the private management firm, due to allegations of abuse and neglect. The shelter is currently under investigation by the Missouri Veterinary Medical Board.

The television station was quoted as reporting, "the allegations are serious, including pets dying from easily treatable diseases, unkempt kennels, and even a case of accidental castration."

What can you do to help?

Kansas CIty is desperately seeking temporary foster parents for these ill animals, who are willing to dedicate three weeks of their time to nurse these cats and dogs back to health until they are well enough to be placed in a clean, responsibly run, no-kill facility like Wayside Waifs for adoption. If you are willing to share three weeks of your life to save a life, please let Courtney Thomas at No More Homeless Pets KC know. (913-742-7307 or cthomas@nmhpkc.org)

Wayside Waifs is in URGENT need of: clay cat litter (Johnny Cat, Fresh Step), medium and large dog crates (wire & travel crates), canned pet food, Rubbermaid totes (20 gallon), litter boxes, toys & treats.

If you are in the KC area, you can drop the supplies off at Wayside, located at 3901 Martha Truman Rd in south Kansas City.

If you're not in the KC area, financial assistance is always a huge need. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on medical treatments for animals pulled from this "shelter" just since this January.

Please...do what you can to help.



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Wordless Wednesdasy ... two days late

Helping the Animals in Japan

Oh NO! The Ultimate Humiliation! Person asked to borrow my blog so my *cringe* ...SISTER... can blog.

Rilly. Enough is enough. You'd think my retreat to the RB would have relieved me of the torment brought on by The Great Grey Menace…but now THIS???  I can see I'm going to have to put my paw down and tell @Allie_Kitti to Get Her OWN Blog!

Next time.

This time, because of the serious topic, I will – once again – graciously bow to Person’s request and allow “her” to stomp her Big Pink Paws all over my blog. (ONCE, mind you. Never again.)

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*snif* Ryker? Gracious? HA! (And I don’t either stomp. *huff*)

Now where was I before Ryker so ruuuuudely introduced me? Oh…

HI!!!! *waves pink toenails at audience* Wow…my very first BLOG! And on my birthday too! *SQUEE!*

Well. Because I am a Very Responsible three-year-old girl now, when I heard the news about the horrible tragedy in Japan and how many poor animals are hurt, lost and without a home – I just HAD to do something! Everyone else is talking about donating, so I decided I’d send over my very favoritest pink mousie. (I gave it to Mommy last night)

:::: “Mom” here, taking over (I think the cats have had enough for one day). ::::

Actually, Allie did indeed give me her most favorite mousie toy last night. I heard the oddest, out-of-the-ordinary muffled meow from our grey girl. Upon investigation, it turns out she had come to present it to me as a gift. After much praise (after all, it’s traditional to receive gifts on one’s birthday, not give them), I felt her generous spirit should be both shared and encouraged. Especially at such a heartbreaking time as the one the world is facing in Japan.

Mere weeks after being rocked by the devastation that struck Christchurch, the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan have left us reeling with visions of devastation, tales of courage and loss, hope and heartbreak.

One thing is crystal clear – we cannot stand idly by and do nothing in the face of such tragedy. What can you do to help?

Today, Thursday, March 17, 2011 is Paws for Japan Day.

How can you help?

1. Grab the badge, using the following code: a href=”http://www.pawcurious.com/2011/03/paws-for-japan/#more-6858″ target=”_blank”><img border=”0″ alt=”Paws for Japan” src=”http://www.thekittencrew.com/images/paws-for-japan.gif”/></a><br />

2. Promote the Chip In tool where people can make a donation. Note: this is the legitimate Chip In widget where all funds donated go directly to World Vets.

2. Today, please post, tweet, or share on Facebook about the World Vets effort for animal relief in Japan. Be as creative as you wish in promoting the cause!

3. Check out the links below – add yours and get the code to add the linky tool to your own blog.

WARNING: NOT for the Faint of Heart...

*sigh*  Well, she's at it again.

"Ryker, could I borrow your blog for tomorrow's Blog Hop?"

Puh-LEEZ. It would appear that some humans need to get their OWN blog *hint hint*. (Oh and speaking of blogging... let's chat, shall we, about the last time you provided transcription support for one of my very own insightfully clever posts, hmm?)

Of course, being the incredibly magnanimous, generous and kind-hearted soul that I am, how could I say no? Especially after I heard that she wanted to blog about - (sotto voce) - declawing.   *shudder*

Oh, one caveat: she can have my blog once she's given me time to retreat into a corner, slap my paws over my ears and yowl "LALALALAAAAA" at the top of my lungs so I won't hear any of it. Honestly. It makes my paws hurt just hearing the word "declaw!"

Here you go, Person - just give me a running start.
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I wish you guys could have known Ryker in person when he was alive - truly, he was exactly the way he's portrayed, no need for embellishment on my part! All I had to do was channel the little guy's 'tude.

Why do I mention this? Because if I hadn't intervened, lots of people would not have been charmed by this guy's antics. See, his previous owner was advised by her vet to euthanize. So when I see a cat who's had the deck stacked against him like Ryker did, I just can't stay silent.

Just this past Wednesday I met such a cat. I have to warn you, I'll be posting some pics of this guy later on in this post and they're not pretty. So if you have a weak stomach for that kind of thing, just "read it for the articles and not the pictures" and I promise to leave the photos 'til the end!

This guy's name is Tigger and he's just about the sweetest 7 year old tabby cat you could ever wish to meet. He was brought in to the animal adoption agency where I volunteer, Wayside Waifs. (Let me tell you, that was probably the best thing that ever happened to this guy!)

Tigger is on the skin-and-bones side of things, having been brought in as a stray, but that's not the heartbreaking thing about him. You see, Tigger's been declawed.

Now, up until Wednesday night, I have to admit I was rather indifferent about the whole declaw issue. Ryker was declawed, and our new rescue, Maxwell is too. But Ryker's nemesis Allie isn't and neither is the "little Pipsqueak," Faraday. We just couldn't bring ourselves to do such a thing to these kitties! Instead, both wear Soft Paws claw covers.

[Aside: 

If you're not familiar with Soft Paws, they're rubberized claw tips that, with the help of a bit of super glue, stick onto the tip of a cat's claw.  They need replacement each time a claw tip is shed - about once a month. 

(Out of curiosity, I tracked my replacement of Allie's Soft Paws, and they ran anywhere from 23 - 34 days. Of course, there were exceptions when she occasionally snagged something, but for the most part they ran a pretty steady month-long cycle.)

Allie loves her Soft Paws mani/pedi and shows them off for the camera at every opportunity - as you can see from the picture below.]

So I guess you could say I was a Declaw Agnostic - I didn't really give it much thought aside from the fact I knew I wasn't going to do it. Then into my life limps this marmalade boy. As I walked up to his kennel, Tigger stood to greet me - but he couldn't stand long. Shifting from one paw to the other, his need for affection outweighed his obvious discomfort.

The movement drew my attention to his paws and I was absolutely shocked to see the deformity. Instead of the normal shape of a cat's paw, what I saw better could be described as paddle-shaped. Not wanting to jump to conclusions and wanting to make sure my rant was an informed one, I inquired about the nature of Tigger's discomfort. Was it perhaps a birth defect? No, it was a declaw. Specifically a bad declaw.

According to the website www.declawing.com "in England declawing is termed 'inhumane' and 'unnecessary mutilation.' ... In many European countries it is illegal."

The authors of the site go on to point out that "your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes. ...Declawing is not a 'simple', single surgery but ten separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe."

I asked my vet about declawing and he said that while many veterinarians do their best to minimize the animal's suffering through more precise surgical or laser procedures, many practice what he called "the guillotine method." On behalf of sensitive stomachs everywhere, I won't describe this in detail other than to direct you to the bottom of this post where you'll be able to see such butchery for yourself. I don't use the word butchery lightly. I just don't honestly see how you could call it anything else.  

Organizations that actively oppose declawing include The Cat Fanciers Association, The World Small Animal Veterinary Association, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Humane Society of the United States, and The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR). 

As a volunteer who works exclusively toward the adoption of cats, I've repeatedly observed what a veterinarian told me years ago about the ability cats have to mask pain and discomfort.  "Cats are notoriously good at hiding how bad they feel," he said. "Often this translates to a much sicker kitty than its owner thinks, because by the time your cat manifests symptoms, he's seriously ill."

It's an unfortunate truth and one I believe is a primary reason declawing is still practiced: if your cat isn't demonstrably showing any discomfort, it's easy to persuade oneself he's feeling no discomfort. 

After my exposure to Tigger's plight, I am a Declaw Agnostic no more.  I'm a believer: declawing is cruel, unnecessary and - without doubt - inhumane.

And for anyone living in or near Kansas City, won't you please consider giving Tigger a home? Isn't it time this sweet guy caught a break? He's suffered enough. All he needs is a warm lap to curl up on and I assure you he'll think he's in Kitty Nirvana. 

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Tigger, 3/2/2011

      What a sweet boy! 

 Who could resist such a face?

He lives with constant discomfort.

The #1 reason I oppose declawing, right here:

View Tigger's video here  and you can read more about him (and see another great video) on Ryker's pal Sebastian's blog.

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