As cute as they are, we really must do our part to prevent unwanted litters of kittens. For years, it’s been drilled into us—spay-neuter. We’ve been told, there are millions of homeless cats and warned not to add to the problem. Spay-neuter—that’s the answer.
When I first began hearing this some forty or fifty years ago, I didn’t know there was a question or a problem. And, yes, I was still allowing my cats to have a litter before spaying them. I was what I considered a responsible owner by finding good homes for each and every kitten. But we can do more.
We can prevent litters. We can adopt/rescue instead of buying from a breeder. We can
donate to and volunteer at local no-kill shelters. And we can continue to educate ourselves about why we’re doing all of this. Here’s a site that breaks down the number of cats and dogs in the US and how many of them wind up in shelters. https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
And here’s a site with some shocking statistics. https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-animal-homelessness Here you’ll learn that homeless pets outnumber homeless people 5 to 1. And what about this eye-opening statement…over 2.7 million cats and dogs are killed each year because there’s no room at the inn (or your home or shelters). And do you know how many animal shelters there are in the United States? About 3,500 PLUS an unknown number of unregistered sheltering and fostering groups and individuals.
This spring, if you haven’t done so already, have your cat spayed-neutered. Since you’re following this blog, I’m pretty sure you’re already a responsible pet owner and you’re doing your part by rescuing pets and taking proper care of them. So let’s—you and I—take this a step farther and help someone else become a responsible pet owner.
- Take an unaware neighbor or family member under your wing—educate them.
- Pay to have their cat spayed/neutered.
- Post information about responsible cat ownership on your favorite social media page.
- Open the discussion at work.
- Hand out information at your next gathering or meeting.
- Foster litters of kittens this spring.
- Adopt a cat this year.
That’s seven things you can do to help helpless cats and dogs. Some of you are already doing many of the things on this list. Would love to hear from those of you who are. Tell us how you’re helping or how you plan to help this spring. Also, I invite you to add to this list of things we can do.
The weather has calmed down throughout most of the US. Baby birds are hatching, flowers are blooming our charred hills are carpeted in lush green. It’s a beautiful time of year. I thought I’d treat all of us to some thought-provoking, entertaining and certainly fitting kitty-cat quotes today.
think it is the noise which fighting cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain’t so; it is the sickening grammar that they use.”
I turned my cat-a-day calendar today to a photo of a tortie. That’s a tortoiseshell cat—you know, one with black and orange swirls all over her body. Our Sophie is what I consider to be a tortie, however, she isn’t in actuality. She has a beautiful white patch on her tummy, making her a calico by some standards. But if you never see her underside, you would be convinced she is a tortie.
plucked her from her plight and delivered her to a local veterinarian who had a reputation for helping the homeless feline population. He spayed her with the intention of turning her back out into a feral colony. However, he saw promise in her—thought she could possibly be happily domesticated. Since his vet tech knew us and knew we had recently lost our sweet Himalayan, she called, we loaded up the carrier and came home with Sophie.
Many of you who follow this blog LOVE to read cozy mysteries with cats. Some of you will read anything with cats—which is one reason why you’re reading this blog. You enjoy articles featuring cat behavior, news stories about cats, cat blogs, and certainly books with interesting cats. Here’s a site listing over 60 authors with novels featuring cats. 
Our pets see a lot, but they don’t usually talk about it. While a cat or a dog might know full well which daughter borrowed your favorite sweater, who spilled the ketchup on the carpet, where the toddler put your car keys, and how the balcony flower pot wound up on the car parked below, they aren’t telling.
Some say that cats are like potato chips, you can’t have just one. Many cat owners feel sorry for a lone cat and will bring in a second one to keep the first one company when they’re gone. And sometimes that can backfire on you. The cats bond and leave you out. There are cats who can’t get along with each other no matter how many or how few there are. But typically, each cat in a household will find his or her spot within the group. Those who don’t like each other will simply ignore one another.
even trying. One comes out of a nearby orchard or ravine into your yard. Or a neighbor or friend finds a litter under their porch. Or, heaven forbid, you walk into a pet store when they’re exhibiting homeless cats. Yeah, that’s generally how it happens.
because I started dragging home every suspected stray I could find. One had kittens a week later. This was not a good situation because once the baby came, I didn’t have good enough time-management skills to take care of everyone properly. I ended up keeping one of the cats—oh, yes, and the baby.
How does your cat act when you return from a long trip, an overnighter, or even just a day-long outing? I’ve had cats snub me—the longer I’ve been gone, the longer they will ignore me once I return. I’ve also had cats rush to greet me when I come home. This is usually the cat who’s obsessed with food and eager to be fed—immediately! Then there’s the glaring cat—she’ll sit across the room from you and stare as if to say, “How dare you leave me alone like that. Don’t ever do that again.” Or she could be simply keeping an eye on you making sure you aren’t going to leave again.
sad—as if she hasn’t had a morsel to eat for days. Once she’s fed or she’s had a kitty treat and some private time, she begins showering me with gifts. As soon as I sit down in my office chair, here comes Lily with her lambie, baby hedgehog, little stuffed kitty, tiny teddy bear, polar bear, owl, possum, bunny, and all the others. The longer we were gone, the more of her stuffed toys come. Pretty soon they’re surrounding me like little sentinels guarding me—perhaps keeping me from ever leaving the house again.
I just learned that this Catscapades Blog has won 2 Certificate of Excellence awards in the Cat Writers Association (CWA) annual Communications Contest for work produced in 2017. Yay!!! It means this blog is a finalist for the Muse Medallion in the Health and General Care category for blogs as well as Any Other Topic, which, in this case, was Travel. I’m one of only eight CWA members to receive two Certificates of Excellence.
to New York a couple of times, Arizona, Los Angeles and each conference has been jam-packed with fascinating programs, attended by friendly, interesting people, and there have been oodles of cats on the premises. Yes, you can bring your well-behaved cat. The conference committee chooses facilities that accommodate cats and other pets. Some participants bring dogs, ferets. One year, a gal brought a therapy rat. The hotel will even provide a room where your pet can be entertained while you’re in a workshop or having lunch. There’s often a parade of pets where the animals and people dress up and parade through the lobby.
