Guest Blog:Best Friends Animal Society’s lighthearted awareness campaign highlights serious needs of kittens and animal shelters

An adorable photo of snuggly wrapped baby kittens (aka “purritos”) on Best Friends Animal Society’s Facebook page not only invokes an “aww” but helps to spread the word about kitten season.

“Sometimes you have to go cute to get serious information out there,” said Best Friends Animal Society’s Holly Sizemore, director of national programs, community programs and services. “We are glad that people are enjoying the ‘purritos’ and especially glad to see the offers by people to get involved in being part of the solution.”

A national problem, kitten season technically lasts from February through November when shelters become overwhelmed with these helpless pets. The majority of kittens land in shelters without their mothers and need to be bottle-fed every two hours. They are usually weeks away from weaning, spaying or neutering, and being able to be adopted into permanent homes.

The workload for a typical animal shelter almost immediately outweighs what staff can handle and results in many kittens being killed upon intake simply because of a lack of resources.

“Recent surveys indicate something like 91 percent of pet cats are sterilized, which suggests that the vast majority of unweaned kittens are born to free-roaming, unowned community cats,” Sizemore said. “That is why Best Friends Animal Society and like-minded organizations are working together so hard to spay and neuter these cats, we want to break this tragic cycle.”

Sizemore explained the spay/neuter efforts are known as trap/neuter/return or TNR. Unowned cats are humanely trapped, neutered and vaccinated, then released into the community to live out their natural lives.

What remains true is often the kindest thing you can do if you find a litter of kittens outdoors is to leave it alone, Sizemore said:

 “We want to people to understand that if they see a litter of kittens, especially tiny ones, please resist that urge to scoop them up because the mother cat is probably nearby and will return to care for them. Taking them away from her severely lessens the kittens’ chances of survival.”

If you find a litter of kittens:

1. Observe and leave the kittens alone - make sure they have been abandoned before you take action. Take note of the exact location. That way you can share the address, and description of where the kittens are located if you find that they have indeed been abandoned. 

2.    Contact your local animal shelter or TNR group to see what resources might be available in your local area to help kittens and/or mother cat. 

3    If the mother does not come back and you are willing to volunteer with your local group to care for the kittens, please first read Best Friends’ resource article “Feeding and Caring for Bottle Babies.”

4. If the mother does return, keep your eye on her and the kittens until they are old enough to be trapped, spayed or neutered and returned to the area they came from. TNR is not only the most humane method of preventing cats from entering the shelter system, it’s the most effective.

In addition to TNR programs for community cats, Best Friends has established lifesaving kitten nurseries in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Through its community cat initiatives, Best Friends supports kitten nurseries at shelters in other key municipalities as well that are staffed with teams of dedicated caregivers and supported by a cadre of devoted volunteers.

Carol Maul said she was totally overwhelmed when she started volunteering at Best Friends Animal Society’s kitten nursery in Salt Lake City: “To know there were so many stray kittens broke my heart. What Best Friends is doing is saving their lives.  Also, because the kittens will be spayed or neutered before they are adopted, that will keep them from making hundreds of new babies. I hope more people will volunteer at kitten nurseries but they need to know this is hard work. It is also rewarding when you see these tykes go from being bottle babies to a two-pounder with a personality of their own. It’s a great feeling.”

To find out more about how you can get involved during kitten season and year-round to help community cats visit bestfriends.org/communitycats.

About Best Friends Animal Society^®

Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to about 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All®.

To like Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends 

Almost Home Animal Rescue is one of many Michigan Animal Shelters participating in the Best Friends Animal Society “The One” Promotion Offering National $10 Pet Adoptions Feb. 13-16

Artwork courtesy of the Almost Home WebsiteAlmost Home Animal Rescue
 Southfield, MI   248-200-2695
   www.almosthomeanimals.org ---- my "bonus" daughter is a Manager at Almost Home
 and they do an AMAZING JOB!!

My "bonus" daughter, Marla Weingarten
is a Manager at Almost Home
My husband (her Dad), is on the right
I am on the left
Photo was taken at the Novi Pet Expo

MORE MICHIGAN SHELTERS

WHO ARE PARTICIPATING INCLUDE:

Sanilac County Humane Society, Carsonville, MI   810-657-8962   societypets.org

Barry County Animal Shelter, Hastings, MI   269-948-4885   https://www.facebook.com/BarryCountyAnimalShelter

Copper Country Humane Socety, Houghton, MI   906-487-9560   https://www.facebook.com/coppercountryhumanesociety

Humane Animal Treatment Society, Mount Pleasant, MI   989-775-0830   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Humane-Animal-Treatment-Society/164742666926644

Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter, Negaunee, MI   906-475-6661   https://www.facebook.com/upaws

It's almost Valentine's Day!! Flowers. Candy. Declarations of love. For those happily coupled, Valentine’s Day can be one of the best times of the year. For some of the 102 million singles in America, according to Census.gov, the holiday can be awful.

With millions of people looking for love online, Best Friends Animal Society asks the question: Why limit the search to the two-legged?

“Ask just about any pet owner and they’ll tell you, dogs and cats provide them with a lot of joy, comfort and companionship,” said Gregory Castle, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. “And with so many dogs and cats in shelters or rescues waiting to be your one and only, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time of year to adopt a pet.”

To further promote prospective people and pet matches, Best Friends Animal Society is offering $10 adoptions during “The One” promotion taking place February 13-16 at its adoption centers in Utah, New York, or Los Angeles, as well as through participating No More Homeless Pets Network partners across the country. More information about the promotion can be found by clicking here.

Still not sure about a four-legged Valentine? Best Friends Animal Society offer 14 compelling reasons why a pet might just be “The One” for you:

1. Pets won’t play hard to get.

2. Pets won’t break up with you on Twitter.

3. Pets won’t mock you for eating ice cream out of the carton.

4. Pets will never take the last beer.

5. Pets don’t care what kind of car you drive.

6. Pets love binge watching “Orange is the New Black” as much as you do.

7. Pets have no desire to trade you in for a newer model.

8. Pets couldn’t care less about your hair or what you wear.

9. Pets love it when you leave your clothes on the floor (instant nap spot!).

10. Pets won’t look at their smartphone when you are trying to have a conversation.

11. Pets are cheap dates – no fancy dinners or expensive jewelry required.

12. Pets drooling and snoring are pretty cute. Humans, not so much.

13. Pets will snuggle whenever you want.

14. Pets think every day is Valentine’s Day – just one more chance to show you unconditional love!

“We encourage anybody looking for love to go to one of our adoption centers or your local shelter or rescue to find that perfect match,” Castle said. “Big and small, young and old, there’s a wonderful adoptable pet waiting to meet you and make this your most special Valentine’s Day ever.” 

About Best Friends Animal Society®

Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to about 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All®.

 Like Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook 

Follow Best Friends on Twitter: 

Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet’s ‘My Cat From Hell’ supports Best Friends Animal Society ‘Save Them All’ campaign

Cat behaviorist by day and rock n’ roller by night, author, and star of “My Cat From Hell” on Animal Planet, Jackson Galaxy is the latest celebrity to show his support for  national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society’s efforts to end the killing of dogs and cats in our nation’s shelters.

Galaxy joins Danny Trejo, Carrie Ann Inaba,  Denise Richards, Nils Lofgren, and other celebrities who are featured in Best Friends’ photo campaign featuring celebrities posed with their personal rescued dogs and/or cats in support of the Save Them All®  call to action.

The new season of “My Cat from Hell” premieres at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 26 on Animal Planet.

  In addition to starring in ‘My Cat From Hell’, Galaxy is the show’s executive producer, author of “Cat Daddy: What the World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean” and the upcoming book, “Catification.” Galaxy also has deep roots in animal welfare. He worked in an animal shelter for almost 10 years and specializes in environmental and behavioral enrichment in a rescue setting. He recently launched a ‘Team Cat Mojo’ campaign to attract those who want to build a community focused on making life better for all animals.

Galaxy said: “With more than 9,000 dogs and cats killed in our nation's shelters each day, we find ourselves at a crossroads, a place where our choices can change things in a profound way. I’m extremely proud to stand side-by-side with Best Friends to help raise awareness about the importance of adopting shelter animals and spaying and neutering to control population. Each time this positive choice is made, not only is a life is saved, but we move one step closer to Saving Them All."

According to national statistics, each day more than 9,000 dogs and cats die in the nation’s shelters. Best Friends has brought increased awareness to how people can get involved in the solution by adopting, and spaying/neutering their pets, donating, volunteering and sharing this message with their friends.

About Best Friends Animal Society^®

Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters.  An authority and leader in the no-kill movement since its founding in 1984, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as life-saving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from 17 million per year to about 4 million. Best Friends has the knowledge, technical expertise and on-the-ground network to end the killing and Save Them All^®.

To like Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends 

Kittens:Best Friends offers tips on what to do if you find litter outdoors

Roughly 70 percent of the cats who end up in America’s shelters are killed (National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy Shelter StatisticsSurvey, 1994-97). Most of these are community cats (stray and free-roaming). In response, Best Friends is working to save lives by implementing innovative trap/neuter/return (TNR) programs across the country. Through TNR cats are humanely trapped and taken to a veterinarian who spays/neuters the cat, vaccinates them and tips one ear as a visual signal that this cat has been sterilized. The cats then are returned to their outdoor home to live out their lives. 

   

“Right now we are in what is known across the country as ‘kitten season’ and shelter employees everywhere are bracing themselves for the influx of babies,” said Dankert. “At Best Friends, we hear from shelters all over the country that are overwhelmed with the arrival of kittens still weeks away from being old enough to be weaned, spayed or neutered and adopted. Some arrive without mothers and need to be bottle-fed every two hours, and the workload almost immediately outweighs what shelter staff can take on.

“What I don’t think most people understand is that most animals shelters simply do not have the resources to care for neonatal kittens, so well-meaning people who ‘rescue’ a litter of kittens by taking them to the shelter have in almost every instance inadvertently signed the kittens’ death sentences.” Dankert said.

Best Friends Animal Society offers the following tips on what to do if you find a litter of kittens outdoors:

First of all – don’t panic. Observe and leave the kittens alone - make sure they have been abandoned before you take action. You’ll often find that their mother is simply out looking for food or for a good place to move them. Take note of the exact location so you can share the address and description of where the kittens are located if you find that they have been abandoned.

Contact your local animal shelter to get the contact information for your local community cat or TNR program.  These groups will be able to determine if mother comes back in a normal time frame or if the kittens will need to be bottle fed. 

Though it may go against your instincts, don't immediately scoop kittens up and take them to the shelter.

If the mother does not come back and you are willing to volunteer with your local group to care for the kittens, please first read Best Friends’ resource article “Feeding and Caring for Bottle Babies” . 5. If the mother does return, keep your eye on her and the kittens until they are old enough to be trapped, spayed or neutered and returned to the area they came from. TNR is not only the most humane method of preventing cats from entering the shelter system, it’s the most effective.

Want to help community cats?

Best Friends Animal Society has volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Baltimore, Albuquerque, DeKalb County, Georgia, St. George, Utah and the Four Directions program for rural southern Utah.

The Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Network of local animal rescue groups and shelters has more than 250 groups nationwide that are involved in helping community cats.

Your local animal rescue groups and shelters can put you in touch with the community cat programs that are not affiliated with Best Friends, you also can do an internet search to find groups in your area.“Bottle feeding is a very rewarding but also incredibly demanding endeavor, so make sure you have the time, resources and a suitable home to care for the kittens,” said Dankert.
 

​“​ And please also remember how important it is to spay and neuter your pets. This is the single most important thing we can do to prevent unwanted litters. Best Friends has an education campaign called Fix at Four  and you can enter your zip code to find local veterinarians and low-cost spay/neuter clinics.”

About Best Friends Animal Society®
Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. An authority and leader in the no-kill movement since its founding in 1984, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as life-saving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from 17 million per year to 4 million. Best Friends has the knowledge, technical expertise and on-the-ground network to end the killing and Save Them All®.

Like Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook

Follow Best Friends on Twitter: 

We were not compensated for this guest post. We were sent this information and chose to share it because of it's high importance.

Sneak Preview! "Cat Daddy", By Jackson Galaxy, Star of Animal Planet's " My Cat from Hell"

I love contradictions. I love when  people say "well you don't LOOK" like you would be _____ fill in the blank. I love people who don't fit into someone's preconceived notion of what they SHOULD be based simply on their physical appearance.

Jackson Galaxy, the star of Animal Planet's My Cat from Hell is one of these people.

If one were to look at him and then be asked what it is he does for a living, their first response would probably be a musician, followed by biker dude, possibly even an owner of a tattoo parlor (do they even still call them those?)  the LAST thing on their list would be cat-behaviorist-communicator-extraordinaire.

To learn why Cody
is saying this,
read the book!

When I was given the opportunity of reading an uncorrected manuscript of  Cat Daddy, before the official publication date of May 10th, 2012,   I was quite aware of exactly WHO Jackson Galaxy is.  At least I THOUGHT so.

"Oh yeah, Jackson Galaxy! That biker-looking dude that carries his cat supplies in his guitar case, who has enough body art to cover the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and can reform a terror inducing feline on the Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell, practically with just one look? Hell yeah! I know him!"

I couldn't have been more wrong.

At first glance Jackson Galaxy IS all of the previously mentioned," preconceived- notions based- on- looks- things,"  he doesn't LOOK like a CAT GUY,  Which is exactly part of Jackson's "plan".  He wants to trash the concept of what a cat guy (or gal) looks like. He wants a country FULL of cat guys and cat girls, he wants everyone in between to be educated about cats in order to keep millions of cats from dying without homes. He IS a Cat Guy and so much more.

Just WHO IS Jackson Galaxy?

Jackson is sensitive yet strong, he has experienced hard-core addiction in almost every imaginable form, he grew up with dogs, yet works magic with cats, he was at one time dirt-poor and now is living quite comfortably, he was morbidly obese teetering on the verge of killing himself and now he is just a husky guy, he can solve the most difficult cat behavior issues but there was a time he could barely manage his own, (Contradictions, contradictions,  remember?), that is, until he met Benny:

From the publisher: Benny, a supposedly "unbondable" cat bearing physical and emotional wounds as raw as Galaxy's own.

Benny tests Galaxy's skills at every turn, challenging and teaching him invaluable lessons not only about how to be better attuned to cat behavior but how to live in the moment (without drugs or crutches), eschew complacency, and accept that you don't always have control.

Jackson's book is insanely descriptive and well-written but he doesn't LOOK like he would be an author.   REMEMBER CONTRADICTIONS.

Cat Daddy  touched me on  many  levels. Jackson's uncanny ability/gift of  being able to RESIDE in the mind of a cat,  (there are numerous bits of cat care advice peppered throughout the pages).  It also gave me a knowledge and understanding of Jackson Galaxy THE PERSON, without the trappings of  the image portrayed on TV. Through some of Jackson's trials and tribulations in facing his outer and inner demons , it made me stop and think of some that I face of my own.

Jackson Galaxy's name is one example of a complete lack of contradiction. His reach, or his magic, if you will, has touched the lives of cats who are living, and those whose souls are peacefully at rest among the stars, planets, gas and dust of the universe.  Jackson Galaxy  will touch cats and their owners whom he has yet to meet, and now with the baring of his soul through the pages of this powerful book, he will be able to help many of us escape our own hell and inner demons, whatever those might be.

For every copy of CAT DADDY pre-ordered before May 10, Tarcher/Penguin will donate $1.00  to the cause of saving shelter cats.  

Charities that benefit:

Best Friends Animal Society

Stray Cat Alliance

Neighborhood Cats

LEARN MORE: www.tarcherbooks.com/CATDADDY

I received no compensation for this review. I received an uncorrected manuscript for review purposes.