Many Catladyland readers are familiar with the recent KitNipBox giveaway we hosted on Texts from Mittens. Well, the fun's not over yet! The nice people at KitNipBox have given us an opportunity to help a shelter of our choice, and we chose Kitten Associates, a small rescue in Connecticut that helps lots of mama cats and babies.
In case you aren't familiar, KitNipBox is a monthly subscription service that provides a box (you choose the size) full of toys (some hand-made by artisans), health and hygiene products, and treats for your cat. Sounds cool, right? Well, here's the part that's extra-cool: We're teaming up with KitNipBox giving you 15% off your first box (excluding the Starter Box) when you use the code kitten15 at checkout.
Jack, the office assistant at KitNipBox.
And as if that weren't awesome enough, Kitten Associates will receive 5% of all sales from which that code was used! In addition, our kitty friends at Kitten Associates will receive a free KitNipBox.
So, that's it! Simple, huh? Just to recap, here's what you do:
Go to the KitNipBox site and choose a subscription type.
Use the code kitten15 at checkout.
Smile because you just gave 5% to Kitten Associates!
Now that the weather is nice here in Minnesota, I enjoy walking most of the days during the week. I just learned about a way I can help shelter animals while I walk. What a deal, right? Heck, it will probably even encourage me to get out and walk more often!
ResQWalk is a brand new iPhone application (Android not available just yet) that tracks your walking distance and then pays your chosen shelter/s. Here's how it works:
2. When you're ready to go for a walk, log in with either your Facebook or Twitter sign-on.
3. See weekly donation pool, and choose the shelter/s you'd like to support.
4. Begin walk.
5. GPS tracks your route.
6. Pause walk as needed, and then indicate when your walk is completed.
7. At the end of the walk, you get to see your results, and receive an award.
8. At the end of the week, donations are paid out to the various rescues proportionally to the total distance walked. ResQWalk tracks both miles and kilometers.
Here's a short overview of the app:
At this time there are 450 shelters available to support via the app, although any shelter is welcome to sign up on the site to participate at no cost.
Currently the donation pool is comprised of the donations from ResQWalk's Indiegogo campaign. There are several companies interested in supporting the app, but want to see that there's interest in users accessing and utilizing it. This is where you come in! In addition to downloading the app, please visit the campaign page to learn more about ResQWalk. Donations are accepted through the end of the day on July 2.
On top of to the walking-to-support-a-shelter part (which is cool all by itself!), the app will also offer shopping for pet and pet-related products, as well as the opportunity to read select content from popular pet blogs.
So, to sum everything up, here are the ways you can help:
Download and use the app.
Visit ResQWalk's site to learn more about the program.
By now you've heard about the devastation left behind in the tragic Colorado floods. We are proud to be a part of the BlogPaws Disaster Response Network, a group of bloggers who help get the word out about ways to help animals in areas affected by disasters. The headquarters of BlogPaws is located in Frederick, CO and, although some of the area has sustained much damage, they've managed to remain safe and dry.
On Monday, 21 helicopters were used for evacuations, and so far, 11,750 have been evacuated. The flood continues to spread across 200 miles, affecting 15 counties. Currently 36 shelters have opened their doors to displaced people and animals.
In addition to the local rescue efforts, other pet-related companies have extended their aid.
Today, Freekibble is donating 100% of Halo kibble raised to benefit those affected by the floods. Please take the time to visit the site -- this is a free and easy way for you to help.
Hill's Pet Nutrition is working to enact their Disaster Relief Network, which will provide much-needed dog and cat food to the area.
BlogPaws has linked several organizations that are offering relief efforts to which you can donate ... or at least share their information. And you can always click the "Helping Pets in the Colorado Flooding" badge located at the top of this blog.
When disaster strikes, it's more important than ever to come together as a community. Please join Catladyland and BlogPaws in making a difference for those affected by the devastating floods.
You may remember that in May, Catladyland won a the Best Humor Blog award at the BlogPaws Pet Blogging and Social Media conference. I was over-the-moon excited and grateful for the honor.
I get to act silly and win awards for it! Yay! Photo: Mary Dunbar
Even better than the really cool, personalized trophy, all winners received the opportunity to donate 200-lbs of cat food and 200-lbs of dog food to a shelter of their choice. My favorite local shelter is Feline Rescue, Inc. in St. Paul and they can't do much with a pallet of dog food. BlogPaws agreed to allow us to substitute more cat food for the dog food, which meant we'd get to donate a whopping 400-lbs of Petcurean cat food to the shelter!
Lots of kneading paws! Photo: Tim Glovatsky
But wait, there's more! My friend and fellow Minnesotan cat blogger, Debbie Glovatsky of the hilarious Glogirly blog won the Nose-to-Nose for Best Twitter Design. The award was actually for @WafflesTooKitty, but I'm not telling Katie about that. Would you?
Debbie and I snuggled many a kitty that day, including White Cloud! Photo: Tim Glovatsky
Anyhoo ... Debbie and I thought it would be a swell idea to combine our donations and give them to the same rescue, resulting in 800-lbs of Petcurean cat food! That's a lot of full kitty bellies!
Does Black Foot look impressed? Not so much. Photo: Tim Glovatsky
Last month, Debbie and I visited Feline Rescue and met some of the kitties that live there. And her husband, Gloman was kind enough to follow us around with a camera. For those of you who aren't familiar with the nonprofit rescue, they are a no-kill, all-volunteer shelter that was established in 1997.
Cuddle-fest with Rufio and Tux T!! Photo: Tim Glovatsky
And they do a lot more than provide shelter for cats awaiting adoption. They also offer foster care, social and medical rehabilitation, feral and stray management, spay and neuter subsidy and community education. In other words, they're making a huge difference in the lives of cats! Please take a moment to like or follow them on their social media sites: Facebook, blog, Twitter, Pinterest.
I didn't want to let this sweet Louie go. Photo: Tim Glovatsky
Debbie and I are pleased to be able to help such a worthwhile organization and share their good work with you! I came home from the shelter covered in foreign cat hair. My cats wanted to know if I'd been stepping out on them and the whereabouts of their pallet of food. Self-centered little buggers.
More White Cloud! The kitties of Feline Rescue get lots of love! Photo: Tim Glovatsky
We're hoping to learn about the scheduled donation delivery time so we can be onsite and take some photos. We've been trying to imagine what 800-lbs. of cat food looks like and have come up with no sort of realistic visual, but we're pretty sure it's a ginormous pile. If we make it down to Feline Rescue for the delivery, we'll be sure to post pics!
Cats are funny, but there's nothing funny about a lost cat.
My friend Char of Sit4Pet/Char's Cat Sitting recently told me about this really cool organization called Pet FBI, an all-volunteer, nonprofit agency whose website is an information center for missing or found cats, dogs or other pets in the state of Ohio.
Pet FBI was founded in 1998 by Maresa Fanelli, who envisioned a "gigantic electronic bulletin board where worried owners and good Samaritans could readily connect." It was one of the first sites of its kind and still houses more information than some national sites with a similar mission. Fanelli reports that about 1/3 of the pets listed on the site are reunited with their owners, but she suspects there are more connections that aren't being reported.
Char uses the Pet FBI catnip pillows to break the ice with cat-sitting clients.
Photo of Manny and Moe by Char Riedinger
In addition to their efforts in reuniting lost pets with their owners, they have a thriving spay/neuter/TNR OUTREACH team. Thanks to grant support from PetSmart Charities and the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, in 2012, Pet FBI made sure 728 free-roaming cats in Delaware county were altered.
My Phoebe puts her seal of approval on the pillow!
As you can see, Pet FBI is a little organization making a big difference in the lives of pets. One of the ways they create funding is by selling products and one of their most popular items is the little homemade catnip pillows they sell in their eBay store. Char and Pet FBI made sure I got a couple for my cats to try and they went nuts!
Cosmo was entranced by the magical nip.
And ... surprise! I have a set of three catnip pillows to give away to three lucky readers! Here's how to enter:
If you live in the Ohio or surrounding area, please click here to like their Facebook page and share the link. Otherwise, share the link so your Ohio friends may like it.
You must comment WITH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS and indicate interest in qualifying for the giveaway and that you've either liked the page or shared it ... or both! If you don't Facebook, let us know that, too.
The giveaway opens at 10:00 a.m. CDT today (5/25/13) and closes at 11:59pm CDT on Friday, 5/31/12.
The giveaway is open to readers in the 48 states.
Once contacted, you will have 48 hours to respond or another name will be drawn.
Sometimes it's hard to smile when we know there are sad things happening around us; however, we can reach out and make an impact. As part of the Blogger Disaster Response Network, I'm here to share some information with you.
We've all been touched by the heartbreaking images of the Oklahoma tornado aftermath. Right now the biggest way we can help the animal impacted by the devastation is with cash donations.
World Vets provides international veterinary care and disaster relief, educate peoples and positively impacts communities. BlogPaws, Pets360 and World Vets are teaming up to make a difference and you can help. Donations will be collected by World Vets here though Tuesday, May 28 at 11:59 p.m.
I live in Minnesota and today GiveMN.org, an online nonprofit donation database, will allow Minnesota nonprofits to earn extra funding. Feline Rescue, Inc., a no-kill shelter in St. Paul will be one of the participating organizations.
Give to the Max Day is an annual 24-hour school and nonprofit fundraising opportunity. According to the GiveMN.org site, "Every donation you make gives your favorite organization the chance to win even more money. Hundreds of nonprofits and schools will offer the opportunity to double your dollars throughout the 24 hours."
Since the campaign's inception in 2009, donors have given more than $50 million to over 6,700 nonprofit organizations. During last year’s Give to the Max Day, 47,534 donors logged in and raised $13.4 million for 3,978 Minnesota nonprofits.
Feline Rescue offers rescue and relief to homeless and endangered cats with programs such as:
Shelter services
Foster Services
Spay/Neuter Subsidy
Social and Medical Rehabilitation
Feral and Stray Management
Community Education
To make a donation to help Feline Rescue with their ongoing efforts to benefit the feline health and welfare, please visit their Give to the Max page today. For additional ways to help the organizations, see the How to Help page on their site.
Now that all the business is out of the way, here's a cute photo of Mustafa, Feline Rescue's campaign mascot. Enjoy!
By now, it's clear many were affected by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy earlier this week. Some lost their home and all their belongings and are living in shelters. Some of those people share their home with companion animals and would never consider leaving them behind. World Vets, an international education and disaster relief organization is working closely with the local rescue organizations to provide aid where needed.
For now, they have provided links to articles and resources that contain valuable information for those affected. Please share this post and check the links often, as information may continue to be updated.
To learn more about World Vets and their mission and relief efforts, visit their website or Facebook page. No matter where you live, a donation to their organization helps them better serve animals affected by disasters.
Good News Alert! Thanks to Halo, Purely for Pets and Freekibble.com, homeless pets across the nation will have a belly full of nutritious food this holiday season. During the first ever Freekibble.com "Koast to Koast Kibble Drop," two semis, each carrying 20 tons of food, will make a combined dozen stops between Dec 13-22, bringing food donations to 40 shelters and rescues.That's 400,000 meals of all-natural Halo Spot's Stew dog and cat food!
Shelters were selected from among submission sent to Freekibble.com and each of more than 40 organizations will receive a generous donation based on the number of animals in their care.
East Coast Stops Include:
Cincinnati, OH: Recycled Doggies/Cincinnati Food Pantry
Pittsburgh, PA: Animal Friends
Washington, DC: Washington Humane Society
Merrick, NY: ASPCA
Greenwich, CT: Pet Pantry Warehouse
West Coast Stops Include:
Kanab, UT: Best Friends Animal Society
Los Angeles, CA: Orange County Humane Society
San Francisco, CA: Pet Food Express
Portland, OR: Humane Society and Healthy Pet
Seattle, WA: Seattle Humane Society
Thanks for making a difference in the lives of homeless pets, Halo, Purely for Pets and Freekibble.com!
Animals Benefit Club was the grand prize winner and received a check for $55,883. The remaining 16 participating animal welfare organizations each received a donation of $5,883: $5,000 for participating in the campaign, plus $1 for each pet tale shared online at Tales for the Pet Lover's Heart.
Now it's time to help one of our favorite causes, the Santa Paws Drive! Have you heard of it? It's a virtual toy drive for shelter pets. They accept donations of cash or toys and Santa Paws will divide the goodies and send them to six shelters across the world. Their goal is to raise $900 and lots and lots of toys for animals would otherwise not enjoy the holiday treats that your and my companions do. You can donate here or via the widget on the sidebar of this blog.
Now on to another exciting tidbit! The Santa Paws Drive has the opportunity to win the four dresses (valued at $4,000 each) used in the Fancy Feast Storybook Wedding commercials! The organization that wins will be able to auction these dresses and use the funds toward the good work they do. So today, please visit the Fancy Feast Facebook page and vote for Santa Paws! If the poll isn't up right away, please bookmark the page and check back soon. We can help these sweet shelter animals have an even BETTER holiday! Let's do it!
There's one common bond all living creatures share: the need to feel loved and accepted. No matter how we look, how we learn, what language we speak, or what challenges we may face...all of us deserve the same respect. It's a sad fact that sometimes animals who, to the eye, may appear or act a little out-of-the-ordinary are overlooked by potential adopters. These sweet souls are out-of-the-ordinary; they are extraordinary! Many have overcome obstacles and their fighting spirit has kept them here. They're just looking for that special someone who recognizes their worth and beauty and eagerness to love and be loved. In celebration and recognition of these special animals, Petfinder is sponsoring Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week the week of September 17-25.
Meet Tippie, a gorgeous girl who found her way to Feline Rescue, Inc. in St. Paul, MN. Tippie arrived at the shelter with one blind eye. The vet thinks the eye was likely punctured by a claw and it has steadily become more red and swollen. Now the vet is recommending the eye be removed and permanently closed. Additionally, the other eye is infected with a herpes virus and will require treatment for the rest of her life.
Photo: Feline Rescue Inc.
Currently, Tippie is being loved and cared for in the home of foster mom, Carolyn. Tippie's eye surgery is scheduled for September 29th; after healing time, she will be available for adoption. Although her vision is limited, her heart is bursting with unlimited love and she will undoubtedly make a sweet and loyal companion for the human lucky enough to provide her with a forever home.
Photo: Feline Rescue, Inc.
Surgery is expensive, but necessary in order to repair Tippie's infected eye. Feline Rescue Inc. is accepting donations (make sure and designate "Tippie" when donating) toward the medical costs and Carolyn has committed to matching each $200 collected with one large bag of toys for the kitties at Feline Rescue Inc. If you'd like to follow Tippie's progress, please join her Facebook group. And thank you for considering a donation. To meet cats like Tippie and other less-adoptable pets, please click over to Petfinder's gallery.
I think there's a lot more good going on in the world than the media often covers. I believe there's more good than bad and there's more than enough love to share with each and every living creature. Love is limitless and everyone deserves to feel that warm rush of unconditional adoration. Everyone.
Happy Tails Books recently published 15 Great Pet Blogs and Catladyland was included! For those who don't know, Happy Tails is dedicated to raising awareness about rescue organizations and publishes books about adopted pets and rescue animals. They also donate no less than 25% of each book sale to the rescue organization of the purchaser's choice. What's not to like??
I happen to have a copy of 15 Great Pet Blogs and would love to send it to one lucky Catladyland reader!
You = love cats, support rescue organizations, enjoy learning about kickin' pet blogs, can read
No brainer! Please leave a comment on this post between now and midnight CDT this Friday and I'll choose a winner via an online random number generator. The winner will be contacted and announced on Monday! What are you waiting for? Comment, already!
Oh, and while you're here, clicky-clicky here and remember you can vote twice a day for Catladyland as Funniest Pet Blog/Blogger in the 2011 Pettie Awards. The kitties and I would love to donate the $1,000 award to Feline Rescue, Inc. in St. Paul, MN!
Many of you are familiar with Happy Tails Books and their dedication to bringing awareness to and raising funds for animal rescue and adoption causes. Well, here is some exciting news! Our friends at Happy Tails want to donate $2,000 to animal welfare organizations at the end of the month. In order to do so, they need to sell 400 t-shirts in the next two weeks. According to Kyla Duffy at Happy Tails, here's more information about the shirts and details about how you can help!
"These are no ordinary shirts. They’re part of the 'Adopted. Who’s next?' t-shirt series that help people start conversations about pet adoption. Not only are the adorable images on the shirts of adopted pets, but the shirts are high-quality Bella (women’s cut) or Hanes Beefy-T (unisex cut) to give you a perfect fit. Additionally, shirts are available in many great breeds and have been designed to match the popular Lost Souls: FOUND! book series."
Would you like to buy one of these shirts, look stylish, and help animals? Of course you would! Visit the Happy Tails site today and help them help animals in need.
Today is BlogPaws Be the Change for Pets: Paws for Japan Day.World Vets is dedicated to providing aid to the animals in need following the tragic earthquake/tsunami in Japan last Friday. To assist World Vets in their critical recovery work, the online pet community is coming together to raise awareness and funds. Your support will assist World Vets' efforts in finding these animals, administering medical care, and reuniting the helpless pet victims with their owners.
Can you be a part of the change for these animals in need? Please consider donating any amount toward World Vets' efforts in Japan. And continue to raise awareness by joining the blog hop below and/or sharing this post via Facebook or Twitter. The more we spread the word, the better chances of health and happiness for the animals living in the disaster zones. Your support will make a difference.
It's simple. These cats are just as special as your very own cat. They need love, attention, food, water, and joy to thrive. In other words, they are very special. They are also very much in need of a home.
In honor of Petfinder's 15th birthday, today is Adopt the Internet Day: a day designed to raise awareness on the internet about adoptable pets. Pets like the beautiful cats pictured above (who are available for adoption right now at Feline Rescue, Inc. in St. Paul, MN) are ready and waiting to give some lucky human the gift of love.
So please, join Catladyland today in spreading the word about adoptable pets. There are lots of ways to participate. For example, you can create a blog post, Tweet or share this post on Facebook, send an e-mail, have a conversation, whatever it takes for more people to think about pets like Brownie, Connor, and Dixie...who, by the way, are very, very special.
Looking for a way to help the animals who are victims of the devastating earthquake in Japan? The American Humane Association has set up a relief fund to help the animal victims. We are holding the people and animals affected by this tragedy close to our hearts today.
We are especially purring for our friends on "Cat Island" (Tashiro Island), where hundreds of cats live with only about 100 humans. There is speculation the island became fully submerged during the tsunami.
Please continue to hold these people and animals in your hearts and thoughts during this difficult time.
It's February, the month of love! What better way to express our love than to open our hearts to kitties in need? For the entire month of February, Catladyland is featuring Feline Rescue, Inc. , a no-kill shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. Throughout the month I'll share information about Feline Rescue, Inc. and feature some of the wonderful kitties who are available for adoption.
I recently visited Feline Rescue, Inc. and learned a little more about their organization. Jocelyn LeBerge, a longtime volunteer, was kind enough to lead me on a tour of the facility and answer all my questions. Here are some facts I learned about this very special organization.
It was founded in 1997 and five years ago they moved to a larger location.
Their mission is to provide safe shelter, veterinary care, and socialization for stray, abandoned, or abused cats until good permanent homes can be found for them.
Up to 70 cats are housed at the adoption center with 150 adoptable kittens, nursing mothers, and special-needs cats living in the extended foster network.
Most of the cats are free-roaming and never kenneled. The only reasons cats are kenneled are due to introduction to a new space, medical necessity, or during behavioral rehabilitation.
Their outreach program focuses on feral colony management, TNR, and low-cost spay/neuter programs.
Volunteers, Dawn and Jocelyn
I was especially impressed with the efforts of the volunteers to ensure the cats are placed in the right spot in the shelter. In addition to the free-roaming areas and kennels, they offer special rooms for FIV-positive cats and shy cats (who are a little on the skittish side with humans). One very sweet kitty named Sammy even has a bachelor pad of his very own because some of the other cats bully him when he roams freely. In general, Feline Rescue, Inc. has a very peaceful and loving atmosphere -- the kitties get to listen to classical music and volunteers built tall perching towers and crouching cubbies for the residents to enjoy.
Cozy beds and lookout spots!
As I previously mentioned, Catladyland will feature Feline Rescue, Inc. throughout the month of February. How can you help? There are many ways!
Make a monetary donation with PayPal via the ChipIn widget on the bottom of this post or on the right-hand sidebar of this blog -- any amount helps! The goal is to raise $300 by the end of the month. I know we can do this!
Minneapolis/St. Paul area people can donate supplies -- I will even drive to you and pick them up! There is a standing need for paper towels (the inexpensive kind are fine) and bleach. They also would love to have small donut-style beds (not the expensive bigger ones), dish soap, wand toys, and simple furry mice.
Local people can also volunteer! Check out volunteer opportunities on their website.
A fantastic way to help is to adopt a kitty from Feline Rescue Inc....or any rescue organization! Petfinder is a great place to begin your search!
Re-post this post on your blog and/or share on Facebook/Twitter. It would be WONDERFUL if you'd place the ChipIn widget on your blog! The more we get the word out, the more we HELP!
Kitties in the "shy room."
Thank you in advance for participating in any way in Catladyland's Hearts 4 Paws drive and stay tuned for regular posts about this compassionate, dedicated organization and the cats that are looking for families. Open your heart this Valentine's season to the kitties at Feline Rescue, Inc!
Shouldn't shelter animals enjoy a Merry Christmas too? I think so and so did Dorian Wagner when she hatched the idea for Santa Paws toy drive, now in its second year. Dorian, the founder of Your Daily Cute, was inspired by programs like Toys for Tots. She wanted to reach animals on a larger scale and donate toys to shelters all over the world. With the help of Salina Gannon of Nip and Bones, Lynn Haigh of PawPawty, and Kerri Schlack of The Kitten Crew, Santa Paws was born!
The six shelters for this year were chosen based on nominations and include non-profit, no-kill shelters in the US, Canada, UK, and a small island off the coast of Africa. Last year donations large and small raised over $7000 in cash and toy donations! This year the bar is set even higher and the elves at Santa Paws are confident it can be reached (and even exceeded!). In order to reach these numbers and provide a fun and festive holiday for these homeless shelter pets, they need your help. You can donate either cash or toys; however, cash is encouraged because they are currently behind on their goal for cash donations.
How do you donate? Click on the graphic below and you will be guided through the process. You can also donate anytime by clicking on the widget Catladyland's sidebar. Even better, you can add the widget to your own blog and help spread the word!
Also please RSVP for the crazy-fun snowball fight tonight (7-9 EST) on Facebook and Twitter! Prizes will be awarded and a major announcement will be made during the fight. Join the fun and help benefit a great cause!
Thank you for considering a donation -- every single dollar counts! And even more, thank you for helping shelter animals around the world enjoy a Merry Christmas!
Today is the last day for the Be the Change for Pets challenge to blog about a less-adoptable pet. I decided to feature Snuggles, a very pretty, yet skittish girl from a shelter near my house.
Snuggles came from a home where the children did not treat her very well -- she was teased, chased, and her tail was pulled. Can you imagine? She's living at a foster home now, and really should be placed in a home where there are no small children.
This is a great lesson for parents and other adults to teach respect for all living creatures from day one. Can you imagine how scared Snuggles must have been? How she might have hid, afraid for her safety? What kind of life is that? Let's educate our children (and adults) that pets are like us -- they want love, affection, gentle snuggles, and kind words.
So please, don't let a pet's unfortunate background deter you from adopting him/her. Love is so healing and you could be the one to change a life. You CAN be the change. Snuggles is now available through Rescued Tails Animal Sanctuary, where most of the foster homes are in Minnesota. You can read more about her here.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." ~Mark Twain
