We Honor Those Lost

Petition to Boycott Menu Foods

For those who may be interested there is an online petition that is supporting a ban on Menu Foods. Here is the Link to that site. Below is the what the message says:

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To: Menu Foods
We, the undersigned, hereby declare a boycott against all Menu Foods products. We understand the company erred unintentionally by selling contaminated food for dogs and cats. However, we find it cruel that the company tested its product by feeding the food to additional cats and dogs, which, as of Tuesday, March 20, 2007, resulted in the death of at least 10 animals. This, according to a March 20, 2007 article on abcnews.com: "Monday, the Food and Drug Administration said it believes that the wheat gluten used in the pet foods may have somehow become contaminated with mold or another toxin. The ingredient was used in plants in Kansas City and New Jersey. When the manufacturer tested the food from these plants on between 40 and 50 animals, 10 died." We believe it was a cruel and poor decision to "fix" this problem by intentionally feeding this contaminated food to additional animals. We believe Menu Foods should have considered other options and, under no circumstances, should have concluded the appropriate action would be to feed the contaminated food to additional animals. As a direct result of their actions, and because of the unnecessary cruelty, suffering and death they imposed on these animals, we hereby boycott any and all Menu Foods products.
Sincerely,

On The Wings Of An Angel

A few weeks ago we mentioned Sabrina. I just wanted to let everyone know that Sabrina had to be helped to the Rainbow Bridge this week...these were the last pictures her Mom took that day.

***

Memories

Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us,

these quiet friends,

is that they carry away with them so many years of our lives.

Yet, if they find warmth therein,

who would begrudge them those years that they have so guarded?

And whatever they take,

be sure they have deserved.

~ John Galsworthy

A Bump In The Road

Gracie: What is this; a tunnel?

Ping: You try it out first Gracie.

Gracie: Weeeeeeeee here I go.

Ping: What happened to Gracie?

Gracie: It's fun under here come on Ping!
Ping: Boy you make a big lump in the rug Gracie!

Ping: Oh yeah now I see how you do this, can I try this now??

*****

Don't forget to tunnel your way to this week's edition of the Ark beginning today and stop by this weekend and visit with Aloysius Katz at Catymology for the weekly round up of all things cats!

Minding My Own Business And Then....

Abby: Here I am just lying in the sunshine, soaking up all the rays and all of a sudden from out of the blue I become aware of some strange sensation.
Whhhaaattt? Huh??

What is this strange thing...let me attack it!

Oh it's just Momma reaching down to give me a friendly pat. Hey, it feels kinda nice. I think I will let her go ahead and give me a few more stritches. See my pretty white tummy?

****

Abby: I have to tell you what happened to me the other morning. Momma and I have a very normal routing every morning. I like our routine. But this morning was different. Momma was getting ready to go get in the big metal monster that takes her away and all of a sudden she heard me getting very upset and Daddy going OWIE OWIE OWIE. He was hollering something fierce. He was saying get this cat off of me. Momma knew cuz I was hollering that the cat he was referring to was me. I had been hollering at Boo and he picked her up. So what did I do when Daddy picked her up? I latched onto his ankle and pinched him with my teeth. I was trying to make him put Boo down so I could chase her. I don't know why Momma and Daddy like Boo so much. But, Momma had to rush back in and save Daddy from me. He was not very happy with me and called me some bad names. *umfghf* It's a good thing I put the bitey on him. Call me names see what happens.

Thinking Blogger Award

We've been tagged by our neighbors and furrfriends the Meezer Mirror to do a post about blogs that make us think! So here are our entries for "the thinking bloggers"!
Abby & Boo

1. Gemini always has lots of interesting things that she gets involved in and of course her sister, Cheysuli is running for President! Of course Ping thinks the moon rises and sets on her too!!

2. Derby is bringing out fascinating and intriguing topics everytime he posts.

3. Precious, Mistrie, Mittens and Patches are four beautiful sisters that live in Idaho. They have a majestic home that has lots of stimulating and delightful activities which we learn a lot about. What is all that white stuffs on the ground??? We don't have any of that here in Florida.

4. Beau Beau and Angie are two siblings that teach us all about how to admistrate and supervisor a home renovation, how not to touch a hot stove and how to be very loving and sweet to one another.

5. Chase is a handsome mancat that has become good friends with our furrsister Gracie. He is a wonderful mentor and has taught Gracie lots of refreshing ways to play and laugh and romp.

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Wordless Wednesday

Miss Boo

"A" is for ABBY

BABY ABBY

Did you know that ABBY is an anagram of BABY?

ManCat Monday

Mr. Jinx shows a little of his softer side.

The Brothers

Jinx takes a strategic position. Jinx: I have you pinned down now Ping!

Jinx & Ping: Uh oh Mom found us!

Jinx: Let's play some more Ping.

Ping: Take this Jinx!

Stand off.

And retreat.

*****

Well while the brothers are enjoying rassling back and forth with each other drop in and visit all the other critters over at the Ark, boarding today. Don't forget to check out all the wonderful cats on this week's edition of Carnival of the Cats being hosted this week by the Scratching Post.

We Remember Gizzy

Gizzy has gone to the Rainbow Bridge, please keep his Mom and sisters in your thoughts and stop by and give them a long warm purr.

Lilly Lu

We are going PINK for Lilly Lu. Lilly has been very sick and her Momma and Mu Shue needs lots of purrs and hugs. Please keep them in your thoughts today.

******

Miss Tara has a posting today concerning help for MamaLaura and Lilly Lu. Please drop by and send your thoughts and help for a great cause.

Relaxin With Boo

Miss Boo is the sweetest little lady.
She has the patience of a saint.

She is kind, quiet, and easy going in her demeanor. She is what I would characterize as a genteel southern lady. She is so gentle, but she is deceptive too. It is a mistake to think that she is not capable of standing up for herself. She is quite stoic and she appears submissive, but that is only because she is composed in her outward displays of emotion. She is in truth one who will administer quick judgement with two quick jabs and a very low but vocal growl to anyone who pushes her too far. Then she will go and find her patch of a sunbeam and lie there and give herself a good bath.

Wordless Whisper Wednesday

Tuxie Girls

Boo: Let me show you my beautiful tuxedo!
Abby: Nothing beats a warm dryer.

Joaquin

To Those I Love

by Isla Paschal Richardson

***
If I should ever leave you,
Whom I love
To go along the silent way. . .Grieve not
Nor speak of me with tears.
But laugh and talk of me
As if I were beside you there.
(I'd come. . .I'd come,Could I but find a way!
But would not tears and grief be barriers?)
And when you hear a song Or see a bird I loved,
Please do not let the thought of me
Be sad. . .for I am loving you
Just as I always have. . .You were so good to me!
There are so many thingsI wanted still to do. . .
So many things I wanted to say to you. . .
Remember thatI did not fear. . .
It was
Just leaving you
That was so hard to face.
We cannot see beyond. . .
But this I know:
I loved you so.
. .'twas heaven here with you!

Mancat Monday

Ping takes a relaxing moment of reflection...(I think he is dreaming about lizards!)

What Is It?

Ping slowly approaches. He senses danger. What could be lurking in the behind the laundry?

Well Ping, it's not behind the laundry, what you saw wiggling was Mr. Jinx down in one of the dividers. Come on Jinxy get out of there!
~~~

It's Friday so that must mean it's time to go visit all the other frisky critters over at the Ark and don't forget to stop by this weekend and see the Carnival of the Cats being hosted this week by Books for Israel.

Havin Some Fun With Daddy

Mr. Jinx

~~~

The other night I decided to see if I could pull the furr over Daddy's eyes. He started looking for me, and he kept calling me. He looked everywhere. Under beds, in closets behind the furniture, but he couldn't find me. I heard him go to Momma and ask her if she had seen me. Well she was with Abby and Boo in their room, so I knew she hadn't seen me. So he went and looked some more. Finally he was so bewildered, he made Momma get up and come look for me. Now Momma figured my hideyhole out right away. Because you see I was always right in plain view, Daddy just kept walking by me. This week Momma put some new covers on the chairs and she saw a BIG LUMP in one of the chairs. She went right over and pulled back the covers and there I was. The moral of this story, don't try to hide from your Momma.

Pets Alive Organization

I just received this from BEST FRIENDS and thought I would share with everyone.

*****

The Best Friends rapid response team is in action again.

This time it’s at a sanctuary outside of New York City. Many of the animals needed emergency medical care, which they’re getting. Beyond that, we’re working our way through complete health checks and routine vaccinations, spay/neuter and the like.

network.bestfriends.org/petsalive.

Sara Whalen, the founder of Pets Alive, was a one-woman band with a heart of gold, a will of iron, more than 500 homeless pets and other animals, a small local staff – and no succession plan! She passed away a few weeks ago after a bout with cancer, leaving the animals in an emergency.

Things had deteriorated badly during her illness, and shortly before the end, members of the board asked Best Friends if we could come to the rescue. Since then, we’ve had a team on the ground – animal care staff, emergency veterinary support, and sanctuary maintenance – all working ‘round the clock.

What we’re doing:
Many of the animals needed emergency medical care, which they’re getting. Beyond that, we’re working our way through complete health checks and routine vaccinations, spay/neuter and the like.


New accommodations:
We also loaded up our trucks with the fencing we’d used in Hurricane Katrina and other rescues, and we’ve reassembled it now at Pets Alive. Some of the dogs were in very small, dark areas, and they all have lots more room to run and play and enjoy themselves.

Next steps:
In an agreement with the Pets Alive board, Best Friends will be running the sanctuary for the next three months. This includes all the urgent work that needs to be done right now. And we’ll also be coming up with a series of options for the future of Pets Alive, which we’ll present to the board at the end of June.


For the future:
The sanctuary itself has enormous potential to do good. And that was always Sara’s vision for it. In the last few weeks, we’ve heard from many people who are closely in touch with the New York region and who can see the many roles that a sanctuary like Pets Alive could fulfill for the community as a whole. So we’ll be building all of that into our assessment.

But first things first.
Right now there’s an urgent situation on the ground, and the animals need all the help we
can give them.

We’ve set up a special page on the Best Friends Network with news, blogs, and information

about volunteering, adopting, and donations.

Donations are critical. The animals need all the help they can get. Your donation, large or small, will make all the difference. When our first team arrived, they were greeted like the proverbial cavalry to the rescue! It was so encouraging.

And with their new spacious play areas, the animals are all perking up. “It’s already beginning to feel like Best Friends here!” said one of the volunteers.

Pets Alive means so much to the animals who live there, the people who have worked there, and the whole region that it has supported. Between us we can make it all worthwhile … and maybe even give it a whole new future, too.

Please join us with your support.

It’s a major operation, and you’ll find news updates, blogs, and information on how to adopt, volunteer and donate
right here.

UPDATES

This morning on the way into work, I heard on the radio that one of the executives of Menu Foods sold his stock right before the pet food recall. Coincidence??? Read the article here.

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Last night on the local news, they had the Humane Society taking calls for donations, so we did and my husband said that the lady on the phone told him that there were more cats found alive!!! They found one little baby kitty underneath the rubble and he has been named Lucky and is doing well. They also found two more I believe. That gave me something to be happy about amid all the tradegy.

Wordless Wednesday(almost)

The cat has too much spirit to have no heart

~Ernest Menaul

URGENT: Cat Food NOT On the Recall List

BREAKING NEWS: Cat Food Not on Recall List Test Positive for Toxin

This is the first laboratory-confirmed case of a non-recalled product containing melamine. One family confirms that the FDA is investigating these additional products. Three 3-ounce varieties of Nutra Max Cat Gourmet Classics tested positive for melamine by UC Davis:

* Chicken Cacciatore, UPC 79105352055
* California Chicken Supreme, UPC 79105300117
* Lamb & Turkey Cutlets, UPC 79105300148

The test was privately requested by a California family whose cat fell ill. Several varieties of Nutro Products brand pet food - including 3-ounce food pouches for cats, 5.3-ounce pouches for dogs and 12.5-ounce cans for dogs - are either on the FDA's list or on Nutro's own list at its Web site, www.nutroproducts.com. But the lists do not include the 3-ounce cans for cats. The canned cat food that tested positive for melamine at UC Davis were the Lamb & Turkey Cutlets, California Chicken Supreme and Chicken Cacciatore. Another family is claiming that Nutro canned food not on the recalled list made their cat sick. Their story is after the jump.

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You may want to know that we had notified Nutro back in January of a potential problem with this Nutro Max Cat California Chicken Supreme in 3 oz cans. Out cat had all of a sudden didn't want to eat it anymore and then began vomiting. We had sent cans to them for testing and they replied back saying the food was fine. Well our cat died on March 11th, 5 days before the recall. This food was never on the recall list. I not only tried to tell Nutro back in January, I also called them 3 times and emailed them after the recall on 3-16. They took messages but no one ever called back. I also called Menu Foods twice but everyone just kept saying that food is not on the recall list and no one ever called back. We did talk to FDA and they took the info down. Then we received a mysterious phone call from FDA last Friday wanting to know the "status" of the unopened cans of food we had left. We told them we still have it. He also wanted to know about the food we had donated to our local animal shelter. Our cat died on 3-11 and we donated leftover food on 3-12. He was going to call them and my husband asked what this was about. He said they were looking into trends in food not on the recall list but wouldn't offer more than that. This makes me think that they knew this was coming down last week when they called us. Anyhow we offered to go retrieve all the food from the animal shelter so we now have all of it. After the recall had happened we had immediately called the animal shelter due to our suspicions & asked they not use the food so they had put it on a back shelf with a big sign saying do not use. So anyhow this at least proves if there had been good testing procedures in place they would have caught this back in january and prevented the death and illness of many pets. I can bet Nutro is busy shredding and deleting any record of food complaints they received back in Dec, Jan, Feb and March. Also we had received the below email from them. Anyhow I thought you would be interested. And also I want to thank Nikki again for putting me together with another reader, Russell, who's cats are home tonight after having their kidneys flushed after eating Nutro Max Cat Calfornia Chicken Supreme in the 3 oz cans. the same food we fed our cat who is now dead that was not on the recall list.

Jacksonville Humane Society Fire Information

We recieved this from Best Friends and it contains a lot of good information.

~~~~~
Dear Best Friends Members,

We have been contacted by a concerned Member regarding the tragic fire at the Jacksonville Humane Society in Florida this past Saturday night. This devastated shelter needs every bit of support anyone and everyone can lend!

To read about this story please check out their website at: http://www.jaxhumane.org/

The Best Friends Network has posted ways that you can donate and get involved:
http://network.bestfriends.org
This includes making donations: earmarked for account #2000034081857; which can be sent to Wachovia Bank, http://www.wachovia.com/ 225 Water Street, Jacksonville, Florida, 32202.

The Jacksonville Humane Society has set up temporary headquarters at their Thrift Shop on 8328 Beach Blvd, (904) 725-8766.

The Jacksonville Humane Society is there for the animals, let’s all be there for them in their time of need!

Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide, and for your continuing care and concern for the animals in need!

Best regards,
The Best Friends Network Team
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Road
Kanab, Utah 84741

Two Tuxies On A Tuesday

Boo on the left with Abby on the right.

ManCAT Monday

HI efurrybody( and especially my girlfriendcat Gemini!)

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We have some sad news to report. Over this holiday weekend our local Humane Society suffered a major fire at 2 AM. Many of the animals did not make it out and some are still missing. Please keep these precious furry ones in your thoughts and prayers. Also please keep positive thoughts for the humans who will need to rebuild a safe haven for all the homeless animals.

~~~~~~

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The Jacksonville Humane Society is picking up the pieces after a devastating fire demolishes the shelter. 95 animals are still unaccounted for. You can read the rest of this article here ..... WTLV.

Easter Prayers

Sabrina & Simba


Sabrina

****


Sabrina is a long haired calico curl. Sabrina has been very sick. Some time ago she had to have her leg removed because of cancer. Her Mom, Claudia (who is a dear friend of my friend Nancy who lost her beloved kitty recently) took her in for a small surgery and the Vet found that the cancer had spread to her spine. Please keep Miss Sabrina in your thoughts and purrayers and also her Mom, Claudia as well.

****

CatAlarm

There is no snooze button on a hungry cat.

****

They're now boarding over at the Ark, stop by and take a leisurely tour. Don't forget this weekend's Carnival of the Cats is being hosted by Bad Kitty Cats. Be sure to drop in and see all the gorgeous kitties.

Can I Get Your Attention PLEASE?

Hey Dad....Dad...I mean you...I've only come out to the den 4 times to tell you and I can't seem to get you to understand. I mean how plain do I have to make this? You know I don't come out into the den especially when Momma isn't here. Aren't I saying this LOUD enough??? Come on get with it. DAD!!

Thank you finally you got my drift...I needed some water.

*****

The other night Abby got up out of her nest and went into the den and sat down in my chair. (This is unheard of) She got up and left. Moments later she came back and got on the arm of the chair and stared at her Daddy. Then she jumped down and left again. She came back again and jumped up in my chair and waited. Jumped down again and left. Finally she tried one more time and this time it dawned on Daddy she was trying to tell him something. So when he realized she was going back to the kitchen faucet he came in to give her some fresh water. Naturally she tried to put the bitey on him when he reached over her to turn the water on!

Whisper Wednesday

Abby in one of her favorite spots in the morning.

Shhhhh....

efurryone is sleeping.

2 Tuxies Girls

Boo is on the left; Abby to the right.
What A Look!

It was amazing to see them this close to one another.