Posts tagged "shelter cat"

Even to veteran cat owners, cats can seem mysterious at times. But did you ever stop to consider that they find us just as confounding? Cats, despite moments of weirdness, are fairly predictable in their behavior, but we must seem bananas to them. This new spot by the Shelter Pet Project a a "public service ad campaign focused on spreading the word that pets in shelters are wonderful and lovable," posits just one example.

Many animal lovers are already familiar with Freekibble.com and Freekibblekat.com, the trivia game sites that donate to shelters ten pieces of kibble for every answer (right or wrong) you give to their questions. You can visit every day (and really, you should!), but on special days sponsors will donate five times as much kibble. Today, Feb. 5, is one of those days.

The sites and the concept are really cool, no doubt, but what's even cooler is that our friends at Tonic scored an interview with the girl behind the site, 13-year-old Mimi Ausland! She shared lots of fun facts, including how she was inspired to start these sites and -- something we're all itching to know -- how much kibble has been donated since she started nearly two years ago.

Check out the full interview at Tonic!

In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, we've asked our bloggers to share stories of adopted shelter cats and dogs.

My Himalayan cat is named Rena. I adopted her from Louisiana during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

A "cat" named "Rena." Kat-rina. Get it?

Even before I took Rena home for the first time, I knew I wanted to pick a name that honored where she came from. I remember those horrible days in September 2005 that I spent glued to the television, watching the news coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Like most Americans, I felt outraged and helpless, wishing there was something I could do, some tangible way I could make it just a little bit better.

Then I got an e-mail from Stray Rescue of St. Louis, one of the best stray rescue groups in the country. I had adopted my dog, Duke, through Stray Rescue about three years prior, and had received their e-mail alerts since. Stray Rescue was planning to send a caravan of vehicles down to the New Orleans area to bring back as many cats and dogs as they could carry, and to keep doing so for about two weeks. Could I help by taking one of them into my home?

The ASPCA will be handing out 10 Humane Awards on October 29, reports USA Today. Among the recipients are law-enforcement agents involved in the largest dog-fighting raid ever; a couple whose ranch is now a sanctuary to about 70 animals; and, of course, Nora the Piano-Playing Cat, the ASPCA's 2009 Cat of the Year.

Wait, what? The mewing musician isn't being rewarded for her mad musical skills (although she's better at tickling the ivories than some of us here at Paw Nation), but for the way she's raised the profile of shelter pets. You see, shelter pets aren't just sad, furry faces waiting to be rescued. They're animals with lovable personalities and talents, and Nora is proof. You just never know who's going to steal your heart (and maybe the spotlight) at your local shelter or rescue!

Check out the ASPCA Website for a full list of 2009 Humane Award winners.