Become a Shelter Volunteer
You dont need a special degree or specific expertise to lend a much-needed helping hand at your local animal shelter. All you need is the desire to participate in the worthy cause of helping homeless animals. And it doesnt necessarily have to be a lot of your time, either. In fact, whatever your occupation may be, youre likely to possess certain skills and talents that your local shelter can utilize. Volunteers with legal and accounting skills,…
Things You Should Know About Animal Shelters
If you find out that your local animal shelter doesnt accept volunteers, you should try to find out why. Start by asking the director. There may be a legitimate reason (such as not having the proper liability insurance), or there simply may not have been enough interest in the past. Volunteers require supervision, coordination and a liability policy that protects them and the shelter. …
Want to Adopt the Local Stray?
Youre a warm-hearted person with a special fondness for cats - especially the marmalade stray who has been showing up at your back door for the past few weeks looking for the free meal that you never fail to provide. The thought has occurred to you that you might invite him in to become a permanent member of your family, rather than letting him continue to lead his perilous life as a stray in the great…
How to Raise a Healthy Kitten
A normal kitten weighs about three or four ounces at birth and - consuming only her mothers milk - will typically gain as much as a half-ounce per day to double her birth weight during her first week out of the womb. By the time she is three weeks old, she will have tripled her birth weight. And while this rapid growth rate will soon taper off, the kitten will quickly blossom into feline adulthood. …
Purring: The Feline Mystique
To a cat lover, there may be nothing more comforting than a full lap of warm, purring cat - except, perhaps, another one or two nestled nearby. The louder the purr, the deeper the bliss it seems for both person and cat. Purring is the essence of the feline mystique that fascinates us, yet we do not know exactly how and why cats purr. Theories abound - but they remain inconclusive. …
Dear Doctor – September 2015
Euthanasia: a possible option? Q I am hoping that you can help me with my cat Buffy, who is six years old. Her behavior is vexing, and has gotten to the point where I am at my wits end. My computer is on a desk near a window, where I had a platform installed for Buffy. She really enjoys looking out the window - but if there is a raccoon, bird or any other animal in the…
Cimitire des Chiens
Paris is well known for her celebrated cemeteries, most notably the Pre Lachaise, which is home to the graves of such luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison. On my recent trip to Paris, I had another cemetery in my sights, however - the Cimitire des Chiens, the worlds oldest public pet cemetery. …
Make a Plan Today for your cat
Recently, one of my mothers friends passed away after a lengthy illness. I had heard a lot of stories about Susan, and the close bond my mother had developed with her after they met in the choral group they attended on Long Island. One thing I didnt know about Susan, however, is that she was a big animal lover. During her younger days, she loved the company of big, gamboling dogs; but as she grew older,…
Traveling When Youre a Cat Owner
Are you headed to Graceland this summer, but the thought of leaving your feline friend behind is giving you the blues? No need to check in to the Heartbreak Hotel just yet. The U.S. Travel Association reports that over 49 percent of American leisure travelers consider their pet to be part of the family, and that 18 percent take them along when they travel. …
A Touching Tribute
Last year, I adopted an aging cat who was living in a difficult situation: She was one of too many former shelter and stray...
