If this doesn't make you smile, nothing will!

If this doesn't make you smile - nothing will☺

Misses Rosemary JOY! 'n Camille Suzanne~Sunrise, Sunset

Been a busy week. Tell me when it's Monday.

Burned Baltimore kitty on verge of new life

Gabrielle is nearly ready to go home. 

Set on fire twice in Baltimore, she is almost ready to go to her new home.

Earlier this month someone in West Baltimore saw kids throwing bricks at the kitten and then she saw them pour liquid on the her. She turned away and when she turned back, the kitten was on fire. Though the kitten extinguished the flames, the kids set her on fire again.

The kitten rescuers named Gabrielle has been being treated for weeks at Spay Maryland hospital in Catonsville. Recycled Love is paying for her care. "She is very comfortable and has a healthy appetite," Karen Reese with Recycled Love says. "Dr. Sinclair is anticipating a medical release within the next few weeks.(Gabrielle's wound has diminished considerably and doctors expect her to be ready for release within the next couple of weeks. Photos courtesy Karen Reese.)

We ♥ our doggies. Help us speak for them loud an' clear!

SI cover: December 29, 2008 issue.

A Philadelphia-based animal welfare group is asking the Eagles to put their money where their mouth is.

DogPac, a political action committee and advocacy group, sent a letter to Eagles owner Jeff Lurie today asking him to match every dollar he pays Michael Vick with a donation to area animal shelters.

That means a total of $6.6 million over two years.

"The Philadelphia Eagles have repeatedly stated that they believe in giving second chances," said Tom Hickey Sr., chairman of DogPAC and a member of the state Dog Law Advisory Board. "I believe this is a way for the Eagles to clearly demonstrate that they are willing to invest equally in giving a second chance to the dogs that are the victims of this brutal illegal activity."

In addition to the letter to Lurie, Hickey sent an email to the 23,000 people on the DogPAC list urging them to send emails to the Eagles and show their support for the donation request. As of noon 925 letters had been sent to Lurie, Hickey said.

Hickey said the Eagles contribution should go toward enforcing animal cruelty laws and helping care for and rehabilitate fighting dogs.

"With this matching contribution dogs that have been brutalized will be able to receive the necessary medical and behaviorial care that is necessary to give them that second chance of being adopted into a loving and caring home," he said.

There has been no word from the Eagles on exactly what will be expected from Vick as far as his anti-dog fighting activities are concerned or what, if anything, the team plans to do to help the area's animals in the months and years ahead.

Here is the letter DogPac sent to its email list:

Are you as outraged as I am that the Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick? I’m sure that you are, and you have every right to be. Vick has admitted doing barbaric things to dogs, and the Eagles have shown horrible judgment by making him a member of their team.

The Eagles say that Vick will use his position to help save dogs and show kids that animal abuse is wrong. That simply is not good enough.

However, I believe that by working together we can make the Eagles put their money where their mouth is and do something very positive for dogs in Philadelphia.

That’s why I’ve sent a letter to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie urging him to prove his team’s commitment to stopping dog abuse by donating AT LEAST the equivalent of Michael Vick’s salary to dog shelters and rescues every year that Vick is an Eagle. That would mean donations of $1.6 million this year and $5 million next year, if Vick is still on the team.

Now I need your help to put public pressure on the Eagles organization to make this happen. Please join me by sending an email to Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie telling him to prove his commitment to protecting dogs by agreeing to make these donations.

Click here to send an email to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie telling him to put his money where his mouth is to protect dogs.

The Eagles have said that they are giving Michael Vick a “second chance” by putting him on the team. By making these substantial donations to rescues and shelters the Eagles could give a second chance to thousands of dogs that have been abused, maimed and tortured by dog fighting rings just like the one that Michael Vick ran.

If they believe that Vick’s second chance is worth $1.6 million this year, then we believe it’s worth at least that much to give second chances to thousands of innocent dogs who otherwise would be destroyed.

Please help me convince the Eagles and Jeffrey Lurie that this is the right thing to do by sending him an email right now.

Thank you for your continuing support and for everything you do to help protect dogs in Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Tom Hickey, Sr.
DogPAC Chairman

If enough of us support this. If enough of us contact the Eagles. If enough of us speak for those who cannot - we CAN get something done - YES, WE CAN!

Home Sweet Home should be Home Sweet Home 24/7

Domestic violence is when a coward takes our his or her frustrations on a living being that is smaller, younger, older or more helpless. Domestic violence is perpetrated by the ignorant and weak in order to feel in control and emboldened. Confucius Cat is, again, putting his best paw forward and sponsoring international awareness of this cowardly act directed at the small, helpless and weak. Please stop by his place and let him know that you believe in his cause.

You might think that domestic violence is not a cat issue or a dog issue or an animal issue and you couldn't be more WRONG! Often the family pet will be the first victim to feel the pain or homelessness or to lose its life so that the perpetrator can show to his or her intended victim the power of anger and what may happen if they do not buckle down and obey the rules.

It is important to remember that while most victims of domestic violence are women—and these women are certainly victims—not all abuse is by men toward women. It is important to remember that there are six types of cases covered by statute, and that all six occur on the docket almost every order of protection day.

• Men who commit violence against women.
  
• Women who commit violence against men.
  
• Men who commit violence against other men, including in homosexual relationships.
  
• Women who commit violence against other women, including in lesbian relationships.
  
• Adults who commit violence against children.
  
• Adults who commit violence against elders.

• Week eleven’s appointed time is Sunday, August 23, 2009.
• Participants should purr for three minutes commencing at 12:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.) which is 5:00 p.m. (17:00 hrs.) BST in the U.K.
• The cat’s human staff should assist their cats with the project by stroking and nuzzling the cat at the appointed time.

Where we live. Where we work. Those are supposed to be the safe places in life. Hitting, screaming, shoving, pushing, intimidating, threatening, throwing objects, slamming doors, throwing food - all are considered to be domestic violence when done in anger and when directed at a living being.

Only a coward is an abuser. The real hero is the victim of domestic violence who has the courage to leave the situation and that hero needs YOUR support! In our town we have a domestic violence shelter AND our local no-kill animal shelter will house and care for family pets until the hero finds adequate housing of her (or his) own away from the shelter. All they ask in return is volunteer hours: walking dogs, cleaning cats, brushing dogs and cats and, if they are able, donations of cat litter and pet food. So, don't just get all riled up about this issue - do something!

Just like the bill before our Federal government (Saturday's post) for tax relief regarding animal care - everyone thinks that is a good thing - but how many folks will really contact the powers-that-be to support the legislature? You can't keep doing nothing and expect change.

H.R. 3501 -- the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act

I, for one, will be contacting ALL of my federal legislators to express my firm support of this bill. I cannot, and will not, tell anyone how to feel about H.R. 3501, but I stand firmly behind it! This bill won't pass without all of us, all animal folks, letting our collective voices be heard! So, pass this along to each and every person you know and tell them that if they do nothing, that may be all they get...nothing.

Michael Markarian
THE HUFFINGTON POST

EVP/COO, Humane Society of the United States

Posted: August 19, 2009 12:09 PM

I wrote last year about California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's misguided plan to add a sales tax to veterinary services as part of a larger set of proposals to deal with the state's multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. Thanks to the work of HSUS, the California Veterinary Medical Association, and state legislators, the governor's idea was terminated, and California pet owners weren't forced into an even more difficult situation where tough choices had to be made about cutting care for their animal companions.

What's an even more hopeful sign of the times, however, is that federal lawmakers, led by Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), are taking a much more foresighted approach by working to give pet owners a break during this economic downturn. McCotter has introduced H.R. 3501 -- the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act -- which would amend the federal tax code to allow a person to deduct up to $3,500 per year for pet care, including veterinary expenses. (The deduction applies only to household companion animals, not animals in laboratories, farms, or other businesses.)

McCotter has been a strong supporter of animal protection, and has advanced issues that promote the safety of both people and animals, such as dog bite prevention. We're grateful for his leadership in this new effort to help struggling families make ends meet -- recognizing that pets are part of the family, too.

During a stressful economic period, McCotter's bill is as much a human health issue as an animal health issue. Pets are good for us emotionally and physically, and studies show that having a pet can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you've lost your job or are having trouble paying the mortgage or rent, caring for a companion animal provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessens feelings of loneliness and depression.

The legislation could be a critical safety net to prevent struggling pet owners who can no longer afford to care for their animal companions from relinquishing them at animal shelters -- which not only tears families apart but also places a financial burden on local municipalities and private shelters for the costs of housing pets and, tragically, euthanizing them. And by encouraging affordable pet care, the bill not only promotes animal health and well-being, but also could help to stimulate the economy by driving more business to veterinarians, animal hospitals, and pet care providers.

Pet care, in fact, can be big business. More American households can claim pets than children as dependents. Since 1998, pet ownership has increased from 56% of households to 62%--an estimated 71.4 million homes enjoy pet companionship. And to care for these animals in our lives, we collectively spend more than $40 billion -- on food, veterinary care, and other supplies and services -- every year.

Moreover, pet ownership is not just for the wealthy -- 58% of households earning incomes of $55,000 or less per year own pets. While pet ownership does increase with income, a recent American Veterinary Medical Association survey revealed that pets are most likely to be a part of families with children led by full-time workers owning their homes. And the largest growth rate in pet ownership is among retired older couples.

This bill HAS NOT been passed. Right now it sits with the Ways and Means Committee. YOU need to contact the Federal legislators for your state in Washington, DC and tell them that you support this bill's passage.

Simon's Cat on Wordless Wednesday - THE FLY GUY!

No words, just fun with a sweet, little cat.

Miss Camille Suzanne-PURR 4 OUR KITTENS-STOP CRUSH VIDEOS NOW!

Hello, Miss Camille Suzanne speaking. As I was laying on the sun-porch warming my floofy belly with some excellent sunbeams I began to ponder how mankind, who says that he is civilized, could be so barbaric. He doesn't act like an animal because an animal has too much sense to do what I just found out about from Confucius Cat.

Imagine a tiny kitten...full of love and full of hope - sweet and soft with adorable whiskers and tiny paws. Imagine a human being putting that little kitten on the floor and then crushing the life out of that little body. And, why, you say, would someone want to do such a horrible and miserable and terrifying and unbelievable act on an innocent life? For no other reason than for someone else to make a video of the horrible death for sexual satisfaction - a CRUSH VIDEO.

What is a crush video?

Crush videos, also known as squish or trampling videos, cater to fetishists who gain sexual gratification from watching women torture and kill small animals by stepping on them.

Typically, those crushing will use their buttocks or feet, making this fetish popular amongst many foot fetishists, as crushing by feet is usually the main focus. The foot (barefoot or in shoes) is thus often idolized by someone with a crush fetish.

With the explosive growth of peer-to-peer file sharing networks, the availability and production of crush videos is already increasing dramatically.

Additionally, the increasing popularity of websites that thrive on displaying shocking and violent videos are putting more of these types of videos into the mainstream.

What can you do?

1. Once you realize that it is a crush video, stop watching it. These videos can be quite grisly, and are extremely traumatic to watch.

2. If possible, download the video file to your computer, and send it (along with the url of the page and any user information that may be included) to info@pet-abuse.com and info@peta.org. Do NOT complain to the site owner until this has been done, otherwise they may remove the video, and then animal protection agencies have no evidence to work from.

3. If the video is posted on a community website such as MySpace, e-mail the website's support team, reporting it as inappropriate and offensive.

If a video has made it to MySpace, however, there is a good chance it is already posted on one of the gore sites. On sites that are clearly geared towards displaying offensive content, sending an angry letter to the webmaster will typically not help. Those sites make money on advertising, so the more offensive their content is, the more website hits it usually gets. In short, their most disturbing videos are their bread and butter, and it is unlikely that they will remove a video that is getting such strong reactions.

4. For gore sites, to find out who owns the domain name, and where the website is hosted, use a lookup utility such as samspade.org or dnsstuff.com. You may try e-mailing or calling the website hosting company, however gore sites have been known to host videos such as unedited human beheadings, so the chances are good that the website host is already aware of the content and simply does not care.

Now, our momma can't even begin to imagine how such a dastardly act could make someone all excited but mankind has evolved into an often puzzling animal, that's for sure.

So, please on this Sunday remember to PURR FOR LITTLE KITTENS WORLDWIDE TO STOMP OUT CRUSH VIDEOS! We must stop this practice. It is illegal, but you know how that is - if you can find it somewhere and you want it you will get it. So, today, please:

• Week ten’s appointed time is Sunday, August 16, 2009.
• Participants should purr for three minutes commencing at 3:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.) which is 8:00 p.m. (20:00 hrs.) BST in the U.K.
• The cat’s human staff should assist their cats with the project by stroking and nuzzling the cat at the appointed time.
• Please go visit Confucius Cat and leave him a note so he will know to mention you on his wall of honor next week
  

The baby animals of this world are counting on us to stop this barbaric and sick, sick, sick activity be people who have the nerve to call themselves human beings. Momma says that they are Monday's trash.

Miss Camille Suzanne - Sigh...it's finally Friday

Thank goodness it's Friday. Been a busy week bloggin'.

See you on Sunday when we will standing along with our friend Confucius Cat to purr for a halt to crush videos and fetishes. (Crush films are videos of small insects, animals such as mice or kittens, food, or objects being crushed by being stepped on.)

Miss Camille Suzanne-A few words on Wednesday

You need to go visit with the older an' handicapped pets on Petfinder.com cuz someday you is gonna be old an' you might need a home, too. You might find just the right sweetie to kiss an' to l♥ve.

Forrest man-catty says: Make l♥ve, not war with the woofies!

I am Forrest and I am a man-catty. Being a man-catty I know all about being macho and strutin' around to be a big floof here in my house. So, when I tell you that hurtin' da woofies is a cowardly and rotten and horrible and mean and nasty and disgusting and unlawful and blood-thirsty things to do, I AM RIGHT. I do not fight with the woofies in my house and the woofies in my house don't fight each other.

Our momma says that dogs are pack animals and that it is against their nature to kill each other. It is the mean human beings that teach dogs to do hurtful things to each other and that is wrong and those human beings need to go to jail and then when they get out of jail our momma says that they should work at a humane society for years and years cleaning up poop and wear a sign that says that they abuse animals and that they are being punished for their bad behavior. We think that Mr. Michael Vick needs to pick up a lot of poop for the rest of his life.

We are also against cock-fighting and all fighting between animals that makes people money. That is a furry and furry bad thing. Furry bad.

If you agree with us, we ask that you go over to Confucius Cat's place and sign up for the PURR TO STOP DOG FIGHTING and to show that DOGFIGHTING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

• Participants should purr for three minutes commencing at 6:00 p.m. EDT (U.S.) which is 11:00 p.m. (23:00 hrs.) BST in the U.K.
• The cat’s human staff should assist their cats with the project by stroking and nuzzling the cat at the appointed time.

We also ask woofies in the house to wag tails for three minutes, too. Humans should play with the woofie. That will make your woofie smile and wag its tail really lots for a long time. It doesn't have to be a big tail. Any tail will do. Thank you furry much.

We are l♥vin' and purr-ayin' fur alla' the cats 'n kittens on World Cat Day 2009

Don't fur-get to celebrate World Cat Day on August 8th!

First we would like to thank the lovely ladies over at The Cat Blogosphere for introducin' us to so many wonderful kitties (and woofies) from all over this biggie world of ours. Up until the time when we met them we thought our world was our house and what we could see outa' the windows.

We are purr-ayin' fur alla' the feral felines in the world who don't know the comfort of a warm lap and a full tummy. We hope that someday there won't be anymore of our kitty kin who have to ex-purr-ience pain and suffering living on the streets.
We is also purr-ayin' for alla' the cats and kittens in shelters today and wish that this is their very last day without a home. We purr-ay that their momma or dadda angel walks over to them today and takes them home to love and to cuddle.
We is purr-ayin' fur alla' the sick and suffering felines in the whole world whose momma and dadda is worried 'bout them and wants them to get betters.
We is purr-ayin' that no kitten is ever born into this biggie and skeery would without a fambly to l♥ve them fur-ever and fur-ever.


Thank yous dear God, for listenin' to us kitties who are purr-ayin' for all feline-kind on this day.

In closing, we leave you with this lovely and tender PURR-AYER for CATS

THE CATS' LITANY
(Joan M Vivian)

For all unwanted kittens and cats
For all who have no-one to love them
We beseech Thee to hear us, Good Lord.

For all sick and injured kittens and cats
We beseech Thee to hear us, Good Lord.

For all abandoned and dumped cats
Especially pregnant queens with nowhere to bear their kittens
We beseech Thee to hear us, Good Lord.

From all cruel, unthinking people and those
Who put the cat out at night
Good Lord deliver us.

From all who go on holiday and leave us to fend for ourselves
From all those who think cats are self-sufficient and can feed themselves
Good Lord deliver us.

From wet nights and no shelter
Good Lord deliver us.

From mange, cat flu, feline enteritis and all the ills cats are heir to,
Good Lord deliver us.

We thank you, Lord, for all those who love us,
For warm milk, warm bed, fires and any who make happy homes for us,
At rescue shelters,
And grant, O Lord, when our time comes,
A happy ending and a place reserved for cats in Thy Heaven.

Amen

Miss Camille Suzanne - Finally Friday

It's been a purr-ty rough week...

PURR 4 LITTLE ONES - End child abuse, no hitting the helpless...EVER!

Our world is a scary enough place to live in with war and famine and global warming and crime. Our little ones, our most purr-ecious asset should only be touched with love and consideration. Hitting a child, or any other living being, is a crime against God and nature. It is absolutely inexcusable to take out your job loss or unpaid bills or anger at your boss or the fact that the lawn mower didn't start by abusing the helpless of our world. Children, animals, the elderly - all should be touched only with kindness and affection. If you feel yourself losing control, walk away. If you feel your temper rising, walk away. Always walk away.

Let there be peace on earth and let is begin with us - the followers of Confucius Cat - who leads us in our weekly purrs. Please, gather up your kitty and encourage strong and healing purring for three minutes beginning at 9 in the morning in the United States and at 2 in the afternoon in the United Kingdom. If you purr-ticipate this week, drop by Confucius' bloggy and let them know so they can add you to their wall of honor. If you just found out about this selfless activity, go to the site to learn more and to read its history. We, the kitties and 'beans of the blogosphere, are purr-ticpating in change.

As a former children's protective services worker our momma has seen what an uncontrolled temper can do to a child. As a shelter volunteer our momma knows how mean 'beans can be to animals. Our momma will help us to purr. Be sure to ask your momma or dadda to help you.