Category: Making a Difference for Pets

I Want to Celebrate Cats!

I have loved cats since infancy.  Or so my Mom used to say.  My first cat was a jet black, sleek looking cat named Ebony.  There’s a faded picture of my Mom lowering Ebony into the cradle to take a better look at me.  I don’t know if Ebony was that impressed, but I’m sure that I was!

Since then, after years of living with Ebonys, Taffys, Lilys, Bogeys and Chesters, with countless moments of joy and of sadness (at their eventual loss), I am still crazy about cats.  I was crazy about cats long before the internet’s love affair with them.  In fact, I even opened a cat shop in 1998 and appointed a newly adopted tuxedo boy named Bogey as our official shop cat. (now, you can shop at my website, MyThreeCats.com)

My heart has expanded with each cat experience.  So much so, that I couldn’t help sharing the passion.  Today, I serve on the Board at FosterCat, Inc., a Pittsburgh based network of foster homes and volunteers who rescue and save cats’ lives every day.

Cats are so tuned into us that they know when we are energetic, happy, stressed, sick, exhausted or grieving.  How many of you have experienced the comforting feeling of a cat tending to you while you lay in bed, sick or hurting?  It’s pretty special, whether they decide to catnap beside you, or tap your face with their little paw to say, OK, I’m here.  (Of course, LOL, they also use techniques to wake you up.)

The daily care giving time I have invested in my cats has been rewarded many times over with their unconditional companionship and affection.  Only those who have owned cats (or should I say, have experienced being owned by them) will understand this.

Anatole France made this observation:  “Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remained unawakened.”  I wholeheartedly agree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Best Pet Friendly Cities – do you and your cat live in one?

We thought you might be interested in seeing how your city stacks up to the top 100 pet friendly cities.  WalletHub (August 8, 2017) provides this useful data.

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“Since we live in a pet friendly city, does that mean we need to be friendly with one another?”

Years ago, pet owners had access to only a handful of businesses offering animal services and supplies.  But new pet businesses are cropping up every day to fill the demand of this growing breed of consumers. Today, we spoil our pets with all kinds of luxuries, such as gourmet pet cuisine, upscale hotel accommodations and even pet “dating” services.

With pet parents in mind, the 100 largest U.S. cities were analyzed across 21 key metrics. The data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability.

Here they are:

Overall Rank* City Total Score ‘Pet Budget’ Rank ‘Pet Health & Wellness’
Rank		 ‘Outdoor Pet-Friendliness’ Rank
1 Scottsdale, AZ 65.93 80 1 2
2 Phoenix, AZ 63.54 12 6 10
3 Tampa, FL 61.48 10 9 19
4 San Diego, CA 60.56 85 2 6
5 Orlando, FL 59.81 27 4 47
6 Birmingham, AL 59.37 3 21 50
7 Austin, TX 58.26 43 3 54
8 Cincinnati, OH 57.19 13 27 28
9 Atlanta, GA 56.73 24 5 75
10 Las Vegas, NV 56.73 63 15 9
11 Oklahoma City, OK 56.13 1 33 77
12 Plano, TX 56.09 58 8 27
13 St. Petersburg, FL 55.91 21 34 23
14 Colorado Springs, CO 55.51 56 19 21
15 Sacramento, CA 54.95 66 20 18
16 Tucson, AZ 54.47 16 31 42
17 St. Louis, MO 54.37 18 36 36
18 Gilbert, AZ 54.22 41 11 65
19 San Antonio, TX 53.74 8 38 64
20 Miami, FL 53.65 33 12 72
21 Seattle, WA 53.28 88 14 17
22 Denver, CO 53.25 77 7 53
23 Albuquerque, NM 53.04 14 86 13
24 Bakersfield, CA 52.80 22 57 32
25 Henderson, NV 52.80 34 77 5
26 Portland, OR 52.78 94 10 7
27 Los Angeles, CA 52.65 96 13 4
28 North Las Vegas, NV 52.52 31 66 22
29 Columbus, OH 52.26 4 64 57
30 Tulsa, OK 51.36 15 42 74
31 San Francisco, CA 50.97 99 16 1
32 Fremont, CA 50.90 82 45 12
33 Glendale, AZ 50.87 53 26 56
34 Omaha, NE 50.47 17 54 66
35 Dallas, TX 50.44 84 18 41
36 Fort Worth, TX 50.43 50 28 69
37 Long Beach, CA 50.41 86 43 11
38 Irvine, CA 50.31 97 29 3
39 Houston, TX 50.03 52 25 71
40 Chicago, IL 49.97 83 17 52
41 Greensboro, NC 49.91 5 48 73
42 Chandler, AZ 49.83 64 24 63
43 Corpus Christi, TX 49.78 9 72 85
44 Arlington, TX 49.76 38 52 59
45 Garland, TX 49.26 47 51 60
46 St. Paul, MN 49.05 40 75 35
47 Pittsburgh, PA 48.97 45 82 26
48 San Jose, CA 48.94 44 70 25
49 Lexington-Fayette, KY 48.93 32 41 93
50 Raleigh, NC 48.92 42 30 84
51 Boise, ID 48.75 49 78 31
52 Nashville, TN 48.59 70 23 79
53 Indianapolis, IN 48.31 20 35 96
54 Mesa, AZ 48.30 69 37 70
55 Chesapeake, VA 48.28 72 67 24
56 Jacksonville, FL 48.21 55 32 86
57 Madison, WI 48.11 67 73 30
58 Memphis, TN 47.97 25 40 98
59 Kansas City, MO 47.71 19 80 62
60 Minneapolis, MN 47.65 74 55 44
61 Virginia Beach, VA 47.65 57 47 83
62 Riverside, CA 47.61 75 63 29
63 Stockton, CA 47.49 39 87 38
64 Fresno, CA 47.46 28 69 48
65 Lincoln, NE 47.44 23 81 61
66 Anaheim, CA 47.40 93 22 39
67 Chula Vista, CA 47.23 81 56 40
68 Oakland, CA 46.85 89 53 33
69 Irving, TX 46.57 47 60 89
70 Winston-Salem, NC 46.51 30 71 91
71 Durham, NC 46.26 29 65 90
72 Aurora, CO 46.25 62 49 82
73 Wichita, KS 46.02 36 50 99
74 New Orleans, LA 45.96 68 74 51
75 Hialeah, FL 45.62 71 61 68
76 Toledo, OH 45.55 6 91 58
77 Louisville, KY 45.47 35 58 94
78 Fort Wayne, IN 45.45 2 83 100
79 El Paso, TX 45.28 37 94 43
80 Washington, DC 45.20 95 59 16
81 Baton Rouge, LA 45.12 51 44 95
82 Lubbock, TX 45.04 26 89 87
83 San Bernardino, CA 44.77 61 93 15
84 Laredo, TX 44.66 6 95 67
85 Cleveland, OH 44.56 46 79 78
86 Reno, NV 43.99 79 68 76
87 Jersey City, NJ 43.73 92 85 14
88 Detroit, MI 43.44 54 84 80
89 Norfolk, VA 43.43 72 88 46
90 Milwaukee, WI 43.20 11 97 81
91 Charlotte, NC 42.86 78 46 97
92 Anchorage, AK 42.21 87 96 20
93 Philadelphia, PA 41.58 90 90 37
94 Buffalo, NY 41.36 60 92 88
95 Santa Ana, CA 41.34 91 76 55
96 Boston, MA 41.29 59 98 45
97 New York, NY 41.29 100 62 8
98 Honolulu, HI 39.69 76 100 34
99 Baltimore, MD 39.40 65 99 49
100 Newark, NJ 38.89 98 39 92

*No. 1 = Most Pet-Friendly

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Shop at MyThreeCats.com and help support Alley Cat Allies

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To Our Cat Loving Readers,
MyThreeCats.com goes beyond being an on line specialty cat boutique.  Over the years, since the beginning of our business in 1998, we’ve helped advance the initiatives of numerous cat shelters and cat rescue organizations, as our resources permit.
You can help us continue the effort.  We invite you to post your favorite cat rescue story (perhaps your own personal cat rescue story?) on our Facebook site, now through Friday, August 11th.  Then shop now through August 11th at MyThreeCats.com and we’ll donate 5% of sales proceeds to Alley Cat Allies.  Alley Cat Allies is a non-profit organization advocating the humane treatment of all cats.

A sincere thank you from us and of course, the cats. 

P.S.  The best compliment we could receive is a referral.  Kindly pass this offer to your
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Why hire a cat sitter for a short week end absence?

 

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Companion cats rely on their humans for food, water and the occasional treat. Other than needing food and water, cats seem to prefer an independent life. So why not just set out a three-day supply of it when you leave the house for a long weekend?

Two keys reasons.   First, your cats need companionship, whether it’s yours or whether it’s someone with whom you entrust their care.  Keep their stress levels down by providing them with the attentiveness of a caregiver.  A qualified cat sitter will ensure that your cats have adequate food, water and supervision.  Second, your cat sitter will contact the veterinarian if your cats become ill or injured.

If your cats need special attention or medication, it’s all the more important to make sure your cat sitter visits your home at least once or twice a day.   Administering meds should be as consistent a routine as possible, for the cat’s well being.  A cat’s health can deteriorate quickly (you may have experienced firsthand with your cat) and the right care may save your cat’s life.

According to professional sources, it takes about 30 minutes for a professional cat sitter to care for one cat per visit. During the visit, the sitter will feed and water your cats and change the litter box. A cat sitter also will play with your cats, so be sure to leave plenty of toys — including a few new ones to keep your cats entertained.

If you hire a less experienced person, such as a neighbor or friend, make sure you choose someone reliable who will be able to come by at least once a day for at least 30 minutes.   For cats who don’t need special medical attention, a capable friend is a satisfactory option.

Be sure to ask any cat sitter about their previous cat care experiences.   Keep in mind professionals are typically insured, which provides additional peace of mind.  Professionals should provide you with at least two references and you should follow up with them.  You should also ask them what would they would do if your cat becomes ill or if there is an emergency.

Leave out a full set of care instructions for your cat sitter, including the location and frequency of feeding, litter box cleaning,  locations of toys, treats, and grooming tools.   A complete set of instructions should be provided for medications and where those are kept.  Provide your phone numbers for emergencies and the number of your vet’s office and emergency vet’s office (if different).  Professional sitters should come out to your home ahead of time to meet your cat(s), become familiar with where their things are located and ask questions.

Hire a qualified cat sitter and give yourself and your cats the gift of peace of mind when you need to go away.

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Make a Difference for Hungry Pets in May

make a difference for hungry pets
 

Did you know that in the month of May, many animal welfare organizations are even more focused than usual on providing food for animals in need? Of course, this is a year-round problem, but this month we’re looking at ways to really step up our efforts to make a difference for homeless and needy pets, and we’d love to offer a few simple ways that you too can get involved. Here are just a few ideas:

  • If your house is anything like mine, you probably have some unopened food that perhaps your own pets won’t eat. I can promise you that your local animal shelter or pet rescue would be grateful for the donation;
  • How about organizing a pet food drive? This is a great activity for your child’s school, your church, the company where you work, even your neighborhood to take part in because it can make such a difference for hungry animals.
  • Similar to a food drive, consider setting up donation stations at local businesses, churches, grocery stores, and other places where your friends and neighbors are sure to visit.
  • Do you have a local pet food pantry? Consider making a donation this month. Click here to see a listing of a few pantries through the United States. If you don’t see your state there, try Googling to find one in your area. If there’s no local pet food pantry, reach out to people food pantries; they often distribute pet food, too.
  • If you own your own business, how about giving discounts or small gifts to customers who bring in pet food donations throughout the month?

It’s so easy to make a difference for hungry pets, and often it doesn’t cost that much – if anything at all. But it does take all of us getting involved and giving a little bit of ourselves to help those who aren’t as blessed as we are.

What will you do to support homeless and needy pets this month? We’d love for you to leave a comment below, or feel free to connect with us on our Facebook page!

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