Soul Mates According to the National Institute of Health, various studies show that owning a pet, particularly a cat or dog, can have many benefits for people. They include; decreased stress, lower blood pressure, reducing loneliness, increasing feelings of social support and improving one’s mood. There are also other aspects that bond a person with […]
Our Can Opener saw this post and started to cry. Being the sweet cat I am, I of course, had to investigate and find out what made her cry and then get up from the computer and start praying for a place called “Ukraine.”
It’s a downright disgrace what’s happening in Ukraine- and it’s happening to their animals too. Please help them if you are able!
Please take a few minutes to read (and follow) The Chester Chronicles- and if you are a person who believes in prayer, please take a few minutes out of your busy day to pray for relief for the people (and children) and animals of Ukraine! Pray for healing of Ukraine and its people- and click the link below (or one of the links on Chester’s page) to help if you are able! So many people and pets (and wild animals) are suffering and need care.
Let them know they are not alone!
Humane Society International (animal rescue/ vet care / supplies/ food /shelter)
That means all your pets need to get SPOILED today!
Our Human likes to find reasons to Celebrate
This time, she’s discovered a day on April 11th every year (internationally)- to celebrate pets of all kinds (but in this house, it’s cats)!
In 2006, an animal welfare advocate (Colleen Paige)- started National Pet Day to celebrate all the joys (and comfort) that pets give the ones who love and care for them. She wanted everyone to recognize the value of having pets and to encourage people looking for pedigreed pets to check out the Humane Society’s shelters before handing buckets of cash over to breeders.
Her motto was “Adopt, don’t shop!” And I think that makes her a hero when you consider all the millions of pets that enter shelters each year. Thanks to people like her, (and our Can Opener), it worked! People have discovered their best (4 legged) friends there and now over one million happy cats and dogs have found loving homes.
Sushi and I want to thank her and all like her, who care about the happiness and welfare of animals. Since we can’t speak for ourselves, we need heroes to speak up on our behalf- and because of people like this, pets like me and Sushi and so many others can be rescued from abusive situations, and devastation because of wars, hurricanes, earthquakes and all those other things that separate people from their pets and leave homeless and abandoned pets vulnerable and hungry.
So today, take some time to give your pets some extra cuddles, playtime, and grooming. They give you love, warmth, snuggles and companionship all year round. Today is their day to know they matter!
If you don’t have a pet, why not consider visiting your local animal shelter and adopt one?
You just might be lucky enough to get a laptop guard like Sushi! 😹
“Now, Human, about that special treat you mentioned…I hope it’s from a tiny, expensive can!”
And I just happen to be a cat!! Tuna, Treats, Redi Whip and gifts welcome!
Let’s give some homeless / shelter cats some love today!
The point of National Cat Day is to draw attention to the hundreds of homeless and shelter kitties (including ferals) all over the country – it’s a great time to consider adopting a shelter cat from your local shelter, or do something to help the feral cats that roam in your area.
I was a feral cat – and so was Sushi in the beginning. Both of us had been born to a feral mom in someone’s back yard. But I was lucky- because the humans that lived at the yard I was born in, just happened to love cats, and she felt sorry for my pregnant mama who was suffering through the cold, wet, Oregon winters and she did everything she could to give my mama some relief. My mama wouldn’t let the human get close to her, but she knew she would be provided food and fresh water, and a box with a blanket to try and help her stay warm.
When we kittens were born, Mama hid us (from the other neighbors) under the big bush at my human’s back yard, making sure the other neighbors wouldn’t see us, but she let my human know where we were – and would allow her to come relatively close so she could see us nursing under the bush. She instinctively knew that human would watch after us and keep us safe when she wasn’t there.
Now, there are even more homeless cats because of wildfires, hurricanes, other natural disasters, and people who find themselves and their pets homeless because of evictions or foreclosures due to the pandemic.
National Cat Day is a wonderful time to adopt a shelter or homeless cat. Especially with the wet, cold winters being just around the corner now.
If you can’t adopt a homeless or shelter cat, there are still lots of ways you can help them! Here are a few:
donate blankets, food, or toys to animal shelters or volunteer to spend some cuddle time with cats at your local animal shelter
keep a can or two of cat food or a blanket, toy, or bag of treats, or flea treatment in your car to donate to a homeless person you may come across with a cat so you will be ready to help- and please don’t judge them. So many are homeless now because of things out of their control.
Donate cat food / treats / toys and flea treatments to food pantries – Or, to neighbors you know of who have cats and are struggling.
Don’t forget you can also donate these things to church food pantries that are established to help their congregants.
Meanwhile, Check out these beautiful formerly feral kitties that were adopted!
Shrimp (my predescessor) who was abandoned at a park and later adopted by our human.
Thunder- a cat who had been abandoned in our neighborhood after someone got evicted.
Sheba – the Psycho next door.
Serafina- who had been adopted from the Humane Society by the Critters’ parents.
Abby- also adopted from the Humane society by the Critters’ parents.
People celebrate National Cat day in a variety of ways:
1.) Spend some time playing with your cat- or, provide him or her some exciting new toys, a new cat tree, or some wall shelves for climbing.
2.) Leave a treat trail around your house to provide an unexpected “hunting” experience (and exercise) for your indoor only cat.
3.) Surprise your cat with some home-made tasty cat treats.
It’s been that kind of week. My human dad is starting to finally get better. But I don’t like that our Can Opener has been so busy. Up late at night, and not playing with us very much. She still snuggles and grooms us and spoils us- she just doesn’t have the time and energy to play much. I think they call that stress.
We had some bomb cyclones here -(which our humans had never heard of before)- and Holy Freaking Cat Whiskers! It rained so HARD and the trees were blowing everything around and it was making an awful lot of noise. We thought the rain would never end- and Twilight was going nuts because she’s not used to staying inside so much. Didn’t bother me, though- I just settle down on the Can Opener’s lap and take a longer nap.
We were lucky, though- we pretty much just got slammed with heavy winds, and rain- tons of rain! Other parts of the Northwest weren’t so lucky.
We are also hearing helicopters flying over head every.single.night! Over and over again and things are just weird.
Leaves swirling around everywhere is a beautiful thing to watch- but the rain was so hard and fast, the Can Opener couldn’t get very many pictures.
Our Human fixed up a dry, cozy spot for Twilight’s Mama who faithfully comes around every night to get her dinner and play with Twilight. She is cozy, dry and warm even in the middle of it.
It’s dinnertime, Mom. Get off the computer!Just a reminder to all you felines out there to do your job.
How to Train your Humans 