A Salute to Furfighters

Now that fur season is coming to an end, Annie's husband, Hugh, will be home a lot more, which always brings a smile to Annie's face. Being quite a furfighter herself, running the shelter and all, she knows how hard it's been on Hugh, down in Southern California all summer, fighting all those wild furs. Listening to bits and pieces of their conversations through-out the summer, we've managed to learn quite a bit about all that Hugh and all those other furfighters go through, in those beautiful but remote hills and canyons of Southern California. Hugh said when those Santa Ana winds blow, the fur really flies. Our imaginations are left to fill in a lot of the blanks, but we have come up with a pretty clear picture of what it must be like down there during fur season.
Hugh said there are a lot of big, fancy homes down there, and we figure that's where a lot of the big Angora and other long-haired cats must live, sunning ... and shedding ... away in the blazing hot summers we're so famous for this time of year. Worse, it seems our own little Hugh Jr. has had a hand in it somehow, because Annie always asks, "Was it ar son?" when Hugh gets home, and at least half the time, he just sadly nods his head yes.

Hugh said that up to 80% of homes destroyed in the furs could be saved if people would only keep the brush cleared out from around their homes. Now, that just stands to reason! If everyone would gather up all those brushes and use them on their kitties at least once a day, that would stop a lot of that excess shedding and that would really cut down on all those wild furs, too! In the end, a lot of it just comes down to good grooming practices, doesn't it?

Another problem Hugh and the other furfighters encounter in Southern California is a lot of people seem to like to build their homes right on the edge of the hills. They say the view is better that way. But it makes it almost impossible for the furfighters to protect homes built on the edge of the hills like that, and when those big old furballs come roaring up the hillside, the house is almost always a goner. Apparently a lot of these wild furs could be purr-vented if the homeowners would exercise a few reasonable purr-cautions (and better cat grooming practices, of course). It seems like the only right thing to do, seeing how Hugh and the other furfighters put their lives on the line for us each and every day.

Before closing, let's take just a moment and recap:

1. Clear all brushes away from the front of your homes. (And use them ... no matter how much your cats complain!)
2. Don't build your homes on the edge of a hill where raging furballs will consume your house and put the furfighters at even greater risk.
3. Make your drive ways wide enough so that the fur engine can safely turn around while the furfighters work to protect your homes from all that fur.
4. And last but not least, if asked to evacuate your homes, GO! It makes the furfighter's job so much easier! (And don't forget to take your cats with you, too!)

Remember, the furfighters are our heroes! For example, last night our very own Hugh delivered a little baby while he was on duty at the fur station! ... that's pretty darn special, don't you think?.... and that's just one of the many other wonderful things that our furfighters do for you and me when they're not fighting all those gigantic furballs in the mean Santa Ana winds.

Remember ... Only YOU can purr-vent forest furs!

(As that old tom Smokey always says)

The War on Terriers

My name is Sam and I am Annie's beloved Bulldog/Poodle Mix. (If you can't quite picture that combination, here is a recent photo of me):

The reason I am writing in the Kitty Blog today is this: I have been hearing a lot on TV lately about The War on Terriers, and I have become quite worried and concerned! Some of my best friends are Terriers, and to be quite frank, I myself could have just a wee bit of Terrier in my own family tree! I just want to go on the record as saying that Terriers are truly wonderful dogs, and no home should be without one!

As deeply concerned as I am regarding the War on Terriers, I find myself even more distressed over The War on Pit Bull Terriers! I've been doing some research lately, and I've discovered that there is a whole lot of bull being spread around out there about the Bulls. (I am particularly sensitive to bull, seeing as how I am part Bulldog myself.)

Here are just a few things that I've learned that I think everyone should know about these great dogs:

**********

The Pit Bull is probably the most misunderstood dog in the United States. This is due to a tragic lack of public education. Even worse, the public only sees negative stories in the news. Pit Bulls are wonderful dogs in the hands of responsible guardians just like any other breed.

Here are a few common myths regarding Pit Bulls:

Pit Bulls have locking jaws. This is not true! The pit bulls jaws are the same as any other breed of dog! Any Veterinarian can verify this is simply a myth. Although Pit Bulls who have been bred as fighting dogs have been TAUGHT not to let go, their jaws are NOT locked. There is NO SUCH THING AS "JAW LOCKING" IN ANY BREED.

Pit Bulls are born to be mean. Again, not true! Pit Bulls, like all other breeds, are NOT born inherently mean or bad! They can, like any other breed, become dangerous through lack of training, abuse, neglect and irresponsible ownership and breeding.

If a dog shows agression towards other dogs, he will go after people next. WRONG AGAIN! Animal-aggression and people-aggression are two distinctive traits and should never be confused. Unless they have been very poorly bred and/or specifically "trained" to attack humans (often by undesirable individuals through abusive methods), Pit Bulls are by nature very good with people. They are in fact one of the most loving, loyal, friendly, and dedicated companions one can have.

Please click here to learn even more about Pit Bulls!

***********

Well, Annie says it's time for my afternoon nap now, so I must sign off; but rest assured, I'll be dreaming of a better, more compassionate, world for us all. I'd really like to thank all the kitties for letting me borrow their blog today to get the message out that there are all kinds of wonderful dogs out there in need of a good home, too! Please visit your local shelter and adopt a homeless dog...possibly a Pit Bull and a Terrier!... today!

Many of us may have come from unhappy or abusive homes, and as a result, some of us may even be carrying around a little extra baggage...But if you take the time to peek inside, you'll find that we all come bearing many wonderful and precious gifts, too!

"If you talk with the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears, one destroys."

~ CHIEF DAN GEORGE

Little Purr-Vert

Have you seen this cat?

This beautiful orange cat is named Little and he is approximately three years old. He is mostly orange with just a trace of white along the bridge of his nose and the tip of his tail. He is wanted for various crimes against purr-sons and other cats, too! He was last seen in Annie's closet.

Count One: Being a Purr-Vert

Little, A.K.A., Little Slugger, Little Man, Little Purr-vert, Little Troublemaker, and Widdle, has a very strong foot fetish and is known for attacking innocent feet and chewing on toes. His MO is stalking, lying-in-wait, and pouncing on his victims' feet when least expected. Although these purr-versions have caused no serious injuries to date, he has been known to make Annie emit blood-curdling yells that have caused serious alarm through-out the shelter, being as how our ears are quite sensitive to such unwelcome sounds.

Count Two: Being a Peeping Tom

Widdle also stands accused of hiding in bathrooms, skulking behind shower curtains, and spying from his perch within private dressing areas. Being the Little Slugger that he is, he has also been charged with repeatedly standing just outside our litter boxes, swatting at us as we go in or out, making a huge nuisance of himself and affording no-one an ounce of privacy.

Count Three: Being a Cat Burglar

Little Man lurks on dressers, countertops, and bookshelves, stealing miscellaneous knick knacks and souvenirs. Missing is one orange sock, a sterling silver ID bracelet, and a broken Timex watch.

Reward Information

If you have seen this cat, please contact Annie as soon as possible. We cats have gotten together to offer the following Reward for any information which leads to his capture:

1. One half-bald toy mouse.

2. A giant fur-ball that Annie missed while cleaning.

3. Complete "Miracle Cat Ear-Cleaning Kit"

4. Brand-New "Going to the Vet" Cat Carrier.

Annie said that when the Little Purr-vert is found, he is facing a maximum sentence of Life Without the Possibility of Purr-ole.

Of course, since us cats are famous for having nine lives, we reckon that the world won't have seen the last of our Little Troublemaker for a long, long time to come.