Cat News
We have been trying for the past year to set up an event for cats similar to the bi-monthly “Mingle with Our Mutts” adopt-a-thon for dogs. And now we have it!
The very first “Kitty Palooza” will be held on Sunday, June 8 to celebrate “Adopt a Shelter Kitty” month in June.
Kitty Palooza will take place at Capital Area Humane Society the second Sunday of each month from 12 pm to 2 pm in the upstairs training hall. All cats featured at this event will be spayed and neutered and current on vaccinations.
The groups participating in the very first Kitty Palooza are:
2. CHA (Citizens for Humane Action) Animal Shelter
3. Colony Cats
4. Columbus Pet Rescue
7. Pet Promise
8. Perfect Pet Adoption Center
Black and Orange and Capital Area will also round out the ten groups that are participating. In the future, as more groups want to join, we will have others involved.
In addition, each of the groups will be selling t-shirts (see below–they come in plum and evergreen) as a fundraiser for Kitty Palooza with the funds distributed evenly between each of the organizations.
The shirts feature a quote from Pam Brown: “One small cat changes coming home to an empty house to Coming Home.” Very sweet. We all know that having a kitty at home to greet you is a wonderful thing!
The t-shirts sell for $28 and the groups get $7 from each sale.
To buy your shirt and support many super cats, please go HERE.
And please join us on Sunday, June 8 to meet many cats who would love to share your home with you.
As a member of the Best Friends Animal Society Network Partners, we will be participating in “The One,” a national two-week-long promotion that helps companion animals and people find their true love through adoption this Valentine’s Day.
“The One” event runs from February 14-28. From February 14-16, we will be offering $14 adoption fees for our senior adult kitties and special needs cats. We have several FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) positive cats that are still waiting for their forever homes! Whether you are looking for “dark and mysterious” or “chubby and cuddly,” we have “The One” for you!
To find out more about “The One,” visit Best Friend’s web site HERE.
Here are a few of our selected kitties that we think would be excellent Valentines–and their fees are all reduced to $14 from February 14-16.
1. Taj and Thomas: (Adult Siblings) You’ll need Two Laps for this Pair!
Thomas and his sister, Taj, were abandoned near dumpsters in a senior complex when they were only about a year old. A nice lady helped to find them an awesome home with their former mom and dad who treated all of their cats like their kids. Sadly, their mom died last year and when their dad went into the hospital with heart problems, Taj and Thomas and their two feline friends were taken to a kill shelter where they were slated to be euthanized.
We were able to pull all four cats and save their lives. Now we are looking for a home together for siblings Taj and Thomas who are about 6-7 years old. The two cats are up-to-date on everything and have been spayed/neutered, and tested negative for feline leukemia/FIV.
Their foster mom reports that they are the biggest love bugs ever and compete for lap time. So if you love lap kitties, you will need two laps for Taj and Thomas. These poor cats have really had a stressful few weeks. We want to ensure that they will be safe together for the rest of their lives.
Thomas is the lighter brown colored tabby with the rounder face (above). Taj is the darker colored tabby (below).
There is only one adoption fee of $75 for both cats, but we do want them adopted together. And if you adopt them from February 14-16, the adoption fee is only $14.
2. Honey Badger: (Special Needs, FIV positive) Tall, dark, and handsome.
Honey Badger is one of our special needs kitties, as he is FIV positive. Honey Badger is so SWEET and will make you more biscuits than Paula Deen! Honey Badger is approximately 5 years old, neutered, and up-to-date on vaccines. If you are interested in meeting him, please call Health and Harmony Animal Hospital in Grandview, where he is residing at 614-360-3941 or stop by!
FIV is not a death sentence. Cats can live very long and happy lives with FIV. The virus can only be spread by a deep bite, so docile FIV positive kitties can live with other non-positive cats, as long as everyone gets along. They can also live with dogs, as it does not get passed from cats to dogs.
Let Honey Badger spend this Valentine’s Day making biscuits in your kitchen…and bedroom, and dining room….
Honey Badger’s motto: “Black is Beautiful.” We think so, too!
3. Thomas O’Malley: (Special Needs, FIV positive) Celtic and Cute!
We think the staff at Health and Harmony gave Thomas O’Malley this Irish name, because he is a stunning “ginger” boy with lovely red hair. Thomas O’Malley was found trying to get food near a dumpster and was trapped and taken for vet care. But after arriving for vet care, it was clear that he was not feral, but he was FIV positive. His caregiver did not want to put him back outside, so he is in need of a home. He is neutered, tested, vaccinated, and ready to head home to a castle or cottage where he can always have “smiling Irish eyes.”
If you would like to provide a forever home for any of these kitties, please Download an application. Once you have filled it out, you can email it back to us at bandocats@gmail.com or fax it to 614-873-0972.
Check out all of our other adoptable kitties on Petfinder: www.bandocats.petfinder.com.
Please mark your calendars for MARS Petcare’s 6th Annual “Adoption on the Lawn” on Sunday, September 15 from noon to 5 pm. The event, which is held on the lawn in front of MARS at 5115 Fisher Road in Columbus, will feature adoptable dogs and cats, music, kids activities, product giveaways, and prizes.
The adoption event will feature 18 local shelters and rescues including several purebred dog rescues (Columbus Cocker Rescue, Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue (MWBTR), Ohio Pug Rescue, and Ohio Rottweiler Rescue). Additionally, there will be two cat only groups (Cat Welfare and Cozy Cat Cottage) and shelters that feature both dogs and cats (Citizens for Humane Action, Humane Society of Madison County, Humane Society of Clark County, New Beginnings Animal Shelter, Pet Promise, Pets Without Parents, Powell Animal Welfare Society, and Stop the Suffering).
Canine Collective, Faithful Forgotten Best Friends, His Hands Extended Sanctuary, and Peace for Paws Ohio will also be among the Elite 18!
We hope you will come out and support MARS and all of the local rescues and shelters at this fun event. To make the flyer larger, please click on it and print it out!
I am so happy to report that all of you have helped to make Black and Orange’s Blog a finalist in The Petties 2013 as “Best Cause Blog.” From July 5 to July 31, you can vote every day, once a day for our blog, which is listed under “Best Cause Blog” and “B and O Cats.”
To Vote for Black and Orange’s Blog as the “Best Cause Blog,” go HERE. Click on “Vote Now.” Remember, we are listed as “B and O Cats” on the ballot.
The winner in each blog category will win a $1,000 donation to the rescue or shelter of choice. The winners will be announced in an online ceremony in September.
The Petties are sponsored by Dogtime Media and are a prestigious award for companion animal bloggers.
After you have voted for B and O’s blog, you can also nominate an “Unsung Hero” by going HERE. You can nominate an “Unsung Hero” between July 5 and July 31. In 2012, Dogtime Media and The Petties introduced the Unsung Hero Award to recognize the thousands of volunteers doing incredible work on behalf of homeless animals. This year, Dogtime Media and The Petties are asking the public to nominate those who have gone above and beyond for shelters and rescue organizations in their area. Dogtime Media will share a few of the most inspiring stories on their site and announce the winner during the 2013 Petties broadcast. The recipient receives a personalized Petties trophy and a $10,000 donation to the shelter or rescue organization of his or her choice.
The HomeAgain® Hero of the Year award will recognize some inspiring people who are making significant contributions to the health and well-being of pets. Worthy individuals could be volunteers at animal rescues or shelters, responders to natural disasters, philanthropists, fund-raisers, animal advocates, or anyone else who might be considered a hero to pets.
On behalf of the winner, HomeAgain will donate $10,000 to a participating charity of his or her choice, as well as $1,000 to participating charities chosen by 4 finalists, including the Petfinder.com Foundation.
If you think you know someone who is worthy of the award, you can find more details and complete a nomination form at www.HomeAgainHeroes.com. Nominations must be received by July 31, 2013.
Do you want to know how you can be a hero to your pet? Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to get a HomeAgain microchip for your furry friend. It’s the best way to provide protection if your pet gets lost. For more information, visit www.HomeAgain.com.
There’s a new veterinary resource available for 24-hour emergency care. The Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) at Dublin is affiliated with The Ohio State University and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Located at 5020 Bradenton Avenue in Dublin, the new OSU satellite office offers the same quality care that you would expect to receive at the main Veterinary Medical Center on the Ohio State campus–only closer to home!
We’ve already tried out the VMC at Dublin for a kitty with pancreatitis and a kitty with a urinary blockage. Both were sent to the Dublin office by our vet, Dr. Kim West of Health and Harmony Animal Hospital in Grandview. Both kitties received excellent care while they were there.
The VMC at Dublin offers outpatient imaging services, as well as outpatient ultrasounds. Our kitty with pancreatitis had an ultrasound done that helped us discover the cause of her problems.
For more information on the VMC at Dublin, go HERE.
While you do not need an appointment for emergencies, it is always a good idea to call ahead and let them know you are on your way. You can call the VMC at Dublin at 614-889-8070.
It is time to nominate favorite pet blogs for the 2013 Petties Awards. These awards are sponsored by Dogtime Media and are a prestigious award for pet bloggers. Petties are awarded to the top pet blogs in ten categories and each of the winners receive a $1,000 donation to the animal-related charity of their choice.
This year, each time you nominate a blog, you can also enter your favorite shelter or rescue for a chance to win $10,000.
Please nominate Black and Orange’s blog for Best Cat Blog and Best Rescue/Cause Blog
To nominate B and O, go HERE.
Our URL: www.bandocats.org/blog
Shelter Nomination for $10K Petties Grant: Black and Orange Cat Foundation
You can enter a nomination once a day every day between now and Friday, June 28. The shelter or rescue with the most nominations will win a $10,000 Petties grant donation and the blogs with the most nominations will go to the final round of voting. The winners will be announced in July!
Thank you so much for your nominations!
As many of you may remember, last year, the blog for Black and Orange was nominated and was a finalist in the Best Rescue/Cause Blog category in The Petties 2012. Nominations are just about to open for The Petties 2013, DogTime Media’s awards for the best in pet blogging. In addition to their previous ten categories, this year, there are two new categories including Best Active Living Blog and Best Pet Mobile App.
The nomination period for the 2013 Petties opens on June 3 and closes on June 28. During that time, you can also submit nominations for a shelter or rescue to receive the Petties Grant of $10,000. We hope you will consider nominating Black and Orange Cat Foundation for the grant and our blog to win a Pettie. The Petties are a very big deal for pet bloggers.
We’ll have more information on June 3 when nominations open. We hope you will consider nominating Black and Orange’s blog in one of the following categories 1) Best Overall Pet Blog, 2) Best Cat Blog, 3) Best Cause Related Blog.
And thank you in advance. We only made it in to the finals last year, because of all of you!
Alley Cat Rescue in Maryland started Free Feral Cat Spay Day (FFCSD) in 2010. This is their fourth year of asking vets to provide two FREE spays or neuters of feral cats to the public. In 2012, FFCSD went international. Not only did vets in the United States participate, but also those in South Africa and Canada, as well.
In 2012, over 600 vet clinics in the United States provided free or reduced cost sterilization services to 4,300 feral cats on April 27. Free Feral Cat Spay Day is meant to build and strengthen relationships between the public and the veterinary community. Sadly, many vets still do not provide low cost options for feral cats, a population that desperately needs all of us working on their behalf.
To find out more about Free Feral Cat Spay Day, visit Alley Cat Rescue’s web site HERE.
To find vets in your area who will provide free or discounted services on April 27, go HERE. If you scroll down until you find Ohio (or just click the OH link at the top of the page), you will see that, so far, there are eleven vet clinics that are willing to provide surgeries on Free Feral Cat Spay Day. The clinic closest to us here in Columbus is Grove City Vet Hospital. There are also participating clinics in Pataskala, Heath, Newark, Chillicothe, Warren, Georgetown, Cleveland, and Gallipolis. Check out the site and call the vet offices to find out more.
If you know of a vet’s office that would like to participate in Free Feral Cat Spay Day, have them go HERE and fill out the online form.
To read Alley Cat Rescue’s press release, Click: FFCSD 2012 Press Release
On Saturday, April 6, author Cathy Unruh will be participating in a book signing and fundraising dinner for Colony Cats. Cathy Unruh is the author of the book, Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat. The book recounts the story of Lucy Miracle, a formerly feral kitty who narrates the adventure. Besides offering the perspective of a feral cat who must learn to trust people, the book also educates on the importance of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) in reducing the feline overpopulation problem.
Cathy Unruh will be at a book signing at Colony Cat’s Kit & Kaboodle Boutique from 11 am to 2 pm on Saturday, April 6. The Boutique is located at 2736 Festival Lane in Dublin (in front of Joanne’s Fabrics). You can pre-purchase a copy of the book for $15 on Colony Cat’s web site HERE. The Boutique will also have a special sale the day of the book signing with most items discounted 25%. Cat toys and cat-themed items will be featured. There will also be a bake sale.
Following the book signing, Colony Cats will host a fundraising dinner from 6-8 pm at Camelot Cellars Winery, 958 North High Street in Columbus. You can meet Cathy and Lucy at the dinner and hear Cathy speak about TNR in the United States and the Bahamas (where Lucy Miracle was tamed). The event is $65 per person and includes wine from Camelot Cellars, dinner and dessert from A Catered Event, and an autographed copy of Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat. Currently, there are only 14 seats still remaining for this event. So if you want to attend, get moving. You can purchase tickets online HERE.
For more information on Cathy Unruh and Lucy Miracle, visit Cathy’s web page HERE.
You can also follow Cathy’s Facebook page HERE.