A brown/gray tabby with white nose, feet and chest was found about two months ago in New Salem, and now needs a home.
The people who found him wanted to keep him, but the female cats in the home don't approve.
He's approximately 10 months old, lovable, friendly, neutered and up-to-date on vaccines.
For details, call Terry or Sharon Wolfe at 717-792-3842.
Phoenix Greyhound Park in Arizona will run its last race Dec. 19. This follows last week's news that Valley Park in Texas has also suspended its schedule through 2010.
Read the Arizona Republic story on the dog track closing
Michael Vick told a small crowd Tuesday at Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., that dogfighting is pointless and he doesn't know why he risked his career for it.
Some quotes from Vick's speech, taken from an Associated Press story:
"I got caught up in the culture ... I never thought that I would get caught."
"I used poor judgment. I had people around me who didn't have my best interests at heart."
Vick also said he feels lucky to be alive after being involved in a dangerous subculture.
"Who knows what could have happened at 3 in the morning when you're fighting dogs?" he said. "It's almost like being involved in the streets, dealing drugs, in criminal life."
My question: Where is the remorse for the abuse and cruelty inflicted on the dogs he used in the dogfighting?
Sounds to me like he's still thinking only of himself, what it did to his career, what could have happened to him at 3 in the morning, etc.
And -- oh, my god -- did he really say HE feels lucky to be alive because dogfighting is dangerous?? What about the lives of all those poor dogs?
Note to Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society: You need to distance yourself from this self-serving, self-involved "icon" that you're trying to use as an example for young people. He still doesn't get it ... he's still looking at the issue as something that messed up his life, he doesn't care about all the pain he inflicted.
Is this really what we want our young people to learn?
Read the Associated Press story
TATER HAS BEEN FOUND! A male sharpei named Tater was lost near Ore Valley Elementary School in York Township. He was wearing a blue collar.
If seen, e-mail k870pilot@yahoo.com.
A male tabby cat with a striped tail was lost in the Hanover Street/Cottage Avenue area of Glen Rock, PA.
His name is Newbie.
He's very active and friendly, and was wearing a bright-green collar with a bell when last seen. Call 410-336-9365 if you spot Newbie.
For more pet news, visit www.inyork.com/petnews.
Elsie, a dilute calico cat, is looking for a home. She's sweet, petite, approximately 5 years old and declawed.
Elsie loves people and is low-maintenance and low-energy. She'll play if you want to, but is not demanding.
She doesn't seem to like other cats, and will hide from them.
Elsie is being fostered in Red Lion. For details, visit www.furryfriendsnetwork.com.
For more pet news, visit www.inyork.com/petnews.
Dr. Allan Kornberg, executive director for Farm Sanctuary, has issued the following statement regarding the sacrificial slaughter of chickens during the Jewish ritual of kapparot:
"Sadly, some members of the Jewish faith who observe the kapparot ritual still commit animal cruelty during this ceremony by swinging chickens over their heads and then slicing their throats with razors. Those who participate in this form of kapparot believe that their sins will be transferred into the chicken's body and extinguished along with the bird's life, but many distinguished rabbis throughout history have argued that treating chickens in this manner violates both kosher food standards and the Torah's teachings on cultivating compassion for animals. In fact, an Israeli court ruled in 2007 that killing chickens for kapparot violates the country's animal welfare laws, codifying in modern law what these sages have been saying for centuries.
"To fully grasp the ethical objections to using chickens for kapparot, it is crucial to understand that swinging and slaughtering is not the beginning but merely the end of the birds' suffering. First, most of these chickens are born and raised in dark, crowded warehouses on factory farms. Then, after being packed tightly together on trucks and driven long distances to large cities, chickens may wait for days in cramped cages before kapparot even begins, often lacking food, water and shelter from inclement weather. Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, has firsthand experience with the traumatic suffering caused by kapparot, having rescued hundreds of chickens from rituals in New York City over the years and lovingly cared for them at our shelter for abused and neglected farm animals in upstate New York.
"Fortunately, celebrating kapparot need not involve animals at all, because Rabbinical law stipulates that there are humane ways to partake of this sacrament. That is, even the most orthodox among us can spare a chicken's suffering by making a monetary donation to a worthy cause instead of sacrificing a bird, and those wanting to experience an authentic kapparot ceremony can put their material offering in a bag and use it as part of the ritual in the same way they would a live chicken. In contrast to slaughtering innocent animals, practicing kapparot humanely is consistent with the prayers offered up during the high holy days to rachamim (compassion and sensitivity), and is in keeping with the true spirit of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur."
If you would like to speak with Dr. Allan Kornberg, contact Meredith Turner at 646-369-6212 or mturner@farmsanctuary.org.
Rescue Ink is a rescue group with a whole different look. It's group of tattooed, motorcycle-riding tough guys who fight animal cruelty, educate abusers and help to resolve situations other rescue groups might not be able to handle.
Some of the guys grew up in the projects or on the streets, and some have had brushes with the law. Like many of the animals they save, the members of Rescue Ink know what it's like to be given a second chance. And they're using theirs to help the animals, no matter what it takes.
Some of the guys from Rescue Ink were at Puppy Mill Awareness Day on Saturday (Sept. 19) in Lancaster County, PA. At one point during the March Against Cruelty, a big, bald guy in a van slowed and was following along beside some of the walkers, glaring at them.
When the driver slowed almost to a stop, two of the big, burly Rescue Ink guys hurried up to the side of his van, shoulder to shoulder, saying (loudly) "Do you have a problem? What's your problem? Get moving." The driver suddenly remembered where his gas pedal was, and left the walkers alone -- for the time being. Later, I saw the guy leaning against a street sign glaring at the walkers as they passed by.
Shortly after that, several of the Rescue Ink guys were seen hurrying back toward the intersection where the guy had been standing, but I never did find out if that's where they were going.
The season premiere of Rescue Ink's show, "Rescue Ink Unleashed" is 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 on the National Geographic Channel.
Find out more at http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/rescue-ink-unleashed or www.rescueink.org.
Sweet little Henry died last night (Monday) at about 10 p.m. I'm going to miss him most of all.
He had been getting weaker and thinner, and when he tried to walk he would take a few steps and then fall over. But he wouldn't stop trying to walk. About the third or fourth time he fell over, he didn't get up. When I picked him up he was limp.
I carried him to Lucy, his mom, and she snuggled up to him, washing him and talking to him. About an hour later when I checked on him, he was dead. But Lucy wouldn't let me take him away; she growled and hissed when I tried, so I let her keep him for an hour or two.
When I returned, she had moved away from him, so I took him out of the room.
I wish I knew what happened to those sweet little kittens. They were so healthy and playful until they reached about 3-1/2 weeks old, then everything went wrong.
Henry's death was even harder to take then the others, because he had seemed to turn a corner at one point and seemed to be feeling a little better. Then his strength went downhill again. (Also because he was the one who always climbed into my lap when I sat on the floor. )
I feel like I let them down.
Henry had some more fleas on him this morning, so I washed him with Dawn dishwashing liquid again.
He doesn't like the baths, but seems to feel better once he's dried off.
He didn't eat very much this morning, but was still quite active.
I called the vet and they said I could bring Henry in today, if I could get there in 20 minutes. So I got dressed, put Henry in a small pet carrier, and off we went.
I think the carrier was for someones pet ferret or rat, but Henry still looked lost in it -- he's so tiny!
We were probably at least 5 minutes late, but the staff at the vet's office didn't mention it. Everybody fell in love with Henry, and were fussing over him and saying how adorable he is.
They took him in the back to weigh him -- he weighed 9 ounces.
The vet said Henry appears to be anemic, probably from the fleas, and has an upper respiratory infection. And he probably has internal parasites such as roundworm. She said he's too small and weak to take blood from for a blood test. He's also too small and young to be treated for fleas or worms.
The vet prescribed Clavamox for Henry's respiratory infection.
One of the women working in the vet's office said she often fosters kittens for the SPCA, and she's found that Dawn dishwashing liquid (the blue kind) is great for getting rid of fleas on kittens. She said you just put some dawn on the kitten, and make sure to rinse it all off. I tried it when I got home, and it really works!
Later, Henry seemed to be feeling much better and ate more than he has so far. And he was walking all over the room, and climbing up on my lap whenever I sat on the floor.
Last night (Thursday), when I got home from work, Wendy (the kitten I was having trouble thinking of a name for) was dead. Her poor mom, Lucy, kept washing her and "talking" to her for quite a while.
That left just Bobby and Henry. I moved them to another room and put them in a large cat-bed basket with blankets. I tried to feed them kitten formula several times overnight, but Bobby wasn't eating much at all. Henry was eating, just a little bit at first, but at one feeding he ate quite a bit.
Just before dawn, Bobby died, too.
When I got home from work last night, I took a deep breath to brace myself before opening the door to the kittens room to check on them.
To my great relief, they were all still hanging in there, and all seemed to be hungry. They drank a decent amount of KMR kitten formula, and I combed fleas off them again. They're actually starting to like being combed, I think, and fall asleep while I'm still combing.
This morning, they were all walking around and again drank a decent amount of formula, although not as much as last night. (It wasn't as long in between feedings that time, so they probably weren't as hungry as they were last night.)
They still have the sniffles, and the calico girl's eyes were shut again -- I washed her eyes with a warm wet washcloth and put antibiotic oiontment in them again, which she HATES -- but the kittens seem to be more aware and not as weak as they were.
They're back to snuggling up together, instead of sitting off by themselves like they were doing for a few days. And when I come in the room and sit on the floor, they come over and climb up on my lap.
Pearl, the little white kitten, was not very active yesterday, which is unusual for her.
I did get her to eat (drink?) some KMR before I left for work, and the other kittens had some, too.
Last night, when I got home from work and went to the kittens' room to check on them, little Pearl was lying on her side and didn't get up to greet me. When I spoke to her, she started screaming, and didn't stop when I picked her up. I never heard a kitten scream like that. And her mouth looked purplish rather than pink. She felt limp when I picked her up.
My neighbor, JoAnn, who was planning to adopt Pearl, came over, and she held Pearl for a while, stroking her head and her side, and it seemed to calm Pearl. She was still gasping for breath, though, and a few times she stiffened and then screamed again, like something hurt. Within minutes, she was gone.
I still can't believe the difference from the night before, when Pearl was toddling all over JoAnn's family room and was bright-eyed and seemed healthy.
What is going on with these kittens? I'm afraid to go home tonight and check on them.
Of the three remaining kittens, Henry ate pretty well before I left for work, and the calico (still haven't thought of a name for her) ate a LOT. But Bobby, the little black-and-white boy, didn't eat so much, and he seemed tired. And Henry wasn't quite as active as he was yesterday, either.
Henry, the little orange and white kitten, has decided he can't let me out of his sight.
The moment I enter the room, he toddles over and meows loudly until I sit on the floor so he can climb up on my lap to be petted and combed.
When I put him on the floor so I can comb his littermates, he protests loudly and tries to climb up again, even if I'm already holding another kitten.
When I actually leave the room, Henry follows me to the door, and when I close the door he meows loudly for 5 to 10 minutes before finally giving up.
He worries me, though, because he doesn't seem to be growing much.
None of the kittens seem to be interested in nursing from their mom anymore, although they're too young to be weaned. I've been trying to supplement their diet by feeding them KMR formula with a syringe.
So far, the only one who showed any interest in mashed up canned cat food is Pearl, and that was a few days ago. Now she doesn't want it, either.
Pearl, the little white kitten, seems to be the strongest of the litter. She toddles all over the room, and tries to follow me out the door when I leave their room.
Tonight, I took Pearl to visit my next-door neighbor, JoAnn, who's planning to adopt Pearl when she's old enough to be away from her mom, Lucy.
Pearl seemed to enjoy the change of scenery, walking all over the family room and meeting JoAnn's dog and cats. She seemed entranced by the TV for a few minutes, then was off to check out something else.
One thing that's odd about the kittens: although they used to try to wrestle with each other when they first started walking around, they now don't seem to play at all. I hope they're not getting sick, or anemic, or whatever it was that was wrong with Violet.
The surviving calico (who I haven't named yet; isn't that terrible?) has been sneezing, and when she wakes up her eyes are pasted shut. I soak them with a warm, wet washcloth to open them, and then put some antibiotic eye salve in them. But when she sleeps, they get stuck shut again.
Sunday night, Violet, the smaller calico of the new litter of kittens, passed away.
She had lost weight and seemed weak and tired for a day or so. When I checked on the kittens Sunday evening, Violet was really weak and wouldn't nurse from her mother. I tried feeding her with KMR and a syringe, but she drank very little. Her nose, gums and paw pads were very pale, white rather than pink.
Later that night, she was lying on her side, cold and stiff, and her sister Pearl was sitting next to her, just looking at her. Poor baby; she was so playful only a couple days ago!
I wonder if she was anemic, since the kittens do have fleas. I had seen some fleas on Lucy, their mom, but after treating her with Frontline, she didn't seem to have them anymore. I had been worried about treating Lucy, since she's nursing the kittens, but according to both a veterinarian and the Frontline package, it's OK to use on nursing mother cats.
Unfortunately, the kittens are too young to treat with flea medication, according to the vet. I have been combing the fleas off the kittens daily with a flea comb, and washing their bedding daily, but there are still some fleas on the kittens.
Most of the flea products I've seen said the kittens must be at least 6 to 8 weeks old, some say at least 12 weeks old. I did find one flea spray for kittens and puppies that said it could be used sparingly on 4-week-old kittens, by spraying it on a cottonball and wiping in on their tummies. These kittens will be 4 weeks old on Wednesday, so I guess I'll try it then.
Poor Violet! I feel so bad; maybe I missed the signs that she was having problems, but until the past day or so, she seemed to be playful and was starting to walk pretty well. And even though the other kittens had sniffles for a day or so (Lucy had sniffles and then the kittens started), Violet wasn't sniffling and her eyes were still bright and clear, right up until the end.
On Aug. 19, Lucy had her second litter of five kittens this summer.
There are two calicos (again), a white one with black patches and -- just to be different -- one that is almost all white, with just a bit of black lining the edges of her ears and some black/gray on her tail and back feet. She also has some really faint tan patches on her back, so light you can barely see them.
In mid-August, after two months of trying, I finally caught the mother cat (Lucy) who brought her five kittens under my porch in June.
I had caught the five kittens in June, and catching their mom had become sort of a neighborhood project. People kept coming up with new ideas on how to catch her, but she outsmarted us all. People I didn't even know would call out as they jogged or walked by my front porch, "Did you catch the mom cat yet?" And people were calling me almost daily with Lucy sightings.
No matter what traps we set, or what kind of treats or food we tried to entice her into a humane trap, Lucy never fell for any of it. Once or twice, she would go partially into a trap, but would get back out before the door shut.
We had even gone so far as to put one of her kittens in a small carrier, then set the small carrier inside a large dog crate the neighbors used for their Dalmatian. We then tied a string to the front door of the dog crate, and took turns sitting and waiting for Lucy to enter the crate to see her kitten so we could pull the string to shut the door.
It was a good idea (thanks, Julie), but Lucy was still too smart for us. When the kitten started meowing, Lucy came running and went inside the dog crate ... all but one back leg, which she kept firmly planted on the ground outside the crate. When I pulled the door shut, she managed to keep her leg in the way, which kept the door from closing completely, and she backed out in a flash.
The funny thing was, on the day in mid-August when I finally caught Lucy, it didn't involve any traps, contraptions or sneaky plans.
At this point, she was extremely pregnant again, and looked like she was ready to give birth any day. I was desperate to catch her before she had another litter outside.
When she showed up that day, I tossed a few cat treats on the ground in front of her. She LOVES Friskies Party Mix. While she was eating them, I brought out the top-loading cat carrier and set it on the ground nearby. She looked up, checking to see what I was up to. (She didn't trust me at all after seeing me capture all her kittens.)
I tossed another handful of treats on the ground and, while she was eating those, I just reached down and picked her up, bracing for the shredding I expected to get from claws and teeth. (Lucy was known to swat and even bite occasionally when you tried to touch her.) But to my surprise, all she did was make a small grunt; kind of sounded like "Urk."
I turned around, plopped her in the carrier and shut the lid, and she never even tried to swat at me. I took her inside and got her set up in the former "kitten room," since her first litter of kittens had now moved into the general cat population.
As it turns out, I caught her just in time. A week later, she had another litter of five kittens!
The five kittens I found under my porch in June are now approximately 4-1/2 months old.
Chaz, the orange-and-white male, has been adopted by a co-worker and renamed Walter.
The other four are still available for adoption -- Lorna and Lelani, calico girls; their sister Lizzie, white with black spots; and their brother Chico, white with black spots (one of the spots on his side is heart-shaped.) See their photos below.
They're all friendly and playful, although Lelani is still somewhat shy and nervous, and isn't crazy about being picked up.
If you're interested in adopting, call Rose at 717-683-6682 or 717-771-2077; or e-mail rose@ydr.com.
Lorna entertains herself while the other kittens are busy elsewhere.
Chico & Chaz are having fun with the kitty bed, although I don't think they've quite figured out what to do with it.
This video, taken several weeks after I brought the kittens inside,show the formerly wild kittens are now friendly and playing with toys.
That's Chico coming in for an extreme closeup.
In these videos of the litter of kittens found under my porch, taken a week or so after I brought them inside, they had relaxed enough to play while I'm in the room, but at this point they still weren't crazy about my petting or holding them. I still hadn't caught the fifth kitten.
Please excuse the ugly floor; I was in the process of fixing up the room, and had just ripped out the carpet before finding the kittens. Apparently, the former owner didn't believe in using dropcloths when painting.
A 15-year-old spayed female black cat was lost Aug. 20 in the Susquehanna Trail area north of Route 30 in Manchester Township.
She has a white spot on her neck, and answers to the name of Precious.
A reward is offered for her safe return.
If seen, call Lara at 717-854-3524 or e-mail andy-n-larabaum@juno.com.
After catching two more of the five kittens under my porch in June (a total of four kittens caught), there's no hissing and swatting, but they were still frightened.
When downloading some new photos and videos from my camera the other day, I came across some videos I had taken of the kittens I found under my porch in June.
Here's one of the videos, taken just after I caught the first two. Lizzie is on the left, and Chico is on the right. As you can see, they love me and are really thrilled to be in my house...
1/2 cup cooked chicken livers
1/4 cup water
1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cooked carrot, mashed
1 tablespoon soft margarine
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Place well-done livers in a blender with 1/4 cup water. In a bowl, combine flour and margarine. Add liver mixture and carrots and knead dough into a ball. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into one-inch sized pieces. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 F for 10 minutes. Makes 12 cookies.
Source: PetPlace.com
Find out more about the breeds at www.petplace.com.
6 ounce can of tuna
1/4 cup water drained from tuna
3 T cooked egg white, chopped
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tuna, egg white and water. Add cornmeal and flour and blend to form a dough. Knead into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into one-inch sized pieces. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes 12 cookies.
Source: PetPlace.com
(from cuteoverload.com)
1-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon soft margarine
Preheat the over to 350 F.
Combine chicken, broth and margarine and blend well. Add flour and cornmeal. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one-inch sized pieces and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 18 cookies.
Source: PetPlace.com
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup cornmeal
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine cheeses and yogurt. Add flour and cornmeal. If needed, add a small amount of water to create a nice dough. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one inch sized pieces and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.
Source: PetPlace.com
Pilots N Paws, an online forum that connects animal rescue groups and volunteer pilots, is launching Pilots N Paws 5000, the largest pet airlift ever.
From Sept. 12 to 20, Pilots N Paws volunteers will attempt to transport 5,000 homeless animals in a single week.
With the help of the Pilots N Paws website, rescuers and foster homes in high-kill areas are able to locate no-kill shelters, who then make space for the animals being rescued.
The sending and receiving pair will team up with a volunteer pilot, who will provide transportation during this special rescue week.
Many volunteers are needed to make this life-saving event a success.
Opportunities include:
Pilots - Register online to fly pets from shelters to their foster or forever homes.
Foster homes - Take care of pets for overnight stays en route or for extended periods, while adopters are found.
General volunteers - Local shelters always need help walking dogs, cleaning cages and filing paperwork.
In addition to volunteer roles, there are other ways to help:
Spread the word - Tell your local animal shelter about Pilots N Paws. If there's a small airport nearby, ask the manager to let its pilots know about the event.
Donate - Donations to Pilots N Paws, rescue groups and shelters are usually tax-deductible.
Adopt - Consider taking one of the rescued pets into your own home.
Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) organization, so pilots' expenses relating to transport flights are tax-deductible. For more information, visit www.pilotsnpaws.org.
A female orange cat was found Aug. 20 on Belmont Street and Third Avenue in Spring Garden Township, during a bad storm.
She has a mark around her neck as if she had been wearing a collar at some point.
For details, call Victoria at 717-424-2291 or 717-843-2320.
Hillside SPCA in Pottsville, PA, is on overload with kittens and needs adopters ASAP.
They shelter also has a crisis in regard to food supplies. If you can provide dry kitten food and/or canned adult cat food, please take these items to the Hillside SPCA.
Driving directions are on the website at www.hillsidespca.com.
The PetVet Disease and Condition Finder is now available as an iPhone application.
Using PetVet, you can find answers to pet-health questions, as well as the nearest vet.
For details, visit www.petside.com/health/petvet or www.apple.com/iphone.
Travis is a cute little beagle who was adopted Sunday and was lost in Pottsville that afternoon.
He managed to slip his collar and has no ID on him now.
Travis is approximately 1 year old and neutered. He has been spotted in the area of the Gordon Nagle Trail, near the shelter outside Pottsville, PA
If seen, call Hillside SPCA at 570-622-7769 as soon as possible.
Dick's Sporting Goods is refusing to sell the Michael Vick jersey.
To thank them for making this statement, call 877-846-9997, choose option #3, and tell the customer service rep you appreciate the company taking a stand, especially in the current economic climate.
You can also send them an e-mail.
Dick's is keeping track of the calls and will make the number of responses public at a later date.
