A True Life "WAGS" To Riches Story

The Swedish extreme racing team, Peak Performance,  were competing in a 430-mile-race through Ecuador when they took a well deserved break from their grueling feat to eat lunch. Since the team was in the middle of the rain forest, they were wary of any animals who might approach. But the only one who did was a scraggly, mangy stray dog who they affectionately named Arthur.


Click HERE to Read Entire Story and View Pictures of the event.

Remember to Tap Your Hood Before Getting In Your Vehicle!!!

The Polar Vortex is making it's way across the nation.   During this time, the neighborhood cats seek a warm place.  Meaning under the hood of parked vehicles.

So Please remember to TAP the hood of your vehicle before getting in.  

DO NOT BLOW YOUR HORNS!

Cats have very sensitive ears.  So PLEASE do not blow your horns.  

Just TAP real hard on the hood of your car once or twice.  That will be enough to wake the kitty up and send him/her on their furry way.  

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Please pass this information on to everyone you know!  

TAP YOUR HOODS!

PLEASE REMEMBER 

TO TAP THE HOOD OF YOUR VEHICLES BEFORE GETTING IN!

Cats often take shelter under the hoods of cars where it's warm.  So PLEASE...Remember to Tap the hood of your vehicle before getting in.  Or at the very least make enough noise where it will scare the cat out. 

DO NOT BLOW YOUR HORNS!

Blowing your horns can cause damage to the cat's hearing and/or cause it to harm itself while trying to hurry out.  

Remember To  Leave Food and Water.  And to check on the water supply.  In these freezing temps the water will freeze up rather quickly.  So check often throughout the day.

Use Straw to line shelters or to put where strays and ferals take shelter like under your house or porch.  

Learn more about what you can to do by visiting The Humane Society's website.  

Just click HERE

Tiny Kitten Seeks Refuge Under Car Hood, Suffers Severe Injuries

While winter weather poses many threats to animals, perhaps one of the most serious dangers occurs when cats and other small animals seek warmth from the engines of parked cars. One such unlucky cat was Flapjack, a tiny kitten found on the side of the road in New York City last December. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan spotted Flapjack and brought him to the ASPCA Animal Hospital.

It was clear that Flapjack had been caught in a car’s engine. He was suffering from multiple serious injuries, including a fractured lower jaw, a severe tongue laceration and other wounds.

ASPCA Veterinarian Dr. Maren Krafchik says the hospital staff performed the first of three surgeries on Flapjack that same day, including using wire to repair his jaw and inserting a feeding tube to help him eat.

This brave little kitten is now happy and healthy with his foster parent, an ASPCA veterinary technician. He had his feeding tube removed and can now eat normally, and the swelling he experienced as a result of his injuries has gone down a great deal.

We’re so relieved that Flapjack has recovered, but his story provides a valuable lesson to anyone who drives during the winter months. According to Dr. Krafchik, there are multiple ways to prevent such injuries, including:

• knocking on the hood of your car
• honking your car’s horn
• checking under your car’s hood to ensure that a small animal is not inside.  If you start your car and hear something unusual, turn off your engine immediately.

To Keep your pets healthy and safe this winter, check out the full list of cold weather pet care tips, just CLICK HERE.

RESOURCE:  http://www.aspca.org/nyc/aspca-animal-hospital

Protect Community Cats from Cold Weather

Some of the coldest weather in years will move over much of the eastern half of the nation into the first part of the week. Please take these steps to protect your community cats.

* Cold weather can increase a cat's energy and nutritional needs. Don't forget extra water to prevent dehydration. Check it often and place in an area protected from the wind to minimize freezing.

* Wet food in insulated containers is ideal for cold-weather feeding-because it takes less energy to digest, that's more energy for keeping warm. Cats need more food for energy in the winter.

* Use two storage bins (like Rubbermaid). Line the bins with Styrofoam and cut out a doorway to create an instant shelter.

Visit http://alleycatadvocates.org/resources/creating-winter-shelters/ for other ideas.

* In a Pinch, a cardboard shelter is better than no shelter. To keep it from getting wet, elevate off the ground, line with newspapers and cover the lid with plastic (a garbage bag will do).

* Use sheets of plywood to weigh down lightweight shelters made from plastic, cardboard, styrofoam, etc.

* Cats rely on body heat to stay warm, so keep your shelters small for colonies with just a few cats. For more populated colonies, go with multiple shelters of a larger size.

* Because it resists moisture, straw is the top choice for insulation and bedding in your feral cat shelters. Avoid blankets, which absorb moisture like a sponge.

  

STRAW IS THE BEST BEDDING

* Cats can get snowed in, so it's important to remove snow from all entrances and exits to their shelters. Shovel regularly to stay ahead of the game.

* Avoid using salts and chemicals designed to melt snow near your colonies. They can be toxic when licked off paws or ingested from melting puddles, and can hurt a cat's paw pads.

SOURCE:  Alley Cat Advocates:   www.alleycatadvocates.org