AdoptAShelter.com editor-in-chief Dusty Rainbolt displays her DWAA Maxwell Medallions.
(April 21, 2015) Tyler, Texas – After being named the 2014 Friskies® Writer of the Year at the Cat Writers Association Awards Banquet last November, AdoptAShelter.com’s Dusty Rainbolt was awarded two Maxwell Medallions at the annual Dog Writers Association of America Awards Banquet in New York City.
Dusty was also awarded CWA’s .Hartz® Every Day Chewable Vitamin Award, the Hartz® Milk Replacement for Kittens Award, as well as the CWA Muse Medallion for Excellence for best Online Article on Health and General Care.
Dusty received the DWAA Maxwell Awards in the categories of “Online Behavior & Training Article” for her article ‘When Is It Time To Say Goodbye To Your Dog?’ and the best “Online Article- Rescue” for, ‘Ten Reasons To Foster A Shelter Dog’. Both were published on Dogster.com.
“Dusty rescued her first cat in 1986. Since then she has rescued and re-homed over 1,500 cats and kittens, 500 of them bottle babies. Oh, and she’s pretty good at writing, too,” says AdoptAShelter.com founder and CEO Chris Ruben. “It is a privilege and pleasure to have her as a long-time partner in helping animals.”
Also at the Awards banquet, Ambassador Susan M. Ewing presented Bernadette Kazmarski with the AdoptAShelter.com ‘Adopt-A-Homeless-Dog’ award. It is presented to the body of work that best describes the plight of homeless dogs, the joy of dog adoption, and/or improving the quality of life of dogs in a shelter environment.
About AdoptAShelter.com
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Freeway recovers at his foster home. Photo courtesy of Arizona Humane Society.
(Look below to watch the heart-stopping and dramatic cat rescue. Spoiler alert: It’s a happy ending.)
In our own personal movie called “Life,” we never really know from minute-to-minute what role we’ll play. When something extraordinary occurred, and Richard Christianson was offered a choice between the part of either the protagonist or an extra lost within the crowd, he rose to the occasion became an unexpected hero.
Last week, as Richard Christianson of Phoenix exited northbound Interstate 17, he passed a chain link fence mounted atop cement barriers. Is that a cat?
Unlike thousands of passersby over six hours, Richard stopped. To his shock, he found an orange and white American Curl clutching the cyclone fence.
“I thought someone hit him so hard he flew into the fence cuz he had blood all over.”
The American Curl’s mouth and legs were bloody and a paw reached through the wire, a frantic, but fruitless attempt to escape. His jaw was injured by his attempt to chew through the fence.
As traffic hurried past him, Richard called 9-1-1. They said to call the Arizona Humane Society. The humane society told him to contact Department of Public Safety. DPS said they’d received several calls over the last two or three hours about cat. They’d send a unit out. But when? Every minute that went by, Richard himself grew hotter. He knew that the cat too must be sweltering. By the time DPS eventually made to the scene, the injured cat might have already died.
“He was crying for me. He was reaching for me,” Richard says. Someone had to do something.
Richard, who works as a stagehand for conventions, concerts and locally-performed Broadway plays, tried to jump the fence, but couldn’t without impaling himself on the spikes at the top. He ran to his car. Like General MacArthur, he would return.
He circled around, once again heading northbound on the expressway, and pulled over 20 feet past the cat.
“Nobody’s doing their job,” he says. Angry that all official channels had abandoned the cat, Richard recorded the rescue with his cell phone. “Never did I think anyone would consider me a hero.”
“He was crying for me,” Richard recalls. “He was pressed up so hard against the wire; he was reaching up through the fence.”
Soft food just like the doctor ordered. photo courtesy of Arizona Humane Society.
When Richard saw his bloody jaw and paws, he cried, “Oh my God!” He approached the cat slowly, speaking calmly. When Richard stood next to the pathetic creature, the kitty continued crying, but released his death-grip on the fence and faced his rescuer.
“When he pulled his paw away from the fence, it was like he was saying to me, “Okay, just take me.”
Richard made the not-so-hard decision to sacrifice his favorite shirt, a signed M.C. Magic Rewired t-shirt.
“I wrapped my shirt around him; He just went limp and started purring.”
While the stray was out of harms way, he wasn’t out of danger. Richard still feared Freeway, as he dubbed the cat, might die before he could take him to to the Arizona Humane Society (AHS). This time the shelter came through. They rushed the two-year old kitty into surgery.
Bretta Nelson, spokesperson for AHS, said Freeway had severe trauma: broken teeth, necrotic mouth tissue, he had burns to the pads of his feet. While it was touch and go, Freeway is stable. He is receiving pain medication and antibiotics. He’s on soft food, but the great news is “he’s eating like a little piggy according to his foster mom.” After a meal he likes to cuddle.
“It’s not about me,” Richard insists. “It’s about Freeway.”
Richard remains saddened that the pathetic cat clung to the fence for more than six hours without anyone bothering to help him.
Richard wants people to get involved. “People should be aware of their surroundings. When you see an animal who needs help, don’t assume someone else is going to help. You help him.”
“I was so pissed off at DPS. That’s why I shared the video.”
Richard believes “everything happens for a reason. I could have taken a different exit, but I didn’t. This is a blessing in disguise [for Freeway.] He was hurt, but his life is going to be way different now. He’s going to be okay.”
Can’t a guy get a little sleep around here? Photo courtesy of Arizona Humane Society.
Richard’s been surprised by all of the attention he’s received. A week ago, he had 300 Facebook friends; since Freeway’s rescue his followers have swelled to over 1500…and still growing.
Over $1600 in donations have been given on Freeway’s behalf. “God bless you all,” he says to the people who donated to Freeways care. “Now that Freeway is in safe hands, he’s worried about the other animals who still need help. He’s thinking about starting the Freeway Foundation to help out stray animals with medical needs.
Bretta says people can make donations to help with Freeway’s mounting medical bills at www.Azhumane.org.
When something extraordinary occurs in your life, ask yourself will you choose the part of the hero or will you simply be a faceless extra lost in the apathetic crowd? I hope you’ll choose to help. Following Richard’s example, I’m certainly going to stop.
(My apologies to my readers, but this blog doesn’t mention cats or writing except within this disclaimers saying they don’t appear. Additionally, the subject is in rather poor taste, but c’est la vie. The important point is that I am including some essential research about the cats’ favorite prey, the rodent.) Viagra
Today is Viagra® Day, the 17th anniversary of the day the FDA approved the drug for, well you know.But Viagra is more than a drug that makes life miserable for Hugh Hefner’s 20-something-year-old wife. The Little Blue Pill also improves the quality of life for traveling hamsters.
You are going to be delighted to know (as I was) that several years ago scientists at a university lab discovered that Viagra helps hamsters overcome jet lag. Yes! Relieved rodent owners around the world are declaring, “Now Squeaks can get his little wang up!” Rodents suffering from a lack of libido or jet lag should be a concern to all animal lovers. In the past, these poor lab hamsters had to stop procreating long enough to scurry aboard a plane and travel cross-country. Now they can actually procreate while ON the plane!
Rather than wasting good Viagra and plane trips on creatures who don’t have any problems reproducing in the first place (and who can’t tell the difference between the Grand Canyon and the bathroom at Grand Central Station), why don’t these Ivy Leaguers pass out little blue pills at retirement communities and send these sexy seniors on a second or fifth honeymoon to Hawaii. The experiment conducted in this manner has the added benefit of the human actually being able to say whether or not he feels lagged.
Which begs the question: how can you tell if a hamster has jet lag? I’ll probably never know. I guess I went to the wrong university.
You know the proverb, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” Penny Adams obviously made the wrong impression when she used a cat translator app to communicate with Flam the cat. Judging from his reaction, instead of telling Flam, “You are such a handsome boy,” Penny Adams’ cat translator must have said something more like, “You mom barks like a dog.”
When I was a little kid I loved the TV show McHale’s Navy starring Ernest Borgnine. During any given episode, in the midst of a crisis, the Japanese POW, Fuji, would cry out, “Oy vey!” I always giggled, but I have to admit, I didn’t know why.
Years later, one of my high school friends always exclaimed, “Oy vey!” when something unexpected happened. Finally I asked her what it meant. She answered, “It’s Japanese. The guy on McHale’s Navy used to say it.” I took her word for it.
Only after I met Debbie Waller did I learn that ‘oy vey’ was a Yiddish exclamation meaning, “Woe is me.” Which, of course, was the joke all along.
My point is, my Yiddish-spouting friend could have been repeating nonsense or even some truly offensive without intending to.
So how do I transition from McHale’s Navy to cat translator apps? Recently there have been a number of translation cell phone apps. I invested $6.95 to learn Spanish from a cat. (I kid you not. Cat Spanish. I can now say, “Donde esta el pescado?” “Where is the fish?”)
But other apps claim to translate English into Cat. A photographer named Penny Adams from Nashville was trying to photograph a friend’s brown tabby named Flam. In typical cat fashion, Flam wasn’t cooperating. So Penny activated her cat translator. Flam approached with interested before lashing out at Penny. We can only assume the app didn’t say, “Oy vey.” Whatever she said to Flam, obviously shouldn’t have been repeated in polite feline company.
Penny, you might have gotten a better reaction if you use the Cat Spanish app and to say, “Tengo pescado.” (I have fish.)
On Texas Independence Day, consider adopting a pet worthy of being called a Texan.
Today is Texas Independence Day, the 179th anniversary of the day the fledgling country adopted the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos. I’m a fifth generation Texan, and March 2 has great meaning to our family.
So while I was pondering the enormity of what the Texas founding fathers and defenders risked and sacrificed, I drew a couple of parallels to cats. Texans are known for our fierce independence; so are cats. Texans are proud, so are cats. Texans a reputation for take-no-crap. Kitties too.
Cats go back to our earliest Texas roots. A black cat even died with the defenders of the Alamo. More about the Alamo and her cats on March 6, the day the Alamo fell.
So Come on people of Texas, open your homes to an independent creature worthy to be called Texan!
And just for fun, here are some Texas truisms. And believe me, they ARE true. When you’re from Texas:
You understand that frozen precipitation seldom means snow. It usually means freezing rain, sleet, cobblestone ice and hail, but not snow.)
Last week we actually had bona fide snow. The Texas tradition of sleet and freezing rain returned the following day
You use the word “y’all” not because you have a Texas accent, but because it’s a practical contraction.
You no longer associate bridges with water.
You no longer associate rivers with water.
You can say 110 degrees without fainting.
You realize asphalt has a liquid state.
You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.(Especially the old fashioned metal ones.)
You know that in July it takes only two fingers to drive your car.
You discover that you can get a sunburn through your car window.(Yup.)
Hot water comes out of both taps.
The mosquitoes have landing lights and can pick up small dogs.
You’ve ridden your brand new Christmas bicycle in shorts.
People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the ark.
It’s a common misconception that JR Ewing lived here. That was a TV show people! Chuck Norris, on the other hand, is a real, karate-choppin’ Texas Ranger.
It’s a common misconception that we have killer bees, fire ants, gigantic roaches and mosquitoes and other awful insects, tornadoes, hurricanes, and damaging hailstorms. We tend to think of them as a few bitty bugs and a bad hair day.
Leonard Nimoy is gone. The Enterprise science officer’s position stands empty, but to quote the lyrics of the lyrics of the Star Trek theme, “Beyond the rim of starlight, my love is in wandering star flight.” So now NCC-1301 has lost her second in command. And I have said goodbye to a man and his character who influenced me so much as a teenager. Leonard Nimoy, best known as U.S.S. Enterprise’s half-Vulcan first officer passed away yesterday after a long struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
I still remember the first time I saw Star Trek and was entranced. I didn’t know it at the time, but watching that first episode of Star Trek was a life-changing event. Star Trek teased my already space-centric imagination.I wanted to write science fiction. A year later I penned (and I mean with a fountain pen and notebook paper) my first novel, a Star Trek story (with me as the hero who died but saved the Enterprise.)
I was especially drawn to Mr. Spock and his challenging friendship with Dr. McCoy. I had a lot in common with Spock. He was the first cool nerd. (I was a nerd, but in no way cool.) His parents drove him crazy. Mr. Spock taught me it was okay to be different, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. Spock may have been a fictional character, but Nimoy gave him a soul. I felt like he was my friend. All too soon, after only three years the show was cancelled–cancelled but not dead. But like Mr. Spock, dead was only temporary. Ten years later Star Trek, would be revived, again and again. Spock would die, then resurrect.
Star Trek gave me the drive to write, it gave me friends, it gave me the desire to use my imagination to visit the stars.
I met Leonard Nimoy in the early 1980s in University of Texas at Arlington’s Texas Hall at a press conference. A Dallas Times Herald news photographer immortalized the moment in his article about Nimoy’s visit. (For the record, I was dressed in a Wrath of Khan-era Starfleet science uniform meticulously crafted by Peggy Dee.) That was a day to remember. I only wish I could find that newspaper clipping.
Not long after, my friends Bjo and John Trimble arranged for me to meet Gene Roddenberry and tour the set of the Wrath of Khan set. I sat on Kirk’s bridge chair. (Actually the chair had been partially disassembled. I sat on a big square battery instead of the cushion. Gene’s assistant Susan Sackett also took me to the engine room where the faint green blood smudge still remained on the plexiglas wall. The smudge Spock left behind when he told Kirk, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…Live long and prosper.” That was the most powerful moment in the history of Star Trek. The sacrifice, the love of friends. I stood there and looked at the set. It was like I relived Spock’s death again and again. At the time I didn’t know that Spock would return.
One by one, the crew of the Enterprise are leaving us. First Gene, then Dee, Jimmy, Majel and now Leonard. Thank you for all the life lessons I learned. Leonard, you will be missed. The Enterprise will never be the same. Leonard Nimoy left behind a generation of scientists and who wanted to reach the stars because of him.
Live long and prosper, Leonard Nimoy. Or should I say, “Until we meet again.”
In 1984 Dusty poses in her Peggy Dee original regulation Star Fleet uniform.
14 Things Leonard Nimoy Taught Me
It’s okay to be different, but it’s not always easy.
Cats are beautiful creatures
Real friends are for life, even if you don’t always get along
No matter your age or rank, your parents can still embarrass you
Look at situations logically
Emotions can get us in trouble
Always spay your tribble (and your cats)
Stand up for what your believe
Every now and then you need a good cry
Sometimes you meet yourself coming and going
Science is cool
Knowing what other people think isn’t always a good thing
Feel free to sing, even if you can’t carry a tune.
You have to be double jointed to give a Vulcan salute.
Aggression toward people and other pets is a sign your cat is feeling stressed.
IS YOUR CAT STRESSED?
Stress in cats or other animals is the organism’s response to any demand. When faced with a fight-or-flight emergency, the body releases nerve chemicals and hormones that quicken the pulse and respiration, cause the muscles tense, to help the animal face the threat or run away. All of these functions help improve the chance of survival. But these same chemicals released over a prolonged period may lead to health problems. In humans chronic stress can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and other illnesses. It may also lead to suicidal thoughts, or alcohol or drug abuse. Long term stress in cats can suppress the immune system and cause the same health issues, sans suicide and drugs.
Cats don’t make it easy for their humans to help them. As a survival strategy, they hide their anxiety and fears as well as symptoms of illness and injury. Some signs of stress are subtle and difficult to detect. And even when they’re detected, it’s hard to determine whether it’s stress and symptoms of illness. If your kitty’s habits or behavior suddenly changes in any way, take him to the vet to rule out any underlying medical causes.
Urine marking and missing the litter box are both signs of stress in cats and early symptoms of illness. Take your cat to the vet.
Signs of stress in cats include:
Urine marking /Peeing or pooping outside the litter box is the cat’s version of an SOS, the universal code for ‘send help.’ Don’t yell at him or discipline him. That will just add to his stress and exacerbate his fear. Inappropriate elimination is often the first symptom of illness.’
Defensive or redirected aggression towards people or other pets.
Change in appetite (eating more, loss of appetite or not eating at all). Go to the vet now! Both anorexia and overeating could be due to either stress or an underlying medical condition.
Change in grooming habits. (Excessive grooming which may cause bald spots, or under grooming resulting matted or soiled fur.
Isolation. Hiding is common sign of stress or pain. Go to your veterinarian if you notice your cat spending less time with family than usual or no long hangs out with other pets.
Excessive Scratching/furniture scratching.
Change in activity level. Suddenly quiet or lethargic or extreme vigilance with a heightened startle response when he startles at the slightest noise.
Exercise releases serotonin that makes humans and cats happier.
So what does your cat have to be stressed about?
After all he doesn’t have to worry about his dinner or being eaten by predators. He just lies around all day and dines whenever he wants.
Well, you can take the cat out of the wilderness, but you can’t take the wilderness out of the cat. Even inside your home, he’s still worried about falling prey to larger predators and protecting his personal territory. In your cat’s mind, he’s still responsible for his own survival. Cats are creatures of habit. Any change in his life or surroundings generates stress. Despite your safe walls, he’s constantly accessing risk and looking for danger. Any change in his environment could indicate a threat. Also because feline senses are much more sensitive than human, sounds, smells and textures that we find pleasing may be overwhelming to him.
Sources of stress in cats could be:
Litter box issues. Unscooped or dirty litter box, scented litter, a new brand of different litter, a covered box, a different location, laundry room noise or another pet or child interfering with using box.
Food. Switch cat food brand or flavor, not enough bowls, dishes clustered in one area or food dishes located near litter box. Another cat guarding food.
Change in family. Arrival of new baby, pet or spouse, death or divorce or death of another pet, or moving to a new home.
Family conflict. Fighting between family members, child or animal abuse, cat bullied by kids or other pets.
Home remodeling. New carpet, rearranged or new furniture, construction, painting, or home repairs
Loud music or noise.
Not enough territory. No place to hide or elevated spots to escape to.
Stray or wild animals in the yard.
Schedule disruption. New job and work hours, house guests arrive or you leave town.
Illness or injury.
Providing your cats with interesting activities and exercise will go a long way in reducing stress.
Reducing Your Cat’s Stress
Exercise. National Institute of Mental Health recommends that people exercise (just 30 minutes per day) to boost mood and reduce stress. It also recommended scheduling regular times for healthy and relaxing activities. What’s good for you is also good for your kitty. Just two 10-minute bouts a day of Chase the Feather Toy can release serotonin and reduce your cat’s stress.
Make sure there are plenty of resources (food and water bowls, litter boxes, scratching posts and toys) and they are distributed throughout the house rather than one centralized one location. One litter box for each cat (plus one) also set up in several locations.
Provide plenty of territory. hidey holes, elevated shelves, window perches and cat trees and so he can escape unwanted attention from kids or dogs.
Use a Comfort Zone® with Feliway® diffuser. This is a stress-relieving synthetic facial pheromone promotes a feeling of well-being and helps reduce stress-related behaviors such as urine marking, vertical scratching and aggression.
Sentry® Calming Collar for Cats. This is a synthetic pheromone that mimicks pheromones given off by the lactating mother cat and help reduce unwanted stress-related behaviors.
Boredom breeds stress, so create a challenging environment with food puzzles, cat toys, cat grass, high up hang outs, hidey holes, cat videos and window perches with a front row seat to bird feeder action.
Keep changes to a minimum. If you must change his food or litter, do it gradually.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or to provide veterinary treatment for your pet. All information is for educational and support purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian with any questions you may have regarding your cat’s medical condition. If you notice a change in your cat’s health or behavior, take him to the veterinarian to rule out any underlying medical causes.
The new SDMA test for kidney disease in cats can detect kidney failure months, maybe even years earlier than standard blood tests.
Exciting News! There’s a new test for kidney disease in cats and dogs. Last week, IDEXX Laboratories announced the introduction of the symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) that will detect feline and canine kidney loss months, maybe even years earlier than current screening.
The presently used blood panel won’t indicate elevated creatinine (waste products in the blood) levels until the cat has already suffered a 75% kidney function loss. According to IDEXX, the SDMA shows up in blood tests when there is only 25 to 40% kidney loss. IDEXX says the test should be run alongside BUN and creatinine panels and urinalysis.
By the time Balew started showing symptoms, she was already in end-stage kidney failure.
IDEXX plans to include the SDMA test in all routine lab test at no additional cost. IDEXX will begin offering SDMA screening to a small group of vets in March and will fully roll out the test this summer.
An Oregon State University study showed that SDMA identified kidney disease four years earlier in one animal. On average, the research SDMA detected kidney disease with only 40% function loss. In some cases, the animals had only suffered 25 percent of function loss. This will allow vets to discontinue any medications that may not be kidney friendly, switch the pet to a renal diet, increase fluid intake and monitor the kidneys more carefully. Early diagnosis and treatment may slow the progression of the disease.
Take your cat to the vet if you see symptoms of kidney disease
Symptoms of failing kidneys include: weight loss, loss of appetite, increased water consumption, as well increased urination, occasional vomiting, reoccurring bacterial bladder and kidney infections, mouth ulcers, bad breath, constipation, lethargy, and/or a brownish-appearing tongue. If you notice any of these symptoms, take your cat (or dog) to the vet as soon as possible.
Fortunately with the new test vets should be able to catch kidney disease well before the onset of symptoms and before extreme kidney function loss.
Boxes Reduce Feline StressAre you one of the 58% of cat owners who give your cats Christmas or birthday presents? Were you disappointed when Fluffy ignored the wildly expensive cat toy in favor of sitting in the container came in?
It’s no surprise that cats love boxes and sacks. It’s long been suspected that kitties’ magnetic attraction to boxes is because they’re ambush predators. But cats are also prey, and boxes (or other cranny) offer a great place from which to bushwhack dinner and a safe place to get away from larger carnivores. But recently researchers have determined that boxes reduce feline stress.
In a 2014, behavioral biologist Claudia M. Vinke, Ph.D. headed a Dutch study about reducing stress in shelter cats. Vinke’s team gave boxes to some new cats being admitted to a shelter. A control group received no boxes. The study found that cats who received a hiding box recovered faster in a new stressful environment than cats without boxes.
In an email interview, Dr. Vinke said, “As behavioral biologists we are always eager to explain questions from the perspective of the biology of the species.”
She said in a stressful situation a cat’s first reaction is “to withdraw and hide. So quite probably, hiding is a behavioral strategy to cope with environmental, challenges and stressors.”
According to Dr. Vinke, as with many other species, fight is another coping option, but for the cat, fighting is a risky strategy. A cat risks becoming injured during combat. Dr. Vinke says, “The size of box doesn’t matter; it’s perceived as a safe hiding place.”
The study concluded that “the hiding box appears to be important enrichment for the cat to cope effectively with stressors in a new shelter environment the first weeks after arrival.”
Rescuers, shelters and vet offices, please take note: Your best feline enrichment and stress relief tool will be arriving at no charge with your next Amazon order.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday; so as you prepare the snack and ice down the beer, keep in mind Super Bowl Pet Safety. Like any other holiday, it’s a time for family and friends get together to drink, eat and cheer for their team. Unfortunately, many of those same party foods can be dangerous for your pet. Here are a few tips to keep your kitties safe and comfortable during the festivities.
Remember kitties don’t appreciate chaos. Keep your pets away from open doors. While guests are coming and going, your cat or dog may dart outside.
Sequester your cat to a quiet room with his food and water, litter box, some toys a towel or tee shirt with your scent and his favorite toys.
Give your pets water only. Alcohol is toxic to dogs and cats. Even a few ounces of beer can cause ethanol poisoning.
Feed your pets only their food or appropriate treats. Many traditional Super Bowl delicacies contain garlic, onion, salt and avocado which can cause a variety of serious health problems. If you enjoy a bowl of hot wings, dispose of the bones in an outside trash can. Bones can cause intestinal obstructions. Also don’t let guests give your pets chocolate or sodas or anything containing Xylitol.
If you must share in the festivities, let them indulged in some commercial pet treats or some turkey baby food (without garlic) or some low-sodium deli turkey.
Good luck. May the best team win. Keep Super Bowl pet safety in mind and everyone wins (sort of.) As for me, I’ll record the game and watch the commercials. I’m looking forward to watching the Puppy Bowl. Go Dachshunds. Go Kitties.
