Hi,

I sat down the other day and went back through the emails that my readers have been so kind to send to me with photos of their beautiful kitties. Thank you for taking the time to share your stories and send me these great images. I have added many new ones to my facebook page. If we aren’t connected on FB please send me a request here at www.facebook.com/catios and if you are new to the blog please send me more pics at catiodesign@gmail.com…. I love getting emails from my readers! thanks Sam

Hi,

Before I tell  you about the sad situation I just found out about at the University of Michigan I wanted to say THANK YOU!!! to everyone who took the time and sent their catio designs donation to THe Equine Sanctuary. We have raised enough money to pay for Tiny’s feed bill and keep her housed until the rest of the money is available to transport her to the Sanctuary. I can’t say thank you enough to all of you for caring that deeply.

Now on to the UM story. Please read it and take a moment to the the University to stop using animals and putting them through horrible experiments.

From the email:

Tiger’s intake report showed that he was a healthy, friendly cat when he entered a University of Michigan (U-M) laboratory. Five days later, Tiger was dead.

While Tiger’s name before he was taken to the laboratory may never be known, once there he was treated as little more than a label, a cat known as “E8269.” Given his stripes, we’re honoring this handsome cat with a name more befitting him, Tiger.

Like the cats many of us share our homes with, he probably enjoyed being scratched behind the ears and purred when he saw his food dish. But U-M officials certainly didn’t care about Tiger’s likes and dislikes when they tossed him into their intubation training lab—a grim laboratory in which cats had plastic tubes forced down their windpipes—and then killed him.

Please support PETA’s urgent efforts to stop the cycle of abuse and cruelty occurring at the University of Michigan by signing our petition right now.

PETA exposed the abuse of animals in the University of Michigan’s Survival Flight training program. We showed that university officials misled the public when they said that all the cats in their labs—healthy, lovable cats like Tiger—were adopted after they endured hideous procedures in the course. In fact, records show that more than half of the cats used in recent years were quietly killed.

PETA’s exposé and vigorous campaigning caused a public uproar. Unable to ignore our fury, U-M announced that it had ended its use of cats in its laboratories—a wonderful victory for cats!

The cats have been replaced with modern, effective simulators. But U-M plans to continue to harm and kill pigs for other procedures in this training course.

That means that gentle, intelligent pigs will have holes cut in their throats and chests and needles jammed into the tissue surrounding their hearts and will ultimately be killed just as cats like Tiger were.

Thankfully, we care, and I know that you care about animals—cats and pigs—so I’m asking for your help. Please sign the petition to University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman demanding that she put a stop to all animal abuse at U-M—including these experiments on pigs!

We’re building momentum—and our efforts have saved cats from this hideous abuse at U-M. But pigs continue to suffer at U-M, and millions of other animals are suffering right now in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics tests, biology lessons and training exercises, and horrible experiments. Your petition today can help save an animal’s life tomorrow.

I hope I can count on your support today. Together, we will pressure the University of Michigan until it stops subjecting any animal to cruel training exercises.

Thank you in advance for supporting PETA in this urgent campaign. Please sign the petition now!

Very truly yours,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

P.S. PETA is proud that we were able to save other cats from this agony at U-M. But we need to end the entire system of abuse there and at other universities and medical schools nationwide. Sign the petition today to end this abuse!

*** UPDATE:  MOnday 2/20 Thanks to all of the people who donated this weekend you are amazing! We are still working hard to get the funds raised to bring her home this week. Anything you send helps save her life!

I hope this post finds everyone well. I want to thank you for taking the time to read what I am about to share.

The Equine Sanctuary is a non-profit organization located in the tranquil valley of Ojai, California. Documented by National Geographic for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of the equine world, they specialize in the care of injured or mistreated race and polo horses which would go to slaughter for human consumption without the support of organizations like The Equine Sanctuary.)

The Founder/Executive Director, Alexis Ells, opened The Equine Sanctuary in 2001 and has dedicated her life to caring for and rehabilitating these amazing animals who then have the opportunity to become therapy partners for humans in need.

I am fortunate to know Alexis through good friends and I have offered my time to help with a critical fundraising campaign to save a horse which needs our help now.

Tiny Dancer, a beautiful grey thoroughbred mare had fallen on hard times and is in great pain after years of use and abuse. The Equine Sanctuary has stepped in, and has begun to rehabilitate this lovely but malnourished spirit. Great time, energy and money has already gone into her rescue, and she is finally strong enough for transport to her “safe home forever” at The Equine Sanctuary.

At The Equine Sanctuary, she will become a Goodwill Ambassador to the children, veterans and disabled we serve — giving healing even as she heals. But Tiny Dancer needs your help to get across the finish line — they need to cover transport, medications, special feed, supplements and veterinary care as she continues her journey back to health.

Can you help us bring her home?

As many of you know from being on my list, I never send out emails with donation requests. This cause is so close to my own heart which is why I decided to reach out and ask you, my readers for your help.

Since we launched the Designs Guide I have never discounted the product but I am going to now.

Here is how you can help us and what you need to do:

Anyone that reads this email and makes a donation to The Equine Sanctuary will receive a copy of the Catio Designs Guide.

It does not matter whether you send $5000 or $5, any size tax deductible donation helps us to reach our goal.

Step 1: Go here now: http://www.theequinesanctuary.org Click on the DONATE button at the bottom right of the page to go diectly to Paypal.

Step 2: Use your paypal account to donate any amount possible to help raise the money The Equine Sanctuary needs to bring Tiny Dancer home.

Step 3: Go to this Facebook page   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Tiny-Dancer/302114349852111 and click “LIKE. You can also post a note on your Facebook page to let others know about how they can help Tiny Dancer.  Next forward me a copy of your email receipt from Paypal to catiodesign@gmail.com with Tiny Dancer in the subject line.

By liking this page you will help us get the word out quickly to people just like you who care about animals and can help these horses.

Once I have received your paypal receipt I will send you an email with the Catio Designs Guides before the end of the day.

I realize that times are hard for everyone and I thank you for donating whatever funds you can to save the lives of these wonderful horses who then help so many humans to heal.

Please take action now by clicking the link below to go to the paypal donation page.

Thank you!

Sam

Hi,

For those of you who have a canine friend or know someone who does I thought you would find this article interesting
Please pass it along so we can help save our pets lives.

Here is the original link: www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/us-senator-calls-fda-on-the-carpet-with-chinese-jerky-treats.html

Someone in Congress is taking a stance for pet parents with the situation of Chinese imported jerky treats; Senator Sherrod Brown.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (Ohio) has issued the following statement…

February 6, 2012
Tainted Chicken Jerky Treats Are Still on the Shelves of Many Retailers Despite Numerous Reports of Sickened Pets

CLEVELAND, OH— Following an increase in tainted pet treats from China leading to animal deaths and illnesses, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take quick action to protect consumers and pet owners. At a news conference today in Cleveland, Brown was joined by Kevin Thaxton, whose 10 year-old pug, Chancey, passed away unexpectedly after eating chicken jerky pet treats. After Mr. Thaxton’s new five-month old puppy, Penny suffered life-threatening kidney failure after eating the same treats, the Thaxton’s saw an FDA warning connecting the illnesses between the two dogs: tainted chicken jerky pet treats imported from China.

“One of my most important jobs as Senator is fulfilling constituent services—from helping Ohioans cut red tape to assisting with government resources. Candace Thaxton, Kevin’s wife, wrote me a letter describing how their pug, Chancey, died as a result of kidney failure after eating chicken jerky treats that were made in China,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, their story is becoming too familiar—increasing amounts of tainted pet treats imported from China leading to deaths and illnesses in our nation’s pets. We’ve seen the same story play out with the food we eat—where too often we simply don’t know where ingredients come from. It’s critical that FDA also take swift action to protect consumers and pets from these tainted foods.

“Today, I’m calling on the FDA to step up its investigation of the importation of pet food—especially from China, where the possibility of food contamination is high,” Brown added. “Nationwide, approximately 62 percent of U.S. households own a pet. For so many Ohioans, including the many dog owners here today, caring for one is very personal. Families need to know that food and treats they purchase at local retailers are safe for their pets to consume.”

Today, Brown sent a letter to Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, urging the FDA to promptly pursue efforts to find the contaminant in these pet treats and ensure that they are pulled from store shelves. Brown asked the FDA to explain its current procedures for notifying consumers and retailers of pet food safety breaches.

“I urge you to promptly pursue efforts to find the contaminant in these pet foods, alert customers of the dangers of these products, and make sure the products found harmful are pulled from the retail market,” Brown wrote in the letter. “Please explain the FDA’s current procedure for notifying consumers, retailers, and manufacturers of pending investigations into possible pet food safety breaches. Would a consumer who goes to the store to purchase dog treats have any way of knowing that a particular product is under review other than scouring the FDA’s website? How are retailers and manufacturers notified of potential concerns and what action is required on behalf of each party in response?”

Brown was also joined at the Cleveland Animal Protective League by veterinarian Dr. Brian Forsgren, and Karen Minton, the Humane Society of the United States’ Ohio state director, to call on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to step up its investigation of pet food and treats, particularly those imported from countries like China, where the potential for contamination is high.
“The pet food recalls of 2007 exposed serious issues in our pet food supply. At HSUS alone, we received over 6,000 calls to our hotline in a short period of time from panicked pet owners who were concerned about what they were feeding their pets,” said Karen Minton. “While progress has been made, regular recalls of contaminated or unsafe pet food and treats continue, leaving pet owners concerned about which products they can trust. We commend Senator Brown for continuing to push this important issue to protect pets.”

Candace Thaxton wrote to Brown after her pug, Chancey, died as a result of kidney failure after eating chicken jerky treats that were made in China. Following the death of the Thaxton’s pug, the couple received a new puppy, Penny, from friends—and, not knowing that it was the chicken jerky treats that had sickened Chancey—fed the same treats to Penny. A Brooklyn Heights woman, Terry Safranek, lost her 9-year-old fox terrier, Samson, in late January. Only after seeing a story on the evening news did she realize that her dog’s death was likely due to his consumption of the same tainted chicken jerky treats.

Brown has been a strong advocate in the Senate for food safety, and was instrumental in passing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010. As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, he passed legislation to give the FDA new authority to recall dangerous foods, improve the safety of imported products, and establish a comprehensive traceability system to quickly and accurately trace the source of tainted food in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak.

The full letter to the FDA is below.

The Honorable Margaret H. Hamburg, M.D.
Commissioner
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993
Dear Commissioner Hamburg:

It has come to my attention that certain pet treats may be unfit for pets to consume. Some pet owners in my home state of Ohio have reported that certain chicken jerky treats, particularly those made in China, have caused their dogs to suffer from symptoms such as decreased appetite and activity, vomiting, renal failure, and in some cases, death.

I understand that the FDA is examining complaints from consumers and veterinarians and is working to determine the contaminant in these treats. To date, the FDA has not identified a contaminant and therefore they remain on the shelves of grocery markets and pet stores across the country. The concern over pet food contamination is not without basis. In recent years there have been sizable recalls of foreign-made pet food products due to contaminants including salmonella and melamine.

I urge you to promptly pursue efforts to find the contaminant in these pet foods, alert customers of the dangers of these products, and make sure the products found harmful are pulled from the retail market.

Additionally, in your response, please explain the FDA’s current procedure for notifying consumers, retailers, and manufacturers of pending investigations into possible pet food safety breaches. Would a consumer who goes to the store to purchase dog treats have any way of knowing that a particular product is under review other than scouring the FDA’s website? How are retailers and manufacturers notified of potential concerns and what action is required on behalf of each party in response?

Thank you for all your efforts to protect public health and the safety of our nation’s pets. I look forward to your swift actions and response.

Please do the same as the Thaxton family. Call or email the office of your Representatives in Congress and ask them to take the same action as Senator Sherrod Brown. No more pets should die due to these imported jerky treats.
Big THANKS to Mollie Morrisette for sending this information!

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
PetsumerReport.com

I know most people don’t think that their cat has a voice but we often know exactly what our cats are saying to us just by looking at them. My cats look at me a certain way when they know they are going to be fed and another way when its time to play.

Does you cat look at your when it’s a warm, sunny beautiful day and it so wants to go outside and play but you can’t let it outside because it’s just not safe. If your cat could talk they would say I want a catio.

Start Building Yours Today!

Here are some beautiful photos my readers sent in of their kitties.. Thank you all for sharing and please send me more to include on the site!

Scooter

Nina

Max

Calvin

Dot

Mr. Snudley

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated… I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man”
– Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)

Mom and kids beat kittens with baseball bat

At 8 weeks old, a small black and white kitten named Dexter is lucky to be alive after his owner and her two young sons took him to a neighborhood park and beat him and another kitten with an aluminum bat. Dexter is clinging to life, but his brother died as a result of his injuries.

Four children at a park in Brooksville, Florida watched in horror last Friday evening when they saw 24-year-old Wilana Joenel Frazier and her two sons — one 8 years old and the other 5 — torture the two small kittens.

Demand justice for the tortured kittens.

Frazier hit the kittens with a baseball bat and encouraged her children to kick the animals and throw them against a tree. Then they placed the kittens on a swing. When one of the animals died, the boys put him in a trash can and covered him with water.

By the time Linda Christian, a Hernando County Animal Services officer, arrived on the scene little Dexter had been rescued and wrapped in a white T-shirt by one of the boys who witnessed the event. Blood was running from the kitten’s nose and mouth. Soon he began to have seizures from the trauma to his brain.

When Christian touched the kitten, he began to convulse. Christian told the St. Petersburg Times, “I thought I was going to lose him at that point. It was very upsetting.”

Christian rushed Dexter to the Pet Luv Nonprofit Spay and Neuter Clinic and miraculously the small ball of fur has survived the first few critical days. Employees at the clinic care for him during the day and a veterinary technician has been taking him home each night.

Dexter is able to keep his medication down, is eating from a feeding tube and has started to walk a little on his own. But veterinarians are still very concerned about potential damage to Dexter’s brain and are not sure if he will ultimately succumb to his injuries.

Rick Silvani, president of Pet Luv said, “All animals have a right to life, but a helpless, defenseless kitten… You don’t know what to say. It’s just incomprehensible.” The group has agreed to cover the costs of Dexter’s medical care.

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office questioned Frazier, but she denied being involved and said her children were not part of the beating either. However authorities charged Frazier on two counts of cruelty to animals and two charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She is out of jail on $3,500 bail.

From Update: Kittens Beaten By Woman And Her Kids by Sharon Seltzer

*Pet Luv has a donation site and FB page updates.. several times a day on Dexter’s conditionhttp://www.petluv.org/Contactus.html
———
Florida’s Felony Animal Abuse Law is new and needs a precedent set that will deter anyone from this type of behavior! Let’s make sure that Dexter the kitten gets the justice that he deserves!

You can sign the petition directly here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/help-prosecute-kitty-killer/
You can also sign below in the widget.

Thanks so much!!
Samantha

** A quick note: our catio designs reader photo gallery is back! Please upload your cat’s pictures to the right and share your great cat photos with everyone! When you upload a photo send me a copy/ note to catiodesign@gmail.com and I’ll add them to the Facebook Gallery as well!!

A few hours earlier this evening I was reading emails and catching up on the work I’ve missed. One email that stood out was from Susan Thixton a lady I really like who fights for our pets health and happiness. As I read her blog post and then watched the video on the page I realized that the experience I had very recently was something I wanted to share with my readers. Before I start the story I want to say a few things. First for those of you whose lives have been touched by cancer this post and the video I am going to share with you may be very emotional for you. The video is roughly 2 hours long and although most of you won’t be able to make the time to watch the whole video, please try your best to see as much of it as you can. I can only say that what I learned from the film has forever changed how I see the FDA and the National Cancer Institute.

About a month ago I started having a very bad pain in my right side. After spending a few days in bed in agony thinking I had the worst flu of my life my wonderful boyfriend rushed me to the ER. He knew I was much more sick than I was really letting on and thank god he did. I spent a day in the ICU and was diagnosed with a very serious kidney infection and then I contracted pneumonia. I stayed in the hospital for almost a week and in that time I realized how close I came to not making it out. I’ve had alot of time to reflect of what happened. My treatments, the medication, the doctors inability to communicate effectively and much more has run through my head a million times since I was released. I could go on for hours about my personal take on the health care system and what I think we are doing wrong but that is not what this post is about. What I want to say is thank you. Thank you to everyone who has purchased the Catio Designs Guide and to those of you who took the time to share your email address with me. I walked away from a very very scary life threatening situation and with it have found an even deeper appreciation for the great things I have in my life. I’m sure you are wondering how the beginning of this email ties into this so let me explain. Before this health scare I had never been in a hospital. Never sick, no broken bones…nothing to treat. Spending five days in pain and misery like that has given me a much greater sense of compassion and empathy for people struggling with sickness. When I clicked on the link in Susan’s email tonight I really was not prepared for the things I learned. I cried through much of the video and when it was done I knew I had to share this information. I’m sure there are people who will receive this email and not take the time to watch the video PLEASE this information could change not only your life but the lives of people you know facing a battle with cancer. If you carve out the time and go into it with an open mind allowing yourself to really listen and absorb what they are sharing I promise you it will not be time wasted.

Here is the link to view Susan’s site: http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/this-is-what-we-are-up-against.html

Again thank you all for being a part of this great community of pet lovers! I appreciate you all and I sincerely hope that this video gets passed on through facebook and whatever means you have to help others learn about what choices they have.

UPDATE *** (EXTENDED FOR FREE UNTIL JUNE 20, 2011) They may be taking it down and only selling the DVD’s to raise money for the institute. Watch it free while it’s up.

Samantha

It’s that time of year when we finally get to enjoy the longer sunny and warm days of spring and soon summer!! People are the first to catch Spring Fever but don’t forget that our favorite felines often feel the same things we do. Imagine how they must feel spending their days longingly looking out the window or making a dash for the door when you come home to try and grab a little piece of sunshine. I know that for many of my readers building a catio is just not possible so there are other options to explore like leashes, smaller portable cat enclosures or window verandas. For those of you that have been contemplating building a catio but  may be stuck on the getting started part let me share a conversation I had with one of my readers that I think will inspire you:

First off, I LOVE your idea. I have had cats all my life and have never seen these before, it’s so great!! I am moving out of the city and into the suburbs and would love to give my cats the outdoor Catio experience they have been missing. However, I’m a little concerned about how the Catio attaches to the house… Do you have to nail it into the siding? Otherwise, how does it keep from falling over when they jump around on it? I appreciate any help you can give!

Regards,

Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks so much for taking the time to email me and for sending over the photos of the kitties they are adorable! I’ll be posting them to the blog and to the FB catio designs gallery here www.facebook.com/catio. As for your concerns with the stability of the catio I understand what you are asking and will do my best to explain.

With the attached models the concept is for the 4th wall of the catio to run parallel to the house. The post holes stabilize the structure and are placed as close as possible
to the foundation of the home so when you pour the concrete and sink the poles they create the stability for the catio walls. The entire catio structure then gets built around
the postholes/beams supports.

On this page http://catiodesigns.com/sales.php?r…. take a look at MODEL 2 THE RITZ CATIO here we have 4 post holes under each of the beams running perpendicular to the
ground. The next 4 post form the opposite side of the catio structure. Once these holes have been poured with the concrete and the beams set they are impossible to move.

As for attaching the catio to the house. We measured taking into consideration the depth of most standard foundations and made a suggestion as to where/how to measure
and place the post holes so they are as close as possible to the side of the home. The catio should line up without much space between the beams/siding of the catio structure and the home.

If there were to be a large enough space due to foundation issues the option would be to finish off the 4th wall( one next to the house) of the catio and screen it in as you did the others. I hope this answers your questions, feel free to email me if you want to know anything else!

thanks
sam

Thanks a lot, Sam. This is very informative. Unfortunately we’re not going to be able to pour concrete, as we are only renting the house. Have you any alternative solutions that aren’t as permanent? I was thinking of building diagonal supporting beams that go from the top of the structure diagonally downward and connect to a piece of wood stemming from the base, forming a triangle outwards. I thought if I did this on the three sides, it should be able to protect the structure from falling over. Have you heard of anyone else in a similar situation doing something like this?

Thanks,

Tom
Hi Tom,

I haven’t heard of anyone doing that but it sounds like it would be a good possibility. I’m thinking that you could do something like this:

If you envision the window catio built without the concrete footer and picture it up against the house. If you were standing a few feet out from the house looking at the catio you could take 2 long pieces of wood and create a diagonal support beam one end connected to the top on the left and the right and the other two ends sunk into planters. I’m thinking that those older whiskey barrel planters ( see attached image) could provide the support at that end. Placing the end of the beam into the soil and up against the side of the barrel would be more than enough to keep the catio from tipping as the kitties played inside.

The benefit of using a planter is it would be more visually appealing. Flowers in the spring/summer, and in the winter they would probably be covered with snow.. but still pretty.
There are other options like the one you suggested just thought this might be a nice way to spruce up the area for the cats:)

Thanks
Sam

I know most people don’t think that their cat has a voice but we often know exactly what our cats are saying to us just by looking at them. My cats look at me a certain way when they know they are going to be fed and another way when its time to play.

Does you cat look at your when it’s a warm, sunny beautiful day and it so wants to go outside and play but you can’t let it outside because it’s just not safe. If your cat could talk they would say I want a catio.

Start Building Yours Today!

Here are some beautiful photos my readers sent in of their kitties.. Thank you all for sharing and please send me more to include on the site!

Scooter

Nina

Max

Calvin

Dot

Mr. Snudley