Saturday Adopt-a-Caturday

Rocky: I've made an executive decision. On Saturdays, Jodi from the Rescue Farm spends the day at PetSmart to find furever homes for kitties and woofies she rescues. Here are my human artist and Jodi at PetSmart:To help the Rescue Farm with their wonderful work, I've hereby proclaimed that Saturdays on my blog will be "Adopt-a-Caturday" and will feature Rescue Farm kitties looking for a home. May I present our first featured kitty ....

Misti

Misti is a beautiful 6-month-old girl kitty who was abandoned when her humans moved away and left her alone in the house. She was so lonely and hungry when Jodi rescued her! But she's so happy now that she loves to snuggle and purrrr and play. Sweet Misti is a perfect kitty who loves other cats, kids and even woofies!

She has been spayed, vaccinated, wormed, flea-treated and is negative for Felv/FIV, and her adoption fee is $60. If you, or someone you know, would like to give Misti a furever home, just email Jodi at the Rescue Farm!

To read about the Rescue Farm's wonderful work, check my previous posts:

Important Announcements

Only Three More Days

Seeing-Eye COW!

Wacky/Why Wednesday

P.S. Please find a home for Misti before my human artist brings her home and violates my "No More Staff" edict!!

13 Christmas Miracles

Here are Thirteen Christmas Miracles we're purraying for:

1) All neglected, abused, and abandoned pets and children will find loving furever homes and there will never be another mistreated animal or child.

2) All nations will heed the wise words of Mahatma Ghandi: "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it treats its animals."

3) All humans will love and support each other the way all Cat Blogosphere kitties and their families love and support each other ... a sure way to bring "Peace on Earth"!

4) Together we will raise enough money for Cat Friends Helping Friends at the Cat Blogosphere to help every kitty through any emergency they might have.

5) We will also help raise enough money for the Rescue Farm to become the "Best Friends" of the midwest so they can help many, many more animals in need.

6) A cure for cancer will be found. Cancer touches all our lives: one in three humans in America alone will die of cancer, and more than one-third of all cats will die of cancer ... and these numbers are increasing.

7) Our troops will come home safely, and there will never be another war to put them in danger.

8) Peace and love will become more important than war and hate.

9) No one in the world will ever again have to do without the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter, affordable medical care, freedom from fear, and loving families and friends.

10) "Love one another" will be not just words on a page, but will become a way of life.

11) "Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me" will be not just song lyrics but a promise.

12) The spirit of Christmas will remain in all our hearts every day forever: "Christmas is not a date ... it is a state of mind."

13) All our blogging friends, and everyone else on Earth, will enjoy long, happy, healthy and fulfilling lives!

Tuckered Out Tuesday

Rocky: Yawwwnn ... It's only Tuesday, and we're already totally tuckered out over here. My human artist has worn me completely out ... going to the Rescue Farm with feral cats, going to the post office, going & coming, coming & going. All that door slamming is keeping me awake, so I've taken up residence on her coat to put the kibosh on that! I'm delegating to my staff the rest of the day ...

Fracas: Ahhhh .... Huh? What? Hee hee? Somebody talking to me or am I still dreaming? Oh, it's you, boss. Hey, Rocky, just because you're the CEO, it doesn't give you the right to interrupt my much-needed break. So shut up already, before I report you to the Department of CatLabor!

Callie: That's right, Mr. Bigpants CEO! Your Catministrative Assistant is curling up here on her desk, so you got a letter you want me to take? Well, you know where you can take it! Bring you a cup of nip? Nope!

Lucy: Oh poo on all of you! A spokesmodel must have her beauty sleep, so puhleeese be quiet, will you?!

Wacky & Why Wednesday

Thanksgiving-Christmas fundraiser

for Cat Friends Helping Friends at the Cat Blogosphere

and the Rescue Farm
STARTS TOMORROW NIGHT!

Rocky here: I took our blog back from my human artist because she's totally WACKED out, racing around here so fast it makes my head spin! I'm going to tell you more about WHY we chose to help the Rescue Farm and show you some more of their photos ... while my artist cooks noodles & turkey & dressing & more food than even I could eat, takes pictures of our fundraiser products, creates more products, and drives an hour away to pick up the latest ferals she rescued after their hoohaectomies, then drives them to the Rescue Farm ... hey, don't forget to feed me!!

I had to put down my paw about these ferals; I could see from the look in my human's eyes that she wanted to hire them as staff, so I had to remind her of my corporate edict: No more staff! This is the mama of the last two litters of ferals my silly human rescued, and her last two kittens. No more staff from this mama feral! Here they are at the vet, terrified of humans. (Can't blame them.) But once they escape their police trap prison and see their new home on the 40-acre Rescue Farm and meet their new mom & dad Jodi and Matt, these kitties will be happy campers!
The fact that the Rescue Farm helps us take care of feral kitties in our city is only one of the reasons we want to help them. The fact that they give a good home to cats and dogs that are sick or injured or special-needs is another reason. That they've found loving homes so far this year for more than 700 cats & dogs is another. But a big reason is that they NEED help!

Jodi told my mom, "We all know people don't go into animal rescue for the money. We're a 501(c)(3) non-profit so donations are tax deductible, but not having "humane society" or "animal shelter" in our name makes it hard to get donations. Nearly all our income is from adoption fees. Money is always tight."

Each cat they rescue is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, wormed, flea-treated and tested for Felv/HIV -- costing $60. Their cat adoption fee is $60. And this doesn't include food, shelter, medications or surgeries.

Jodi says, "We love cats, and there are so many cats euthanized just because there isn't enough room for them in shelters. We'll never stop rescuing kitties, but we can't possibly recoup the money we spend on their care. We rely on dog adoptions to help pay for cat rescue." Each dog costs $100-$200 to prepare for adoption, and their dog adoption fees are $150-$400, which doesn't cover heartworm treatments or vet care for malnourished, ill, or dogs hit by cars, which Jodi sadly says is "thousands upon thousands."

Last year Jodi & Matt spent $120,000 to operate the Rescue Farm. They brought in $104,000. "Didn't quite make it," Jodi said.

But in spite of their financial struggles, I saw Jodi's face light up as she explained, "Don't get me wrong - we love doing rescue; it's something we'll never give up without a fight. Spending each day helping those who give unconditional love is the most amazing feeling in the world. Working with animals who, on their own, would never have survived, is an incredible gift! We try to make life for our babies "like home" here, but our goal is to find dedicated, compassionate adopters to give our animals a true home so we can bring in more whose 'clocks are ticking'."

I saw Jodi shake her head and lament,"You know, we, as a society, live in a throw-away world. We buy something, then when a newer one comes out, we toss the old and buy the new. We do this with computers and cell phones. We do this with cars and furniture and clothes. Why are we doing this with our pets? What kind of people would do this to their pets?"

And that's why I'm so glad my human artists are helping the Rescue Farm ... and why so many of you, my blogging friends, are joining us in helping them. I mean, it's "There but for the grace of God go I." If my mom hadn't rescued all of us when we were tossed out, I wouldn't be here today and neither would my staff. ... Hmm ... maybe I should rethink that "No more staff" policy ....

Update 8:30 p.m. ....

My human artist just got back from taking the fixed ferals (Fixed? They ain't broke!) to their new home at the Rescue Farm ... and she smells like a barnyard! I'm sitting here waiting for my dinner, and she was out there giving treats to the blind horse Jeremiah, and his seeing eye cow Two Percent. Just look at her making that silly awwwww face and feeding those things treats bigger than my head!!

And if that's not bad enough, this Rescue Farm resident, Alice, got in my human artist's Jeep and tried to come back to Artsy Catsy! I saaaid .... "NO MORE STAFF!!"

Two Percent Tuesday

Only 2 more days to the Artsy Catsy

Thanksgiving-Christmas fundraiser

for

Cat Friends Helping Friends at the Cat Blogosphere

and the Rescue Farm!

Today I'm going to let Jodi tell you in her own words how Jeremiah the horse, and his seeing eye cow, whose name is Two Percent, came to live with Jodi and Matt at the Rescue Farm ....

"In 2001, we heard about a rancher whose wonderful horse, Jeremiah, his companion and riding pal for 9 years, had gone blind from a vaccine reaction. The rancher said he wasn’t going to spend money for 20 more years on a horse that couldn’t “do anything in return.” So, of course, we took Jeremiah.

We doted on him, but he just seemed lonely. We thought it was our lucky day when the police called and asked if we could take a stray horse they found near the highway. She was skin and bone! We named her Lurlene and she and Jeremiah hit it right off. After 3 weeks of vet care, she was a different horse; she was playful and filling out nicely and so happy to be loved! But I woke up one day and went outside to find Lurlene, and a colt, lying dead beside Jeremiah. The vet said she’d been so ill and thin a month earlier, she’d probably already lost the colt, so with no heartbeat they didn’t discover she was pregnant.

The day we found her was Christmas Eve, and Matt & I were so devastated we stayed in like hermits for the whole holiday.

Jeremiah wasn’t himself after losing Lurlene, so we started looking for another horse that needed to be loved. Then came Cody, an 8-month-old male horse who was born with a twisted backbone, and his owners were ready to send him to “sale” (aka slaughter for meat.) We brought Cody to the Rescue Farm and fell in LOVE with him! He was so sweet and loved his treats and basking in the sun.

Because of his defective spine, sometimes he couldn’t get up from lying in the sun and Matt & I would have to get him back on his feet – it often took us hours. After a year, he started having more and more trouble until we were pulling him up every day. One day we tried for hours and hours, but Cody was just done fighting and he passed on. How we mourned our sweet Cody.

We tried and tried to find another special-needs horse, with no luck, and Jeremiah was so lonely. Then in late 2003 our vet called to tell us her neighbor had two newborn calves who needed to be bottle fed because their mother died giving birth. We brought one of them home and named her Two Percent because that was her milk choice.

Two Percent has grown up with Jeremiah and she doesn’t know she’s a cow – she thinks she’s a horse! He immediately fell in love with Two Percent, and she quickly started serving as his “seeing eye cow”! She leads Jeremiah wherever he wants to go, and if Two Percent is led away from him, Jeremiah just panics.

Ironically, we discovered that Two Percent is a hermaphrodite. That means she can’t give milk and can’t have offspring. Hermaphrodite cows, in ranchers’ eyes, can’t “do anything in return” and are killed. If they could see Two Percent with Jeremiah, they would realize what a precious gift she is giving in return for just being loved! And Matt & I have been blessed with two of the greatest big pets anyone could have!"

Only 3 more days to the Artsy Catsy

Thanksgiving-Christmas fundraiser

for

Cat Friends Helping Friends at the Cat Blogosphere

and the Rescue Farm!

Today, I want to tell you a bit more about the Rescue Farm and I think you'll understand why we at Artsy Catsy want to help them continue their work. Much of their rescue effort is directed at saving animals from shelters who are destined to be euthanized; many of them are sick or injured and considered not adoptable. Jodi and Matt's philosophy at the Rescue Farm is every animal is adoptable and deserves to live. If they're unable to find a home for a dog or cat, they keep it themselves and give it a loving home at the Rescue Farm.

Here are a few heartbreaking stories that, thanks to the Rescue Farm, had happy endings:

Kiefer ...
Kiefer is one of more than dozen cats with chlamydia that the Rescue Farm has saved from euthanization at "humane" shelters. Jodi explains, "In cats, this condition causes the eyeball to rupture and is common in cats who end up in shelters and have received no vaccinations. It isn't uncommon for us to have enucleation (removal of eyeballs) performed on kittens from shelters."

Tommy ...

Tommy was only 4 months old when he was brought to a shelter as a stray. The shelter was going to put him down because he was born blind and no one would adopt him. But Matt and Jodi took Tommy from the shelter and found him a home with a child bound to a wheelchair. Jodi says, "They're the best of friends!"

Norton ...

The police brought Norton to the Rescue Farm after he was beaten with a hammer and left to die. After dozens of veterinary visits and an eyeball removal, Norton was adopted and now has a loving home in Carmel, Indiana.


Herbie ...
Herbie was shot by someone, and then nearly euthanized at a shelter. But Matt and Jodi saved him at the last minute and got him the surgery he needed to survive.


Not all the animals at the Rescue Farm came there under such tragic circumstances ... but the fact that Matt and Jodi focus their efforts on such special-needs animals makes them, in my eyes, deserving of all the help they can get! You can see their perfectly healthy cats and dogs up for adoption on the Rescue Farm web site, at their PetFinder site, and at area PetSmart stores ... lots of sweeties like this one:

PiazzaPiazza was dumped at PetSmart one day, but Jodi says, "We couldn't bear the thought of her going to a traditional shelter. She's super cuddly and is great with other cats. She is about 1 year old and has been spayed, vaccinated, wormed, flea-treated and is Felv/FIV negative. She's a stunning little girl with lots & lots of love to share!" (If anykitty out there would like a little sister, just email Jodi. Piazza's adoption fee is $60)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS!

From Sharolyn: Rocky has relinquished our blog to me for the next week so I can announce some exciting activities here at Artsy Catsy. We've been very busy organizing new programs, creating new products … and capturing and finding refuge for the mama of the four feral kittens (here, here and here) we most recently rescued, along with two more of her kits.

Artsy Catsy’s mission is to help raise funds for kitties in need by offering artistic creations by cat lover for cat lovers. We’re pleased to announce two new ways to get those funds into the paws of the cats who most need them:

Cat Friends Helping Friends

We've been working with Robyn at the Cat Blogosphere, and we're excited to announce that, as of today, Artsy Catsy will donate 10% of all sales from our blog to Cat Friends Helping Friends to help blogging cats and families in need!

We hope that over time, as we launch our web site and expand Artsy Catsy, this will evolve into a substantial ongoing donation!

The Rescue Farm

As you know, Rocky has forbidden me from hiring any more cat staff members, so it's been a constant battle to find homes for the cats and kittens that we rescue here at Artsy Catsy. A few months ago I discovered the Rescue Farm, a non-profit no-kill rescue working to end euthanasia of adoptable animals. It's an unbelievably lovely organization run by a couple, Jodi (a former v.e.t. tech) and her husband Matt, who have dedicated their lives to becoming the "Best Friends" of the midwest. I've posted a few photos here, with lots more to come.

Artsy Catsy will donate an additional 10% of our proceeds to help the Rescue Farm with their important work.

Although they don't usually accept animals from the general public, Matt and Jodi gave the feral kittens we recently rescued a loving home on their 40-acre Rescue Farm. And this week they'll be welcoming with open arms the very feral mama of those four kittens, along with two more from her last litter. The Rescue Farm works diligently to arrange adoptions for their rescues, but in the case of ferals, they spay/neuter, give them vet care, and provide them with a loving home on their farm. From January through October of this year alone, Jodi and Matt have found loving homes for more than 650 cats and dogs.

I knew the Rescue Farm was a very special place when I met the blind horse they rescued and its rescued seeing-eye cow! I'll be telling you this special story this week, as I post lots of pictures and information so you can get to know the wonderful people at the Rescue Farm and meet some of their rescued animals. And every Friday we'll be featuring one of their kitties who needs a home!

Exciting New Products for Cat Lovers!

The biggest shopping day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday" ) is almost upon us. To quickly start raising funds for the Rescue Farm and the Cat Blogosphere -- and to help you shop for Christmas without getting crushed in mall stampedes -- starting Thanksgiving evening, we're going to feature some great new gifts and Christmas items for all you cat lovers and the cats you love!

So try to visit us lots this next week, even though it's going to be a busy one for all of us! And please accept my apology for so blatantly inviting you to shop, but we'll use one-fifth of everything you spend to help your kitties and friends!