cats

By Lindsay Pollard-Post

The arrival of Hurricane Alex and Tropical Storm Bonnie is just the beginning of what experts have predicted will be one of the most active hurricane seasons on record. Up to 23 named tropical storms and hurricanes are predicted, and emergency planners are concerned that a storm surge could carry oil from the Gulf spill inland. We can’t control the weather, but we can help our loved ones weather this year’s hurricane season safely by making emergency plans now to protect all the members of our families, including our animals.

As the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti and the tragic Gulf oil spill have shown, animals aren’t any better equipped to survive disasters than humans are. Cats and dogs can’t phone for help, row a boat or open a can of food, and emergency shelters for humans often refuse to accept animals. People who leave their animals behind during an evacuation often learn the hard way that even if their homes haven’t been damaged, downed power lines or impassable roads may prevent them from returning home for weeks, leaving their animals stranded without food or water. Click to continue »

editor’s note: Since we’re on a mini-vaca (not publishing InCity Times this week), we’re running the Worcester Animal Rescue League’s Pet Pals - kitties and doggies who need loving FOREVER homes - on our website. Please visit WARL and check out all these lovely animals. Remember: always rescue a homeless pet! You don’t need to buy a dog or cat from a breeder or (heaven help you) a pet store (puppy mill animals). If you can’t adopt, then volunteer to walk WARL’s dogs or help feed their cats.

P.S. WARL always needs: kitty litter, laundry detergent, bleach and any gently used towels or comforters you may not be using.

R. Tirella

Hi, I’m Oreo. I’m a chubby cat, weighing in at 24 pounds. They say I need a little exercise and a strict diet. I just think that I have more for you to love. I might look a little silly right now because they had to shave some matted hair on my back. When it grows back I’ll be super handsome. My front paws are declawed. If you want to adopt me I should let you know that I would prefer an adult home. I am over 9 years old, which qualifies me for WARL’s “Senior for Senior” program, meaning if a senior citizen adopts any pet over 7 years old, the adoption fee is completely waived. Think it over, you know where to find me. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Music. I came to the shelter with my kittens. Someone found us and brought us to the animal shelter. I was happy to be safe with a roof over my head. My kittens have all new homes now. I just need a home to call my own too. Could it be with you. Oh, I will live with kids if they are respectable of me and I’m not that crazy about dogs either. I hope I don’t sound to picky. Come to the shelter and meet me. Click to continue »

By Dan Paden

If you care about animals, you should never buy one from a pet store. That may seem counterintuitive, but PETA’s undercover investigations have demonstrated time and again that pet shops and the companies that supply them treat animals like disposable objects. No thought is given to the fact that they are living beings.

PETA’s latest case proves this point.

Imagine a worker putting hamsters into a plastic bag and bashing them against a table in a crude attempt to kill them. One hamster languishes—panting heavily and suffering—for several minutes.

Unsalable animals are gassed in a filth-encrusted glass tank. Hamsters are killed when careless employees crush their necks between shipping boxes and box lids. Click to continue »

By Paula Moore

Old Man Winter is here—and he’s packing a punch. The wintry weather has snarled traffic, forced airlines to cancel flights, burst water mains and shut down schools and businesses. You’d better bundle up: According to the National Weather Service, 47 states currently have snow on the ground, and meteorologists warn that more arctic air is on the way.

The frightful weather might have you shivering, but unless you want to look as cold as you feel, don’t reach for a fur to keep you warm. As fashion guru Tim Gunn of Project Runway fame puts it, “Wearing fur is like wearing a big sign reading, ‘I’m in favor of inflicting cruelty and pain on animals as a fashion statement.’” Surely the frigid temperatures haven’t left you that frosty. Click to continue »

Wishing all the homeless dog and cats, puppies and kittens, (as well as mice, ferrets, gerbils) of Worcester County have loving homes for the holidays?

Then check out tomorrow’s (SUNDAY, DEC. 6) open house at the Worcester Animal Rescue League on Holden Street (Worcester)! From 1 p.m to 4 p.m. Dec. 6  WARL staffers and volunteers will treat you to holiday yummies, music, tours of the kennels and facility and more! Best of all you can visit with all their animals - and hopefully adopt one or two. I visit WARL all the time - adopted both my dogs from WARL. Click to continue »

By Paula Moore

I recently read a heartbreaking story about a cat named Hadley who had been deliberately set on fire. Hadley suffered painful third-degree burns on his face, ears, neck, back and legs. A photo in a Michigan newspaper shows Hadley’s blackened ears, which vets say will probably fall off because they are so badly burned. The orange-and-white tabby is also missing half his whiskers, and much of his fur will likely never grow back. After the attack, Hadley’s distraught guardians found him crouched in fear outside their home.

Bad things happen to cats who are left to wander outside on their own. While many people mistakenly believe that their cats “need” to go outside to be happy, if you want your feline friend to live a long, healthy life, the best thing you can do is keep her safely inside with you. Click to continue »