If you ever see a cat outside that is missing the tip of one of their ears (see photo), that means this cat is feral and fixed.  A great fact to know if you are worried the outdoor cat is lost or in need of your help.

You can read about my take on the best solution for feral cats here, but in a nutshell, it’s best to TNR (trap-neuter-release) these amazing animals NOT kill them (and tip their ear so others know kitty has already been fixed!).

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that cat and her amazing memes that circulate the internet on a regular basis.  I find her angry face absolutely adorable, and really, who doesn’t?  No, my problem is not with Ms. Tardar Sauce herself or her adorable memes, since those are perfectly harmless to the cat.  My problem is that her owners even brought her to South by Southwest to exploit her and essentially put her through cat hell.

See, the vast majority of cats are not fans of change.  In fact, they hate it.  When you adopt a cat from a shelter, the counselor will go over with you all the steps necessary to acclimate your new cat to your home, which can take weeks to work.  And if you have moved with a cat, you can also attest that most do not handle that experience well and become extremely stressed out. 

So bringing Tardar to a national conference, located in a giant expo hall packed with thousands of people, with literally thousands of those people taking photos of her/with her each day, and with dozens of celebrities handling her for photos, I can guarantee you this poor cat is stressing out.  And you know she is not doing well or being well cared for due to the report that she urinated on a “celebrity” holding her.  That fact alone tells me she does not have adequate access to a litter box at her “photo booth” each day and probably does not have ample water or food available during her photo times either.

So while I love Grumpy Cat in all her inbred glory, I do not love that her owners sold out to bring her to South by Southwest and put this poor cat through hell.  Shame on them.

If you are worried about your children’s safety, please keep in mind that a cats give off very distinct body language that you and your family should learn.  If your cat does not want to be picked up or petted anymore, you can tell!  The more the tail is moving, the more agitated the cat and therefore the cat should be left alone.  Also, if a cat’s ears are back and/or eyes are dilated (but you are in a well lit area), the cat is on high alert and likely will be easily startled.  And this point is rather obvious, but your children may not realize it:  if the cat is hiding leave him alone!  He wants to be alone and will not be happy if disturbed.  So teach your children to look for these signs before they approach your cat(s).  That way, no scratching or biting will occur!

Side Note:  Another topic to discuss with children (and visitors) is that most cats do not like to be held or picked up.  They do not like to feel confined and therefore will struggle if handled.  So make sure everyone understands not to pick up or hold down your cat!

An almost fool-proof way to interact with a dog without an incident is to read and respect their body language.  Check out this great chart, share it with everyone you know and definitely make sure your children understand it… also make sure to teach your children to NEVER approach a dog without asking permission from the owner first.

As you have most likely heard, there have been several cases across the globe lately of horse meat being found in items that were advertised as being cow meat aka beef.  What I find fascinating by this entire “scandal” is that people are upset.  Why are they so upset?  Is it because the meat was falsely advertised and it turns out there is a big different between the two… for example something along the lines of horse meat has less nutrition than cow meat?  (I have no clue if that’s true, just making guesses here).

My guess for this outrage is because horses are valued more than cows in American and some parts of Europe:  “horses are nice/pretty/my friend so why on earth would one eat a horse?!  But cows?  No, those are dumb, ugly mammals so it’s okay to eat them. “  This mentality will always amaze me – that people can choose to love and respect some animals but kill and eat others.  And it has nothing to do with the animal’s intelligence, appearance, etc. 

Some cultures will eat animals that other cultures value and would never dream of eating.  Americans eat beef at alarming levels, while Indians would never even consider eating a cow.  Some cultures have no problems eating dogs, but in America that is considered horrendous.  So what is the difference?  Honestly, I am asking in earnest here.  As a vegetarian, I will not eat any animals.  Personally, I view it as a form of cannibalism since I respect all lives and don’t believe any life should end for my benefit.  I realize my views are not shared by all and I respect that, but I really do not understand the logic behind eating a pig but loving a dog.  Or eating a cow, but loving a horse. 

So if you are upset by the horse meat scandal, I invite you to ask yourself why and genuinely think about it.  I’m not asking you to become vegetarian, but I am asking you to consider your views on the value of life – for all lives great or small.

A woman’s love and loyalty to her companion.  She spent 3 hours comforting her horse and supporting it’s head after it got stuck in the mud on a beach in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.  The horse got stuck up to his neck in mud and things became scary as the tide was starting to come in.  The 500kg horse, named Astro, was freed with the help of a local farmer’s tractor and a harness at Avalon Beach and has fully recovered from the ordeal.

Such an amazing story!  What lengths would you go to to protect and save your companion?

If you don’t already know about it – you should definitely check this out.  The No Kill Advocacy Center hosts a conference each summer in Washington DC and if you are in anyway involved in animal welfare, you must attend this conference!  I have attended twice now, and look forward to attending this year as well.  Not only will you learn invaluable information from the speakers and get to network with other attendees, but you will also be surrounded by like-minded people who all understand that no kill is most definitely possible (which in some regions of the United States is hard to find).  The energy is almost indescribable at this conference, and you will leave with the information you need to get your community to that over 90% live outcome rate and the positive energy to do it.  Interested?  You can learn more and register here!