National Cat Day

Didn't even know there was one.  Cats are either loved or loathed.  I know very few people who are inbetween on  that.  I love them but I had a friend once who was sitting on her lawn with her son, the cat sitting on the edge of the lawn and some guy purposely swerved as he drove by to hit the cat.  There are shelters who won't let you adopt a black or white cat at this time of the year because of the horrible things some people will do to them.  I am allergic to dogs and a little afraid of big dogs but I don't hate them and would never willingly hurt one.  There are also a lot of people who feel a cat should live outside and the huge numbers that just get tossed aside is appalling.  A cat has been domesticated for thousands of years - they are no longer a wild animal.  They are also prey for a wide range of animals.  Coyotes see them as snack food.

Now you can't always domesticate a feral cat as - big surprise - they no longer trust humans and have regressed to a more primal state, but there is no need for people to keep making more feral cats.  Get your cat fixed.  And don't just discard any pet - cat or dog.  There are shelters.  True, too many still use euthenasia on unadoptable animals but that is changing.  And, considering the hard, short life any discarded pet has to live, euthenasia might just be a mercy in the end.

There's my rant for the day.  I have hugged all five of my cats and hope that will ease their annoyance when they are toted off to the vet in a week or so.  Bad owner that I am, I am a little behind on their shots.  So I must brace myself for trying to grab them and get them in the carriers to go to the vet.  It usually takes a couple of trips as once you get one in a carrier the rest scatter and one thing a cat can do very well is hide.  Two of the five in carriers is a good day, three is a miracle.  Then I have to wait a few days to lull the others into complacency before I make a go at them.  Fun times ahead.

So - be kind to a cat today and maybe make a small donation to a shelter.  If you are in a position to do so - adopt a stray.

Tomorrow we will have a guest blogger.  Author Susan Hanniford Crowley will talk on her new book and vampires.(oops - must have had vampires on the brain)   Halloween traditions.   Perfect for the Halloween season. Hope you will tune in and leave a comment for her.