Peaches, the October contest winner won’t be celebrating her first birthday until April 26, 2011.  She’s only eight months old. Phyllis, her owner, bought her as a birthday present for herself in July of this year. What a great gift!

Phyllis told us a little more about Peaches: “She likes to play with her pal Munchkin, who is a Pomeranian just three months younger then her. She also likes to play with the two kitty cats that live with her.”

And here’s a glimpse into Peaches’ feelings about baths: “One day I had her outside for some run off some energy time& she got really dirty. When I looked down at her I was suprised to see her covered in dirt! That beautiful white fur was so awful looking, all I could do was laugh. She went right to the bath, which she was not impressed with.”

I have to admit, Susan is very allergic. She recently told me that last time she went for a massage she started having allergies. She asked the masseur if he had cats. “No” he said, “but I am cat sitting this week and staying at their house.”

Chances are that for those of us who live with cats, we all have a few friends that can’t come over without popping an allergy pill first. For this reason, I was particularly interested in a recent article in the New York Times: “REALLY? The Claim: Dark Cats Cause More Allergies Than Light Ones.” This theory was studied in 2000 on a group of 300 people with affirmative results. However, the article goes on to say that the link between cat color and allergic reaction is not proven. But here’s what the article says has been proven. I didn’t know this: male cats produce more allergens than females. Who knew?

Deuce turned 6 months old yesterday, and by the look of things in the photos that his owner Sarah sent, these six months have been filled with good times. Here’s Deuce trying to camouflage himself into a fuzzy blanket when he was about 10 weeks old:

Sarah told us that “Deuce’s favorite activity is sleeping and being a trouble maker. He loves to take things and hide them under rugs around the house. He also loves to knock things off of the counters while looking at us when he does it! He also loves to sit in front of the big bay window and watch the birds and bee’s fly by! Even sometimes you will catch him watching television and if there is a bird on, he jumps at the television trying to catch it!”

Its not surprising that Deuce was exploring the dishwasher. Sarah wrote that “Deuce has surprised me by how he can jump so high & how he likes water. If there is room for him he will jump up anywhere. He loves to jump up on the bathroom counter when the water is running. Yes he loves water – he even tries to sneak in the shower when its running!”

Deuce and Sarah

Deuce and his "Dad"

The winning prize money will go to treats, a new collar, and maybe another kitten from the shelter! Soon Deuce might have a partner in crime.

Thanks for your participation, Sarah. And thanks to all of Deuce’s supporters who made him a winner. If you have a fun picture of your pet you can enter it in the September Picture Perfect Pet Photo Contest.

Summer is associated with fun, but it can also pose hazards to pet safety and health. Here are some tips for keeping you and your pets stress free, safe and healthy this summer. Read our article on Summer Pet Safety Hazards>>

The site is simple, and smart. When a site visitor answers a single trivia question, 10 pieces of kibble are donated. That’s all it takes. There are two sites, one for dogs and one for cats. Some dedicated animal lovers make the site their home page so that they don’t forget to vote.

The FreeKibble site for Cats

Take a minute to answer a trivia question – you’ll help an animal in need, and learn something too.

It is stressful for pets to fend for themselves while lost.   They will face less stress and harm if they can be returned to owners as soon as possible after their disappearance. A microchip containing owner identification information can be implanted under the skin of your pet by a vet.  Find out more in our article: Pet Identification >>

The US Postal Service recently released a stamp collection called “Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet.” 

Above is an image of six out of the ten stamps. Here’s the goal of these stamps as stated by the website: 

“We want more Americans to know about the millions of shelter pets that need good homes. Nearly half of the animals that enter animal shelters are euthanized. Many of these cats and dogs would have made a wonderful pet…if only given the chance.
You can make a difference. Adopt a pet, volunteer at a shelter, or just get the word out by buying these stamps.”

The stamps display portraits of ten shelter animals who now have homes. Each stamp includes a brief snapshot of the pet’s history.  For example, the story of Bindu Su.

In support of the Postal Service’s effort, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the stamps’ launch on her show.  She is an advocate for humane pet care and an owner of Halo pet products. Halo is giving 1,000,000 meals to animal shelters this season to show support.  The fact that the postal service and Ellen Degeneres are supporting this cause demonstrates the public’s growing awareness of animal shelters. We hope this trend only continues to grow. 

Who ever said that cats aren’t musically inclined?