Jun 30, 2012

Today I Started Crying About I Cat I Didn't Even Know

Adopt Miller! He's at Broward AC in Pompano, FL.
This happened yesterday:

I just finished driving home from work. It's been a long week, topped off by an unusually busy Friday. My phone had been buzzing with Facebook notifications for the last hour or so while I was at the office, but I hadn't had a chance to check the messages.

My friends can wait, right? I don't need to know that one liked my status or that someone is at the bar for happy hour near me. I just wanted to finish up work and get going.

On the way home, my phone was still buzzing like it always does, so I checked my Facebook at the first red light.

Turns out it wasn't friends' silly updates; it was people commenting on a picture I had been tagged on -- one of a litter of five kittens hoping for rescue at my local Broward County Animal Care and Control.

It's not these five kittens I cried about.

I had been tagged on that photo days ago and had kind of kept track of how they were doing. They were slowly getting sicker, stuck in a shelter with germs, and four of the five were no longer available. Sad, of course. I hope I don't sound heartless when I say I'm tagged in these pictures a lot, and while I'll never get used to it, I just know it happens.

Adopt Chalse! He's the only one of his litter left. Please.
What got me, though, was the last seven or eight comments on the picture. Someone chimed in, in all caps, with this:

MARLIN IS BEING KILLED TONIGHT! URGENT PLEASE SOMEONE TAKE HIM... I WAS JUST THERE AND HE WAS CRYING. I CAN TRANSPORT LOCALLY AND 50$ IN DONATION. THIS IS HIS LAST HR. I CAN CALL AND PUT A HOLD.

And then the next comment by her:

I CAN GET MEDS FOR HIM...

None of the kittens pictured were named Marlin. The next commenter simply said: "Marlin?" To which my friend who originally tagged me answered:

"Marlin is a beautiful and gorgeous long-haired black cat waiting at Pompano."

I was in my car reading this. I have no idea why that got me, but I swear I had more than a few thoughts going through my head, and 80% of them involved me wondering if I could somehow sneak a third cat into my apartment and get away with it. There wasn't even a picture of Marlin, but between the description of him crying, the woman's urgent pleas for help and willingness to do everything she could to help him if someone could take him in and the fact that he was a gorgeous black cat... it was all of the sudden too sad.

The light turned green and I kept driving. My phone buzzed again, and I checked it at the next light.

HE IS NO LONGER WAITING... THIS WAS HIS LAST DAY :( I'VE BEEN TRYING HARD THIS AFTERNOON TO FIND SOMEONE WITH NO SUCCESS...

And I lost it and broke down.

Someone could have taken him. Someone with one cat could have had two. Someone who has never had a cat could have opened their home. Someone...

The next comment: "so he's gone? :( they euth'd him?"

I found this picture after I wrote this post. Marlin.
We didn't reach that someone. At BlogPaws this weekend, I think it was Petfinder founder, Betsy Saul, who said that while animal rescue is growing, we are overwhelmingly failing cats. There are too many. Not enough homes. Not enough marketing to get them into homes.

I don't know Marlin. I never met him, never saw a picture of him, but his last couple hours unfolded on my phone and I feel like I failed him. He didn't have a home or a family, but man, someone loved him enough to try that hard to save him. We need to try harder. I don't know how.

I have to do more. HAVE to. I don't know if I could have helped, but I wish I'd seen her post earlier instead of wasting away at my desk putting stupid numbers in a stupid spreadsheet.

Your Majesty is at Broward AC in Pompano, FL waiting! 
It's Friday night and I should probably be out, but instead I'm going to sit here and make a list of things I can do. Things shelters can do. Things my fabulous networks of friends and bloggers can do.

I haven't even taken off my work shoes yet and I had to sit down and write this post. It had to come out. Whatever I come up with, I hope you guys will help support me. You always do. :)

And last but not least, I just want to mention how amazing it is to have more than one cat. If people who had one cat would consider adopting a friend for him, imagine how many more lives we could save! I never planned on two, but I would never not have at least two again.

There's a great non-profit campaign called Pets Add Life that advocates for how much better pets make our lives, and the joys of multiple-pet households. We have to convince the world of this!

King has been at Pompano since May 1. Someone save him?
I was going to write a post today promoting their campaign, but Marlin happened, so that's what I felt the need to share instead. I hope P.A.L. is OK with me putting that spin on their campaign.

In the meantime, if it's OK with you all, I'm probably going to do a little more sharing of pets that need homes on the Cute's Facebook page. I usually try not to do it too much because it's usually a sad ending, but maybe we can make it so more of them are happy instead. We have to at least try, right?

And, please, I hope this doesn't cheapen the post -- because the words and the tears and the sentiment would have been here whether this was happening or not -- but I have to add this disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership.

As always, thanks for the ears, Cuteheads. I'm a sappy cat lady sometimes.

P.S. All paws crossed, you guys, but I just checked, and as of Friday, 9:45 p.m., Marlin is still listed on Petharbor! I hope his link still works in the morning and maybe he somehow got held over and given another chance. If he is... We're going on an all-out Cute Mission to bust him out of there!

UPDATE Saturday, 9:55 am: Another comment on the post! More tears from me! This time, happy tears...

MARLIN IS STILL ALIVE AND I'M ON MY WAY TO PICK HIM UP NOW:) CATS EXCLUSIVE WILL BE TREATING HIM TODAY AND SUZANNE WILLIAMS HAS AGREED TO TAKE HIM AND TREAT HIM AFTERWARD.....PLEASE ANY DONATIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY CALLING CATS EXCLUSIVE AT 954-975-8349. THANK YOU

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. Marlin is making it out OK! And not only that, but my fave shelter ever, Cats Exclusive, is going to treat him (he is apparently having trouble breathing and not eating well). Yay! If you want to help donate, let them know it's for Marlin and that Dorian from Your Daily Cute sent you. They know me there! Oh, HAPPY.

Some links to the people important in this post: 
-- My friend's tiny rescue, Good Karma Pet Rescue. She takes this pictures and helps spread the word about the animals that need homes.
-- Broward County Animal Care and Control. They have two locations, and the one in Pompano is not as well-known or supported so many cats don't make it out. All the cats pictured here (except poor Marlin) are available for adoption there. Please share!

UPDATE ON MARLIN, 7/23/12: He is no doing well. He got over his cold, but he is not eating on his own. Cat Crusade, the group caring for him, has set up this Chipin to raise funds for him to get x-rays and bloodwork done at the vet. If you can spare a few dollars, I know they would appreciate it. I really hope Marlin gets better. He really got to me, sweet thing.

UPDATE ON ONE OF THE KITTIES UP THERE, 7/23/12: Chalse was adopted by a friend of Cute! He traveled 1,455 miles to his new home with her in St. Louis and just arrived there last night. Read his story here (and about his new sister who was also saved by this wonderful woman!).

Please follow along with me and let's do this together! Subscribe to Your Daily Cute by email and get all the updates. Thank you!

Jun 29, 2012

Go, Speed Racer Hedgehog, Go!

I have no idea why this cracks me up so much, but it does. Hegemony the cute hedgehog was helping his mom wash his wheel, when all of the sudden she realized he liked to run to music!

So, like any good pet mom would do, she found the perfect song and started recording. Just look at his little feet go!


Funny idea: Someone mentioned this in the comments, and it was too good not to share. If you watch this video and mute the sound, but then put this one on in a different window (so you get the sound), it's even better!

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Jun 28, 2012

Cute Kitten's Brave Trip Up and Down the Stairs

Stairs might be big and high, and maybe a little scary, but this tiny kitten tackles them like a pro!

Up seems like it's the easy part, though... Down takes a little more thought and bravery (and a cute camera angle).


Thanks to Cute's good friend Tamar over at I Have Cat for sharing this adorable cat climbing stairs video with us!

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Jun 27, 2012

Two Cats Wednesday: Pimp and Moo Discuss My Punishment

Can you believe I forgot Two Cats Tuesday yesterday? Me either! And neither can Pimp and Moo. I know because they had a conversation about it...

So, happy Two Cats Wednesday, Cuteheads!

OMC! Can you believe mom forgot our day on the blog yesterday?
I know! Should I give her a little slap to teach her a lesson?
You're not fooling anyone, Pimp. They all know you're reaching for food.
Fine. But seriously, how do we make sure she doesn't forget again? 
Maybe if we just cuddle her really close she won't be able to forget.
And that's exactly what I bet Moo will do to keep me reminded about their day here! He'd do that anyway, of course, but now he just has a good reason.

For new friends, Two Cats Tuesday is my cats Pimp and Moo's day on the blog each week. They are both adorable and I love to show them off and share them with you. We hope you come back next Tuesday to see them!

Jun 26, 2012

Cats Playing Tetherball

Remember tetherball? The game where you have a ball on a string attached to a stick and you kind of whack it around and around and whoever winds it around first wins? Well, it turns out tetherball is the perfect cat game!

Watch at these to fancy-pawed felines fight it out for the tetherball title!


NOTE FROM CUTE: We've had some really great Cutes in the past couple weeks, so I just want to do a little round-up in case you missed any. These are really worth the watch!

Hamlet the Mini Pig Goes Down the Stairs
Silly Cat Alarm Clock
Going for a Run With a Baby Duck
Kitten Would Like to File a Complaint
Anakin the Two-Legged Kitten

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Jun 25, 2012

Anakin the Two-Legged Kitten

Anakin the Two Legged Kitten
Perfect baby! Photo from Anakin's Facebook page.
Anakin the two-legged kitten is the perfect example of how amazing animals can be. He was born without a pelvis or back legs, but none have that has stopped him for even two seconds.

Anakin was rescued from a feral colony in an office parking lot (yay, parking lot kitties!) after the caretaker noticed he had no back legs. His daughter took three days to catch him, and decided immediately to adopt him as her own.

She brought Ani home and set him up in her bathroom so he could get adjusted. A vet visit revealed that aside from his lack of legs, he was remarkably healthy and negative for all kitty cooties. Excellent!

This video is Ani after just a few hours in the bathroom. You can see he's not 100 percent sure yet, but he's not scared -- and gets around just fine! He walks with is front legs, raising his tush and using his tail for balance. (Scroll down for a more recent video, too!)


A few weeks later, after much more love and playtime and adjustment, Anakin is doing incredible. He scoots around faster than some normal kitties I know! Full of life, joy, love and happiness. Simple a precious baby.

Here is a more recent video, taken on Friday, June 22nd of Anakin playing with his ball and feather toys:


Anakin doesn't have free roam of the house yet, but his mom says she's been carrying him around a lot so he can "get to know" the other cats and dog she has. During the day, she also leaves the bathroom door open and has the hallway blocked off so he can have plenty of room to run and play!

What an amazing woman to take in such a beautiful baby from the streets and give him such a great home! Her name is Carrie Hawks and she has site where she sells her art, Tigerpixie.com. She's a cat artist!

And Anakin also has his own pages you can follow! You can follow Anakin the Two Legged Miracle Cat on Facebook and @Anakin2Legs on Twitter.

I love stories like these! Animals don't let stuff like this bother them. They just adjust and live their life to the fullest no matter what.

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Jun 24, 2012

Henri the Existential Cat Goes to the Vet

Henri the cat's life has gotten no more exciting since the last time we featured him and his most hilariously depressing cat video. He lives a sad, boring existence -- if you ask him, anyway.

No one understands him and now, to top things off, he's going to the vet. He tries to tell the vet his problems, but all he wants to do is clean the junk out of his ears.

Sometimes I wish my life was as horrible as Henri's...


NOTE FROM CUTE: I'm traveling back from BlogPaws today. What a great time! I met so many new people and caught up with so many old friends. I'll share more soon... I need to catch up on my cute sleep!

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