National Feral Cat Day 2014

National Feral Cat Day 2014.

Welcome to Sandpiper Cat Blog and Happy National Feral Cat Day 2014! At SCB, we have been celebrating National Feral Cat Day for four years now! We celebrate in order to raise awareness for feral (community) cats that live in our world.

This year, the National Feral Cat Day theme is TNR: From The Alley....To Main Street, brought to us by Alley Cat Allies. National Feral Cat Day launched in 2001, on the 10th anniversary of Alley Cat Allies. The goal of the day is to promote TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs.

Watch the video below to learn the difference between feral and stray cats.

Community cat facts: 

• Community cats have existed alongside people for 10,000 years.
• They are called community cats, feral cats or outdoor cats.
• Most community cats are not socialized to people, they are not adoptable.
• Community cats (as members of the domestic cat species (like pet cats) are protected under state anti-cruelty laws.
• Community cats should not be taken to pounds/shelters. 
• Community cats can live full, healthy lives outdoors - but are usually killed in shelters.
• Their kittens can be adopted into homes, but they must be socialized at an early age.

Alley Cat Allies is a wonderful organization, that was founded in 1990 and its headquarters are located Bethesda, Maryland. Alley Cat Allies is the only national organization dedicated to the protection of cats.

Please share our post today, or any day you come across it and help raise awareness about community cats.  Read our past posts from 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Information courtesy of Alley Cat Allies. Used with permission.

Review/Giveaway: Catification by Jackson Galaxy & Kate Benjamin

Sandpiper Cat Blog is so excited for the release of Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin's new book, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!). Especially because we have one copy to giveaway! Details below. 

This book is fantastic as it is filled with colorful pages and 15 do-it-yourself projects for cat lovers who want to create their own cat towers, kitty hammocks and much more. Catification is purrfect for the cat lover in your life, you and even new cat parents.

If this book isn't on your coffee table or bookshelf, you need it in your life ASAP. Get creative ideas on how to build a kitty super highway in your own house. Help your cats live stylishly and comfortably. 

Image from jacksongalaxy.com.

Jackson Galaxy is a Cat Behaviorist and currently hosts Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell on Saturday, 8 pm EST.

Image from hauspanther.com.

Kate Benjamin writes Hauspanther, a premier online magazine for design-conscious cat people.

Purchase a copy of Catification on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Indiebound.

And for our lucky readers, I am able to offer one of you the chance to win a copy of Catification. Enter below through the Rafflecopter widget.

Giveaway Rules:

• Enter through the Rafflecopter giveaway below (comment entries not accepted).
• Email Sandpipercatblog@gmail.com with any problems.
• Open to United States
• Winner contacted by email, must reply in 48 hours.
• Giveaway to run from 12 am EST 10/14/2014 to 10/21/2014 at 12 am EST.
• Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Receiving a complimentary copy of the book did not influence this review or anything we stated. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Caturday: Upcoming National Feral Cat Day

National Feral Cat Day is coming to you via Sandpiper Cat Blog on October 16, 2014!

Check out these 10 facts about NFCD before October >^..^<

Check back on October 16 for our NFCD post.

Read our NFCD posts from 2012 & 2013.

National Capital Cat Show 2014 by Harry Shubin

As my readers know, I do a lot of work with my local cat rescue - Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation. This weekend I attended the National Capital Cat Show with my family. To those of you who wonder why a person who is strongly for rescuing animals, went to a cat show...well, read no further than this guest blog post, by Harry Shubin, as to why!

Volunteer... Save a Life!

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation at the Cat Show?      This past Saturday and Sunday, LDCRF had a small presence at the National Capital Cat Show, sharing space graciously donated by one of our partner vets, Loudoun Cat Care.       If you've received an email from me directly, you've seen my signature - "Don't Shop - Adopt!" and you might wonder why LDCRF is not boycotting a "cat show" where cats and kittens will be sold.  There are several reasons, the most important of which is the opportunity to do more than "preach to the choir," in other words, to spread our message about the plight of homeless animals to people who might otherwise not think twice about purchasing a kitten.    Many people who want a purebred cat have their minds made up, and for many reasons believe that a breed is the only cat for them.  Some of those people will not change their minds.  Others have just not yet heard the message.  Still others "know" about homeless cats, but want a Siamese, or a Persian... When I talk to potential adopters at our events, I usually work into the conversation the story of where our cats come from - the euthanasia lists of  various animal "shelters."  I am continually surprised that others are surprised that the cat they are holding would be dead, if not for LDCRF.  Many people who "have" to have a purebred don't realize that many apparent purebreds are available in the local rescues, and in breed-specific rescues.  This is our chance to teach them.    LDCRF's Agnes - an apparent Siamese, recently adopted into a forever home  Even for rescue folk, there's a lot of reason to attend a cat show.  Not only are there rows upon rows of toys, cat furniture, and fun cat-themed items, there is a lot of information available - information on nutrition and on behavior.  Many times responding to adopters with questions, we refer to the Conscious Cat, a website with a wealth of information on introductions, food, litter and behavior.       Author Ingrid King, the face behind the Conscious Cat and a sponsor of the show, with a display of Jackson Galaxy's Spirit Essences remedies for behavioral issues Besides... where else can you see a cat powdered, and then taken by his paws, turned upside down, and shaken to remove loose powder - or observe someone touch up a cat's fur with paint.  Well, maybe it was make-up...   LDCRF's Agnes and Dr. Nefario  Littermates Gru and Margo have already been adopted at the show!   The LDCRF booth at the show, in addition to finding a few cats forever homes, also gives us the opportunity to teach the very important message of spay/neuter.  What could happen if that message went silent?  What kind of cat show would there be in the future?   We're going to see cats, Emily. Real cats!" Rose's teeth chattered with excitement. She so well remembered the same visit she had taken as a child, when the Cat Show had come to the United States. "Ooooh, you mean cats like Tigger?" Emily's eyes widened at the thought of a bunch of Tiggers on display. "Nope. Real cats. Living, breathing, purring cats." "Hah! Everybody knows that cats are only in story books. Like unicorns and -- what's 'purring', Mommy?" Rose's smile widened. "You'll see, Pumpkin. You'll soon see.   Click this link to read the full story  Harry Shubin  Cat Volunteer Coordinator Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation

Weekly volunteer email used with permission from Harry Shubin.

Special Bobby's Bulletin: Along Came P(H)olly Part 1

No, not this Polly came home with us!

This post is long overdue and it also comes as a surprise - because I did not ever think we would have seven cats at the same time again! But, on May 19, 2014, we brought home PHolly Shubin, the 7th member of our cat clan.

PHolly is our 3rd resident black cat.

First, her name is PHolly -- now you can call her Polly, Holly or PHolly (like Folly) but we pronouce "PHolly" with a silent P...! Essentially the easiest explanation of PHolly's name, is that her name was Polly at Animal Outreach of Cape May (where I volunteer in the summer). We always name our cats after Cape May, and for as long as I can remember, we would eat at Holly's Restaurant in Grasonville, Maryland on the way to the shore. So since Polly & Holly were pretty similar sounding, we decided to create PHolly!

Now, for the background on how PHolly came to live in our house...

When we adopted Bobby in December from Cape May, NJ, we knew he had a brother Charlie and two sisters, Polly and Meredith (who had previously been adopted). We felt bad separating Bobby from Charlie and Polly, but we were not planning on taking anyone other than Bobby.

But in the months we had Bobby, we realized that he was still quite a kitten and really didn't have anyone to play with. Despite having four other cats, they were a few years older than him and not as active. Bobby is a bursting ball of energy and the other cats could not keep up with him.

Bobby was lonely and had energy that bounced off the walls. His high activity level was the biggest motivating factor to bring home his sister (why not Charlie, you ask? Because he is bonded to anoter cat there, Marmie and they are a pair).

So when we took a trip up to Cape May in May for a 3 day weekend, we went to Animal Outreach to volunteer & visit - not expecting to bring PHolly home, because mom wasn't convinced.

On the ferry with PHolly.

But dad and I were convinced that PHolly needed to come home with us, and she was in good health, so we decided to take her home. Of course this was the day we were leaving and we were not expecting to bring her home. But even so, dad had an emergency carrier in the car and we popped her in it and off to Virginia she went!

To be continued...

In the car!

(P)review: Catification - Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) by Jackson Galaxy & Kate Benjamin

You might not (yet) be able to find a definition of "Catification" on dictionary.com, but one place that you will for sure be able to find the term defined is in Jackson Galaxy & Kate Benjamin's new book Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!). 

Currently in the works, Catification is scheduled to be published on October 14, 2014. This new book, is sure to be at the top of every cat lover's wishlist. Who wouldn't want to know how to design your house to cater not only to your likes and preferences, but also be able to make your cat's desires a priority. 

Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell star Jackson Galaxy and Hauspanther's Kate Benjamin tell their know-all tips on how to catify your home for you and your cat. 

In the opening words by Jackson, he specifically explains that Catification is more than a design book -- "this book symbolizes cat love...the maturation of us as humans...a celebration [of] a home that proudly advertises that you care about your own comfort as well as that of your animal companions." 

This fantastic, colorful book includes 15 DIY projects that are perfect for cat lovers who want to create their own cat towers, kitty hammocks and much more. This book is purrfect for the cat lover in your life, you and your cat and even new cat parents.

Pre-ordering Catification will allow you to learn how you can help your cats live a long life by keeping them indoors, while still giving them everything they need to thrive. "Ultimately, if your cat is happier, you will be happier, too, and the bond between you will deepen."

For every copy of Catificaiton preordered, Tarcher/Penguin will donate $1 fore very copy pre-ordered to FixNation.org. Pre-order your copy before Oct 14th and receive exclusive discounts toward both Hauspanther.com and store.jacksongalaxy.com.

Just e-mail your electronic receipt or an image of your paper receipt to CATIFICATIONBOOK@GMAIL.COM to make sure your pre-order is recorded – and to receive your discount codes! 

Pre-order your copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Indiebound!

Receiving a copy of the book galley at no charge did not influence this article or anything Sandpiper Cat Blog says. Sandpiper Cat Blog was not compensated for the review. All our opinions are honest & our own.

Reflecting upon Sabrina, A Year Later

It is hard to believe it has been a year since my sweet Sabrina passed away from FIP/Lymphoma. I wrote a post last year after Sabrina died which you can read here.

Everyone who has loved a cat knows the pain of loss. I've been asked why do we love cats when eventually (an often too soon) it seems that we have to let go. I was actually surprised when someone asked me this question, because I never really thought about it that way.

So why do I have cats? For the company? The occasional affection? No, I have cats because I want to give them the best life possible, a life that may not have been previously available for them. That is why I rescue my cats. Even though I know I won't have them my whole life, the years that we share together are irreplaceable and more than I could ask for.

Even though my family only had Sabrina in our lives for a few short years (2009-2013), it was more than I could have asked for. It is hard to write this without a steady flow of tears, because a year later my loss is still raw and emotional. Especially because I again and am in Cape May and feel the same sort of disbelief that I was not there to give Sabrina pats goodbye.

I hope you know that your legacy continues on, within all the black cats we help. We help them because of you.

I will always love you, Sabrina, and you will always hold a special place in my heart.

Love,

Rachel

~Sabrina~ forever in our hearts.