Working From Home With Support Staff

No-Sew Blankets are Fun and Easy to Make AND Very Comfy for the Critters!

You wouldn't guess it from that,"pet me, I'm yours," look that Luther is giving, that he enjoys napping on the colorful, plush no-sew blankets a group of students made for him and the other cats temporarily residing at HRA. But he does. He especially likes to curl up on one of the blankets and knead his paws into the soft fleece. However, if a person is in close proximity, then Luther is eager to get up and give head bumps and love nudges. 

HRA is always in need of no-sew blankets for the cats and bigger ones for dogs, too. During these times when we are all sequestered in our homes, making a few no-sew blankets for the shelter animals could be a fun way to pass the time while helping the animals in HRA's care. 

Once the social distancing mandate is no longer in place then the blankets can be dropped off at either HRA shelter, 71 Oglethorpe Street, N.W. or 1201 New York Avenue, N.E. And, while you are cutting and knotting fleece squares into fancy beds, make an extra one for the dog or cat in your home or a friend's beloved critter.

Here is a simple directional video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQrkU9dN54s, created by a couple of animal-helping Girl Scouts.

Celebrate National Poetry Month with a Cat Poem! or Two.

It's National Poetry Month!   There are many, many wonderful animal poems.  I was rifling through a collection of cat poems in a small book aptly titled The Great Cat- poems about cats - and happened upon Naomi Shihab Nye's poem --

Every Cat Had a Story

The yellow one from the bakery

smelled like a cream puff-

she followed us home.

We buried our faces

in her sweet fur.

One cat hid her head

while I practiced violin.

But she came out for piano.

At night she played sonatas

on my quilt.

One cat built a secret nest

in my socks.

One sat in the window

staring up at the street all day

while we were at school.

One cat loved the radio dial.

One cat almost smiled.

The poem conjured up memories of every cat I've been lucky enough to live with.       Sidney, my college campus black kitten.   Artie, the tiny long haired guy who made Sid look like a lion.                 Alvie, the scarred bruiser who went from sewer-pipe cat to best bed buddy-- ever.                                                                                        SamMelvin, the big orange tabby...the cat of my dreams.              Dave, a boarder at the shelter until his elderly person died, my daughter's  first true love.         Bruce, the cat foster cat who picked me.                                                                                

And now, Charlotte -- the queen of the camera phone.  

Another Feline Visitor

As always, we have lots of nice cats -- long haired cats, tabby cats, Siamese-mix cats, solid color cats, calico cats. Our cat room constantly reminds me of the classic 1952 picture book, Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag. While we may not have millions of cats, our Kitty City is fully occupied. This guy, Frosting (who I am calling Harold) is not very happy living in Kitty City.  I gave him a gentle pat and explained to him that his current situation sure beats pounding the pavement looking for his next meal.  He reacted to my reasoning with a swift right hook to my outstretched hand.   So, I said, "You don't like Kitty City, try my office!"  At this moment he is sitting by my feet plotting his next move.   I think he wants to be friendly and affectionate.  But he is still stuck in his macho tomcat, I don't need you,  routine.   Unfortunately, I'm leaving in a few minutes, so he'll have to go back to Kitty City for the night.  But, I've already warned him that when he comes back upstairs tomorrow  he is going to begin a crash course in basic manners.   A cat as handsome as he is should be a real affectionate guy.

Happy/Sad -- Conflicted

It's kind of odd.  I have the good fortune to walk into work in the morning and see a window full of kittens.  They make me smile.  And, they make me sad.   We have three windows in our lobby.  All three windows  have kittens living in them.  We have 40 cat condos in our cat room.  Each one has a cat, or two, living in it.  No doubt, kittens are cute.  But, in just a few short months they grow up to be cats.   Cats are beautiful.   But, no matter how cute kittens are, or how beautiful cats are, there aren't enough homes for all of them.  When I look at them I can't help but smile; when I think about them -- all of them --I feel very, very sad.

The National Poetry Month Celebration Continues!

I've read Cat Poems by Dave Crawley hundreds of times, but somehow never really spent much time on the last poem in the collection, Tandy Is Twenty. I happened on the poem this morning just as I was updating my photo file with recent picture of Max and Micky.  We adopted Micky more than 10 years ago, and for all we  know he could be 20 -- he was a seasoned adult then, and is definitely a very senior cat now.  Max, just four when Micky moved in, could have written a similar poem for his regular bed buddy.

Tandy is Twenty

by Dave Crawley

Tandy is twenty years old today.

Her shiny black coat is speckled with gray.

She no longer scampers with kittenish glee.

She's not up for leaping or climbing a tree.

I was just a young boy the day she was born.

The toys I gave her are tattered and torn.

Though games we played have come to an end,

she's still my companion , and I'm still her friend.

Tandy is twenty years old today.

Her shiny black coat is speckled with gray.

but stroking her neck still brings back the joy--

when she was a kitten and I was a boy.

  

What's in a Name?

An office is an intersting place!

Meet a tabby cat without a name.  Well, that's not completely true.   It's hard naming every cat and dog who comes into the shelter; many of our animals end up with awesome names like Daisy Ann or Bradley while others are a bit of a stretch, like when we name animals after stuff.  Recently a whole slew of cats were named after wines --  not all wines lend themselves to good names.  Like Chambourcin -- what a mouth full.  He's the cat who is visiting my office.  He's a spectacular cat -- gorgeous, curious, affectionate.  Why has he not been adopted?  I think it's the name.   How do your pronounce Chambourcin?  I'm not even sure if I spelled it correctly.   It definitely does not lend itself well to high-pitched baby talk.   Since he's been investigating my office for the past hour, I've come up with several more fitting choices.  What about Stanley, Louis, Nat, Rutherford,  or Irving? 

June is ADOPT a cat Month

 
 
 
True, June is National Adopt a Cat month.  BUT, every month, every week and every day are great times to adopt cats from the League.  Wish I could say that if every reader adopted one, or two cats, today, we'd be empty tomorrow.  If I said that, I'd be lying.   We would fill up again  immediately.   There are way too many WONDERFUL cats, and not nearly enough homes.   Lefty, one of my favorite cats, has been here for a very long time.  So has his nearly mirror image Chambourcin.   I'm partial to tabbies, but for some reason gray cats have really been vying for my attention lately.   Check out the pictures of Gumbo and Badgley.  And, the cat, who is a real heart-stealer, but a little shy is beaugtiful black and white, fluffy Yuri -- he's been here for a very, very long time.  It would be great if he was adopted today.  Trouble with lots of these guys is that they are not kittens.   Many folks want kittens.  And, we have lots of those, too.  And, those same cute little kittens will be full grown cats like Lefty, Chanbourcin, Gumbo, Badgley and Yuri in just a few months.   Check out all of the great cats on our website, warl.org.  Or better still, come visit.  Our airconditioning is working!

Cats, Cats, and More Cats!!!

The Washington Animal Rescue League has a GREAT cat room, the resident cats spend time roaming the floor, climbing the kitty-jungle-gym, and playing with lots of cool toys donated by generous supporters. But, as good as it is here, it's not home. We've got some cats who have been waiting a LONG, LONG time for their forever homes. Look at these guys, Bruno, Whiskey, and Jules are just three of the many WONDERFUL adult cats waiting patiently for their someone to say, "I love him, I want him to live with me -- forever!" The more than 5 dozen cats living in the cat room are patiently waiting for homes with people showering them with attention, windows to look out, and multiple beds to curl up on. If your family is thinking about adopting a friend, consider an older cat. Cats have a long life span, an indoor cat can live to be 20 years old! Most kids will be long gone by 20, but a loyal cat, like any of these guys, will be content to stay at home.

To see all of the adoptable animals at the League check out our web site, http://www.warl.org/ or click on the picture of Maya (another long-time resident) pictured in the column to the right.

RECESSS!!!

Well, kind of.

The Washington Animal Rescue League's re-designed, greatly improved cat room provides cats waiting for their forever homes with multi-level perches and a winding cat walk close to the ceiling. Sure, the cats would much rather be snoozing on beds and cuddling on couches during tv time, but until they are adopted, the cats at the League are having fun in the new play area. Stop by and visit.

Author and illustrator Carla Golembe shares her home with two cats, Zippy and Zoe. When Zippy was a year and half, Carla realized, that as much as he loved Carla, Zippy would be happier if he had a cat friend, too. So, in 1999 Carla visited the Washington Animal Rescue League, and that's where she fell in love with Zoe.

Carla recently shared their story with me and I am happy to share it with you.

Marq in the cat room introduced us to several kittens who were cute and nice but they didn't really connect with us. Then he told us he had a kitten who was a little bit older but a real sweetheart. He brought Zoe over...she was named "Sink" at the time. She was 6 months old and had been left at WARL at the age of 3 months. I took her in my arms and she looked right into my eyes and reached her paw out and stroked my face! We fell in love.

When we brought her home Zippy took one look at her and ran to his litter box and threw himself on top of it spreading all 4 legs out as if to say "I'm not sharing with you". But within a month they became great pals.Zoe has lived with us for 10 years.

Five years ago we all moved to Florida, Zippy and Zoe didn't like their ride from DC to Florida in the car and they meowed and howled the whole 1000 mile ride. But they love living here. They are indoor cats but spend time on our screen porch where they see lots of birds and lizards and enjoy the fresh air. They have been featured in a lot of my artwork including the "Zippy and Zoe" series...a group of 6 picture books published in Taiwan.

Best Budies -- Zoe (Black and White) and Zippy (Brown Tabby)

When my daughter, Natalie was younger (she's now 16), I often read Dog Magic and Annabelle's Big Move to her. Carla wrote and illustrated those books and has written and illustrated many other books, too. To learn more about Carla and her many roles as artist, illustrator, writer and teacher visit http://www.carlagolembe.com/

Fabulous Fireworks and Frightened Furry Friends

The band plays America the beautiful, neighbors eat corn on the cob and slurp watermelon, and fireworks light up the sky with a

boom, Boom, BOOM.

And, dogs and cats throughout the community are scared! Really Scared. Really, Really scared!!

Make sure that your animal friend is secure inside your home. Cats shouldn't be outside anyway, but especially tonight. The loud sounds may make them run so fast and so far that they become disoriented and can't find their way home. Even a leash cannot keep a dog close with those 4th of July firework blasts. It's not unusual for a dog to be so frightened that he bolts trailing the leash behind him. In Washington D.C., thousands and thousands of people gather on the National Mall to see the light show. Leave your dog at home. Very few dogs are comfortable in an overcrowded setting -- add loud noises and you've got a disaster.

Enjoy Independence day, but be sure to keep cats safe inside and leave your dogs at home. On July 5th animal shelters throughout the United States receive numerous phone calls inquiring about lost pets that got away during the fireworks celebrations. To ensure that you aren't one of those callers, check to make sure that your home is secure,;nbe sure that there are not any open windows that a frightened cat or dog could bolt through trying to escape the deafening explosions; leave your dog with something fun to do -- give him a stuffed kong or other long-lasting treat; and as an extra precaution, double check to make sure that your furry friend is wearing a collar with current identification information.

Danger Alert

The Washington Post publishes a feature called Animal Watch in its Sunday Metro section. Today's Animal Watch headline read, That Isn't Your Engine Purring. The cute play on words failed to highlight the tragedy that was fortunately avoided.

The blurb detailed how an unsuspecting driver heard a kitten (meowing) from under her car's hood. She drove to a veterinarian's office where an animal control officer came and safely retrieved a 4-month-old kitten. That was one LUCKY kitten.

Many times kittens and cats will seek warmth under the hood of a car. What happens is the kitty crawls up the front tire and beds down in the warm engine of a parked car. An unsuspicious driver comes out and starts the car. Sometimes the cat takes a warm ride, like the kitten in the article. Oftentimes, however a tragic scene is played out -- the driver starts the car and YEOW!!!!! the cat is mangled or killed by the fan belt. Best way to avoid the deadly CAT-in-ENGINE situation is to keep your cat safe and warm indoors!

**** Tell drivers to bang on the hood or honk the horn before starting the ignition. The loud noise should be a warning to napping kitties to find another spot.

Catastrophe!! Too Many Cats and Not Enough Homes

What do Aggie, Starbuck, London, Aberdeen, Aruba, Jamica, Wooshie, Wynken, Argle, Repeat, and Spanky all have in common? They are all cats who have lived at the Washington Animal Rescue League for 6 months or more! Valentine's Day marks Aggie's one-year anniversary at the League. We would love to celebrate that day with Aggie moving on to a real home. One where she will be loved and cared-for -- forever!

To help us introduce the absolutely purrrfect cats to prospective adopters, we are hosting a special event, CATAPALOOZA, on Saturday, February 14th.

The day will be jam-packed with activities ranging from workshops presented by veterinarians, adoption experts, and behavior specialists to a designated place to shop for cat unique art and books. Plus, there will be a story hour featuring cat tales and a make-your-own cat toy workshop especially for kids. Of course, we'll have refreshments. And cats. Lots of cats. More than 60 cats will be trying their very best to capture the attention, and heart, of that one special person, couple or family who will say, "That One! I want to live with that one. Forever and ever!"

Even if you cannot adopt a cat, stop by the League on Valentine's Day. Tell your friends to come to Catapalooza. We will be introducing visitors to Artimis, Gee Gee, Remy and all of the other spectacular cats who will be here, counting the days until they find their forever homes!

What's In a Title?

Okay, look at the cover of this book. My Big Dog, what's it about? If you said a dog, you would be only partially right. In fact, the dog is a very minor character in this book. We see the dog a lot, and the dog moves the story along -- well, sort of -- but the story could just as easily have been called, MERL, ONE ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC, FABULOUS, PERFECT CAT or I AM MERL THE GREAT, DO YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO LIVE WITH THAT?.

My Big Dog is about Merl, a tabby cat who rules the roost, that is until a sloppy, dopey, gangly golden retriever puppy invades Merl's space. When Merl cannot take one more nasty dog kiss, he decides to take drastic action -- Merl moves out. Life outside of the house where Merl has My dish. My sofa. My chair. My mouse. My bed is not so good; and in the end, it is the dog (whose tag reads Violet") who rescues Merl and brings him home.

My Big Dog is about friendship, tolerance and compromise. The illustrations in My Big Dog are so much fun to look at, you will want to look at each one for a long time before reading any of the text. This is truly one of my very favorite books. When my son Max was little he would beg me NOT to read My Big Dog again because it was the only book that I wanted to read.

Where are the Cats in Hollywood?

The movies have gone to the dogs this holiday season -- It started last month with the release of Bolt; Marley and Me, a movie based on a book, opens Christmas; and in mid-January Hotel for Dogs premiers nationwide. Hollywood hounds have always been wildly popular -- there's Benji, Beethoven, Turner and Hooch, Air Bud, 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, Old Yeller and lots more, including my favorite, Because of Winn Dixie (another movie created from a good book). And, if you go way back there's Lassie and Rin Tin Tin -- both dogs starred in many movies, books, comic books, and were immortalized on metal lunch boxes way back when.

Where are the cat flicks? Okay, Garfield had a couple of decent hits, but most cats have been relegated to supporting roles -- the cat in Stuart Little, what was his name? Are cats not featured in films because they refuse to take orders from demanding directors? Surely, their stories are every bit as good as dog stories.

Cat lovers, Tinseltown is calling. It is time for those of us who live with cats, love cats, and understand cats start writing. Then, maybe next holiday season, films will include --

• Lightening (a super hero cat who saves the planet)
• Merl and Me (based on my cat Merl, who is always in trouble)
• Resort for Cats (an upscale vacation hot spot where cats go to escape their boring, everyday lives.) See Bruce, Merl and Micky below rehearsing for starring roles