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.

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.

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.

Inauguration Week

It is inauguration week and Washington is the place to be! The historic inauguration concert yesterday brought together nearly 500,000 people. I was there. It was lots of fun. People were happy and enjoying the music and cheering crazily every time the jumbo-tron screens flashed to President-elect Barack Obama and his family. The soon-to-be first family was bopping away to the tunes. President-elect Obama encouraged the concert goers (and home viewers) to join forces and work together to make our nation a better place.

Security was tight. I was glad to see that people followed the directions of the concert organizers.; They left their dogs at home. One man, who wasn't going to the concert, was walking his dog on one of the streets that led to the Lincoln Memorial concert site. He was talking with the soldiers who were manning one of the many streets that were closed to vehicular traffic. Like everyone else, the soldiers were happy and enjoying the positive mood of the day. The man asked the soldiers to pose with his dog. They happily stood for a quick photo, including the one that I took. It could have been called a day of national friendship. I hope that the mood lasts.

The Obama family is looking for the right dog to join them in the white house. They move in tomorrow. In honor of their big move and big decision to choose the right dog, three polls were added to the blog. Read them, and let me know what you think. I think that the President and Mrs. Obama and their daughters could definitely find the perfect dog for them at the Washington Animal Rescue League. We are right down the street, in their new neighborhood.

Holiday Reading

Here's what I'm reading during the winter break -- Listen! by Stephanie Tolan and The Leanin' Dog by K.A Nuzum. The story line in both novels focuses on girls who find stray dogs. So far, that's all I know. It is a universal story. Animals are abandoned, people want to take care of them. Several years ago Because of Winn Dixie was that girl finds dog book. It was, and rightly so, a huge success. Because of Winn Dixie is still one of my all-time favorite dog stories.


I can't, however, seem to find many books featuring abandoned cats. I wrote one nearly 20 years ago --William's Story. I have seen many abused, neglected and abandoned cats -- and their endings are typically not happy. I had trouble writing an ending for the book. I felt that I would not be telling the truth if I wrote a happy ending, where William finds a wonderful forever home. I also did not want to leave the reader sad and without hope by having something horrible happen to William. So, I left the ending up to the reader.


I am hoping that Listen! and The Leanin' Dog have happy endings. I'm also hoping that someone will recommend a good cat book or two so I can even out my holiday reading. Any suggestions?

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