meet foxy!

make room in your hearts for the newest addition to the happy cat crew - miss foxy! she is a beautiful, little 9-month old, medium-haired tri-color calico. since she is still a kitten, her favorite activities include exploring small spaces, climbing to the top of anything and everything, purring and, eventually, sleeping. her only real dislikes are loud noises, so a normal to quiet home would be best for her. if you would like to meet foxy just stop into our monroe st. store or contact the happy cat club of madison for more info.

in other good news, everyone's favorite crazy, little guy, zero, has been adopted! he is now living it up in his new digs and having fun playing with his new siblings, two cats and a dog.

as always, we wish zero and his new guardians the best of luck in their new life together.

swine flu and cat art

with the all the news about swine flu, o,r novel virus h1n1, out there we thought we'd assuage any fears you may have about the furry ones in your household. the good news is that the virus poses no risk to dogs or cats and no extra precautions will be needed to keep them happy and healthy. (though a few extra hugs never hurt anyone!)

in news of the awesome and spectacular, we've discovered a wonderful new site, the museum of non-primate art, or, monpa, for short.

"[monpa] aims to preserve the movements, marks and sounds of non-primate species and consider them, without prejudice, as modes of aesthetic communication, in the hope of gaining new insights into our world."

sounds pretty cool, right? well it gets even better because monpa has a whole section on cat art that includes the history of human-made art depicting cats and on actual pieces that cats have made themselves. who knew our cute, little kittehs were so artistic? i'll bet the polydactyls are total van goghs!

sos cat

"i r serius cat! i send messaguz!"

lucy and the frame store

another favorite thing about cats is their desire to make daily visits to a particular place, like this cute kitty in kent, who spends his free-time at the local library before returning home for his evening meal.

dottie has the outdoor seating area of the coffee shop next door, gabby has the "urban jungle" of the willy st. park, and lucy has the frame shop. it makes sense that dot chooses to sit with people dropping crumbs of muffin and donuts, and for gabby to play fearsome-hunter in the roughage of the park, but why would lucy pick a frame shop? on any nice day when we are likely to have the doors open and miss lucy has gone missing your almost always guaranteed to find her down at the frame shop - just hanging out and relaxing. maybe it's a natural instinct with cats, to seek out resources in an area away from home? or maybe they just want to get the heck out of dodge every now and then. either way, if it makes them happy it makes us happy.

in other news.....scientists are doing something crazy involving theoretical cat whiskers, shrodinger's cat, quantum sensors and a lot of other things that don't make sense. check this out:

"To create our ‘quantum cat’ we took a star-shaped molecule with one central atom and nine atoms surrounding and applied radio frequency pulses to put it into an entangled state where all ten spins are spinning one way (‘alive’) and the other way (‘dead’) at the same time."

awww, ok.

those darn cats!

obviously cats are super smart and awesome, just a couple of reasons why we love them so much. but who knew they were so into thievery?

here we have a british cat burglar who decided to let himself in to the kitchen to retrieve some goodies. using those super-evolved cat senses to jump up and open doors and plastic containers on his own. his new owners are going to need a few security locks on their doors and metal lock box for his food!

then there's the other cat from across the pond who gets some sort of sick kick from stealing peoples' socks! his poor owner is fretting away thinking there's a whole town of sock-less, torch-wielding people looking for the footwear bandit so the paper allowed the cat some anonymity by blacking out his face. how adorable is that!?

last but not least, we have the case of the dog food bandit whose hefty girth got him stuck halfway through the catflap! apparently that "little" guy needs to lay off the dog chow and try stealing a bit of lean meat instead.

our madcat kitties are little thieves as well. usually stealing catnip-stuffed toys and fur mice. every now and then they also get a little wrestless and decide to rip open bags of cat food, too. maybe they don't mean to be little thiefs, but just want to be more self-sufficient. yeah, right!

are your cats thieves? share a few stories in the comments section!

bart, the cat with the big heart

if you are looking for a dog's kinda cat, this is him. in fact, bart likes dogs so much that during his tenure at the main shelter he was used to test dogs' comfort level with cats. he is a super sweet adult tabby with great markings and a purr to match. we think bart would be happiest in a home with other cats and dogs so he would have plenty of opportunities for play and companionship. but don't worry, he'll still curl up with you, too!

to meet bart in person, stop by our mineral point road store or contact the happy cat club for more info.

how to trap an entire colony of feral cats

this is an excellent video from alley cat allies that provides an informative "how to" on the process of trap-neuter-return.

t-n-r 101 this saturday!

just a brief reminder that the intro to t-n-r seminar is this saturday at the dane county humane society! it's time to get the ball rolling on becoming a no kill madison and we can't do it without you!

details:
when - April 25th
what time - 2-4pm
where - dchs - 5132 voges rd., madison

be there or be square!

surprise!

this is why we have cat doors with locks on them!

safer flea control

it's spring time, and with the warm weather, blooming flowers and road work comes fleas. yuck! while we may be quick to run to the vet and get the strongest flea preventative they carry it's important to know the risks that come with chemical-based preventatives. as we take more steps towards a holistic life-style for our pets, and ourselves, flea control is becoming more of a hot issue.

the basic facts is that all chemical-based (synthetic or not) spot-on treatments are technically poisons. while they are designed to poison any pests through skin bites, these poisons can be absorbed through the skin and ingested by licking. cats, especially, are susceptible to toxic reactions due to their smaller bodies and unique physiology (never ever use products intended for dogs on cats!). symptoms of a reaction are varied but almost always include convulsions or tremors and delayed breathing and can lead to renal failure and death if not treated immediately.

now that we've scared the bejeezus out of you, it's time to introduce new, natural flea control methods that are part of a larger way of healing, called homeopathy. some of these methods include topical applications of neem oil, a natural repellent of pests like ticks, mosquitos and fleas, and using herbs like rosemary and lavendar, and even wood blocks of cedar placed at entry ways to keep fleas from coming in. for cat-specific prevention, check out the holisticat site and their article "safer flea control alternatives."

happy spring and happy flea-hunting!

drop the hero and get with the zero!

yay! the lovely lady, aribel, has been adopted and is already living the good life in her new forever home. she is a joy of a cat and we're sure that she's going to bring many years of laughter and love to her new family.


now it's zero's turn to find a home. he is a very small, playful and energetic young adult, who also enjoys nice cuddles and kisses. we're not sure how he got his name but it could come from the fact that he can go zero to sixty in a minute when it comes to running around with store-cat dottie. he was surrendered by his previous family because they were moving and while his intake form says that he would do best as an only cat, he really does seem to enjoy playing with dottie and is respectful about knowing when play-time is over. if you are thinking about adopting a new family member you may want to give zero a chance - he looks and plays like a kitten but won't drive you crazy with kitten antics! for more info on adoption, please stop by the monroe st. store or contact the happy cat club of madison.

important puppy mill bill

we know we're madison's cat blog, but we are for all companion animals, be they droolers or not.


the commercial dog breeders licensure bill, LRB-24482, has been proposed by state representative jeff smith and senator pat kreitlow. this bill is an important step to ending puppy mills in wisconsin because it will cause all sellers, breeders and shelters to be licensed and provide humane care and housing for the animals. we urge you to contact your local representatives in the state house and push for their support.


while this is unrelated it is also important. here is some crucial information on GDV, gastric dilation volvulus. Also referred to as bloat, gdv causes a dog's stomach to inflate with gas and then twist, disrupting blood flow and shutting down the organ. if you notice your dog looks like he swallowed a balloon, get to the vet immediately!

happy birthday, morty and nikki!

they are the cats who've helped make us who we are today and we'd like to recognize them on this special occasion. morty and nikki are siblings and the children of resident matriarch, lucy, and today is their 7th birthday! to celebrate, they will receive extra catnip and some delicious whole mackerels. yummmmmy! if you're in the west-side area, stop in and wish them a happy birthday.......if they're not sleeping, that is.


in unrelated-yet-interesting news, it turns out that the "leader of the conservative party" is an animal-lover. rush limbaugh is doing PSAs for the humane society of the united states to help end dog-fighting and he even has a cat, named punkin, whom he adores. who knew?


...and on a technological note, the online social networking site, facebook, has assisted in the reunion between a couple and their cat, who was missing for two years! the guardians had moved without updating their microchip information so a shelter employee made a last ditch effort to locate them by looking them up on facebook. pretty cool, eh? so the moral of the story is, keep your contact info up to date!

fall in love with aribel!

good news, everyone, we've had another adoption! jewel (or miss princess, as we call her) has found her forever home. we're sure she'll be happy and will undoubtedly warm many hearts in the years to come. we wish jewel and her new family the best of luck!



and now, more good news!


we'd like to introduce to you a cat with some beautiful and striking features and one of the most pleasant personalities we've seen, miss aribel! she is a young adult, around two to three years old, who would rival any bunny for having the softest fur. playing with peacock feathers, climbing trees and looking into the toilet are some of her favorite activities and she seems more curious than scared around dogs. if you would like to meet aribel just pop on down to the monroe street store, or, go to happy cat's webpage for more info.

here, kitty kitty on pbs this saturday!

     you may not remember everything that happened back in 2005, but you probably recall the proposal that got the whole state talking - question 62.  it was the proposal to declare feral cats an un-protected specie and therefore shoot-able.  thankfully, it didn't pass.  we like to think that it's failure was in large part due to the success of  local, feral-friendly group, don't shoot the cat, and the efforts of madcat's very own fearless leader, ted.  

after the proposals failure, local filmmaker, andy beversdorf, filmed a documentary, called here, kitty kitty, that examined both sides of the argument and the controversy it caused.  happily, the documentary will be air this saturday night on pbs at 10:00pm, preceded by an interview with the director at 9:3opm.  be sure to tune in and check out ted and a couple of our now-famous west-side kitties as they tackle the issue that only pushed us further into no kill territory.

another awesome japanese cat show!

the japanese are always bringing us some big-time lolz, but this is just too cute! my favorite is the halloween-witch costume because he almost looks like harry potter. what's yours?

lol cat bibles and baseball cats

after a couple days of heavy posts, I thought i'd lighten the mood with some wacky wednesday stuff.

firt off, if you've ever wanted to drive yourself insane and have a good laugh along the way i'd recommend you try reading the lolcat bible. that's right. the bible. painstakingly translated into lolspeak. now the word of god is ten times more adorable!

"Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem. Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz" next up, the cat who interrupted a mets game at their new stadium by zooming right by home base. the poor little guy was pretty scared but, boy, could he run fast. maybe he'll be their next draft pick.

why not a rescue?

back in november we asked why not a cat? now that the president's new dog has been announced to be a pure-bred portuguese water dog we find ourselves asking why not a rescue? after all, he did say he wanted to find a "mutt like me" to call the first pet. well we're not alone in our dissapointment, as rescue groups and opinionated minds across the country are upset that he broke his inital promise of getting a shelter dog. even worse, many are fearing that bo may cause an upswing in the popularity of the breed similar to what happened to dalmations after the live-action 101 damations movies in the 90s. though the obamas are making a substantial donation to the d.c. humane society we think it would set an even bigger example of his new approach to governing by endorsing a no kill shelter. afterall, this is the time of change, right?

in any case, we're happy for the family and their new pet and wish them the best of luck as they speed through the years at 1600 pennsylvania avenue.

peta's shame

they don't want you to know what they really do, they want you to look at the pretty, naked ladies on billboards and in magazines. they don't want you to ask them why they've killed 20,000 animals in the last decade, they just want you to keep donating so the ad campaigns can continue. well the truth is out and people are getting angry. we want to know why an organization built on the principles of animal rights, and with an annual budget of 32 million dollars, had a 96% kill rate last year. or why a group bent on ending the suffering of farm animals is so quick to kill dogs and cats whose only "suffering" is that they haven't found a home yet.

nathan winograd, the key voice of the no kill movement, is asking these same questions. the only reasonable answer that any of us can come up with is that ingrid newkirk, petas head honcho, is seriously off her wagon. this woman seems more interested in causing controversy through than actually helping individual animals; just look at her will for further example of her misplaced sense of importance.

for real change in the way the world, and we as a country, view animals please check out the no kill movement. real, positive change doesn't need a multi-million dollar ad campaign. it needs something much more important and much more powerful - people.

madison t-n-r

interested in t-n-r but don't know much about it? ever thought of helping out with local trap-neuter-return programs but are not sure how to get started? then the upcoming presentation at the dane county humane society is for you. dane country friends of ferals, shelter from the storm and the humane society have teamed up to give the program a much-needed boost and encourage volunteers to get out there and help manage our local feral populations. remember, it takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a wonderful city of cat-lovers to go no kill.

details:
when - April 25th, 2-4pm
where - dchs - 5132 voges rd., madison
this event is free and open to anyone with a willing heart


now, for a laugh check out this consumer reports piece on pet food and how there's no real difference between grocery store brands and "the more expensive" stuff. shyeah right! the real guffaw comes at the end when the vets (all but one received support from pet food manufacturers!) mention what they feed their own pets.

giving up on breeders

if you didn't already know, vp joe biden purchased a german shepherd puppy from a breeder a few months ago. now that breeder has been inundated with criticism and she's not too pleased. well we're not happy that millions of animals are put to death each year, either. look up the statistics of your local animal shelter and then ask yourself why anyone would still want to breed their dog or cat after seeing those numbers. apparently iams hasn't done that, because they're pretty excited about their cat breed selector and want you to find your "dream cat." it's too bad their preference chart doesn't even bother with adoption as an option. i guess those cats will never be elevated to "dream cat" status.

basically, we think it's time to stop breeding. here's a good, basic article for anyone who's ever thought of giving the old mating game a try. if that one doesn't convince you, maybe this will. *warning - you will need a tissue.

"don't breed or buy while shelter animals die"

happy easter!

forget the easter eggs, today is all about baskets filled with catnip and treats! we may even have to do a feline greenie hunt around the store with dottie a little later on. remember, though, no easter lillies around the kitties.


we also want to do a shout out to madcat fan, erin bowe, who was gracious enough to give props to us in her own isthmus feature. it's people like erin who keep madcat pet supplies number one and make our jobs so much fun!

meet jewel!

miss myrtle has been adopted everyone! she was adopted by a nice young woman with another cat and two dogs. myrtle will be living right in the area, so we can check up on her from time to time. good luck myrtle and we will miss you!

are you looking for a jewel of a cat? then let me introduce jewel. she came to the shelter as a stray. she was already spayed, front declawed, and wearing a flea collar. she was never claimed by her owners and is looking for a new beginning. she is an adult, current on shots, and micro chipped. we believe she may be an exotic shorthair. exotic shorthair or not she will make a great friend! come on down to the monroe st. store to check her out. she loves to talk to people!

if you are interested in finding your own jewel contact the happy cat club.

rescue goes global

while we like to focus on and encourage rescue in our own neck of the woods today we want to report on the growing movement around the world. international agencies focused on human relief, like, doctors without borders and the red cross have worked tirelessly for decades to help people in economically depressed countries. now we're seeing that compassion and spirit starting to be directed at the world's companion animals through similar progams, like, vets without borders. even in lesser developed nations, like nicaragua, there are organizations developed to help not only people, but also cats, dogs and horses. in a place where someone might worry about having enough money or food to make it to next week the idea of paying to spay or neuter their own animals is genereally out of the question. casa lupita, the animal-based front of building new hope is trying to do just that. the rooftop cats and street dogs of granada are receiving a helping hand from this group that supports trap-neuter-release and provides food and medical care for the city's animals. the change may be slow-moving but it's happening.

risk - the purrfect game of world domination!

apparently when cats rise up and revolt against us in the hope of total world control their attacks will be completely random and misguided.

"a cat is a cat is a cat"

e.e. cummings was onto something. all cats currently walking the earth, from the lions and tigers of the savannah to the tabbies curled up on your lap to monorail cat, are built for one thing: hunting.

national geographic has a neat feature on cats that goes into detail on how "the cat is one animal that nature pretty much got right the first time around." they've roamed the plains and jungles for nearly 30 million years evolving the skill, speed and form to become the ultimate killing machines.

even our happy cats at home are hunters. they may get the best food in the world but nothing compares to the thrill of the hunt. this is why you're likely to receive little "gifts" from your oh-so-thoughtful kitty; they want to show you what good little providers they are. so next time you wake up next to a dead rodent and your cat has a big smile on its face, don't get mad. just be thankful he chose the mouse over you!