Our Numbers Say It All
In 2008, we spayed and neutered 720 area kitties!!! We also adopted 76 cats and kittens into new homes. Most of the cats that were fixed were either strays or ferals in the community; cats that had no one else looking out for them. From those 720 cats, thousands more would have been born leading to more and more unwanted kittens. But through our efforts, we have put a slight dent in the nationwide feline overpopulation problem.
We continue to have weekly spay/neuter clinics for ferals, strays, and kitties belonging to low income residents in Madison and Union Counties. If you would like to see a day when no cat is unwanted, please spay and neuter the strays and ferals in your neighborhood. Often, people shrug off responsibility, claiming, "It's not my cat." We'll help you with traps and appointments if you are willing to help the forgotten cats that make every neighborhood their home. We are currently focusing our efforts in the Plain City area, but we can give you a list of resources for Columbus and surrounding counties if you live outside of Madison and Union Counties.
back to top  Black Cats Make the Best Cat Friends
In the latest book by animal advocate, Temple Grandin, Animals Make us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals, Dr. Grandin explores how to create the happiest life possible for the animals around us. Dr. Grandin, who is autistic, has a special connection with animals due in part to her autism. Taking an in depth look at cats, she postulates that the friendliest and most easy going kitties to have in your life are black cats. Additionally, she theorizes that the reason there are so many black cats is because they get along so well with other cats, mating easily because of their laidback nature, and thus producing more black cats.
Black cats too often get a bad rap due to old superstitions that many of us still harbor. Did you know that black cats and dogs are often the least likely animals to be adopted from shelters and therefore the most likely to be euthanized when shelters become full? Unfortunately, many people still regard black animals, especially cats, as being evil or linked to witches and devils due to the association with Halloween. Did you know that most black cats are not truly all black? Most black cats have small patches of white, sometimes called, "God's Thumbprint" or "an angel's kiss" somewhere on their body. In medieval times when woman were erroneously burnt at the stake as witches, their cats were often tossed in the flames, too. These cats, often black, were saved if they possessed a small amount of white somewhere on their body. The white
represented the presence of God. Through this "unnatural selection" process, completely black cats were killed leaving us today with those with a few white hairs.
We have several black kitties that need homes right now. Gladiola and her sister, Rebecca, are both black kitties possessing some white on their bodies. Rebecca could actually be called a tuxedo kitty, because she possesses a mixture of black and white. Gladi, however, is the quintessential black cat with a white spot on her chest. These girls were very, very ill when we rescued them at two months old. Finally healthy, the girls deserve a super home. They are the friendliest kitties you'll ever meet. If you'd like to see photos (Rebecca is featured above) or read more about them, please go to our Petfinder site: www.bandocats.petfinder.com
To read more about Temple Grandin and her new book, go to http://www.templegrandin.com/templegrandinbooks.html
back to top Linda Stanek: Our own author, foster, and black cat lover
Since this edition seems to be focusing on books and black cats, we thought we should mention one of our super cat fosters who also just happens to be a writer and a former black cat owner. Linda Stanek, who is the author of several children's books, including The Pig and Miss Prudence
, began fostering for us at the end of 2008. Without Roman, her previous kitty (the beautiful black cat in the photo), Linda knew she needed some new feline companions in her life. Her foster kitties, Chloe and Frankie, quickly wrapped their little fuzzy paws around Linda's heart and she decided to adopt them. Neither of these two are black cats, but we won't hold that against them since they had such a hard start to their lives. The two buddies were abandoned near an apartment building when their family moved away. Children's toys, old furniture, and Chloe and Frankie were left next to the trash dumpster as the moving truck pulled away. Luckily, a very nice lady began feeding them until we could send them to Linda. If you would like to read more about Linda and her books, please visit her web site at http://www.lindakstanek.com/
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