Maybe Simba the Cat is helping students at Westbrook High School in Maine survive their adolescence. I know a cat would have helped me get through high school with more of my soul intact.

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Simba relaxes on a chair after a tough day of being petted and loved. Image: screen capture from Bangor Daily News video.

It’s hard to overstate how miserable it was to come of age in the 1980s, as a queer kid in a small-town high school where homophobia and jock worship were the orders of the day. Even if I didn’t know I was queer at the time (I was so far in the closet, I might as well have been in Narnia), I knew for sure that it was not safe to even suspect such a thing.

When you hear people talking about “beatin’ up some faggots” (that’s pronounced “feggits” in Maine-ese), and if you were suspected of being “quee-yah,” your locker room experience could be truly miserable.

When I got home, it wasn’t any better. Every day on the school bus ride home, I worried that I’d come home to find the house on fire because my mother had passed out while tending the wood stove, or injured or even dead because she'd fallen down the stairs.

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A pair of Westbrook High School students pet Simba. Image: Screen capture from Bangor Daily News video.

The swirling chaos of living with an alcoholic parent -- never knowing what to expect and never knowing what would set off a tirade of verbal and emotional abuse -- made my life a 24/7 walking-on-eggshells experience.

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Purr Bear and me.

These cats kept me sane. They provided unconditional love and quiet acceptance. They purred and kneaded on me as I cried. Being a midwife for Iris’ kittens gave me an opportunity to feel like a protector and guardian, and I’m sure the “secondhand oxytocin” from witnessing the birth helped elevate my mood.

I can’t help but wonder if a school cat would have provided a reprieve from the quiet misery of high school life. Snuggling with a Simba in study hall would have been as re-energizing as the lunches I spent with my small group of friends in the band room, playing the piano and singing. (Several of these folks, it later turned out, were also gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender -- if only we’d been able to speak that truth back then!) I have a particularly fond memory of all of us singing Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Southern Cross,” with full improvised four-part harmony, with my amazingly talented friend Sandy -- who also had a beautiful and strong alto voice -- on the piano.

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Simba supervises while Westbrook High School math teacher Linda Soucy does her work. Image: Screen capture from Bangor Daily News video.

Can you imagine? Singing AND cats? What a powerful remedy that would have been for the loneliness of being a freak and the burden of keeping secrets that, if I’d actually known and revealed, would have gotten me ostracized (at best) and beaten senseless (at worst). I’m not exaggerating here: The summer after my sophomore year, a group of high school boys in a city near where I lived beat up a gay man and threw him off a bridge into a river, where he drowned because he couldn’t swim (trigger warning: graphic description of anti-gay violence).

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Me, 1986.

I think the power of the purr would have been a balm for many owners of lonely hearts, secret keepers and broken spirits.

What do you think? Would a school cat have made a difference in your teen years, regardless of who you are or what you believe? Would a feline friend have made high school more tolerable? Let’s talk! Let me know in the comments.

OK, we're going to get a little serious here for a moment. This is older news, but I still want to talk about it because it's important. The Steubenville rape verdict made me cry. I am elated justice prevailed, but disappointed with the rapists' sentences. More disappointing, however, was case coverage lamenting the rapists' lost "promising futures," instead of what the survivor lost, and the victim-blaming responses that make me want to never leave my apartment again. Perhaps for good reason, too -- following the verdict, two teenage girls were arrested for making threats against the Steubenville victim.

So what does this have to do with cats?

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Meet Jackson … had it not been for one brave kid, this cat may have ended up in a lot of trouble. Photo via North Shore Animal League of America

About a week ago, a sweet kid named Wendell in North Carolina chanced upon a group of boys ages 5 to 13 torturing a cat. The bullies were throwing the cat back and forth and trying to run over it with a bicycle. Fortunately for the cat, 10-year-old Wendell intervened, taking the cat home to his mother and rushing the kitty to an emergency vet. The cat, now named Jackson, was looked after by the Outer Banks SPCA until he -- along with 16 other cats -- was transferred to the North Shore Animal League America. 

As the Raw Story article above points out, no one sympathized with Jackson's torturers, and no one said the cat "asked for it." I agree with everyone's comments: Wendell is a hero, whose compassion and courage are worthy of the commendation he received. I pray that one day, when Wendell inevitably witnesses an injustice toward a woman, he will act upon the same instincts that compelled him to save Jackson -- even if it's something as small as telling a male friend to refrain from catcalling a woman.

I pray that as Wendell navigates the tricky road of growing up a man in a culture that defines masculinity as violent and domineering, he continues to value his sensitivity -- even when someone makes fun of him for it. I pray that Wendell continues to cherish not only the lives of cats, but the lives of women, people of color, and anyone -- woman or man -- whose existence outside conventions puts them at greater risk for mistreatment.

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Jackson nuzzles Wendell in a gesture of gratitude. Wendell received a t-shirt for his heroic efforts. Photo via the Outer Banks SPCA

But on that fateful night in Steubenville, where was the Wendell who could have stopped it all? Why was it so easy for a 10-year-old child to see the wrong in torturing a helpless animal, and why was it so impossible for a group of nearly legal adults to, instead of exploiting a helpless young woman, help her? Why is it so much easier for some people to empathize with a cat and not a fellow human being?

There is a proven correlation between those who abuse animals and those who abuse people. According to the ASPCA, the majority of women (85%) and children (63%) who have been victims of domestic violence reported instances of their abusers hurting animals. A bulletin from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service concluded that understanding acts of cruelty to animals by children can lead to solutions for youth violence. More telling, however, the bulletin revealed that most children who hurt animals have themselves been victims of physical and sexual abuse, indicating a cycle of violence. At the core of violence lies a lack of empathy, and the ability to feel for others erodes as victims are subjected to abuse, making it easier for them to perpetuate the behavior.

I am not trying to make excuses for the Steubenville rapists, but I wonder what went wrong in their upbringings that allowed them to justify their actions to themselves. I wonder if the boys who tortured Jackson have been subjected to horrors beyond our darkest nightmares. I wonder about the football coaches who reassured their Steubenville players that they would "take care" of everything and failed to report the crime to the police. I wonder if the parents of Jackson's torturers punished their children for what they did to a helpless cat, but more than that, I wonder if, when those parents read about the Steubenville verdict, they said out loud that the victim was "asking for it," setting up a precedent that it's OK for some people to be hurt by others.

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Jackson with a worker at the North Shore Animal League. Photo via the North Shore Animal League

Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." In these terms, 10-year-old Wendell is the greatest we can hope to be -- he was up against a group of boys who could have easily turned their aggression on him, but Wendell did as his heart compelled him, for a creature some might call "just an animal." If we are capable of such kindness and compassion, what goes wrong?

Jackson the cat's torturers were boys Wendell's age, and, since they've demonstrated their lack of empathy, should we fear what they might do to a helpless fellow human being? And, more importantly, what are we, as adult role models, doing to inadvertently perpetuate cycles of violence? When we call Wendell a hero for rescuing a cat, but we blame, withhold sympathy, and even threaten human victims for the crimes committed against them, we're setting up a confusing -- and potentially dangerous -- message.

Unfortunately, I don't have any answers, but since a lot of us here are women (and men who defy conventions), and we're all cat lovers, I wanted to see what you think. What will happen to Wendell as he grows up? Is he the harbinger of a new world of compassion? While I found the entire Steubenville case and some people's reactions to it upsetting, I took solace in the conversations it generated, in the strength it gave me and other victims to finally speak out about a problem that's been quietly plaguing women -- and men -- for far too long. Sadly, I don't think rape or animal abuse will ever completely cease, but I hope that Wendell is one of a generation of young people who have the strength to stand up for what's right. To some, it was "just a cat" Wendell saved, but one day it might be another human being.

What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments.

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"Why for U ban me? U gives me a sad!" 4-month old F1 Savannah cat by Jason Douglas, released into the public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Before I saw that story, I had no idea that there were states where it was illegal to own Savannahs. I did a little more research and found out that Georgia is one of about five states and several cities (including New York City) that ban the ownership of Savannahs.

This is nothing more than breed-specific legislation. And I feel the same way about BSL for cats as I do about laws that prohibit owning Pit Bull dogs: It’s crap. Governments have no place banning the ownership of any dog or cat based solely on its breed.

Yes, the Savannah is a hybrid of a domestic cat and an African wildcat known as a serval, and I can understand how people could get bent out of shape over that. But there are very few Savannahs in the U.S. for two reasons: They’re hard to breed, and holy cow-pies, they’re expensive!

Even in most places where it’s legal to own Savannahs, special permits are required. I get that when it comes to, say F1 (half-serval) or F2 (one-quarter serval) Savannahs, but after that, what’s the point? In my totally unscientific opinion, once a cat is three or more generations removed from its wild ancestors, it’s a domestic cat. Period.

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Savannah cat climbing a fence by Shutterstock

But here’s the thing: Even if you can afford a Savannah, you’ve really got to know what you’re doing if you’re going to get one. They are very high-energy cats that need regular exercise, companionship and, probably more than any other breed, a species-appropriate diet.

According to the Savannah Cat Club, early-generation foundational stock (F1 and F2) Savannahs tend to retain a lot of the shyness and intensity of their serval ancestors, so if you want one of these, you'll need to accommodate your life to the cat's and not expect it to be your fluffy little lap cat. If you’re not willing to meet a Savannah's special needs, please don’t get one.

A cat isn't recognized as a legitimate Savannah unless it has three generations of Savannah-to-Savannah breeding in its pedigree -- which means it would have to be several generations removed from the foundational stock -- and would therefore have barely a drop of “wildness” in it.

As with any specialty breed, some people have shockingly bad reasons for wanting to own Savannahs. I once heard a man say that he wanted to get a pair of them because “they’re bad-ass, and they’ll protect my property.”

Yes, he was serious.

One of the people interviewed for the WSB-TV story said she wanted a Savannah “to have the larger animal, to be able to walk on a leash. They have very dog-like personalities. I think it would be awesome to own something like that.”

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Savannah cat walking on a leash by Shutterstock

Wait a minute. You want a Savannah because it’s a cat that acts like a dog and you can walk it on a leash?

I’ve got a better idea: How about if you’re going to own a Savannah, you do it because you love the breed and you have the time, energy, and skills it takes to make that cat’s life wonderful?

No laws can prevent people from being dumb, but blanket bans can and do prevent responsible people who want to have Savannahs in their life from being able to do so.

The breed isn't the problem; stupid people are. Let's get BSL out of the cat world.

Next to dogs, cats are among the most popular pets in the United States, so it's no surprise that the White House has been home to more than a couple feline friends. We think presidents should go one step further and include their cats as important advisors, but hey, we're not the ones writing the rules. If cats could be elected president, there would be mandatory nap time, infinitely full food dishes, and catnip would be legal. Since cats can't be president, we'll settle for reviewing past First Cats. 

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Socks will now take your questions.

Here's some of our favorite First Cats:

India "Willie" Bush took up occupancy of the White House during George W. Bush's administration. India, an all-black kitty, was acquired at the request of the Bush daughters when they were nine-years-olds, but once the young women went off to college, the cat went into the care of Bush and his wife, Laura. Not a problem, since that meant India got free range of the White House once Bush was elected to office.

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Indian with the Bush daughters. Courtesy, Executive Office of the President of the United States

Adopted during Bill Clinton's administration, Socks the cat never got along with Buddy, Clinton's chocolate Lab, and the two were relegated to separate quarters of the White House. An animated version of Socks guided children on White House tours. Due to escalating conflict between Socks and Buddy, Socks got to remain in the White House after the Clintons moved out.

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Amy Carter poses with her multi-moniker kitty. Courtesy, Executive Office of the President of the United States

Before Socks, Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy's cat, a Siamese named Misty Malarky Ying Yang, roamed the White House.

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Susan Ford and her kitty Shan. Courtesy, Executive Office of the President of the United States

Along with Gerald Ford's Golden Retriever Liberty, Shan, a Siamese cat, kept the presidential family company. The cat would curl up with daughter Susan Ford at night.

Happy Presidents' (and First Cats') Day! 

Read more about cats with political ambitions: 

• Morris the Cat Runs for President
• Should We Get a Vote on the First Cat or First Dog?
• Vote Cute: Hello Kitty Runs for President

This attitude hisses me off for lots of reasons, the first of which is that I know many people who could be described, in the banal jargon of the social service industry, as “inadequately resourced.” I can guarantee you that a lack of money does not in any way equal a lack of love. Pets provide the same measure of love and emotional support to poor people as they do to those of us fortunate enough to be “adequately resourced.” In fact, when you’re struggling just to stay alive, your pets could well be your only comfort.

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Cat in the window of a shabby house by Shutterstock

I don’t know how I would have survived my childhood and adolescence if it hadn’t been for the cats who shared my life. They provided unconditional love and snuggled with me when I cried. Through caring for them, I learned about caring for others. Through witnessing them as fellow travelers, I came to understand that cats are spiritual beings having a feline experience, just as we humans are spiritual beings having a human experience. In my family, our cats and dogs were viewed as full-fledged family members.

And yes, we were poor. As in, food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children, or AFDC (now known as TANF, for Temporary Aid to Needy Families). As in, we had enough to eat because my mother was a smart shopper but our house was always cold because heating oil and firewood were expensive. And as a poor kid, I was on the receiving end of a lot of the scorn heaped on the poor by those who didn’t realize that they too were about one paycheck away from being in the welfare line at the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Little girl holding a cat by Shutterstock

We fed our cats the cheap brand of kibble, and our poverty didn’t allow us to take them to the vet every year -- in fact, because there weren’t any resources for low-cost spay and neuter back in the 1980s, our cats didn’t get “fixed” before they could reproduce, either. But we loved them and did the very best we could to take care of them and keep them safe. And we certainly didn’t love them any less because we were poor.

I guess you can’t really know what it’s like to be poor unless you’ve been there yourself. However, even if you’re fortunate enough to have never experienced poverty, you can still try to have some compassion. Every religion on the planet preaches compassion. But it seems like the attitudes that have fermented in a toxic sludge of talk radio and online news comment forums have made a lot of people forget that they are one disaster away from getting a firsthand experience of poverty.

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Homeless man and cat by Shutterstock

Instead of griping about the problem, you can be a part of the solution. There are many things you can do to help people who love their pets but can’t afford to get them the care they need.

How you can help

• Donate to low-income spay/neuter funds. Also, donate to your local animal rescue group, because often your local shelter is the group that holds spay/neuter and vaccination clinics.
• If you can afford to help a needy friend or family member get a pet spayed or neutered, do so.
• For many poor and disabled people, transportation is a barrier to getting veterinary care for pets. Offer to give people a ride, or contribute to the cost of a bus or van to bring people and their pets to the clinic.
• And finally, challenge your assumptions about poverty and poor people. The vast majority of people love their pets, whether they live in million-dollar homes or in public housing -- or even if they don’t have a home at all.

What about you? Have you helped someone with pet care expenses or transportation? Has someone helped you? Do you have other ideas for helping ensure that all pets get their needs met? Let us know in the comments!

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Tiny kitten in his foster carer's hands by Shutterstock

Judge Richard Morrison eventually ruled in Van Dusen’s favor, saying she could claim most of those expenses. The only ones the court didn’t allow her to claim were those that were hard to link solely to cat care.

The upshot? The IRS now allows people to claim deductions for expenses related to foster care for pets.

Items such as pet food, medicines, vet bills, and carriers could all be deductible. And if there’s a room in your home solely dedicated to the care of fostering cats, you can claim a portion of your household utilities as well.

However, you’ll need to be careful if you try to claim those expenses.

First, the charity you’re working with has to be a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and the organization’s status must be current. You can use the IRS’s Exempt Organizations Select Check search to ensure that your rescue group currently has official nonprofit status.

Secondly, if your expenses add up to more than $250, you must have a letter from the organization with which you’re working confirming your volunteer or foster care provider status.

This is good news for people who earn enough money to claim individual charitable deductions. If you’re a mere mortal and you’re filing a non-itemized tax return, or if you have tax-exempt status because your income comes from Social Security or other such programs, it might not be much help for you. But it is a step in the right direction and may convince more people that fostering can have benefits beyond the good feeling of saving lives.

Source: Discovery News

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Downing Street. Photo: Stuart Monk / Shutterstock.com

On Oct. 16, Larry, the official cat of 10 Downing St., got into a dustup with Freya, who occupies the next-door residence of the chancellor of the exchequer, a position similar to the U.S. secretary of the treasury. A member of the Political Pictures news agency was there to snap a photo of the scene –- and break up the fight -- and soon posted the picture on the organization’s Twitter feed.

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Image: Screen capture from Political Pictures' Twitter feed

A spokesman for the prime minister tried to pass off the scuffle as mere play, but several witnesses say it was quite a serious matter. They also say Freya was the clear winner of the bout; when Larry took a claw to the neck, he quickly retreated to the safety of his home (and presumably Freya sat down in the middle of the street and groomed herself as though nothing had happened).

The news media have been merciless with poor Larry. Ever since he arrived at 10 Downing in early 2011, the tabloid press has been hounding him mercilessly, accusing him of being a poor mouser and leeching off the taxpayers’ money because he was found asleep on the job once or twice. But not everything in Larry’s life was grim; about seven months after he moved into Downing Street, he found a lady friend, Maisy, with whom he spent many happy hours sleeping in sun puddles and sharing meals.

Who knows? Perhaps Freya’s fury has its origin in Larry’s fondness for Maisy.

Whatever the case, a spokeswoman for the prime minister insists that the cats are able to “coexist.”

Source: BBC News

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This would totally be a lot cuter if I were holding a baby, right?

One summer day I was visiting with my family, enjoying the company and the intelligent and funny post-dinner conversation that graces most Kelley family get-togethers, when we started oohing and aahing over my newborn niece. I don’t know how it happened, but suddenly I found the baby’s mom looking at me with one of those Beatific Smiles of Smug Mommyhood and asking me, “JaneA, don’t you want a baaaybeeee?”

You know that squiggly mouth expression Charlie Brown makes after Lucy Van Pelt pulls the football out from in front of him when he tries to kick it, sending him flying in a somersault and landing on his back with the wind knocked out of him? I'm pretty sure my face looked like that.

I was in my early 30s at the time, and every single member of my family knew that I was -- and still am -- childless by choice. They also knew how I doted on my feline family and spent much of my spare time learning everything I could about cats.

After I recovered from my momentary shock, I said, “Well, Fredwina [not her real name, of course], if I did, I know how it’s done and I’d have one by now.”

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Why yes, yes I do have thousands of pictures of my cats. Why do you ask?

Don’t get me wrong: I love kids and I love my family, but this was the latest in Fredwina’s ongoing onslaught of alternatingly patronizing and snide comments, which led me to believe she saw me as a defective woman who never fully grew up because I didn’t want to have kids, and that my love for and desire to take good care of my cats was a pathetic fifth-rate replacement for raising a real baby.

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Thomas and me. Hey man, my babies purr, so there!

I’ve more or less come to accept that some people will always hold disdain for those of us who choose to parent cats (or any other animals) rather than children, although I think it speaks more about the people doing the disdaining than it does about the disdained. But just for a moment, I’d love to imagine a world in which cat parents could operate in the same way that baby moms do. Think about it:

• You could hang out with a bunch of your friends at the local hippest-of-the-hip eatery, loudly taking about your cat’s bowel habits with utter disregard for the people around you who are trying to eat.
• You could inundate your colleagues and friends with text messages and daily e-mails full of pictures of your cat, and nobody would call you a freak behind your back.
• Everybody would totally understand if you stopped hanging out with anybody who didn’t have or want a cat.
• You’d get to look condescendingly upon petless people and act as though your two undergraduate psychology classes qualify you to diagnose them with a personality disorder, because they don’t have the same desires and values you do.
• You’d get a tax credit for dependent cat care.
• You’d be able to use Family & Medical Leave Act time rather than sick or vacation days when your cat needs vet care.

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I cared as diligently for my Dahlia at the end of her life as I'd care for any of my human relatives or friends as they went through their dying process.

Fredwina’s an ex now, and I’m pretty fortunate that the rest of my family respects my “cats, not kids” choice. My mother doesn’t give me tearful looks because no grandchildren have sprung from my loins, everybody knows I love all my nieces with all my heart, and they’ve all turned to me for cat advice, because they understand that I know at least as much about cats as they know about kids. They also know that I’ve used my love for cats and my writing skills to help make life better for all cats and all the people who live with them. My best friend once called me a “universal cat mom,” a title I wear with joy.

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I took my cat, Siouxsie, out for a trip to the (pet) fair, where she impressed everyone with her good manners and bravery. Photo by Bethany S. Klyver

In your perfect (or perfectly silly) world, what kind of privileges that baby parents enjoy would you have as a cat parent? Let us know in the comments!

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It's time to get up and take down the competition!

In America, people running for president launch attack ads for two reasons. One is that positive ads about your candidate can only swing undecided voters, while negative ads can take support away from your opponent. But I know the bigger reason, and it's much simpler. Attack ads are more fun.

Look at it this way: If you’re going to be in a fight, do you want to spend your energy defending yourself or beating up on the other guy? Of course, you want to beat up on the other guy. Among human candidates, simply fighting it out on the living-room floor isn’t acceptable, which is a shame, because presidential debates would be so much more entertaining if it were. So, instead, humans say mean things about one another.

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Seriously, would you rather be the guy curled up in a ball getting walloped on, or the attractive and presidential kitty doing the walloping?

So here goes. Hello Kitty would be a terrible president, and here’s why:

1. I’m pretty sure she’s not a citizen. Hello Kitty is the front-cat for a Japanese company called Sanrio. She’s from Japan. I’m pretty sure Japan is another country because of the way politicians talk about other countries, and Japan sometimes gets named. I’m certain Japan is part of outside, and we all know that no cat should ever go outside, so there’s clearly something wrong with her. She could end this question relatively quickly by releasing her birth certificate, except that cats don’t have birth certificates. Why would she refuse to release a document that can’t possibly exist? What do you think she’s hiding?

2. Hello Kitty hasn’t released her tax returns. I’ll admit, I don’t know what a tax-return is, but I’ve spent most of my life as a humble apartment cat. I know taxes are somehow related to paychecks, and that until I started writing for Catster, I didn’t get any. Hello Kitty, however, has been a front-cat for Sanrio for as long as I can recall. She must have been paid something for that time. But she doesn’t feel the need to disclose her financial situation with the American kitties. What do you think she’s hiding?

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I appreciate the media. They give me tote bags to sit on.

3. Hello Kitty’s campaign has no substance. She’s running on the “Friendship Party.” How does she feel about issues? What are her positions on armrests? Gravy? Scritchies? We know nothing about her, except that she claims to want more friends. Real cats don’t want friends. We want human servants, feline minions, and prey. Hello Kitty is clearly lying about her true agenda. What do you think she’s hiding?

4. Hello Kitty has an unnatural alternative lifestyle. Cats are predators, yet she has friends who are bats, frogs, and other small varmints. You know what cats do to bats, frogs, and other small varmints? We kill them and either eat their delicious insides or offer them as presents to the humans we love. But she keeps them as “friends.” I think she’s either lying about her friendships or about something far larger -- maybe even whether she’s a cat at all. What do you think she’s hiding?

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This doesn't look like any kind of cat I've ever seen.

In attack ads, it helps to use rhetorical devices. A “rhetorical device” is a means of repeating something over and over, ad nauseaum. “Ad nauseum” means until people are sick of hearing it. My rhetorical device is a computer that we used to repeat “What do you think she’s hiding?” until you’re (hopefully) sick of hearing it and will believe it just to shut me up.

I know there are some people who would say that this attack ad is gratuitous and unnecessary, but, I’d like to remind you all that I am a cat. We attack each other. It’s what we do, and, if Ms. Kitty (if that is her real name) wants to do something about it, she’s welcome to come to my house and she can debate me. And by debate, I mean fight it out on the living-room floor.

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Much like humans, I train for debates with opponents. Ziggy proudly plays the role of my opponent.

And like another human presidential candidate of years past, he’s selected an Alaskan as his running mate. He's extended an invitation to Stubbs the Cat, the long-time mayor of the village of Talkeetna, to serve as his vice president.

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Stubbs can't see Russia from his house, and Morris has been Photoshopped all over the world. With that kind of foreign policy experience, they've surely got the upper hand against most of their human competitors.

“It’s time to let the cat out of the bag -- I’m running for President,” Morris said last week. “As we head out on the campaign trail, my hope is that Mayor Stubbs and I put our best paw forward in representing all cats everywhere.”

Morris’s campaign revolves around a few core feline policy issues: forever homes for all cats, eliminating empty food bowls, and freedom of attitude are the chief planks of his platform. To that end, he and his superPAC, Del Monte Pet Products, have pledged to donate one bowl of 9Lives cat food for each Facebook share of his campaign poster (up to 3,000 pounds of food) to Pets Are Wonderful Support, a San Francisco nonprofit group that works to preserve, support, and nurture the human-animal bond for those most vulnerable.

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Like every good presidential candidate, Morris isn't shy about appearing to be an all-American rugged outdoorsman.

Morris, like most of the best political cat-didates, comes from humble beginnings. He spent his kittenhood and adolescence in the tough cage-rows of an animal shelter. But in a rags-to-riches tale to beat the most mythical of Horatio Alger stories, he was adopted and soon landed a role as the representative of the 9Lives brand. He hasn’t forgotten where he came from, either; in addition to doing PR for a cat food company, he’s spent many hours and traveled many miles to raise awareness about how awesome shelter cats are and to facilitate adoptions.

There could be a conflict of interest if Morris were to serve as both president of the United States and cat food spokescat, so you orange tabbies might want to start preening to get ready for auditions. Of course, being beholden to large corporations hasn’t been an ethical problem for human presidents, so if Morris does choose to retain his position (strictly on a consultant basis, of course), he certainly wouldn’t be breaking precedent.

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Morris prepares himself for the campaign trail.

For more information on how to support the Morris ticket, visit his Facebook page and click on the Pawquarters button, now through Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6. 2012.

Photos from Morris the Cat's Facebook page

Asked to speak regarding his political stance on the upcoming election, Henri muses over the recent rash of cats holding or running for office, naming, among them, Tuxedo Stan's run for mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Henri observes that even though cats play an important role in this country, when a cat boldly announces his intentions for a position of power, the world thinks it's a joke, much to Henri's dismay.

Yet Henri makes a good point: Why shouldn't cats govern? They're often subject to castration without representation (ah, if only we could trust cats to use birth control responsibly), and while Henri realizes that we may never return to the ancient Egyptians' level of cat worship, he thinks that a few seats in office would be nice.

What Henri doesn't realize is that cats do rule. In fact, I just had to shoo the cat out of my office desk chair to sit down to write this. And instead of scampering off to let me work, he has insisted on sitting in my lap, clawing my thighs as he kneads and drools in contentment. But if I put him down on the floor, he's sure to express is disapproval by pooping outside the litter box. Now that's tyrannical! 

How does your cat rule the house?

Here’s a little background: In California, it can be difficult to find pet-friendly apartments. When pet-friendly apartments are available, many of them come with a requirement that cats be declawed in order to reduce damage to the property. Declawing isn’t the only, or even the best, way to reduce scratching damage, but apparently some California landlords don't know that.

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Man and his cat by Shutterstock

Early this summer, California Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) introduced a bill to make this practice illegal. That bill, SB 1229, was co-sponsored by the Paw Project and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. The California Veterinary Medical Association, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and the California Apartment Association, as well as other animal welfare groups, also supported the measure, which passed the state Senate with a unanimous vote.

Of course, there was opposition to the measure, too. A group called the Animal Council told legislators they should oppose the bill because “other tenants and outside neighbors hear dogs' noise and may be greatly disturbed.”

What was that they said? All I heard was “waah, waah, waah.”

SB 1229 went to the state Assembly in August, where it passed 57-17.

On Sept. 26, Gov. Brown signed the bill and several other pro-animal measures into law.

Now, landlords can no longer reject tenants who refuse to have declawing or devocalization surgery -- the latter is sometimes called "debarking" of dogs -- done on their pets, and they’re not allowed to advertise in a way that discourages renters whose pets have claws or vocal cords. Landlords who violate the restriction will face fines of as much as $1,000 for each pet. (Read the full text of the bill here.)

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"No Pets Allowed" sign by Shutterstock

This new law won't prohibit landlords from having a “no pets” policy. I have heard concerns that SB 1229 might give landlords an excuse to prohibit pets, thereby making it even harder for pet-loving Californians to find places to live. Unfortunately, I could see that happening. I can only hope that the publicity around the bill has raised awareness about just how serious declawing and devocalization really are and the potential consequences of the procedures -- not just for the pets and their caretakers, but for landlords, too.

Sources: KTVN-TV, Los Angeles Times

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Tuxedo Stan

Stan was born to feral parents and now rules the home of veterinarians Hugh and Cathy Chisholm. He is the official representative of the Tuxedo Party, whose goal is to ensure the welfare of all cats in the Halifax Metro Region (referred to by locals as HRM), whether domestic or feral, “because neglect isn’t working.”

Although Stan doesn’t have any super PACs to fund his campaign, his 3,463-and-counting Facebook fans have been spreading his message with evangelical fervor.

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"Here is a picture of ME when I was a kitten. Pretty cute, eh? I'm one of the lucky ones who found a good home," Stan wrote on his Facebook page. "Unfortunately, most kittens born in HRM aren't so lucky. Please support the Tuxedo Party 'because neglect isn't working.'"

Even the human candidates are getting worried about the cat’s popularity. “I'm just glad I'm not running against Tuxedo Stan. He is everywhere these days," tweeted candidate Waye Mason.

From the Tuxedo Party Facebook page:

The reason I got into politics was to convince Halifax Council that we need a program to deal with the cat problem in our municipality. My brothers and sisters are starving, freezing to death in winter, and reproducing at an alarming rate. We need a program to address these problems. We need a low cost spay and neuter clinic. We need a comprehensive Trap-Neuter-Return and Care program. We need a sanctuary for homeless strays to live out their in comfort. WE NEED A MAYOR WHO CARES ... BECAUSE NEGLECT ISN'T WORKING!!! Vote Tuxedo Stan.

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Tuxedo Stan fans at the Sept. 19 mayoral debate.

Stan’s campaign is fun and fresh, but his lighthearted campaign has a serious message: City officials need to create a reasonable and workable plan for managing Halifax’s burgeoning homeless cat population.

"I feel very fortunate to live in Catopia. I've never known hunger, cold, or abuse. I sleep in a warm, cozy bed every night. I get to play in a safe fenced yard every day,” Stan wrote on the Tuxedo Party’s Facebook page. “Unfortunately, there are cats all over the world who aren't so lucky. You can help by donating money or time to a local rescue group. For those of you who do -- a big Tuxedo Stan THANK MEOW!"

Linda Felix runs the city’s Spay Day initiative, which helps low-income families spay and neuter their cats, and has joined the Chisholms and others to spread the message. “Our plan is to make the need for a city-sponsored spay-and-neuter program into a big election issue,” Felix said, “so everyone who gets elected knows that this is high up on the agenda of things to be done.”

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Stan confers with his minions.

An attempt by the Halifax Regional Council to create a cat-licensing program led to jokes and jeers, and the councilors naturally buried the issue in the litter box of dead ideas. But like a hungry mouse in search of cheese, the cat management issue is showing itself again, thanks to Stan’s campaign.

Stan has made news all around the world: Even Sky News Arabia picked up the story. Branches of the Tuxedo Party have sprung up in Texas and the Netherlands. Maybe the cat’s worldwide fame will convince the council that it really is time to engage in a humane cat-management campaign that includes low-cost spay/neuter services and Trap-Neuter-Return for feral cat colonies.

Well, Stan, if I lived in Halifax, you’d have my vote!

Sources: Toronto Sun and The Chronicle-Herald
Images from the Tuxedo Party Facebook page

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My campaign staff wouldn't let me use "OBEY."

Mommy and Daddy seem to agree with this system, and once we settled it, we were done. But, apparently, humans have to make that decision every year, and sometimes twice. I figure that because everyone is talking about politics, I should dedicate at least one column to the topic so that the entire world can do like we do in my house: Whatever I want.

First, I don’t like politicians -- I like people who feed me and give me scritchies. No politician has ever done that. If I had to select a politician anyway, I would select myself, so I recommend everyone vote Mina this year in all elections.

Some people insist on voting for the politicians who are actually on the ballot. I don’t know what a ballot is, but apparently it involves paper and writing and guys named Chad. I don’t know anything about those things, but I know I’m where I am because I have soft orange fur. So, if you’re looking for a politician to vote for and you don’t want to write in “Mina,” I recommend voting for a ginger, preferably the one with the softest fur, which would be me.

You can write me in. My name is Mina.

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A candid behind-the-scenes moment as we set up a photo shoot.

Daddy insists that if I want to run for office I need to have positions on issues. My favorite position is face-first in a bowl of gravy, followed by curled up for a nap. So those would be my positions. The issues I prefer are armrests, Mommy’s pillow (because it smells like Mommy and that makes me happy), my futon, my ottoman, and my chair. As a result, I am pro-armrest, pro-Mommy-pillow, pro-futon, pro-ottoman, and pro-chair.

Anyone who is against those things is clearly a terrible person, and they don’t deserve your vote. They probably hate freedom and are in league with terrorists. I don’t know what terrorists are, but Daddy assures me they’re bad.

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I am pro-armrest and pro-scritchies.

But I also have values, because values are important for leaders. I value scritchies. I value gravy. I also value my humans, though you can’t tell them that. They work very hard to make me happy. I believe that every kitty should have humans like mine, and if elected your leader, I will consider doing something to make sure that happens. That something may end up being “suck down a face-full of gravy and demand attention from Daddy,” but I promise that while Daddy is scritching me, I’ll think about all the cats out there and how they should have it this good, and if that doesn’t prove my loyalty to the people, and by people, I mean cats.

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Hard at work on the campaign trail.

I think this is the perfect time for me to present myself as a political figure, because I am disenfranchised. When I lived in Chicago, I voted at least once every election, and sometimes more. But now that I’m in California, people tell me that cats can’t vote, and even if they did, they’d have to be eighteen. I say “HSSSSST!” to that. In cat years, I’m well over eighteen, and if there’s some silly rule about my age, I’m willing to only vote once per election. But still, I can’t even register. I think it’s time that California abandon these speciesist policies.

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My name is Mina, and I approve this gravy. Um, message.

It is time that we truly honor the American dream, that every cat can begin her adult life in a shelter, and, one day rise to become the most powerful kitty in America. When I rule, there will be gravy in every bowl, and scritchies on every neck. Or, at least I’ll think about that when I’m getting scritchies and eating special dinner. Which is all that any cat is likely to do.

Need more Mina? Of course you do. Browse the Mina archives for some high-grade feline contempt. 

1. Greeting the president

You're leaping out of the chopper in front of the press corps -- who do you want in the photo op? The dog, bounding across the lawn like he hasn't seen you in 15 years and you're covered in meat drippings? Or the cat, silently regarding you from the window in Lincoln's bedroom, looking like he just knows that you haven't brought home chicken again (which you haven't). 

Advantage: dog

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Can it be? Is it really you? I haven't seen you since ... lunch? Dog with flag by Shutterstock.com.

2. Comforting the president

It's late, the lights are dimmed, and you're having a final brandy while watching Barney Miller with the sound off. Who's you're friend? The dog, with all his slobbery and misplaced optimism? Or the cat, who seems to know exactly the dimensions of what you did, the terrifying scale and the unimaginable consequences -- and he's forgiven you already, because you're going to give him skritchies.  

Advantage: cat

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Are we doing this or what? Kitten inside bucket by Shutterstock.com.

3. Amusing the president

As president, you're not going to clean up after your own pet, so what's more fun? Watching your press secretary shuffle across the lawn toting blue baggies and looking for the dog-business, or catching your press secretary hunched over the litter box in the wee hours while slowly lifting clumps in a sad, reflective moment? Note: you can also give the job to the VP (just put it in the job description).

Advantage: Even

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Do I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to $&^@*% amuse you? Tabby in hat by Shutterstock.com.

4. Campaigning for the president

The only thing bringing a cat on the campaign trail will get you is hissing and lawsuits. A dog, however, will roll through the crowd like tipsy George McGovern, shaking hands and licking babies and eating all the food. 

Advantage: dog

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I'm a good boy, lemme campaign! I'm a good boy, lemme campaign! Cute puppy by Shutterstock.com.

5. Playing with the president

What kind of president do you want to be seen as? The kind who throws a tennis ball across the great lawn like Dwight Evans firing it home from deep center? Or the kind who sits in a chair and watches his cat sit in a box?

Advantage: unclear (check polling) 

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Want to watch me eat something? Cat on flag by Shutterstock.com.

And the Winner Is ...

Cat!

(Results are final. All disagreements are invalid.)

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Baxter drapes himself on soft furniture.

Part of the reason for outlining this code comes from Catster's parent company, SAY Media. (It also runs the publications ReadWriteWeb, Remodelista, and xoJane.) Our company culture stresses the importance of point of view -- how, without standing up and championing something, a publication fails to stand for anything at all, and it doesn't do much to get people talking or thinking about anything they do.

People often ask what our point of view is, and it's not simple to articulate. Not because we have no point of view at Catster; quite the contrary. We are fiercely opinionated when it comes to dog and cat issues, so it's difficult to just pick one and say "There, that's what we stand for," and be done with it. Plus, it's a complex world, and all the relationships among people, animals, big commercial interests, laws, nature, science, personal economics, and lots of things we're leaving out allow for some disagreement and some nuance. Plus, we're in the information business, and one of the things a journalist has to abide is that you're never done learning. Keep asking questions. And if new sources bring you information you didn't know before, it's okay to change your mind.

A good starting point is the image below that Janine put together for a presentation to tell other people in our company about our two sites. It summarizes -- or at least introduces -- some of our main values nicely. It worked well that day, so we'll use it here too.

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To borrow words from Janine, "It doesn't come close to addressing [our] stand on every last dog and cat issue out there; nor does it get us closer to a definitive point of view when it's lumped together like this." Just the same, it did lead us to five messages we believe are important enough to clarify and explain at some length below. So the next time someone asks you what those crazy kids at Catster HQ believe, you'll have the answer in five easy bullet points.

5 Things We Believe at Catster

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Keith and Baxter, they do have their rituals.

1. A cat is not an "it" or a "that." A cat is a "who."

Keith says: Cats are our friends. Literally. When I was young, my family moved a lot, so I spent a lot of time alone. It made me strong in a lot of ways, and it also showed me to value the real connections in my life because some are weaker than they appear and others are fleeting. One of my first such connections was with an orange tabby I named Topper. His love and companionship were one constant in an ever-changing world that could be pretty scary. Since then I've lived with nine cats (not simultaneously), and I've been honorary kitty daddy to about that many others.

I've learned that cats keep us company after tiring days at work. They help us through hard times after a breakup or a death. Caring for them makes us happy and helps rebuild our broken hearts. Cats make us laugh just by being themselves, and when we discover them living in desperate situations, they can take hold of us with such a fierce grip that we bring them home. Cats depend on us for food, shelter, and medical attention, sure, but we're also their primary sources for love -- something we all need. These are real relationships. So of course a cat is a "who," not an "it."

2. We care immensely about where you get your next pet, and we think you should care, too.

Vicky says: It never occurred to me to do anything other than get my cats from shelters or rescues. When I was a kid, our vet took in litters of strays and offered them out, which is how we got our first three.

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When I was a kid, no farm kittens were safe. I'd scoop them up and smooch them.

Some of my cats just walked into my life -- and yes, I checked to see whether they had owners or microchips. I suspect Frisbee belonged to an elderly neighbor who passed away. He was so handsome and fluffy that he had clearly not been stray or lost for long. One day he was sitting on the stoop and the next he was hanging out in our kitchen, demanding to be fed. Meanwhile, Miss Uppity Tibbs moved in after her owners got a dog. (When she visited them wearing her new collar, they wrote to us saying they were glad she had found a happier home with us.)

Keith says: The horrors of kitten mills and the need to curb overpopulation by spaying and neutering didn't occur to me when I was young. The cats I had as a kid came from people in the neighborhood whose cats had kittens -- which is one step better than a pet store, but still problematic, I see now.

It was my first pet-store cat as a young adult who opened my eyes. This adorable gray-and-white kitten named Junior died within two months from an incurable blood disorder. When I protested to the person working at the store where I got him, he said sadly, "This happens a lot." Then I set about learning why it happens a lot -- kitten mills -- and also about the huge feral population and the unthinkable percentage of cats in shelters who get euthanized rather than adopted. "So many are out there," it occurred to me. "Why do people intentionally make more?" Since then all my cats have come from shelters or, in the case of Tiger Lily, the streets.

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Petra is a little linebacker of a kitty.

3. We champion adoption. 

Vicky says: We understand that you might want an adorable kitten or young cat next time rather than a raggedy, grumpy, less-cute, older cat who might require thousands of dollars in vet bills. (Oh, how we've been there.) We won't judge you, because we're just glad that every kitty, young or old, who goes home from the shelter leaves a space for another one.

Our aim is to educate people, not scold them -- and we still have a long way to go, as Petfinder founder Betsy Saul estimates that 40 percent of pets in the U.S. today are from mills. So that's why there's an entire section of the Catster site dedicated to adoption, and that's why we run articles about the amazing people who foster, rescue, and shelter cats and are completely devoted to helping as many of them as possible lead happy lives in new forever homes. Read, for example, "Meet the Happy Kitties of Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary." Or "Big-Cat Caretaker Dana Fredsti Still Finds Time for the Kittens." Or "Catster Heroes: Texas Real Estate Agent Becomes Cat Rescuer." 

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Vicky and the Velvet Lamb, a former feral kitten.

4. We believe harming cats is criminal and should be condemned by society as such. 

We know that we have a long way to go, based on the simple fact of the reports we bring you on the atrocities humans are capable of inflicting on animals. Janine invokes Mohandas Gandhi's quote, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." While such stories can be disturbing to read, we think it's vital to share them with Catster readers. By giving them a wider exposure, we hope to inspire others to act and prevent cruelty to animals.

5. We believe we can help you become a better pet parent (or owner or slave or chief of staff ... whatever you want to call yourself).

In between bringing you adorable videos, heartwarming interviews, and pictures of chic cat stuff, we want to give you solid, useful advice from experts and experienced cat parents alike. We know that everyone from beginners to seasoned pet pros reads Catster articles, so our mission is to have items of interest for both the enthusiast and the novice.

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Frisbee hopped the fence at Christmas 2001 and moved in immediately.

Dr. Eric Barchas' "Ask a Vet" column is going strong (he was Catster's very first blogger years ago!). Regular columnists JaneA Kelley and Dorian Wagner (our very own Crazy Cat Lady) bring news and good advice, while we have guest writers and regulars every day of the week, talking about every angle of taking care for your kitty and making sure she has a long, happy life. And, of course, we invite you, the reader, to share your stories in the Catster Confessional series. 

Anyway, there you have it. These are our values here at Catster, naked as a newborn kitten. Now we'd love to hear what your values are when it comes to your cats -- or pets in general. 

Vicky Walker is Catster and Dogster's managing editor. Read her full bio and recent stories.

Keith Bowers is Catster and Dogster's associate editor. Read his full bio and recent stories. 

This story is real. "Sally" is a friend of mine.

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Suitcases, cat carrier and teddy bear by Shutterstock

This kind of situation is entirely too common. A national survey of domestic violence survivors reported that up to 48 percent of domestic violence victims will delay their departure from an abusive relationship -- or refuse to leave altogether -- because they’re afraid to leave their pets or livestock behind. And almost 85 percent of women entering domestic violence shelters reported that their partner had threatened, injured, or killed their pets.

The Harbor House emergency domestic violence shelter has decided to take action to deal with this critical problem. In October, the central Florida shelter will open its Paws for Peace Kennel, a 1,500-square-foot building that will feature an examination room, grooming area, 10 kennels for dogs and 10 for cats, as well as spaces for ferrets, birds, hamsters, and other “pocket pets.”

This makes Harbor House the only shelter in central Florida to ensure that no family member is left behind in an abusive home.

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Mother, son and cats by Shutterstock

The Paws for Peace Kennel is being constructed on a model provided by Sheltering Animals and Families Together (SAF-T), a Washington, D.C.-based organization whose mission is to guide domestic violence shelters on how to house families together with their pets.

The concept for SAF-T was created by Allie Phillips. She worked as a prosecuting attorney in Michigan in the late 1990s, when she saw a domestic violence victim who chose to stay with her abuser in order to keep her dogs and goat safe. In 2004 she began educating criminal justice professionals on the importance of sheltering domestic violence victims’ family pets, and headed a nationwide initiative for sheltering victims and pets through a national organization. The hosting organization discontinued the program in 2010, but Phillips knew this life-saving work had to continue -- so she founded SAF-T.

Today, more than 70 shelters throughout the U.S. allow pets on-site, and the program is growing. SAF-T offers a start-up guide for shelters that want to house pets at their facilities and is willing to work individually with shelters to get them started.

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Pets provide a sense of normalcy in the chaos of fleeing an abusive relationship. Girl holding cat by Shutterstock

If you are a victim of domestic violence and you need a shelter where you can bring your pets, check out the list at SAF-T’s website. (Warning: unlike most domestic violence agencies’ websites, SAF-T’s page does not have an “emergency exit” button, so be safe.)

If you work with domestic violence advocacy issues, in any capacity, you too should look at the list. If there isn’t a shelter in your state, perhaps you could work with agencies to open one. This is an idea whose time has long since come.

Sources: Orlando Sentinel, Harbor House, and Sheltering Animals and Families Together

Below is a firsthand account from someone who works at the hotels. Most of the cats have been trapped (and rescued and relocated to other areas by Orlando group, CARE Feline TNR), but several cats remain on the property. The author has asked to remain anonymous to protect his job and the cats. Here's his story from behind enemy lines...  -Dorian

People wonder why "cat lovers," as Loews Portofino and Royal Pacific Hotels at Universal Orlando stigmatized us, would want to work at such a horrendous place that seems to actually hate cats. My answer: Because I figure someone should be on the inside to feed and care for the cats and be an informer for the other cat lovers in the world. 

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There's even a mural featuring a cat. Ironic, no?

During my staff orientation, we were shown artwork of cats throughout the hotel and told we would see them wandering the property. Loews liked having cats around to maintain the feel of the real Portofino, Italy, where cats roam free. The job itself is no joy, working in public areas and cleaning up after guests and coworkers, but the shift is decent and the wildlife and outdoor work are a bonus. 

Not long after I started, I noticed a cat or two in the guest parking garage. I was told to tell George Ricci, a Loews bellman, because he was the Cat Guy. I had no idea how much so at first. 

Then one day, I found food left on the ground in the garage for the cats. I later discovered the food supply and started leaving food out during my shift.  After a while, the food was replaced with dishes and even little wood mansions that engineers at the hotel built for cats that even matched the Italian-style theme of  the property.

George made signs and placed one next to each mansion, warning guests not to approach the cats and a with a statement about the TNR program. By that time, George had dubbed me Property Manager. Loews was not paying for any of this -– it all came out of employees' pockets – but they knew it was going on and allowed it.

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Gracie (RIP) at one of the feeding stations.

Gracie, a Siamese who hung out in the garage, was the queen of the hotel -- she was so friendly with everyone, purring and rubbing against us when we came to feed her. When she tragically died in April, George and I held a sweet little ceremony after our shift and put her to rest. 

I saw eight cats on the property and discovered George had begun a TNR program. I was asked to check in on a new litter of kittens and their mama in the "Happy Room," an electrical room in the hotel we were allowed to use to keep kittens found on the property until they were ready to be adopted and adult cats recovering from being spayed and neutered. George and I stopped in after work every day for two or three hours, caring for these adorable kittens. It made the day so much better, having kittens run around and then collapse in your lap to nap. 

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Whose heart wouldn't melt at a sight like this?

Those were the good days, caring for these cats and getting them into forever homes. We had a charity car wash that raised enough to cover all the vet bills to get the kittens fixed and vaccinated. Those were our two rules for adoptions: the cats had to be fixed, and they could never be declawed.

When a new manager came in, we lost the Happy Room, but we kept feeding the cats. The rumor was that our new regional manager hated the cats and wanted the program to stop. 

At the start of January, traps were put out right next to the feeding stations. The new management had decided the cats we'd be caring for for years suddenly had to go. They hired a company to trap the cats and told everyone the cats would be "relocated" to animal control. Everyone knows what usually happens to feral cats there. Employees were also forbidden from feeding the cats. Our hearts were breaking: Management were trying to remove beloved cats who were so well taken care of. The fight was on.

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George had quit, so he became the spokesman for the cats and their caretakers since he could speak freely. Many brave volunteers continued feeding and monitoring the cats -- and by next day, many of the traps went missing. 

At the same time, a media frenzy of bad publicity was spreading fast online. Several news stories were published and Loews Hotels staff had to delete hundreds of nasty comments from their Facebook page daily. The pest control company even charged Loews for the missing traps. 

After several weeks, hotel management temporarily removed the traps and promised to look at "humane" ways to remove the cats. They asked the public for suggestions, but then decided none of them were viable. On March 29, the traps returned. Staff were informed that a new company policy stated that anyone caught feeding any cat would be fired immediately. They used the excuse of the cats being a health threat.

We knew it was war -- and so we fought back. We contacted our cat-loving friends throughout the media, and the Save Loews Cats Facebook page was created. More news stories were published and more people voiced outrage. Alley Cat Allies even organized a protest across the street from Loews. And again, two traps disappeared.

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One of the kittens getting taken care of in the Happy Room.

Loews has posted security staff near traps and installed motion sensor cameras to prevent us from feeding the cats or tampering with traps. We are worried about the cats being starved and neglected and torn from the only homes they have known. And it makes us sad, because most employees at Portofino don't seem to understand why we are upset, because "they're just cats" -- and they think the cats are just being removed, when they actually have nowhere else to go. (Luckily a group called CARE Feline TNR in Orlando, who helped build the TNR program at Loews, has stepped up to bail out any Loews cats who end up at animal control. Unfortunately, finding them homes is not as easy once they are bailed out.)

Most of all, I am shocked that Loews' higher-ups are letting the situation continue. We were visited by Comcast Universal's and Loews' owners and the new CEO, who I was hoping would at least ask the regional manager what he is thinking. I estimate the company has spent nearly $100,000 on extra security guards and PR staff, pest control, and the rooms and food and drinks given to the pest control company -- never mind the loss of hotel reservations caused by bad press. That's around $5,000 per cat. Yet it goes on. 

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Another trap hidden in the foliage.

I know there are many people out there willing to fight the fight for the cats. There may be millions more indifferent and uncaring and looking at dollar signs. But I want Loews' management to know that it takes just one person with a bad experience to tell 10 people. They will tell 10 more, and so on, and next thing you know you have a petition signed by 31,000 people on your desk, dozens of protesters outside your doors, and thousands more not wanting to do business with you anymore.

If you want to help these cats, please follow Save Loews Cats page and CARE Feline TNR on Facebook. Several of the Loews cats are still looking for permanent new homes (Skinny Boy, for example, is a super-friendly cute cat who would be great indoors!) and there are a few who would also make great barn cats.  And, please, when you're looking at places to stay, stay away from Loews.

There would be a scratching post in every home, tuna fish on every table, warm laundry fresh out of the drier for every cat to sleep in, sunny spots before every window, and mandatory cat naps throughout the day -- not to mention more funding for every cat shelter. All work would be conducted at midnight for about one hour when cats are notorious for running in circles around the living room, and debates would be settled by arching one's back and hissing and growling until someone backed down without ever coming to blows. Our world would be a lot more peaceful and lot more adorable.

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Fat Cat is a Renaissance man who engages in art as well as politics. Image by Svetlana Petrova.

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What's Hank's stance on bowties?: adorable. Image via Hank for Senate's Facebook page.

While human world leaders are busy bickering and slinging egos around, two cats are making a unified effort to create a better world for kitties at the Rzhevka Animal Shelter in St. Petersburg, Russia. You might recall Zarthustra, the tubby ginger kitty who ran for President of Russia, as well as Hank the Cat, who is running for Senator in Virginia. Zarthustra -- also known as Fat Cat -- unfortunately lost to Vladimir Putin (it was close!), but he didn't lose his commitment to a better cat world.

While Hank plans to donate all his campaign money to help out shelter cats in Russia, Fat Cat's human companion and artist, Svetlana Petrova, designed a $2 bill reimagining what history might have been like had our founding fathers included their cats in the creation of the United States and our currency. The bill includes the images of Fat Cat and Hank. You can't actually buy anything with the money, but you'll certainly help kitties.

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"Exchanging" your US dollars for Kitty Currency helps shelter cats in Russia! Artwork by Svetlana Petrova.

Via InventorSpot, Hank for Senate, and Great Artists' Mews

But cats should be restrained, too. And New Jersey law enforcement officers will make sure your cat is buckled up just like you should be.

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"OMG, here come the cops! Quick, hide!" Cat in truck by Shutterstock

Police and animal control officers can now cite drivers with unrestrained animals in the car. Violators will face fines from $250 to $1,000 for each offense. Drivers could also be charged with disorderly conduct under New Jersey's animal cruelty statutes.

While some New Jersey residents think the law is ridiculous and overreaching, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission head Ray Martinez says the new law is meant to reduce distracted driving.

“People actually driving with a dog or a cat on their laps -- it’s not cute," he says. "It’s actually dangerous for the driver. It’s dangerous for other drivers and it’s dangerous for that pet.”

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Cat in carrier by Shutterstock

For me, keeping my cats restrained in the car is simple common sense. Even if my cats enjoyed traveling so much that they'd sit on the deck behind the back seat, I'd still restrain them properly and safely.

Why?

If I had to make an emergency stop or if I got in an accident, an unrestrained cat would become a projectile. A car accident is bad enough without having to bear the guilt of causing the grievous injury or death of a beloved cat. Even if the cat wasn't injured or killed, she could escape in a panic and I might never see her again.

And let's not even go into the possibilities of curious or stressed cats getting under the pedals while I'm driving, or fleeing the car in an unfamiliar area when I open the door ...

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"OMG, kitteh! Click it or ticket!" Cat in toy car by Shutterstock

Alas, common sense isn't very common -- which is one reason why these kind of no-brainer issues end up getting codified into law. If people just stopped being so stupid, we could undo a lot of the "ridiculous and overreaching" laws currently on the books.

What do you think? Is the click it or ticket law for pets a good idea? Have you changed your mind about restraining your pets or talked other people into doing the safe thing for their feline friends?

Source: CBS 3 News, Philadelphia