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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Urgent Update: Loews Orlando Hotels Set Traps for Cats

URGENT UPDATE: (This is an update to an alert that Riverfront Cats uncovered and broadcasted in January)

Loews Hotel has hired Critter Control and TODAY set traps on all three properties (Loews Portofino, Loews Royal Pacific, and Hard Rock hotels) to trap the cats and take them to OCAS (Orange County Animal Services where they will be killed.

FACT: Traps were set today on all three properties by Critter Control.

FACT: Critter Control of Orlando specializes in removal wildlife animals, not feral cats! (we do not know yet if Critter Control is properly licensed to trap cats). http://orlando.crittercontrol.com/

FACT: Loews NEVER consulted with animal experts. Loews never returned the phone calls, emails, letters of animal authorities such as Alley Cat Allies.

FACT: Loews stated reasons associated with wildlife animals which are very different from free-roaming cats.


FACT: "Feral cat" does not mean it's aggressive. On the contrary, they are skiddish of strangers. These cats are more outdoor pets. They have a home, shelter, know the caretakers and have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated and dewormed. Feral in this sense means they do not adapt to indoors and boundaries of walls.

FACT: Loews and City of Orlando have never had a reported case of disease or injury related to a well- managed cat colony that were all sterilized and rabies vaccinated.

FACT: Loews faces much higher risk by allowing domesticated pets inside the property with close contact to children and other guests. Just this past January one dog of a guest, attacked and KILLED the dog of another guest at the Royal Pacific.

FACT: The leader of this effort to help the cats, his employer and the community, was a bellman, George Ricci,  who felt compelled to leave his job in order to protect the cats and mostly to educate the public about this cause. The general public has little to no knowledge about free-roaming cats. There are many misconceptions.

FACT: Employees cared for the cats on their own time and money! This was a free service employees provided to their employer.

FACT: The CEO, Jonathon Tisch, promotes good citizenship, yet is threatening employees with their jobs for following a proven model embraced by animal welfare organizations, businesses, and communities across the United States including Disney! The practice is called TNRM. Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage.


Please call the hotel and ask to speak with manager (407- 503-1234). Let him or her know you have a complaint. Don't give specifics to phone taker. Just demand to speak to manager and ask:  

1. Why didn't management consult with any animal experts? Animal Control specializes in removing dead animals, not the "congregation and habits of wildlife animals" .

2. Why didn't management return any communications from animal and cat authorities like Alley Cat Allies?

3. Does he/she know distinction between an opossum and free-roaming cat?

4. Why are they abandoning something that worked? If Disney has done it for many years, why can't Loews?  There is higher risk of harm and injury from domesticated pets inside hotel. Or higher risk of someone slipping on floor.


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Charlie Brown is ready for Adoption

UPDATE:Charlie Brown was adopted!!!
Meet Charlie Brown, the newest Riverfront cat that was sadly dumped in the neighborhood.

Charlie clearly had a caretaker as he soon warmed up to the volunteer feeders. But not all outdoor cats are adoptable for indoors. There was only one way to find out.  Within a few days, Charlie has adjusted to living indoors. Even more it is believed he may be part American Curl cat. These are cats known for two things.

First their ears. While most have slight curl or curve, they are shorter than most cats.  Charlie's ears do not have the curl but are definitely shorter. Even more fascinating, his ears point forward and sideways like antennas when he hears a noise. 


Second, American  Curls have qualities other than the whimsical ears to make them attractive pets. They are people cats that do not show any of the stereotypical aloofness, and are affectionate without harassing people for attention the way some breeds can. Charlie exhibits this quality. You can easily pick him up and place him on your lap or next to you and he curls up like a baby and welcomes you to pet him.

Feel free to change his name. Other ideas for names include "Detroit" because he's a soft purring engine when you pet him nonstop. Or "Jiminy Cricket" because his ears move like antennas of an insect.

Charlie is neutered, tested negative to feline Aids and leukemia and received both rabies and other shots. All medical paperwork available upon adoption.

His current foster family is moving out of the country and would love to keep him as they fell in love with Charlie and his personality and ears... but he would have to be quarantined for months! So if you adopt him in next three weeks, the fee is only $35. After April 23, the fee is $75.

To meet Charlie Brown, please send email to riverfrontcats@yahoo.com

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Carrie Ann Inaba Helps Shelter Cats


She's sexy, eloquent, a celebrity (judge on Dancing with the Stars) and has SIX cats plus a dog! We first heard Carrie Ann Inaba declare she's a cat lady as guest host on Live with Kelly. She's proud of it and went on to educate viewers how rescuing homeless cats changed her life. But now we learn she's doing more! Could Carrie Ann become the celebrity spokesperson for homeless cats? WE HOPE SO!

Today we learned she's the producer of an upcoming web show Crib Cat that will air on Petsami’s YouTube channel, starting in March. The series will feature adoptable shelter cats handpicked by Inaba, who hopes to reduce the overall number of cats in shelters.

In a blog post on ecorazzi,
 Inaba has partnered with the Best Friends Animal Society and PETA in the past, and has more animal-friendly ventures on the horizon. In May, she’ll host the Humane Society’s Genesis Awards, which will air on Animal Planet. And when she and Sloan tie the knot later this year, their pets will be part of the ceremony. She says, “They’re so much a part of our family that they have to be involved.”

Click on the link above for the full story.

 We look forward to the upcoming show in March and following Carrie Ann's progress in saving felines and also overturning misconceptions about "cat ladies". Here's to a new breed of SEXY CAT LADIES!