Rags to Riches is here!

Rags to Riches Contest

Celebrating victories in pet welfare

 

  

Some time ago we announced the Rags to Riches concept. The world and work of pet rescue and care is a heavy cross to bear and the emotional and physical anguish far outweigh the victories. Yet the volunteers, with a genuine love for these innocent creatures, continue giving of themselves without regret, without hesitation.

When a pet survives an accident, or when a difficult-to-place pet is finally adopted, we are overcome with joy.  We felt it was just as important to celebrate these few victories for a couple of reasons. First, to further raise awareness of the gravity of the plight of homeless pets and how each of us can help reverse the trend. Also, to motivate and uplift those handful of soldiers who through their sweat, blood and tears made it all possible to give life to a pet that was unwanted. We all  need a ray of sunshine to keep going.

So when we have a victory, thanks to your donations or for adopting a pet, we want to give back.   Thanks to donations of individuals or companies, Riverfront Cats/Pawsitively Humane will give back to you with wonderful gifts both small and large.  If you would like to make a gift donation for this contest, feel free to reach us at RiverfrontCats@yahoo.com (for cat related)  or PawsitivelyHumane@yahoo.com (for dog only issues or dog and cat stories).

So let the celebration begin! And now we have our first contest!  It's a big one. See the next posting...

Rags to Riches - Tiffany

Rags to Riches Contest

Celebrating Tiffany's Adoption

 with a Tiffany Necklace Giveaway

For the inaugural contest of Rags to Riches we are celebrating big and in style!  In celebration of our first black cat, Tiffany, getting adopted, we are giving away a Tiffany necklace! First, please take a moment to read Tiffany's story and then enter the contest and share with others!

Tiffany's Story

Tiffany is a stray, black cat and was over a year old when she was finally adopted.  Adult black cats are the most challenging pet adoptions.  So when Tiffany was finally adopted, her new mother was surprised to learn this fact about black cats and offered to donate this necklace to encourage other animal lovers to adopt black cats and dogs. Yvonne, her mother was captivated by her exotic look--the stunning eyes and silky black coat.  

Tiffany was an outdoor, friendly cat.  We took in Tiffany to save her from electrocution. You see her mother and then brother found shelter and warmth in the transformer room at the neighboring Florida Power & Light yard during cold winter nights. We assumed she would be happier in a home with no extreme heat and humidity, less ants and regular food.  However, Tiffany, already a year old, did not appear any happier living indoors especially in a condo.  You see sometimes bringing an outdoor cat inside, you take away their freedom to run freely, climb trees, chase away birds. In observing Tiffany there was a trace of sadness in her eyes and body language.  Overall she was better off but on the 40th floor there were no birds this high to watch, no trees to climb, no room to run carefree with her energy. She missed playing with her brother. Chaz Leroy still remains outside, the spitting image of his sister.

RAGS: Tiffany BEFORE photo  when living outside

RICHES: Tiffany AFTER photo  living indoors

Thankfully a kind person in Baltimore, MD took an interest in Tiffany. Yvonne had just taken in another cat that was abandoned in the neighborhood (the cat had a microchip; the listed phone number was disconnected). This was Yvonne's first cat. She never took in a stray cat and called us for guidance. This "Tasmanian devil with high energy" was anointed Taz. Once Taz was comfortably living in his new home, it was apparent that Taz needed a playmate. Checking in with Yvonne and Taz's progress, I mentioned our latest rescue, Tiffany, a black cat.   In learning about her story and looking at her photos on this website, Yvonne immediately connected with this black kitty. She was not afraid of black cats or have any averse or delayed reaction! So when I explained that adult black cats are the least adopted, the decision was made. Tiffany would have a permanent home immediately. Arrangements were made to transport Tiffany to Baltimore, Maryland. 

After her first airplane ride, Tiffany quickly adjusted and is thoroughly enjoying her new two story home, with plenty of room to zip and run up and down the stairs (often chased by her suitor Taz) and climbing a three-tier cat condo. Yvonne placed it in her living room next to the largest window where Taz and Tiffany gaze at the birds and squirrels.  Thankfully Tiffany is back to her happy self.

Tiffany top right, Taz left at their home in Baltimore, MD

Tiffany looking out the window

For those of you who follow this blog, you'll recall that Tiffany was the winner of the nationwide Best Black Cat photo contest sponsored by Best Friend Animal Society in 2009.  You see stray cats make the best pets and companions.  We love happy endings and that is why we are celebrating!

We have other black cats for adoption as well. Please visit this link to view our special, adoptable cats.
And now for the contest!

THE CONTEST

The contest is open to anyone in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia and the European Union.

To win the necklace, leave a comment on any posting on this blog. You are permitted up to 5 comments (but each comment must be on a separate post) and will receive one entry per comment.  Be sure to include your email address in the comment so we know how to reach you!

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RiverfrontCats (one entry).

Contest ends at 11pm EST October 12, 2012 and will be announced the following week. 

Good luck!

In Tough Times, Inspiration is Near

by Christine Michaels

During this election season, we are often reminded of tough economic times  in terms of job loss, struggles to pay bills, affording medical care...

As a victim of corporate layoffs more than once, the rollercoaster was no joyride, especially as a single female I never depended on anyone to survive. Like the Miami summers, I had periods of sun and prosperity followed by dark clouds and difficult times  Thankfully I have the most incredible mother who taught me that hard work, faith and appreciating the simple things in life, will lead you to greater things-- accomplishments you may not have imagined.

It's often those things which we take for granted or don't fully understand or appreciate that give us the strength and power to overcome obstacles. It happened for me and others.

What does this have to do with cats, you wonder? Good question. True stories of despair turned triumphant motivate and inspire us.  Therefore, I would like to recommend to pick up a special book  The Chronicles of Zee and Zoey.

This is the story of one woman, Deb Barnes, who lost her job. But her hardships were a string of them that started years before.  However, Deb found the silver lining in this dark period that propelled her to where she is today that she  is now a highly respected author and blogger.  It's just a matter of time before talk show giants like Ellen DeGeneres are knocking on her door.  Would this have happened had she not lost her job? Perhaps not. Her inspiration--her cats Zee and Zoey! Who would have thought!

Erma Bombeck meets Seinfeld Show

 The story itself is an inspirational and heartfelt account of  Deb's life with her furry felines, the invaluable lessons they taught her, and the love story between Zee and Zoey. Deb writes with the humorous style of the late Erma Bombeck, combined with the uncanny ability of Seinfeld Show – turning the everyday nothing’s of life into an incredible story about something! Discussing  real topics as divorce, moving, home renovations, and unemployment, anyone can relate to her trials and tribulation. 

Not to mention, the book comes beautifully wrapped with leopard tissue paper and a gorgeous bookmark that makes a great gift for any cat lover in your life.

 I highly recommend this book! And if you say you're not a cat person, you will love this book even more! Deb also had many dogs and you'll follow her journey from dog owner to Cat Woman! You will smile, cry and laugh and laugh some more. 

To order your copy of Zee and Zoey, click her. Enjoy!

Sweetie & Berrie

Two loving, black cats lost mother to ovarian cancer

Sweetie & Berrie are in empty house and need new home

"My mommy is gone. The house is empty.
My brother and I are alone and scared."

LOCATION: Miami, FL

UPDATE:  November 2012 Sweetie & Berrie have a new, loving home. A happy ending for two black cats.

Sweetie & Berrie are two black, declawed cats that lost their mother, Marlene Ristine,  to ovarian cancer. She learned about it in November of last year and after fighting a tough battle it metastitized to the liver and she recently passed away this month.

Sweetie & Berrie are by themselves in now in an empty house, without their mother, and without any furniture. Their anxiety is growing. Soon they will be without a home. A kind angel is visiting and feeding them daily but the house is now up for sale.  The clock is ticking for these two gorgeous black cats.

Sweetie is about 7-8 year old fluffy cat. She is a sweetheart and welcomes scratches on the head and will snuggle with you.

Sweetie waking up from nap in her favorite chair

Berrie is a 5-6 year old male who loves to be petted and to play like most active boys.  Especially with any toy with a string.

"Where is everything? Where's my mommy?"

Both cats have been around dogs in the past. Sweetie & Berrie are litter trained and declawed.  They are wonderful pets and companions.

Marlene was an active volunteer in many ways, after retiring as a nurse. She volunteered at the police department, for the March of Dimes and tirelessly helped the Cat Network. She rescued many cats and dogs and found them homes. Now it's time for the community to give back to Marlene.

Please share this posting with all your friends. To meet Sweetie & Berrie, please contact Eli Ristine at 305-978-0388 or 305-443-8473. 

20/20 Kitty Cam Segment

  20/20 segment "Kitty Cam" one-sided 

Falsely portrays pet cats as serial killers

 

This past Friday, 20/20 (an ABC news program) aired an hour long segment called "The Camera Doesn't Lie" with various topics. One segment was called "Kitty Cam" where cameras were affixed like collars to outdoor pet cats to track their activity. At first we thought this was going to be light-hearted and show cat musings and antics.  However, for cat educators like myself, the final report was far from comic relief. It highlighted cats as serial killers.

Sadly, the segment was grossly misleading. The reporter interviewed George Fenwick, the president of American Bird Conservancy (ABC). According to George Fenwick,  cats are responsible for the extinction of 33 bird species (but couldn't name two in prior interviews) and for killing 1.2 billion birds. Just last month that number was 500 million. George--why the big jump in one month? Maybe George has had one too many Cat Nip-tinis. (Or maybe he needs one!)

The program showed some cats attacking and killing birds. Yes cats are instinctive predators. But pet cats that are well fed killing mass birds? Not at all! What the program failed to clarify is that in one week, 55 cats  killed 5 birds.  ABC (the bird group) has yet to conduct and publish scientifically reliable studies about cat activity on the mass declining bird population. Other reliable studies have scientifically proven that declining bird populations are due to urbanization, pesticides, acid rain, pollution, and other causes.

Unfortunately, 20/20 failed to conduct any in-depth, professional research nor did they interview any cat experts. Therefore the story was one-sided and not well balanced.  Many of us work extremely hard to overturn misconceptions and educate the public about cats. But when segments like this are ill-reported, it sets us back. Therefore, we need your help.

Please sign this petition requesting ABC news to report the facts about cats and a well balanced report

Also, please share your concerns directly with ABC News through their online form.

Thank you for helping to educate residents across America and make a difference!

Here are helpful links on the subject:
Alley Cat Allies issued a press release on the 20/20 segment.

Peter Wolf (Cat Man) of VoxFelina is the outdoor cat expert when it comes to studies.Peter judiciously reads, studies, examines every study, press release, journal...every medium about outdoor cats.
  Aug 6, 2012 Kitty Cams and PR Scams
  Aug 7, 2012 Kitty Cams and PR Scams BINGO
  Aug 9, 2012 More Kitty Cams and PR Scams
 

Disabled Vet Passes Away

DISABLED VET PASSES AWAY

LEAVES SIX LOVING, AFFECTIONATE CATS

We often say, "I'd like to give back to the American men and women that serve in the military".  Indeed they give up so much and ask for nothing in return. How can you help? Well if you love pets, here's how.

Sadly a disabled veteran, Beverly,  has passed away. She had 12 cats and a service dog.  Therefore, as you can imagine, we are working hard to find homes for them. The good news is that six cats and the service dog have new homes. But now we need to find homes for the remaining six cats. Because Beverly was home all the time, the cats are very affectionate.

Below are the names of each cat and a description. They are current on all shots and are micro-chipped. The cats are located in ORLANDO, FLORIDA. Please contact Ruth Labrie, (407) 855-9417 or (407) 744-4189.

Please consider adopting an adult cat. There are many benefits: they don't tear up your home like kittens and you know their personality and temperament.

Joy and Jesse are sister and brother and were bottle fed by Beverly since they were kittens. They are very attached to one another and the goal is to keep them together. Both are very affectionate and want  lots of attention.

Joy- 5 years young; a gray tortoise shell

Jesse- (Joy's brother), 5 years young; all gray

Hope is 4 years young and loves to eat treats (as you can see below) and loves to play.

Hope, gorgeous black kitty

Morris is a handsome, white and orange cat. He's 2 years young and loves attention and to be groomed. His favorite activity is to play with running water.

Morris

Mr. Weebles is 3 years young and loves people, attention, and lots of affection. With a name like that, he could be your new butler!

Mr. Weebles

Onyx is another all black cat and he is 5 years young. He had throat surgery as a kitten and when he meows, it sounds like a whisper.  Onyx he's a big boy like Morris and they are best buddies and play together. 

Onyx

Thank you for taking the time to learn about these special cats. Veterans need our support even after they pass away. Let's help their families, fur families, just as they served our country.

International Cat Video Festival

Can you believe the first ever International Cat Video Festival was a worldwide sensation?! Of course we know! 

The camera just loves cats with their agility and flexibility prowess, endless antics, and extreme intelligence. It's no wonder they are a digital and cultural phenomena that is shared a million times over--more than celebrities. Sorry Justin Beiber.

Hosted in Minneapolis, MN at the Walker's Art Center, one of the nation’s most prominent institutions of contemporary art, this was the first cat film festival dedicated completely to cat videos.  The idea for the festival was born from an an associate at the museum, who suggested it early this year as a sort of joke. By spring her bosses came to believe that it would be a good fit with the Walker’s Open Field initiative, which calls for experimental public programming, often free, on the lawn. From its inception to its closing credits, this was an online meme made flesh (and fur).

The submission process went viral with 10,000 entries within a couple of months. Even the number of attendees doubled their projections and over 10,000 attendees packed the lawn of the museum, spilling over onto sidewalks across the street. 

As the panel of judges narrowed down their list of winners, they soon learned that some cat finalists had agents. Keyboard Cat and Nyan Cat are the more famous online cats. LilBub was surrounded by photographers and fans asking for pawtographs.

Who were some of the winners? No surprise that Maru, the cat from Japan, known for its affinity of cardboard boxes, walked away with a Golden Kitty award.

Below is the winner of the  People's Choice award  "Henri, Paw de Deux" 





Our friend and fellow cat-advocate, Katie and Glogirly (Katie is the Cat, Glogirly is her owner's nickname) received an honorable mention for Real Housecats Season 2; Episode 2 


Katie is a witty and sassy kitty. She's fast rising to cat stardom. Be sure to follow her and view her other videos! Katie--we hope you'll remember us average cats.

Meet Venus, two colored face

Meet Venus the cat! The two colored facial fur and eyes are real! This is NOT Photoshopped. She is a chimera--which does not refer to the type of cat but instead signifies a mutation of genes.

Since this photo appeared, commentators swore this photo was Photoshopped or altered. To prove Venus is a real cat the owner created a video.  See below!   In just a few days the number of hits on YouTube are close to 800,000 at the time of this posting.




Venus was a feral cat living on a farm. Neighbors were struck by her features and decided to adopt her and she blended in with the owner's other cats. We love happy endings.  

CLICK HERE to learn how you can help homeless cats! 

Here is a video of Venus and Christina's appearance of the Today Show. 

 

Shop Away to Help Homeless Pets

Retailers, shoppers & shelters UNITE to help homeless pets 

No more feeling guilty or powerless from reading the countless stories about sick or injured kitties: Sophie, a two pound kitten,  who's leg was amputated; Lion King who was starving to death because he could not eat food due to infected tooth and gums. Kittens and cats trapped inside a crumbling building, spaying/neutering a colony of harmless cats....The vet bills add up fast! Most of us are on a budget and have demanding schedules. So then you wonder, "How can I possibly help homeless pets?" Well just by shopping online at your favorite retailers, a percentage automatically goes to Riverfront Cats you can make a difference! It's that easy! Read on!!!

AMAZON --America's favorite online retailer

Amazon is the largest online retailer for everything from electronics, to home furnishings, to kitchen utensils to beauty and fashion must haves to pet food and supplies. Anytime you shop on Amazon for ANYTHING YOU NEED, by clicking on our Amazon link to the right and making that purchase, Riverfront Cats automatically receives a small percentage of your purchase every time!

ADOPT-a-SHELTER.com

If you shop at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, iTunes, Petco, PetSmart, Heels.com, Zazzle and hundreds of other online retailers. you can help. Visit AdoptaShelter and start shopping away and a small portion of your purchase is sent to Riverfront Cats. It's that simple!


Step 1: Click on the link above or here. You will be automatically taken to Adopt-a-Shelter page for Riverfront Cats.
Step 2: Shop away!

PET FOOD

For your first time purchase only on Mr. Chewy, they will donate $20 to Riverfront Cats! Chewy offers convenience!  If you're like us and visited your local pet food store only to find that they were out of one item, who has time to drive around town? Order everything online and get FREE SHIPPING for orders over $50.  But you have to click on the banner ad to the right. Please share this with other pet owners!

PET MEDS

No matter whether you have an indoor or outdoor pet, vitamins and medicines and prevention applications are important for a  healthy pet.  Whether you give your pet daily vitamins, or specific medicine for health condition or need to resupply flea/tick solution, by clicking on PetCareRx* banner to the right or below and ordering from the site, Riverfront Cats will automatically receive a small percentage for every order! They also offer free shipping on orders over $49.

 Remember to click on the links 
on this website to order. 
~ ~ ~

Be sure to bookmark this website.

Thank you for shopping here, 

thank you for caring! 

*PetCareRx is proud to have Riverfront Cats as a participant in the PetCareRx Affiliate Program. PetCareRx makes no endorsement, express or implied of our activities.  Thank you for shopping with an PetCareRx Affiliate

Jade

Introducing Jade! This vivacious two year old female was abandoned on front steps of someone's home. After taking her to the vet it was discovered she had given birth to kittens and was separated too early from her babies.  Caretakers call her Juno (after famous teenage character) or Jade due to her stunning green eyes. 

Jade has been waiting for a home for two years now! It's time for her furrever home.  Jade does best in a home where she's the only pet. Ideally someone who works from home or is retired and does not travel much. But these are not strict requirements.   She needs to be the center of your universe and return you will become her most cherished master or mistress! Jade will snuggle, play and give you unconditional love!

To meet Jade please contact Selina at 954-709-7326.