The Cat Blog on TheCatSite.com

Halloween is coming at the end of this month, so this is prime time to remind us all about the special dangers this holiday brings with it to felines. You should read this safety guide even if your cat isn’t black. This isn’t just horror stories about cats kidnapped for Halloween pranks – a very real danger in its own right – but also tips about protecting your cats from candy and those who come knocking on your door in search for said candy.

Keep Your Cat Safe on Halloween – Safety Guide

And if you want to learn more about why black cats are more at risk, why not read this article:

The Mystique Behind Black Cats

Kitten season this year was no different than any other but it didn’t feel that way. Many of the TCS members who volunteer were lamenting how full their shelters were. Members who foster were busy and also full to capacity. Every week there were new people appearing who had found a stray or feral and chose to foster on their own. It can seem overwhelming. Some had to bottle feed and lose sleep to keep their rescues alive sometimes in areas far away from a vet or a supermarket. Sometimes the result is tragic as with Marianjela and booktiger who witnessed kittens who were born deformed. They didn’t make it.  Mews2much tells how almost all of her very young rescues don’t make it. Some kittens are too fragile and the odds are against them and no amount of work and devotion can save them. Thankfully, the happy endings are far more numerous. erzsebet has 3 happy stories about rescues, white cat lover has many with a standout being Bea who she fostered for many months before finding her a new home. gayef told a story about a case called simply bag of kittens. 5 week old kittens who were thrown away but beat the odds and survived. All were adopted with one going to her mother, named Gengi who she says is very spoiled and very loved. Those are the stories that keep us going and giving us enough hope to say yes to a sad stray by the side of the road or a bag of kittens or a kitten in a puddle after a natural disaster. It can feel like the homeless cat problem is beyond the grasp of the resources available. There is truth in that. But rescuers have no choice but to do as much as they can. It is a calling and one look at a homeless or helpless kitty and the doubts melt away. You know that you can try and you know that your best can’t save every one of them but when a tiny kitten makes it through the night it makes it all feel worth it. When you get your first purr then you are hooked forever. When you visit the Ferals and Rescue boards there are many stories of heroes and heroines who go down in the trenches to save a life or lives inspiring others to follow suit. We know that the homeless cat epidemic is vast and sometimes overwhelming. Doing nothing is not an option. So we continue on and for some like hissy, become experts and mentors to others, therefore, touching even more lives and making even more of a difference.

There is no special recognition, glory or awards but there are headbutts, purrs and kneading which truth be told are much much better.

Why is this a national day and not international, I have no idea. I think international would be better, since feral cats are a fact of life in countries across the globe.

Wherever you live, the 16th of October, and actually any other day of the year, is a good time to think about the plight of those often misunderstood felines. At TheCatSite.com, we are committed to spreading the word about feral cats and how to take care of them. These are not wild animals – they are domesitcated cats that went feral, and they need our help.

To learn more about feral cats and about what you can do to help, check out these resources on our website:

Feral Cats – The Invisible Felines

TNR and The Law: What Feral Caretakers Need to Know

October 16 – National Feral Cat Day

Feral Cats Deserve a Chance, Too – The Critters In The Crawl

A Feral Cat Tale – Bailey’s Story

In case you didn’t get your copy of our newsletter, here’s a link to the online version here -

Kitty Bytes Newsletter for Cat Lovers – October 2008

Make sure you get the next copy right into your inbox, by registering here:

Kitty Bytes

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It’s been a while since we turned the spotlight to shine on one of the beautiful and much loved TCS cats! So, without further ado, here’s the gorgeous tabby Peep by forum member  Cocoalily

Cocoalily tells us that Peep is a real sucker for affection and likes nothing better than being rubbed, petted and carried on her arms around the house. Well, ok, he may prefer butter right out of the dish on occasion!

Read more about Peep here.

Join our forums and get your own cat page for each one of your cats. Cats can become friends with other forum cats so we’re all this one big happy family of cats and cat lovers!

With the US elections approaching, our current events forum – IMO – is heating up. While it is definitely not the focus of our cat forums, it’s interesting to watch cat lovers debate over the latest political news. The economy, foreign policy, and other matters too – all debated with the passion that only us animal lovers can feel. Granted, this forum is NOT for everyone. In fact, unless you’re an established member of at least one month, with at least 100 posts under your wing, you can’t participate in discussions. You can always have fun reading them though.

And as we always say about IMO – if you can’t stand the heat… go visit the cat care forums