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- The Kitty Sheet Issue #7
The Kitty Sheet Issue #7
Dear fellow kitty lovers,
We are wrapping up October with the 7th Edition of The Kitty Sheet! As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to a close, we shine a spotlight on Purina’s Purple Leash Project that works to keep domestic violence victims together with their pets. Plus, how to nominate your favorite shelter for a $1000 grant! And could your cat be allergic to an ingredient in their food? Don't miss this week’s Cat Talk Radio podcast! Also, Halloween safety tips, winter shelters for community kitties and meet all of our Kitties of the Week!
As always, thank you for reading and sharing The Kitty Sheet!
-TKS
✈️ Up, Up and away! 97 kitties made it out of Texas on October 26th on their way to Massachusetts thanks to the SPCA of Texas! See the Facebook pics!
💰️ Nominate your favorite shelter for a $1000 grant from Royal Canin and Greater Good Charities! Nominations accepted October 28-Nov. 3rd! Click here for more info!
❄️ Prep for winter! Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance recently shared a post from Bideawee's Feral Cat Initiative which will show you how to build 4 different DIY cat shelter designs in a FREE webinar, "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats," on November 13! Click here to register!
🐈️ Cats could be learning words faster than babies 👶,research finds. Science has the scoop!
❗️PSA: Why a second test to confirm a FeLV+ diagnosis is so very important. A Cupid’s Animal Haven must-read!
🐱 Food Matters: Is your cat a picky eater? We love these tips from Hollywood Feed!
🐱 1,200 years ago, a cat in Jerusalem left the oldest known evidence of 'making biscuits' on a clay jug! Live Science
⚖️ A victory for cats! Ojai, CA becomes the first American city to ban ‘Torture Breeding’ of Cats and Dogs. PETA
⚖️ Protecting all cats from cruelty: The Ohio Supreme Court rules that abusing cats, even if a stray, is a felony. The Columbus Dispatch
Purina/Facebook.
We can’t let Domestic Violence Awareness Month end without highlighting the Purple Leash Project. It’s a partnership between Purina and the nonprofit RedRover to create more pet-friendly domestic violence shelters. The need for more shelters that have the capacity to accept pets is great, as nearly half (48 percent) of domestic abuse survivors delay leaving because they can't take their pets with them.
When Purina and RedRover started the Purple Leash Project in 2019, under ten percent of domestic violence shelters were pet friendly. Today, almost 20 percent of domestic violence shelters in the U.S. are pet friendly. The goal is to increase that number to 25 percent by the end of 2025.
Purina CEO Nina Leigh Krueger had this to say in 2023: "There simply aren't enough places to go with their pet, forcing many survivors to stay with an abuser rather than leave their pet behind. Our goal is to build a future where no one escaping abuse has to make that choice, because as pet lovers, we know that the bond we share with our pets is special and worth protecting."
Since 2019, Purina and RedRover have provided more than 55 Purple Leash Project grants to help domestic violence shelters across the country become pet friendly so that survivors don't have to make an impossible choice between their safety and the safety of their pets. Two of the most recent 2024 grant recipients are Women's Advocates in St. Paul, Minnesota, and LiveSafe Resources in Marietta, Georgia. Each received a grant during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
"Women's Advocates is deeply grateful for the support from RedRover and Purina's Purple Leash Project grant," said Women's Advocates Development Coordinator, Tiana Daun. "This grant will help us create a pet-friendly emergency domestic violence shelter, allowing pets to stay with their owners in their own apartment so that they may heal together."
"We are grateful for RedRover and Purina's Purple Leash Project grant, as this support will help us finalize the building of our pet sanctuary to become the first domestic violence shelter in Northwest Georgia to provide this life-saving program to survivors and their animal family members," said LiveSafe Resources CEO, Lisa Mello. "As the first state certified domestic violence shelter in Georgia, it has been a longstanding dream of our staff, board of directors and local law enforcement to provide this enhanced service to our community and those seeking safety in their greatest time of need."
For more information about the Purple Leash Project or to make a donation visit Purina.com/Courage. With a recurring donation of at least $5 a month, or a one-time gift of $60 or more, you’ll receive a limited-edition purple dog leash or cat collar.
If you know someone who is being abused and is ready to leave with their pet, they can find information on pet-friendly shelters in their area by entering their zip code here: www.DomesticShelters.org.
🎃 Halloween can be scary for kitties with all the extra neighborhood activity and trick-or-treaters ringing your doorbell repeatedly. Plus, there are dangerous lurking in decorations like fake spider webs and bowls filled with tempting candy. Things that can be harmful if ingested by a kitty. Here are 7 ways to keep your cat safe this Halloween from Catster!
❗️ PS: Don’t forget to check on your community cats, too, and make sure they are all accounted for.
Grand Prairie Cat Crew/Facebook.
The Grand Prairie Cat Crew is now taking orders for its ❄️ winter shelters. They’re insulated 18-gallon containers filled with straw and they sell for $25 each. To order click here.
If you don’t live in the North Texas area and want to DIY, you can find guidance on the Alley Cat Allies website. Also, if you missed it up top, Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance will show you how build 4 different DIY cat shelter designs in its FREE webinar, "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats," on November 13! Click here to register!
Use straw in your shelters, not hay.
✅ ONLY Use Straw, the dry leftover stalks from crops, in winter shelters that do not have an electric heating element. It repels moisture & reflects body heat.
❌ Do NOT use hay (OR blankets) for bedding in outdoor cat shelters. Hay is typically used to feed animals, like horses. It absorbs moisture, making it damp, cold and uncomfortable for cats, and has the potential to get moldy. Blankets that get wet do, too.
Our special thanks to esteemed Certified Feline Training and Behaviorist Molly DeVoss of Cat Behavior Solutions for allowing us to share her super informative Cat Talk Radio podcasts with you each week!
This week: Is your cat showing signs of allergies? It’s not always the protein source! Common ingredients in cat food can cause skin irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, and more. Before jumping to expensive prescription diets or protein eliminations, tune in to this episode. You’ll learn what to look for and simple steps you can take to help your cat feel better. If the symptoms continue, it may be time to visit your vet.
🔘 LISTEN: Cat Talk Radio: Ingredient Allergens
✅ Subscribe to the Cat Behavior Solutions - Cat Talk Radio YT Channel!
✅ Follow Cat Behavior Solutions - Cat Talk Radio on Facebook!
Also, if you are a shelter or rescue check Feline Right At Home, Molly’s program in partnership with Vitakraft. The FREE training program for shelter staff and volunteers is designed to help scared, stressed and fearful cats become more trusting and more adoptable. Learn more in this YouTube Video.
About Molly DeVoss: Molly has spent decades helping cats who are suffering in shelters. Her vision is to reduce the number of cats euthanized in shelters through positive reinforcement and behavior modification so fearful cats become more adoptable. She sat on the Dallas Animal Advisory Commission for eight years, and works with the cats at Albuquerque Animal Welfare, Dallas Animal Services, Santa Fe Humane Society, Felines & Friends New Mexico, and individuals seeking cat behavior guidance
In honor of Rocky, an FIV+ kitty who crossed the rainbow bridge earlier in 2024, this week we spotlight two special kitties.
FRISCO is a handsome boy who needs someone to care. At Arlington Animal Services, he’s estimated to be 5 years old, he’s declawed and FELV+ (feline leukemia virus). Due to his health diagnosis, he will need to be an indoor kitty and get regular veterinary checkups. He’ll also need to live in a home without other cats or those that are also FELV+. Please consider adopting this sweet soul. Contact Arlington Cats Alive or Arlington Animal Services in Arlington, TX.
NADIA is approximately 9 years old and described as such a sweet girl. “Nadia is so thankful to be off the streets and not having any more babies! She had approximately 9 litters while she was living outside Unfortunately, she also contracted FIV, but she is healthy and doing great! Thankfully, we have more information on FIV now and they can live safely with cats without FIV and live happy lives. Please give this beautiful mama a chance.” Contact Four Paws One Heart Trophy Club: [email protected].
  Frisco is FELV+ positive and declawed. |  Nadia |
 Hattie, Maricats Rescue  Dearie, Dallas Cat Lady  Spark, Averting CAT-astrophe  Bonder Pair, Enola and Elenore  Brownie, Maricats Rescue  Chickadee, Maricats Rescue |  Daisy, Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance  Tippy, Texas Rustlers Fat Cats  Ace, Maricats Rescue  Celetsia, Purrfect Cats  Vito, Cat Matchers  Turbo, Purrfect Cats |
