Sunday, September 28, 2008

Not So Silent Sunday: Protect Our Wildlife


Polar bear with cub. Credit: Scott Schliebe/USFWS

Frequently Feline is not intended as a political blog. It was created as a resource for all animal lovers. Nevertheless, as an avid animal lover myself, I feel strongly that I have the responsibility to share information from time to time that may appear to have "political" overtones. In writing about pending legislations which may help protect all animals, and even, from time to time asking folks to take action to ensure the welfare of horses, dogs, cats, birds and all living creatures, my mission is to disseminate important information.

Therefore, I walk a fine line this morning. In posting this entry. It is not my intention to take any political sides. However, I feel a strong need to share with our readers, some disturbing issues that will strongly affect our wildlife by putting them at great risk of great suffering and even possible extinction in an area of our beautiful country that remains pristine.

I don't know about you, but I passionately feel that the folks who will soon be taking over the reins of leadership of our beautiful country must, as part of their voting record, have demonstrated their concern and support for our environment. Their intention to ensure the protection of our endangered species must be visible. Our wildlife is precious and crucial in maintaining Nature's natural balance.

I personally feel that it is a "no brainer" to inform myself with all the facts to make wise decisions, which will affect the future of our endangered species. The animals cannot speak. We are charged with the responsibility to protect them.

Learn more about where our candidates stand on these issues and their voting records. The rest is up to you.

Will your concern about environmental issues play an important part as you cast your ballot on November 4, 2008? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Fabulous Friday on Frequently Feline:Kitty and Male Bonding



I just thought this was such a hoot, I had to share it with our readers. If this isn't one of the best examples of male bonding, I have no of what could trump it.

Do any of your male friends or family members take time to bond with their cats? Leave a comment and tell us about it. My kitties really knead to know.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

A Very Silent Sunday on Frequently Feline

Folks who saw this photo were amazed. When I saw it my chin dropped!

How in the world did they do this? What do you think?

Friday, September 19, 2008

Fabulous Friday on Frequently Feline! Happy Bird-Day


Pictured: Kim and two of the three rescued chickens

These beautiful chickens can give thanks to Kim, rescuing them and saving their lives. She found them while riding Raven, one of her favorite horses. Someone had dumped three of them into the canyon, apparently not giving a thought to their safety.

It was a blessed event for these guys who have a new lease on life! For sure this was not a poultry feat! It rates high in my book as eggactly the perfect thing to do. Thanks, Kim.

So lets give a big thumb's up for Kim and her big heart! They are definitely Pet of the Week material.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Silent Sunday on Frequently Feline: Kitten Exercise Program!

I thought this was so adorable, I just had to share it. I am sure you will be equally delighted as you watch this side-splitting take off of a human exercise TV program.


That look-alike "copy cat" of Hubble, our white Oriental Shorthair, makes an excellent Furobic instructor, dont' you think? He immediately signed up for a class to get his license.

One -Two- Reach, Reach! belindavillani sure picked a neat video to share. Please leave a comment when you finish giggling!

Friday, September 12, 2008

Quit Horsing Around On Horse Slaughter and Transport


I found this article so important that I had to reprint it here on my blog. It is Michael Markarian's item from his Humane Society Legislative blog.


Eleven lucky horses who had been abandoned last week on a rural road near Molalla, Ore., got a new lease on life yesterday. Authorities still don’t know who discarded the malnourished horses, and the owner might not come forward since he or she could face criminal charges of animal neglect.

But five of the horses were rescued yesterday morning by The Humane Society of the United States and taken to its Duchess Sanctuary in Douglas County, Ore., where they will remain until they regain their health. Once these five horses are rehabilitated, they will be put up for adoption; the six other horses were already adopted by new families yesterday. We are grateful to the Oregon Department of Agriculture for making sure that all these horses went to good homes, not to “killer buyers” for the slaughter industry.

It’s not only a happy ending for these horses, but also a double-fisted rebuke to the horse slaughter crowd. First, it is self-incriminating. The proponents of horse slaughter invoke abandonment cases like this one to support their position, almost associating themselves with people who would dump horses in the middle of the road to starve to death. They fail to hold people on their side of the fence to an ethic of personal responsibility, and that is a gross failure on their part. Second, these horses did find a safe place, largely because good people stood tall. Individuals and rescue groups provided a safety net, in spite of the arguments by slaughter proponents that there are no outlets for "unwanted horses."

Yesterday on Capitol Hill, in fact, the House Judiciary Committee considered H.R. 6598, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, which would make it a crime to sell or transport horses across state or national borders for the purpose of slaughter. I wrote about this legislation when it was introduced in July, and included testimonials of horse rescuers who try to adopt horses or purchase them at auctions, only to be outbid by the killer buyers who can make a buck by selling horse flesh to French and Belgian gourmands. Tell your member of Congress to pass the legislation swiftly before adjourning this year, and make sure not another day goes by when American horses are trucked hundreds of miles to Mexican abattoirs to meet a grim and painful end.



Also this week, Congressman Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) joined animal advocates at Shadowbrook Farm in Mettawa, Ill., calling for a national ban on the use of deadly double-decker trailers for the transportation of horses. These stacked trucks are designed for livestock species such as cattle and pigs—not horses who have longer necks and are forced to stoop in the cramped quarters, often causing severe injuries. Kirk has introduced H.R. 6278, the Horse Transportation Safety Act, to prohibit the interstate transportation of horses in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another.
The legislation came on the heels of a grisly accident last fall in Wadsworth, Ill., in which a double-decker cattle truck carrying 59 Belgian draft horses overturned when the driver ran a red light and hit another vehicle. Residents could hear the animals kicking and screaming, panicked by their inability to escape. Nineteen of the horses either died on the scene or had to be euthanized later.
We have a video interview with a volunteer who was on the scene of the deadly crash and who spoke out against cruel transport. Watch the video here, and let it be a reminder that we must fight even harder to protect horses from harm—stopping inhumane and dangerous transport, and ending the cruel slaughter of American horses for food exports
I felt this information to be so important to share. I will return to Pet of the Week, next Friday.
Please do all that you can to support HR6598. The horses thank you.

Monday, September 8, 2008

URGENT AWI eAlert: Calls Needed Today!!! Horse Slaughter Bill (H.R. 6598) Up For Committee Vote


Please cross post and share link to this entry. We need to take immediate action!

AWI has learned that the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 6598) will be voted on by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, September 10th. The bill, which was introduced in July by Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN), will criminalize the slaughter of American horses. While the vast majority of Americans, the United States Congress and members of the House Judiciary Committee support an end to horse slaughter there are some members on the committee who are staunch supporters of horse slaughter and will attempt to kill the bill through subterfuge.

What You Can Do:

Call and/or email members of the House Judiciary Committee (see full list below) TODAY and ask them “to support passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 6598) out of committee as introduced, with NO amendments”. Please also ask them “to cosponsor H.R. 6598 if they haven’t done so already.” Let them know that:
Every 5 Minutes an American horse is slaughtered for human consumption abroad.

Visit: Every 5 Minutes for the current number and to learn more about the industry.

Despite the closure of the country’s three remaining horse slaughter plants in 2007, tens of thousands of American horses continue to be slaughtered in Canada and Mexico in the absence of a strong US law banning prohibiting the trade.
Horse slaughter is not humane euthanasia; it is a brutal process during which horses suffer terribly from start to finish. Their trip to Mexico is often on double deck trailers where they are crammed with dozens of other horses for up to 30 hours without food, water or rest. Once in Mexico some slaughterhouses use a “puntilla” or knife to stab the horse to death. The entire process is extremely inhumane.
Despite claims to the contrary, horse slaughter is not a necessary evil through which sick, old and unwanted horses are humanely disposed of. The industry is a predatory one that actively seeks out marketable and healthy horses to be slaughtered at great profit.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, more than 92% of horses going to slaughter are in good condition and could be placed in a new home. Those horses who are truly sick or old should be humanely euthanized on the spot by a licensed veterinarian.
Horsemeat is considered a delicacy in many European and Asian countries where it is consumed by high-end diners.

The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 6598) will end this cruel trade for good. Ending horse slaughter is a positive step in improving horse welfare in the US, which is why so many horse industry groups and leaders, veterinarians, humane organizations and equine rescues strongly support an end to horse slaughter.

Whether you contact your legislator by phone or email, please be sure to provide him or her with your name and mailing address, and if you are a constituent, request a response on this specific issue. Please also share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their legislators, too. As always, thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,
Cathy LissPresident
awionline.org
compassionindex.org

How to help:
Because of the urgency and limited time contact your Congressperson, and ask them to support passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 6598) out of committee as introduced, with NO amendments”. Please also ask them “to cosponsor H.R. 6598 if they haven’t done so already.

Thank you for helping our horses!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Silent Sunday on Frequently Feline: The Swimmer!

This little kitty I found on YouTube, may be giving the all time Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer, Michael Phelps, a "splash" for his money! Sure gives a total different meaning to "laps."

Enjoy this feline's antics in the safety of his fur parent's bathtub!

Don't you think this video is the "cat's meow?" Leave a comment and share!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Does Sarah Palin Respect Our Wolves and Bears?

I am so very upset about this, I just had to blog about my feelings to get them out. What frightens me so much about this particularly nasty legislation which Ms. Palin supported as Governor of Alaska, is the scary thought should she inherit the Presidency, what other incredibly cruelty she may support with the power to veto bills which protect our wild life.

I will get off my soap box, but would love to hear your reactions to this video, and to the truth about how she really feels about the importance of our wolves and bears.

Hi,

Have you ever heard of aerial hunting? It's a brutal practice. Wolves are shot from low-flying aircraft or chased to exhaustion, then killed at point-blank range.

Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for Vice President, promotes this barbaric practice, exploiting a loophole in the Federal Airborne Hunting Act to allow private wolf killers to shoot down wolves using aircraft. We have to get the word out about this!

Please watch this powerful video by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, and then share it with every wildlife lover you know:

Fabulous Friday on Frequently Feline: Meet Kelly


My pal Julie, claims that her adorable kitty, Kelly, is a feline with "an attitude".

With such a wonderfully expressive face, I think she is just letting the world know how beautiful she is and deserves that recognition.

Therefore, she has joined the ranks of "Pet of the Week", so let's conCATulate her with our comments, giving both Kelly and Julie a huge round of apaws for this distinction.