Louisiana’s ‘Animal Friendly’ license plate was created to help local charities, animal shelters and veterinarians provide urgently needed pet sterilization programs for Louisiana residents on public assistance.

Under state law, proceeds from sale of these plates are to be used to fund to low-cost spay and neuter programs and services. The funds are distributed by the Louisiana Pet Overpopulation Council, a state board comprised of representatives of humane organizations, animal shelters, elected officials, veterinarians and concerned citizens.

For the license plate program to be as successful as it has been in other states—raising hundred of thousands of dollars for pet sterilizations and significantly cutting shelter euthanasia rates—animal lovers across Louisiana must be encouraged to purchase their own ‘Animal Friendly’ plates!

By purchasing the special ANIMAL FRIENDLY license plate you help to supplement spay and neutering for those who normally could not afford to pay for these services.

Your purchase of the ANIMAL FRIENDLY plate for your vehicle, helps prevent the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens. The program provides supplemental funding for spaying and neutering for thousands of pets and encourages the adoption of thousands more each year.

With your help, more spay/neuter means fewer animals ending up homeless and unwanted, and, ultimately, fewer animals being euthanized.

Purchase your plate at the OMV by following the link below:

LOUISIANA OFFICE OF MOTOR VEHICLES EXPRESSLANE
SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE SECTION

1.) You will need your current license plate number;

2.) After entering your license plate number, a list box will appear, scroll down to the “Special Interest” list and select “Animal Friendly;”

3.) Complete the Order Form, Print, and Mail in your check to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.

Whether they’re seen on the search results pages at Petfinder.com, at the local animal control center, or peering at you from their playpen during adoption days at Petsmart, they never fail to elicit the most OOHhhs and AAWWwws. As a volunteer foster parent, I’m just as susceptible as you are to the irresistible charms of kittens – their bright eyes wide with wonder at the world around them, their tiny features, emerging personalities and playful antics – all shout, “NOTICE ME!”

But – before you make that final decision to adopt a kitten – look around a little more. Chances are, you will find adult feline eyes nearby – watching. Their attention is not necessarily focused on the kittens, but rather, on you. Often, a flicker of hope and anticipation will flash in those eyes if you happen to glance their way – a fleeting, silent plea; “Won’t you give me a second chance?”

Sometimes a kitten may not be the best choice for a particular household, states Emily Harris, cat adoption and foster chair for APAWS in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in her article, “Eager for Adoption” which appeared in the August 2006 issue of CAT FANCY magazine. “For example, when choosing a cat for a young child or an elderly person, kittens are not usually the best choice because they have not yet learned the rules about biting, scratching and climbing.” Ms. Harris explains. “If not properly supervised, the kittens or the human could get hurt. Kittens tend to climb everything, including human legs, which could be dangerous for an elderly person with varicose veins or a weak immune system. Kittens are also very delicate and can be seriously injured by a young child’s rough treatment.”

Ms. Harris’s article goes on to list how the adoption of an adult cat can enhance a household –
most adult cats have the experience to tolerate typical human childhood behavior, have better household manners, more laid-back personalities, and are less prone to harmful play.

As evident by the statistics from the Roicy Duhon Animal Control Center in Lafayette only a very miniscule percentage of the adult cats that end up at Roicy are reclaimed or adopted.

It is heartbreaking for us to view Roicy’s website showing photos and descriptions of young and adult cats who obviously once had a home, were cared for, and loved – only to have their secure world turned upside down by being dumped or abandoned.

When we have room in our foster homes, we try to rescue as many of those adults as we can. However, finding loving homes for adult cats is a daunting challenge that is faced not only by AHS, but by rescue groups and no-kill shelters all across the country.

Since cats can live more than 20 years, there truly is no reason to say they’re “too old” to be adopted. “Older cats can form strong bonds with their new families as well as kittens or young cats” Ms. Harris states. “They can give just as much love and joy as kittens or adolescent cats. Give those precious animals a second chance.”

We wholeheartedly agree. Please consider adopting an older cat. They definitely DO know when they’ve been given a second chance. And you won’t be disappointed. Check out the adult cats pages on this blog – Whiskey, LilBit, Lancelot, Rusty, Bandit, Bacardi, JB, Zeke, and Zack – maybe one of them is the cat for you!

Editor’s note: Thanks to Ms. Emily Harris for her permission to quote her in the AHS newsletter. Her entire article, “Eager To Be Adopted” can be found in the August 2006 issue of CAT FANCY.

I’ll admit it, I’m a mushball when it comes to the kittens and cats that we’ve fostered since we first volunteered for the Acadiana Humane Society back in 2005. So when I saw the Calamar Cats photo of Abby, I couldn’t help but tear up.

What’s more astounding is that Abby celebrated her 5th birthday this month. You see, Abby has the  Feline Leukemia Virus.

Abby and her brothers Smoke, Ash, and Wolfie, first came into our lives in May 2005 as little baby balls of fur. Their mom had tested positive for the FeLV virus, so we were quite aware that the kittens might have it as well. Smoke and Abby are the two little fluffballs in the forefront of the laundry basket in the photo below.

But sometimes, when weaned from their mother’s milk, kittens can fight off the virus – but unfortunately for Abby, Smoke, Ash, and Wolfie, that wasn’t the case. But we weren’t going to give up on them and have them euthanized.

We kept them in the spare bedroom of our house and lavished all the love and attention that we could on these four precious souls.

Unfortunately, we lost Wolfie, then Ash, within weeks of each other in July 2005, to the FeLV.

Abby and Smoke thrived with us until they were accepted by Best Friends. Below is one of our best photos of the two a few weeks before they were flown to Best Friends in January 2006.

We learned that Smoke went to the Rainbow Bridge in July of 2007. One of our friends went to visit Best Friends and took this photo of Smoke that had been posted on BF’s Memorial Wall. Looking at this photo, Smoke sure grew to be a very handsome boy despite his FeLV condition.
Ah, Smoke. You’re with Wolfie and Ash now. I’m sure you guys are having a blast, but I also know that you guys know someday your sister Abby will be there too, and it will be a total family reunion.

Abby’s still there at Calamar. We have seen wonderful photos of her gracing the Best Friends website, and from all accounts, she is very popular and beloved by the BF staff and volunteers.

Abby – sweet Abby – we loved you then and we still love you now. We’re so very glad that you’ve got such a wonderful place at Best Friends. Time will never erase those pawprints you and your brothers left in our hearts.

Thank you, Joni and the rest of the staff at Best Friends, for caring for Abby as you have. Please continue to share those wonderful photos of the Calamar Cats on Facebook!

The above photo came from Save-A-Cat on Facebook.

About save a cat: Have fun and help cats in need!
If you are crazy about cats and want to support animal rescue efforts by helping to keep real cats out of shelters and in good homes, now you can.

No donation required!

Simply browse our photos of real-life adoptable cats, and choose one to virtually “foster.” Invite your friends to co-foster your cat, or send them a different cat to foster, and you’ll draw much-needed attention to thousands of cats living in shelters and with rescue groups all across the country. The more you spread the word, the greater the chances these cats will find happy and loving homes.

Plus, by fostering cats and sending them to friends, you’ll score points that go towards cups of food and help real cats in shelters!

Maybe you already have a household full of animals. Perhaps you live in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Or maybe you love cats but can barely keep a cactus alive. Whoever you are, you can make a difference and help thousands of adoptable cats currently in search of their forever homes. And don’t forget to show your support of Save a Cat by becoming a fan on Facebook.

How it works:
It’s easy! For every 2,500 points our users score, we donate the financial equivalent of a cup of food to RescueGroups.org, a non-profit organization that provides free and low-cost technology services to animal shelters and rescue groups across the country. The more points you earn, the more cats you help save! If you are affiliated with a rescue group and would like to list your adoptable cats on Save a Cat, visit RescueGroups.org’s Pet Adoption Portal.

“People can share stories of any nature,” says Shelly Kotter, campaign specialist for Focus on Felines, one of four Best Friends’ campaigns aimed at reaching the goal of No More Homeless Pets. “The forum gives people an opportunity to read other’s stories and start a conversation.”

Stories can be about pet cats or community cats, makes no difference. If your story concerns cats and the people who love them, well, Focus on Felines wants to hear from you.

To learn more about Focus on Felines or to submit your cat story, check out the Best Friends network!

I will tell you right now that this is one of the most delightful books about cats that I have read! I’ve been involved as a volunteer cat foster home for four years now, and I cannot imagine my life without cats.  With “The Power of Purrs”, Mr. Shiebler masterfully shares stories and treasured memories of the cats that have come into his life and left their precious pawprints in his heart. He truly captures the essence of why cats are just as beloved to their human companions, and why so many of us love cats the way we do. The same passion and devotion to cats is very very evident in his book.  Here is an excerpt from his book:

“It’s five o’clock in the morning, and I’m in that comfortable in-between place, not quite asleep or awake, that magical drifting and floating place you wish could last forever and where real time passes all too quickly. Soon, the first hints of a new day will begin filtering through the silvery mist in tones of abalone and gold and the walls of our bedroom will slowly reveal themselves in a tender wash of light.

The soothing hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen drifts lazily down the hall in the sweet, fading darkness—its efficient motor firmly cooling the half gallon of milk that I’ll splash in my strong cup of coffee in a couple of hours.

 The cheap, digital clock that sits on top of my dresser is a glowing confirmation that I still have a little time to luxuriate in the final strands of a good night’s sleep.

Suddenly, the spell is broken. Not by a blaring car horn or a rattling garbage truck hoisting barrels over whining belts and chugging cylinders, but by a surging collage of thumps and gallops growing from the back of the house. I always try to ignore it, but there’s no defense against these mischievous stirrings, no covers thick enough to hide under, no bedroom door solid enough to stem this restless, impatient tide. Soon, these furry conquistadors will spill into the hallway, ricochet off the walls, and lay siege to our bedroom. We try our best to turn them away, but there’s just no stopping cats that want breakfast.

Through sleepy grunts and sluggish groans, my wife and I reach for anything within an arm’s length of our nightstands. In just a few moments, the air in our once-tranquil bedroom will be filled with slippers, socks, pillows, Kleenex boxes, and small inspirational books. It’s a noble display, but the cats know that it’s just a matter of time before our paltry cache runs dry. They deftly sidestep our halfhearted barrage and dutifully press onward. Soon they’ll be on the bed, marching up the entire length of our pajama-covered bodies.

Twitchy tails will swish beneath noses, whiskers will tickle cheeks, and fuzzy heads will poke and prod our chins. If we refuse to surrender, the troops will split up, and valuable glass items and collectables will be pushed off the edges of dresser tops, phones will be pulled off hooks, and miniblinds will be systematically dismantled. If those tactics fail to swing our feet to the floor, they can always “accidentally” brush up against Cielo, our cat-despising fox terrier. There’s no better way to propel us toward the kitchen than with a spinning, snarling, predawn brawl at the end of the bed.

Once I’m up, the offensive is immediately called off. The battle has been won, this particular morning’s war is over, and I, the defeated mother ship, am carefully escorted to the kitchen by a now-gracious flotilla of whiskered tugboats. When I’m safely in port, the cats strategically reposition themselves on counters and breakfast bars and quietly wait for the familiar sound of cabinet doors opening and silverware drawers sliding out. The recognizable metallic puff of the can opener and my slow, wristy grind around a fresh serving of ocean whitefish signal the end of another successful ground campaign.

I’ve often wondered why I’m so tolerant of these early-morning blitzkriegs. Perhaps it’s because I’d rather be awakened by a sea of cat paws and a chorus of meows than by the jarring pulses of a plastic digital alarm clock. What’s more, my day begins with an act of giving, which is always a good way to start a day.

The following stories are but a slender testimony to these remarkable and often misunderstood feline companions. And when I think of the array of richness, vitality, comfort, and color they’ve brought to my life, I have to go way back to the beginning. To a cat named Sweet Kitty.”

- Gary Shiebler -

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If you’re looking for an unique, special gift for the cat lover in your life this holiday season (or any other gift giving occasion!) I highly recommend this book! It is available at Amazon.com, and you can use this convienint link to purchase and shipt it!

For more information and a list of the raffle prizes, check out the Acadiana Humane Society’s website at http://www.acadianahumane.org

Click on this link here

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=3&campaign=HAPPYAct3501