The Toronto Humane Society is almost ready to open their doors to the public. On Monday June 28, between the hours of 11 am and 7 pm, they are inviting the public to tour their facility at 11 River St. On April 12 of this year, the THS regained control of their operations after the OSPCA took over, following the arrests of several key personnel last fall, including the president, on charges of animal cruelty.
The THS decided to close for 6 weeks in order to make changes within the building and the organization. The remaining animals were either adopted thanks to overwhelming public support, or put down if that was the most merciful choice. Now they are ready to open for business, with a brand new board of directors, new executive director, some completed revitalization projects, and most importantly new animals waiting to be adopted. Even their website has received a makeover. There is an opportunity to sign up for an e-newsletter, and an easy to locate lost and found feature, where the public can place postings for free, according to the type of animal. Another interesting feature is a free rehoming page where pet owners who can no longer care for their animal can upload a picture with a bio in order to connect directly with potential adopters.
Congratulations to the Toronto Humane Society on their new beginning. It is my hope that they will be able to help the felines of this city, by not only finding homes for many, but by educating people about the importance of pet sterilization and commitment. I would like to see the THS become an organization of which Torontonians can be truly proud.
It’s been awhile, but we’re back in cyberspace once again, after a brief respite. I’ll spare you the technical details, suffice to say Missy, Dandy and myself are glad to be back. Dandy has been up to his usual mischief, while Missy has overcome some of her aloofness to spend more time in the hub of the household. I’ve been trying them both on a homecooked diet, which has resulted in some benefits. The details of this diet will be covered in future posts.
Summer is fast approaching, which brings more challenges to cat lovers. The indoor/outdoor controversy is at the forefront right now in our home, especially with the outdoor cats taunting their lives of freedom. Last week it seems that one of them deposited a gift (?) of a fat mouse right in front of the balcony door. I couldn’t quite figure how else a dead mouse would appear in that very spot. Yours truly did not appreciate the gift, as I rather squeamishly deposited the carcass into an empty bread bag for disposal. I’m still puzzled as to whether the mouse was intended for me or Dandy, though I am almost certain that the donor was one of his friends. 
We Canadians usually aren’t flag wavers the way our neighbours to the south are, but these past couple of weeks have changed all that. Even Dandy got into the spirit of the games, as we cheered proudly for our athletes on their road to victory. The games culminate today with a rematch between the Canada-US men’s hockey teams. From coast-to-coast, we are pumped with excitement for this one. Whatever the outcome of today’s game, it’s been a great 16 days, in which I can say I am truly proud to be Canadian.
I was uncertain for awhile about whether it is safe to feed garlic to cats. Some forums and articles on the internet strictly advise against it. Further research has revealed that onions are the real culprits, that should not be fed to cats at all. Garlic, however is safe in small amounts, and cats can benefit from its anti-parasitical, anti-viral, anti-bacterial properties.
So how much garlic is safe? I did some experimenting by chopping a few cloves into a pot of water, bringing it to a boil, then simmering for awhile. After straining out the garlic, the result was similar to a tea. I mixed a teaspoon into each of my kitties portion of soft food. They ate it with no complaints. I have yet to try chopped garlic, but will start with only a small amount, of course.
On the subject of foods not to feed your cats, grapes and raisins should be added to the list, as well as chocolate. These are the definite no-no’s that are echoed by vets and feline nutritionists.
Randy Kidd, in his book entitled Herbal Cat Care, recommends sprinkling herbs on our cats’ food, in the same way we humans use salt and pepper. I started with dried parsley, then nettles, and both have been well-received by my kitties. This is a simple way to boost the nutritional value of their diet.
Hurray! Feline nutrition can be achieved without slaving for hours in the kitchen.
