Hi there furiends,

I sure hope it’s cooler in your neck of the woods than it is in ours. We are suffering through unusual record breaking heat here in the Inland Northwest. So unusual in fact, that most folks don’t have air conditioners. Just so you know what I’m talking about here’s Weather Kitty’s report for the moment (it’s supposed to hit 102 today!)

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Stay cool my furiends and make sure that your humans drop some ice cubes in your water bowl!

Rescue attempt leaves cat and owner stuck in tree

MOL!! Here’s a word for you cat parents crazy enough to climb up a tree to assist your stranded feline…DON’T!

A pet parent in Oklahoma found out the hard way that this is a bad idea when he found himself stuck up in the tree with his cat. The Tulsa Fire Department’s report noted:

“Around 3:45 pm, Captain Alan Hancock and his Engine 27 A Platoon crew responded to a rescue near S. 94th E. Avenue and E. 27th Street,” the Tulsa Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “Apparently a cat climbed high up into a tree. Its owner was so concerned for the feline that he climbed up to attempt a rescue. Unfortunately, they both found themselves in a dangerous predicament high above the ground, unable to get down safely.”

Both human and cat were rescued. You can watch the video here

How vets saved Babi the cat’s life with a few shots of vodka

In a little town in South Africa, Babi, a ginger cat underwent unusual emergency treatment.

The cat’s owner noticed Babi was acting funny and refused to eat. He was barely able to stand. They scooped him up and carried him, without a box, almost 2km across the valley from Mashaeng township to the veterinary clinic in Fouriesburg, South Africa.

The veterinary team suspected poisoning so a urine sample was taken. The urine was a strange lime yellow color and tested extremely high for increased glucose levels. Diabetes was ruled out. The next potential prognosis by the vets was kidney failure. They considered that it was a cold time of year and thought it could be potential antifreeze poisoning.

They were worried as the prognosis for antifreeze poisoning is very poor if not caught early. Because the cat had vomited while in their care, they thought that they had caught it early enough and decided to try and save Babi. They did some quick internet research on antifreeze poisoning and read that the urine would be fluorescent; they confirmed with a fluorescent lamp that the urine was neon and the diagnosis was confirmed.

 “Anti-freeze poisoning is treated with intravenous ethanol and that isn’t something that we have just lying around, so back to Google we went; what could we use in its place?” the vet said.

One of the vets raced to the local liquor store and bought the purest bottle of vodka she could find. They then dosed Babi with a drip after they figured out the dosage.

Even though they did dilute the vodka, poor Babi did get drunk. They repeated the treatment every six hours for a day and a half and then every eight hours for another day.

The propylene glycol in anti-freeze causes crystals to form in the kidneys which destroys the tubules in the kidneys. Ethanol, or in this case vodka, dissolves the crystals and allows them to pass in the urine.

By the fourth treatment, Babi was almost back to normal. He was eating and he looked like a million bucks. They kept him for a couple of days for observation and his family was thrilled to have him back in their arms again when he went home.

Bravo to these fantastic veterinarians but humans, please don’t treat your cats with alcohol!

This cat is no couch potato

I love to report about adventure cats and Salem is one of these felines with a heartwarming story.  Salem’s human, Shawn Crassweller, came across Salem about two years ago when he was on a walk. He heard a truck speed up and saw Salem in the middle of the road. He ran to the cat, scooped her up and took her to safety. The cat followed him for more than eight blocks to his house. He left the back gate open as well as the back door of the house. She walked back and forth between the gate and the door for a few minutes, finally settling on the door and yelling as if to say, “Let’s get inside!” Crassweller says Salem has been with him ever since that day.

Crasweller says Salem rescued him that day too. His ex had just left him as well as his godson and two roommates. Having Salem in his house forced him to get out of bed and care for her, keeping him from succumbing to depression.

He trained Salem to sit on his shoulder while he longboards around the city. Once he was able to walk around his house, bent over digging in cupboards, or open the fridge without her jumping off, he started going outside with her hanging out beside his head. Now Salem goes biking, longboarding and hiking with him. He does make sure Salem wears a harness on their outdoor excursions.

Crassweller and Salem are planning a camping trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. Salem will get her own tent, complete with a litter box, and will sit in a backpack while Crassweller hikes. 

Crassweller says that being an adventure kitty means having the right temperament and he’s thankful that his cat shares his passion for the outdoors and also loves to be hugged.

I’d say Salem found the purrfect human!

Cats that care lead the way among National Cat Awards finalists

The lineup for this year’s National Cat Protection Awards is dominated by felines who have helped people through difficult times.

This year’s event – sponsored by Purina – is comprised of four categories: Furr-ever Friends, Most Caring Cat, Outstanding Rescue Cat and Purina Better Together.

Among the hopefuls are Minty, from Holywell, Flintshire, who lost one of his legs after being hit by a car. He cares for his young human who has severe learning difficulties as well as other medical conditions. When things get difficult, Minty rubs his face on Connor’s hand to calm him. Minty also helped Connor to learn to climb the stairs. He spent hours jumping one step at a time, stopping to allow Connor to catch up. Connor’s mom said,  “It was incredible to witness him patiently encourage Connor to achieve something he found so difficult. She also said, “Connor can be very loud, and his medical conditions mean he’s very wobbly and clumsy. Many pets would understandably keep their distance, but not Minty – when Connor is at his most in need, Minty is there like a shot.”

And if you think Minty’s story is pawsome I encourage you to visit the article to learn about cats like Paddy, who makes daily trips to Co-op Funeralcare’s Mayfields Remembrance Park near his home to comfort mourners. Then there’s Bruno who came into his human’s lives after their five-day old daughter died. Caring for Bruno and his littermates who were found in a box helped them cope with their loss.

While learning to live with their grief, Caroline and Damon found a box of four abandoned kittens and took them in, deciding to keep Bruno after rehoming the other three.

Winners of each category will receive a trophy, a £100 ($138.00 USD) pet store voucher, a year’s subscription to Cats Protection’s magazine and three months of Purina cat food.

The winners will be announced on August 5, while a week later the National Cat of the Year will be decided by a celebrity panel.

Cat allegedly stolen by Uber Eats driver located, reunited with its owner

.Oh my whiskers, this is the third catnapping article I’ve reported on in the last month! At least this story lets us know the outcome. An 18-year old feline named Hog and her human, Patrick Lewis were reunited after she’d been cat napped.

Lewis despaired of every seeing her again and then the cat was discovered in someone’s back yard in Van Nuys when their dog kept barking at something in the yard. Upon discovering the cat, the homeowner said she was sure the feline belonged to someone. She searched social media and found a listing on Next Door about Hog. She contacted Lewis immediately.

Hog was stolen from Lewis’ front yard in Studio City and the culprit was a food delivery driver, caught on camera taking the cat. After the story was featured on the news, the Uber Eats driver contacted the family, telling them she thought the cat was a stray and that she gave it to a family at the animal shelter.

The female Uber Eats driver was reportedly delivering food to another home on Laurelwood Dr. when she took the cat who was sitting on the sidewalk. Hog’s collar, tags and all, were found on the sidewalk. 

 Lewis called the Uber Eats driver after Hog was located, and said that she started crying. He said there were no hard feelings, he’s just happy to have Hog back home.

In a written statement to FOX 11, an Uber Eats spokesperson said, “What the customer reported is unacceptable. We are working to get the cat returned, stand ready to help in the police investigation, and will take the appropriate action against the delivery person.”

So folks, I will repeat to you what The Human always says regarding random cats that you might encounter…think LOST not stray!