San Francisco Examiner - Cat declawing a crime in SF since November 2009 - also Beverly Hills, LA, Santa Monica, West Hollywood etc

(Excerpt from story by Joshua Sabatini in SF Examiner dated Nov 4, 2009) - San Francisco has become the first major city in the nation to outlaw the declawing of cats. Some pet owners declaw their felines to protect themselves, or their furniture, from scratches. But pet advocates condemn the practice as animal cruelty.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted 9-2 to enact a ban on the declawing of cats. Supervisors Sean Elsbernd and Michela Alioto-Pier voted against the legislation.

“It is well-documented and well-understood from a medical prospective that [declawing] is torture. It is a form of animal cruelty,” said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who introduced the legislation.

Other California cities are considering adopting similar bans. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote on whether to enact a ban by the end of the year. West Hollywood banned declawing in 2003. Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Berkeley are considering similar ordinances. Declawing is illegal in 20 countries, including most of Europe, Brazil, Japan and Israel.

Read whole story here: SF Examiner

In current news, the pawproject.org has a new billboard on Sunset Blvd:

CatsPlay.com - the ultimate shopping experience for Cat Lovers

Even before I saw the documentary about Bob Walker and Frances Mooney's "Cats' House" and bought the book, I've wanted to create similar fairy land environments for my fur family. Last night I did a google search for cat furniture and found it all at CatsPlay.com. In addition to cat trees and scratching posts, they have wall climbing systems and outdoor pet houses. My imagination went wild. If you're in the market for cat furniture for your kitties, browse this site to your heart's delight. Enjoy!

Love Letter to My Foster Kittens

Dear Little Ones,

I love your little eyes as they look into mine. I love when you look up at me from the floor or the couch, expecting food or attention or a game. I love when you watch what I'm doing and your eyes follow me across the room, even when you're scared and are preparing to scurry away. I love how you learn to trust. I love noticing when you decide I am FOR you.

I love creating spaces for you to play, hide and sleep in. I love making little toys for you to play with and for me to play with you too. I love when you come to me when I'm laying down and you curl up next to me and purr. I love when you touch your paw to my face. I love feeling your soft fur in my fingers. I love taking care of you when you have first been rescued - sometimes you're sick or especially scared then. I love helping you learn that humans can help and make you well.

I love loving you. I love holding you in my arms like a baby and wrapping my T-shirt around you so you feel safe and warm and loved. I love naming you sometimes when it's my turn to do that. I love getting to know your distinct personalities and watch you play with the other kittens in my house. I love photographing you and sharing your cuteness and beauty with the world. I love knowing that I'm helping you find a good forever home even when it's hard to let you go. Most of all, I simply LOVE you ... each soft, furry, sweet, beautiful, magical kitty. You bring so much joy to my life as I freely and completely love you for one day, for a week, for a month or forever. You are a precious gift to me and to the world.

With Sincere Gratitude,
Your Kitty Foster Mom.

Shamrock Preschool Wins $500 grant for Venice Cat Coalition/Key West Cat Society

Deborah Whitham had a great idea to have her schoolchildren at the Shamrock Preschool in Venice learn about what we do to take care of rescued and homeless cats in Sarasota County. They adopted Frankie, our little kitten who came to us last spring with his leg broken in two places. Theresa and Raphaella brought Frankie to the preschool in September so the kids could meet him. They had made a fund-raising jar to collect donations and had a table set up where they would bring things to buy and sell. The children met Frankie and learned about his pending surgery to remove the injured leg. They all wanted to help Frankie get adopted to a family that would care for this special boy kitty. After Theresa taught them about the Key West Cat Society and how we find and help the cats, the kids went to their craft area and drew pictures of Frankie.

Wonderful things came of the dedicated work of Deborah and the children of Shamrock Preschool. First of all a miracle: when Frankie when to the vet for his pre-surgery check-up, the vet said Frankie didn't need an amputation after all. Apparently he had "done his own physical therapy" while trying to keep up with all the other foster kittens at Raphaella's. Second, he found his family!!! Frankie was adopted by a Russian lady from North Port who wanted this very special kitty for a companion. Frankie is now learning Russian!

The third wonderful thing that happened is Deborah submitted her story about Frankie and the Shamrock Preschool to the Community Foundation of Sarasota and this week won a $500 grant for community service for the cats! We are thrilled and so proud of Deborah for coming up with the idea to help, taking action, holding the vision, following through and ... winning! Her devotion to making a difference has already helped Frankie, and now will help a lot more cats in Sarasota County through our work as the Key West Cat Society/Venice Cat Coalition. One person can make a difference.

Click here to make a donation to KWCS/VCC.
Click here to see more pictures on Flickr.

Order Now!!! T-Shirts with new KWCS - VCC logo (featuring art by Raphaella Vaisseau)

The new Key West Cat Society / Venice Cat Coalition T-shirt samples arrived. Shirts are $17 each (donate more if you can) - or better yet, become a member of KWCS.

T-shirt orders are now being taken for delivery before Thanksgiving. Call Raphaella 941-993-7001 for size, style, color choices. See samples at the KWCS booth at the Venice Farmers Market or Raphaella's Heartful Art booth everywhere.

Prints of Raphaella's cat painting are available at www.RescueCatClub.etsy.com

Help find Frankie a Home

Click here for downloadable flyer to post for Frankie.

Help us find his forever home.

Frankie wants a home - Now

Frankie is six months old today. The children at Shamrock Preschool in Venice, FL adopted him as a project to help him get through the next few months of surgery and recovery, help him find his forever home and raise money for his medical expenses. Click here to see a slideshow of his visit with the children.

Please call Theresa (941-445-4322) or Raphaella (941-993-7001) to foster or adopt. Please visit our website to make a donation to help with Frankie's medical expenses. Thank you for your support of Frankie and all the cats helped by Key West Cat Society and the Venice Cat Coalition.