Making a Difference Before Saying Goodbye to 2009

I’m a very lucky kitty (even if I do have to deal with Binga’s temper tantrums on occasion) — I live in a big house and have my choice of cat beds, a human bed and cardboard boxes to nap in. Unfortunately, some kitties don’t even have a cardboard box, much less a nice home. So before the end of 2009, I hope you consider donating to an organization that helps less fortunate pets.

There are probably a lot of rescues nearby that could use your help — just do a Google search for “animal rescue” or “cat rescue” and add the name of your city, or if you live in a very small town, the nearest city, and you’ll find lots. If an organization has a 501(c)3 designation, that means it’s a non-profit and your donation is tax deductible.

For national organizations, my human’s two favorites are Best Friends and Alley Cat Allies. When my human first heard of Best Friends many years ago, it was primarily a sanctuary that took care of unwanted and discarded pets. It has flourished over the past couple of decades to become a state-of-the-art sanctuary that helps both pets and wild creatures, and even more than that, a huge network that helps guide local communities to make life better for the creatures that live in their areas. Best Friends’ mission is simple: No More Homeless Pets — and they are making a difference.

Alley Cat Allies has a completely different focus: they look out for the homeless cats who can’t or won’t be pets by giving voice to stray and feral cats. Ferals and their caregivers often find themselves at odds with their communities; Alley Cat Allies helps solve issues through education, advocacy and policy reform. They brought the Trap-Neuter-Return program to the U.S. — the most effective way to control feral cat colonies — and they teach people how to care for and protect stray and feral cats. With the help of Alley Cat Allies, someday feral cats will stop being harmed or euthanized in shelters, and find their place in outdoor society.

I also wanted to mention the Mambo Sprouts contest, since there are still a couple of days to enter: humans can upload a photo of their pet and a tip on how to take care of your pet naturally (Mambo Sprouts is a green coupon, content and marketing site), and Wellness, the pet food company, will donate a dollar, with the grand prize winner choosing which animal-related charity gets the money! They are still far short of their $1000 goal, so go do it now — you have until December 31 to enter.

Lastly, until December 31, I’m still donating a dollar from the sale of each copy of my fun, award-winning book, Dear Sparkle: Advice From One Cat to Another to Tabby’s Place, the New Jersey-based cat sanctuary that has many special needs kitties — just scroll down on the right hand side of my blog until you see my Amazon book link. If you got an Amazon gift card as a holiday present, this is a great way to use it!

So please think about how you can help unfortunate cats as the year ends — and remember that whatever you do, you’re giving some kitty a new chance at a better life.