Greetings – Simon here.  You know I am the top cat at the Kent County SPCA.  I would like to talk to you about what it is like for the staff when they are needing a vital piece of equipment and can not afford it.  Why can’t they afford vital pieces of equipment?  Because they are a non-profit, medical equipment is expensive and without donations the funds just aren’t there.

The piece of medical equipment we are raising money for right now is a high grade veterinary pulse oximeter.  This will allow our Vet Techs and our Veterinarian the ability to better monitor our animals when they are under anesthesia.  Our vital signs, our blood oxygen, you name it – the machine we are looking to purchase will do it.  The only problem is that we need to raise $1,000 to purchase this machine.

We have started selling hearts at the front desk (where I am king) and for just $1 you can have a heart and help raise money for this very important machine.  I already have a heart – you should too!

I feel it is important to dedicate today’s Simon Says to the sad state of affairs for cat welfare in Delaware.  We are such an under served community of animals in this state, with very little protection and even fewer resources.

There are no resources for a lost or stray cat, no safe place to go for a while when we are conducting our search for our lost human.  What options do unwanted cats have?  Currently in this state we end up either dumped on some farm, tossed by the side of the road…or worse (I can’t even begin to discuss the worse, there are some topics far too sensitive for your human ears).

So what is the best option?  Many would say just open up all the shelters to cats, fill to the brim! Pack us in several to a cage or a room.  Right?  WRONG!  That is the same as hoarding, and us cats don’t like it one bit.  What do you think it is like when you have a small group of very healthy cats that have been in a stable population and you put an unknown cat in… what if that unknown cat has calicivirus?  That is going to run through the healthy population at an alarming rate, and very possibly be a death sentence to all of us healthy cats (for more info on calicivirus, go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_calicivirus).

I do not think that NOT allowing cats to enter shelters is the answer, either.  The thing is, as space allows, an animal shelter should lovingly admit cats while ensuring the quickest possible processing, including a necessary quarantine period to ensure no deadly viruses, spay/neutering and vaccination.

I also think that licensing cats is a good idea.  Dogs get the additional collar bling, why not me?!  The funds will assist the state in financing safe sheltering while we are looking for our family.  It will help return us to our humans because this current system is NOT working!  Did you know that cats have the lowest return to owner rate?!  I think that microchips should be our internal license, as some of us are crafty and will slip out of some of the embarrassing collar selections our humans choose for us (my co-workers think it is a blast to put me in a pink rhinestone ensemble…nuff said).

Why is it that in this state our canine counterparts have rights and are counted?  Why are they given extra steps to find their way home?  They count in this state, and we deserve to be counted, too!

Hi – today I’d like to address the correct ways in which you should introduce your new cat to your family.  Yes – there is a right way.  As the newest front office staff employee I have seen such heartbreak when a new animal doesn’t work out – and with a few tweaks to their methods (and a little time) it could have been a purrfect situation!

First of all – you humans are very lucky.  a) you have thumbs, and can utilize the computer and internet without an interpreter and b) you can use a search engine to find out tried and true methods for introducing felines to felines, dogs to dogs, or felines to dogs…possibilities are endless!

Cats – well, we hate change.  We are a lot like you that way!  So the first thing you need to keep in mind when introducing a new cat into the family is to take it slow…let us get used to small areas before you broaden our horizons.  Think about what YOU would want if roles were reversed!  So if we are to have one human as our main companion, start us off in that room and that room only.  We will let you know when we are mentally prepared for seeing other areas of the home.

If  you have other felines (or canines) in the home and you want us to bond well, the best thing is to start switching our blankets/bed so that we can get used to what the other smells like.  We use scent to get to know each other…  so when we are suddenly bombarded with a new animal, new scent, new home it’s a little too much stimulation!

Also – if we feel threatened we can always hide or climb…  it’s not us being ‘standoffish’, it is taking ourselves away from the situation until we are able to handle it.

Here are some great links to help you understand how best to introduce your new family member!  This is for you as much as it is for the pets – because it is so hard on us to be adopted and then turned back in again!

Introducing cats:  http://animal.discovery.com/healthy-pets/cat-health-101/how-to-introduce-a-new-cat-to-an-old-cat.html

Introducing dogs and cats:  http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/dog-behavior/introducing-dogs-to-cats.html

Introducing dogs:  http://www.petmd.com/dog/training/evr_introducing_a_new_dog_to_a_resident_dog#.UNiBV-RlEfU

Remember – introduction takes time.  You can not go into this expecting us to love each other immediately.  There are times that might happen…  but just don’t go in expecting it.  With proper time and introduction, we can all be one, big, happy family!

I wish you a very happy holidays… and that means all holidays! I am an all inclusive sort of cat – especially if it means I get more goodies!  (my stocking is hung in the office and looks like it’s full!)

Every celebrity deserves a proper introduction.

I am no exception.  I, however, feel that I am the best equipped to tell you about myself, so therefore this will be an autobiography …and my first official blog post as the Kent County SPCA Ambassador of Cat Welfare and Front Office Greeter.

I have been named Simon by my co-workers at the KCSPCA. I think it suits me.  It is a distinguished, mature, educated name for a distinguished, mature and educated feline such as myself.

How does a cat get hired by the SPCA to spread the word about the need for better Cat Welfare and enjoy the cushy job of greeter?  Well, I started hanging out with the staff outside after having to travel a great distance once my humans abandoned me.  They got me my interview with the front office and the Director and I showed how great my people skills and communication skills were…and I was hired!

Here’s a little bit about me:

My favorite cartoon:  Felix the Cat
Favorite network:  Animal Planet
Favorite TV Star: Simon Baker of the Mentalist
Favorite Reality star:  Simon Cowell
Favorite Actress:  Cat Woman
Favorite Male Singer: Paul Simon, Cat Stevens
Favorite Female Singer:  Carly Simon
Favorite Duo:  Simon and Garfunkle
Favorite Group:  Duran Duran (lead is Simon Lebon)

Favorite songs:  Black Cat (Janet Jackson), Cats in the Cradle (Harry Chapin)

I love going for a spin in a Jaguar or a Cougar, but my type of human believes in using Simonize wax on their ride!

My motto in life?  ADOPT don’t shop!

I can not wait to educate you on cat welfare in the State of Delaware, and fill you in on the goings on at the KCSPCA.  You will see me often in the front office of the Kent County SPCA..  if I’m not wandering around the lobby saying hi, I am asleep in my favorite place…on a file box ‘observing’ the fine ladies that are assisting you in finding your forever family member!

Welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

I will be sharing stuff with you by me and my friends at the Kent County SPCA. These people are great! I was an outdoor kitty and they started letting me in when the weather began getting colder.

Since then, I’ve pretty much made the office my home. I get to greet people with my shiny eyes and soft fur. There are other animals I get to play with too. (I’ll get photos of them and share with you as they are taken.)

You can think of me as the shelter kitty or the ambassador. (I like “Ambassador”, just sayin’)

So sign up to get my updates and keep up with all of my shenanigans.