Archive for August, 2009

Recently I saw a funeral for a fallen service woman on the news. The mother of the service woman was upset not only by the loss of her child but also the lack of reporting of people serving overseas.  I must confess to not thinking of our service men and women on a regular basis and am grateful for these reminders.

Thanks to the efforts of former veterans and non profit organizations there is assistance for disabled Veterans who are transitioning back to civilian life. But much more funding and support is needed.  Irvin Stovroff, a World War II veteran has been instrumental in pushing for legislation now before Congress: The Wounded Warrior K-9 Corps Act. And Senator Al Franken (D-MN) introduced a bill: Service Dogs for Veterans Act. If interested in supporting this legislation please do contact your local representatives.

US Senate

US Congress

Non Profits:

Puppies Behind Bars

Freedom Service Dogs

Many thanks to our service men and women overseas and those veterans who are back home.  Thanks also to the service dogs who provide unconditional love, companionship and support.

No it is my cat, “The Princess”, Miss Mia who has been waking me up in the wee hours of the morning; preventing me from a good night’s rest and going to the gym for much needed exercise.  Usually before Summer officially begins and the sun rises earlier around 4:30 am I anticipate Mia waking me up.  And had come to terms with it.

In checking my Twitter “Favorites”, the ASPCA had a post answering all my questions regarding my lack of sleep: “Nighttime Activity in Cats”. There is a checklist they provide to eliminate or remedy that early wake up call.

1.  Make sure above anything else that there are no medical issues.

2.  In the evening schedule some play time with toys like mice or birds.  (I must say that right now I am contending with a real life mouse that Miss Mia has been trying to catch for the past couple of days…yikes.)

3. Feed your cat just before bed time.

4. Keep your cat busy during daylight hours.

5. Consider another cat if your cat is social with other cats.  (Unfortunately this does not apply to me.  Mia does not play well with others.)

6. Lastly if your cat attempts to wake or play with you while you are sleeping you might have to resort to locking him out of your bedroom.  Otherwise those sleepless nights will continue.  One example of discouraging him from meowing or scratching at the door is to place a hairdryer on door handle.

If all else fails consider contacting a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist.

Many thanks to the ASPCA for wonderful work you do and tips you provide for pet owners.  Thanks also to Twitter for readily providing this information through its micro blogging service.