If you’ve been following Jackson Galaxy and his show My Cat From Hell on Animal Planet, you’re going to love this bit of news! Jackson’s first book, Cat Daddy: What the World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean, will be published by Tarcher/Penguin this May. Cat Daddy is a memoir/cat care manual telling the story of Jackson and his cat Benny, who together traveled the road to hell and back, setting Jackson on the path to becoming the amazing cat behaviorist he is today. The book also includes Jackson’s tips for raising happy, healthy cats.

Pre-order Now and Help Shelter Cats!

For every copy of Cat Daddy pre-ordered before May 10, Tarcher/Penguin will donate $1.00 to the cause of saving shelter cats. To make your pre-order count, simply e-mail a photo or scan of your receipt to: CatDaddyBook@gmail.com.

Jackson has chosen three wonderful charities to receive the donations: Best Friends Animal Society, Stray Cat Alliance, and Neighborhood Cats.

>> Pre-order your copy today from Amazon

But wait, there’s more!

For those of you on Twitter, Tweet a picture of your cat using the hashtag #CatDaddy from February 1 through 29, and Tarcher will donate 5¢ for every tweet!

The Cat Daddy himself, Jackson Galaxy, will be in Scottsdale, Arizona on Friday, February 17, 2012 for a special live presentation. Jackson will present Cat Mojo 101 at 7:00 pm at the Franciscan Renewal Center. Tickets are $10 per person and all profits will be donated to three area animal rescues.

Jackson’s Cat Mojo 101 lecture will begin at 7:00 pm in the center’s main chapel. Seating will be general admission. Tickets can be purchased in advance at CatMojo101.eventbrite.com. Seating is limited, so advance purchase is recommended.

In this live presentation, Jackson will give a brief history of our relationship with domestic cats, describing their innate motivations and explaining how those motivations inform their day-to-day lives. Prepare to put on your “cat glasses” and see the world through the eyes of your cat. Learn to solve current behavioral issues and prevent future problems, while strengthening the bond between you and your cat. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the presentation, when Jackson will answer questions from the audience.

In addition to the 7:00 presentation, an exclusive VIP reception will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. VIP reception tickets are $50 per person. Participants will gather in a private reception area where Jackson will be available for a meet-and-greet. The VIP reception package includes a reserved seat for the 7:00 pm lecture. VIP reception tickets are also available at CatMojo101.eventbrite.com.

This event is being sponsored by Moderncat Enterprises LLC. All profits will be donated to three area animal rescues: All About Animals Rescue, Safe Haven for Animals, and Hope for Cats.

I hope to see you there!

I’m a huge fan of Gracy Bonney, not only because she writes the beautiful and inspiring blog Design*Sponge, but also because she is a true animal lover. And today Grace did a wonderful thing by rescuing a tiny, underweight kitten from the alley behind her house. This little girl was found in freezing cold temperatures and she tested FIV+, which Grace points out is definitely not a death sentence, so there was absolutely no reason to give up hope on little kitty. Gracy brought this cutie home and posted her photos on the blog, and today little girl has a wonderful new home!

Read all about this wonderful rescue over on Design*Sponge, where there are links to more info about FIV in cats. FIV can be transmitted to other cats, but only through deep bite wounds, so if you have docile cats that won’t fight, you CAN integrate FIV+ cats into your home. My own Theo is FIV positive, and he’s a big teddy bear who fits into the family beautiful.

Thank you, Grace, for caring so much!

(click the image above to enlarge) The folks over at Found Animals wanted to shed some light on the good, the sad, and the changeable about the state of cats in the US, so they created this info-graphic to help paint the picture. Some of the statistics are truly alarming: in Los Angeles, 75% of cats entering shelters are euthanized, only 20% of cats in shelters are adopted, and less than 1% of feral cats have been sterilized. We have a lot of work to do to improve the lives of cats in this country, but every one of us can make a difference by promoting shelter adoptions, spay/neuter, and TNR (trap-netuter-return).

Thanks to Found Animals for the work they are doing to bring attention to this important issue.

When I was in Los Angeles earlier this month I had the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible facility and operation that is FixNation. This organization, founded by Karn Myers and Mark Dodge, offers free spay/neuter services for LA’s homeless, stray and feral cats. Since opening its doors in July 2007, FixNation has sterilized and vaccinated more than 60,000 cats, and I’m fairly certain that every single one of them received outstanding care.

During my tour, I was completely blown away at the amazing care and compassion that each cat receives at FixNation. Every step in the process — from checking the cats in, to prepping them for surgery, and throughout all the procedures and recovery — the cat’s comfort and well being is the top priority. Everything they do at FixNation is for the good of the cats. I’ve really never experienced anything like it at any other facility. They do incredible work.

I’m hoping you will join me in supporting FixNation this holiday season. Due to some complications surrounding TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return, if you’re not already familiar with this procedure), some of FixNation’s funding sources have been reduced in recent years and they need our help. And here’s a little incentive, now through December 31, 2011, PetSmart Charities will match every “new donor” dollar up to $51,000. That’s a great way to double your donation! Please consider making a contribution to FixNation today!

To read more about the controversy surrounding TNR in Los Angeles, please visit Vox Felina, and to learn more about the important work being done at FixNation, watch this short video (if you can’t see the video below in your email, click here to watch it on the site):

Show us your whiskers! St. Francis Hospice for Cats is running a fun photo challenge this week. Using the Instagram iPhone app, upload photos that focus on a cat’s whiskers. Be sure to tag your entries #sfhfc_thecatswhiskers and #keepsycats and include @sfhfc and @ele in order to be entered. You can enter up to three photos. The contest deadline is Nov 25, 2011. Check out all the fabulous entries so far here.

St. Francis Hospice for Cats is a UK-based cat rescue organization that cares for chronically sick, elderly and terminally ill cats. Read more about their start in 1997 and all the wonderful work they do on their website, and be sure to follow them on Facebook.

Found Animals is hosting a celebration this weekend to officially launch their 6 Packs/9 Lives 2012 Calendar, which features a full year of cat-loving hunks for your enjoyment. The event will be held on Saturday, November 19 from 4 to 6 pm at The Abbey in West Hollywood. If you live in the Los Angeles area, you won’t want to miss this fun free event! Celebrity photographer Adam Bouska will make a special appearance, along with several of the hunks featured in the calendar. Stop by and show your support for the great work they do at Found Animals!

If you can’t make it to the event, you can still join in the celebration! Found Animals is offering a special prize package exclusively for Moderncat readers! The package includes the 6 Packs/9 Lives 2012 calendar along with an assortment of cat toys, some tasty cat treats and cat food, a trendy cat collar, a fun laser toy, some yummy catnip and more. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on November 18, 2011. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US.

This Sunday, October 16, is National Feral Cat Day! This annual event is coordinated by Alley Cat Allies as a way to raise awareness about feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, and recognize the millions of compassionate Americans who care for them. Each year cat welfare groups and cat lovers across the country plan events to help educate people in their communities about feral cats and TNR. This year there are over 300 events planned in all 50 states!

If your group is planning an event for NFCD, you can add it to the list of events on the official NFCD page, or you can find an event in your area to attend. Click here to download the awesome NFCD 2011 poster pictured above to help promote the event.

You can also help support Alley Cat Allies by purchasing NFCD 2011 merchandise like t-shirts, buttons, tote bags, and greeting cards.

Here’s another fun idea, change your Facebook profile photo for the next few days to the NFCD 2011 graphic! Grab one of these graphics to use (click on the image and drag it to your desktop):

Please join the effort to raise awareness of and help care for our nation’s feral cats. If we all work to TNR and care for them, someday hopefully we won’t have to have National Feral Cat Day!

Animal rescue groups and shelters need to work at self-promotion. Marketing is just as important to a non-profit as it is for any big business. One great way to promote a group is to design and print a colorful flyer to handout at adoption events and other events. There are a lot of printing companies available online and one of them is a cool company, UPrinting.com. UPrinting offers several different printing services including flyer printing and business card printing, all at very affordable prices. You can upload your own artwork or even design something online.

ENTER TO WIN!

When UPrinting approached me about a giveaway, I thought it would be fun to offer the prize to help promote a cat rescue group, since a lot of groups don’t have a big budget for printing. So here’s your chance to win 250 color flyers for your favorite rescue group! To enter, please leave a comment on this post with the name of the animal rescue group that you would give the prize to. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on October 7, 2011. One entry per person.

The winner will receive 250 free color flyers (4.25″ x 5.5″ or 4″ x 6″) printed on 14pt glossy cardstock (front side printing only), plus free shipping to US addresses. This giveaway is limited to US residents 18 years old and above.

This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive flyers for hosting. For more information about flyers, please visit Uprinting.com.

Here is a really fun way to share your love for your furry friends and help support a great cause. Toki Poki offers these adorable pet trading cards through their website where you can also become a member of a free online community of pet lovers. Just sign-up for a free Toki Poki membership and you’ll be able to upload photos of your kitties along with a bio for each one, then search through the other members to find your friends and become pals online. They have all sorts of fun photo contests that you can participate in, too.

If your cat ever goes missing (God forbid!) there’s a feature that allows you to automatically generate a “Lost Pet” flyer that you can download as a printable pdf and circulate around your neighborhood, plus an email alert will automatically be sent out to your vet and rescue groups in your area. (This service is only available for members in the US at this time.)

Join the Toki Poki Moderncat Group!

Once you join Toki Poki and upload your cat’s info, you can order trading cards to share with friends. You can get 50 cards for $30 or 100 cards for $40. Larger quantities are also available at even bigger discounts. All my Moderncats got trading cards and they are beautifully designed and printed!

Now here’s the fun part, when completing the order form for your trading cards, be sure to enter “Moderncat” for “How did you hear about us?” so your cat(s) will be official members of the Toki Poki Moderncat Group! Then, for just $5.00, anyone can order a Moderncat Pack to collect 10 random cards chosen from the group members. A fun way to get to know other Moderncats! Plus 50% of the proceeds from the sale of every group 10-pack will be donated to Alley Cat Allies.

Check out the Toki Poki website today and get your kitties signed-up!

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to our fundraiser for Stray Cat Alliance! This was such a success, bringing in $2,858 of much-needed funds to help Stray Cat Alliance continue the important work they’re doing rescuing cats in Los Angeles county. I’m always amazed at the generosity of the Moderncat readers, cat people are the best!

Another big thank you goes out to HJ Mews for donating the $150 shopping spree for the drawing. The winner has been chosen and contacted via email, so check your email for a message from me with details on how to claim your prize.

Thank you again!

OK, now that everyone has had a chance to look around the HJMews store, here’s your reminder that your chances are VERY GOOD to win a $150 shopping spree! Right now, there are only 18 people in the drawing, and Stray Cat Alliance REALLY needs your help!

A donation of ANY amount will enter you in the drawing and it goes to a great cause. Stray Cat Alliance is working feverishly to help save cats in Los Angeles County and they need your support! $1? $5? $10? It all helps! And you’ll be entered to win the prize.

This fundraiser ends on Friday, so PLEASE help us reach our goal!

> Click here to make a donation and enter to win!

I was recently introduced to the folks at Stray Cat Alliance, an outstanding cat advocacy organization in Los Angeles County, California and I’m excited to share their work with you, along with this special fundraiser. Stray Cat Alliance is working toward a no-kill nation by educating and empowering the community to advocate for every cat’s right to be safe, healthy and valued, and they’re truly making a difference.

Founded more than a decade ago, Stray Cat Alliance has assisted over 75,000 free-roaming (stray) cats through its various programs. During the past decade, the organization has adopted out over 1,000 rescued cats and kittens to forever, loving homes. Now Stray Cat Alliance’s experienced and dedicated volunteer base cares for approximately 1,000+ free-roaming cats in 45 managed colonies and provides foster homes for at least 300 tame felines rescued annually throughout Southern California. Stray Cat Alliance provides free Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) resources at its six Trap Depots throughout the county, including lending traps and providing instruction on how to care for cats during the holding and sterilization process. To date, over 10,000 traps have been lent to a community striving to deal with the overwhelming problem of mass breeding of cats in their neighborhoods. Ultimately, thousands of animals have been saved from homelessness or death in Los Angeles County municipal shelters.

The services provided by Stray Cat Alliance include its foster network, adoptions, spay/neuter surgery support at veterinary and mobile clinics and through referrals and free vouchers. The Stray Cat Alliance Hotline is integral to the humane education of the community, answering over 4,000 requests annually on how to deal with cat issues. And, every call for help is answered.

“I Spayed LA” Program

Stray Cat Alliance’s groundbreaking “I Spayed LA” in South Los Angeles is a comprehensive spay/neuter program for community cats living in this targeted, extremely low-income urban area, zip code 90037, with little to no sterilization services. The goal is to reduce shelter impact in South L. A. by 30% to 40% over two years. Check out this video on the Stray Cat Alliance website to see the “I Spayed LA” team in action and learn more about this ambitious program.

Support Stray Cat Alliance and Enter to Win a $150 Shopping Spree at HJ Mews!

Stray Cat Alliance needs your support to continue their excellent work helping improve the lives of so many cats! To help them out, we’ve created a special fundraiser with the assistance of the fabulous folks at HJMews.com, your online source for only the finest furnishings, treats, and toys for discerning felines. HJ Mews has generously donated a $150 shopping spree, good toward anything available on their site. Head on over to HJMews.com and check out the possibilities!

To enter this giveaway, please visit the special fundraising page we created at GiveForward.com and make a donation to help support Stray Cat Alliance. Everyone who makes a donation of any amount will be entered into a drawing to win the $150 shopping spree at HJMews.com. This fundraiser will run through September 23, 2011 and the winner will be chosen and announced on September 24, 2011.

> Click here to make a donation and enter to win!

The calendar was shot by award-winning fashion and beauty photographer, Adam Bouska of  the “No H8” campaign, and published by Brown Trout Publishers, who is donating $1 from each calendar sold in retail outlets. You can also order the 6 Packs/9 Lives calendar online now.

Found Animals has purchased 10,000 calendars that will be donated to LA area non-profit groups that help cats. These groups will be able to sell the calendars as a fundraiser for their organization. If your organization would like to participate, please email Found Animals at info@foundanimals.org.

ENTER TO WIN!

Found Animals is offering one of these steamy calendars for a giveaway! To enter, please visit the Found Animals website and take a look around. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling us what you found to be the most useful info on their site. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on September 6, 2011. One entry per person please.

The fabulous Julie Jackson over at Subversive Cross Stitch (warning! it’s not all G-rated!) created this exclusive cross stitch pattern for the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee’s annual fundraiser. I actually say this all the time, since poor Mackenzie is very floofy! Head on over to the IBKC shop to purchase the PDF pattern for just $5 and 100% of your purchase will go toward the IBKC’s fundraiser for the Tacoma/Pierce County Humane Society in Washington state.

The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee is a blog that chronicles the lives of their many foster kittens and permanent resident cat, Charlene Butterbean. They use the blog to help find homes for the kittens and to show what an awesome experience fostering animals can be.

Attention animal shelters and rescues! The Cat Power Tower has a fabulous program that can help you raise money for your organization! This is a program you definitely need to know about.

Your group can partner with The Cat Power Tower in a couple of different ways. First you have to sign-up with the Cat Power Tower, then they will issue a coupon code that you can promote on your website, in newsletters, on your Facebook page, and anywhere else. If someone uses your coupon code to purchase a Cat Power Tower, they will get $10 off the purchase price and your organization will receive a nice donation.

The second option is a little more involved, but it’s an even better fundraiser. For organizations that can process credit cards, you can become a reseller of the Cat Power Tower. You’ll process orders from customers and CPT will ship out the products, and you get part of the profits.

CPT will provide you with brochures and other marketing materials to help you with your sales efforts.

Please visit the Cat Power Tower website to read more and to see a list of organizations already participating. If your animal shelter or rescue organization is interested in partnering with the Cat Power Tower to raise funds, please email feedback@cat-power-tower.com for more details and to sign-up today!

Maybe you’ve heard of The Cat House on The Kings, California’s largest cage-free, no-kill cat sanctuary. Well, tonight you can learn more about this amazing place and its founder, Lynea Lattanzio, on a new show “The Lady with 700 Cats” premiering on the National Geographic WILD channel. Check your local listings for times.

There’s a special new section over at Cattoo Design highlighting animal rescue groups that proudly wear their love of cats on their skin. Check out the first entry featuring the team at the San Francisco SPCA. The stories behind the ink are guaranteed to make you cry!

Save the Animals Foundation, Inc. and the Animal Protection League of New Jersey—working closely with other cat rescue and wildlife groups—are relocating a colony of feral cats from their current South Jersey location to nearby farms, horse stables, wineries, and the like. Both STAF and APLNJ support TNR as the most effective means to reduce the feral cat population, and use relocation only in very rare circumstances.

These cats are currently being cared for by a community of fisherman and their families, but their proximity to a wildlife preserve requires that they move the cats onto private property. And soon! The preserve is home to several species of birds threatened or endangered in New Jersey, and the breeding/nesting season is almost here. Any cats not relocated in time (the exact deadline remains unknown, but it is approaching quickly) will be trapped and put down.

Most of the cats are already sterilized and vaccinated, and have had a general health check—but there are a few “hold-outs” still to be trapped. ALL cats will be sterilized, vaccinated, and given a clean bill of health prior to relocation.

Anticipated expenses include:

• Any necessary spay/neutering and vaccinations
• Fencing and other materials for enclosures
• Special cat fencing (e.g., Cat Fence-In, Purrfect Fence, etc.)
• Food

Please Donate Today!

Tax-deductable donations can be made via FirstGiving. All donations are greatly appreciated!

NOTE: Any funds raised in excess of our goal will be used for future TNR efforts in the area.

Not in a position to make a donation at the moment? No problem—you can still help by sharing with your network of friends, family, co-workers, etc. Sharing via Facebook and Twitter is especially easy: just use the buttons under the “Donate” button on the FirstGiving page.

Thank you for your interest in these cats, and for your generosity.

It’s that time of year again, time to let mom know how much you love her, and what better way than with a Mother’s Day eCard from Alley Cat Allies. Make a donation to ACA and you can pick one of five different designs featuring mom cats and their little fluff balls in snugly poses. All proceeds go to support ACA in helping to protect and improve the lives of our nation’s cats.

A while ago, I introduced Colony Cats, a wonderful animal rescue in central Ohio. They have a beautiful cat adoption center in Columbus, OH, plus they have all sorts of wonderful programs to help address the cat overpopulation problem in central Ohio, including an active TNR program.

Right now Colony Cats is running a very interesting fundraiser that I wanted to share with you. They are raffling off a condo — not a cat condo, a REAL condo! Their “House for Homes” raffle is seeking to raise $125,000 for Colony Cats to help them find homes for abandoned animals. They will sell no more than 2500 tickets at $100 each, so the odds of winning could be pretty good. You can purchase as many tickets as you like at $100 each. The drawing will take place on May 7, 2011. All the raffle details can be found at HomeForAHundred.net.

Here is a very special little cat sanctuary in Pasadena, CA. It’s the Cat Cottage Senior Sanctuary,  created to provide a loving environment for elderly and special needs kitties. The space itself is a tiny cottage, with lots of windows and an outdoor enclosure overlooking a garden, a skylight, a huge comfy chair, and a loft with a window seat. There are lots of high spots for kitties to nap. There is a handmade kitty stairway leading from the ground to the loft, as well as catwalks surrounding the perimeter walls. The Cottage has air conditioning, heat, a vaulted ceiling with a dimmable chandelier, and classical music playing softly at all times. What a perfect environment for these special senior kitties!

The Cat Cottage was built to be a sort of “exclusive retirement village” for elderly and special needs kitties that nobody wanted to adopt because they were considered too old, unhealthy, or personality challenged. This is unfairly so often the case with senior cats who all deserve to spend their golden years in loving homes.

The Cat Cottage is not accepting any new residents at this time, but you can follow them on Facebook to see the beautiful senior cats in their care, as well as listings for senior cats that are available for adoption. Next time you’re thinking of adding another furry family member, please consider adopting a senior cat!

If you’re a fan of hairless cats, you’re going to flip over this new book, The Nudes: A Pictorial Celebration of the Sphynx. It’s a beautiful compilation of photos from Sphynx breeders and owners showing off these cute little guys in all their naked glory. Sphynx lover Chanel Bevell put this book together because she absolutely adores these cats, but it’s not just a pretty picture book — it’s helping to spread an important message about a deadly disease: HCM.

HCM, or Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, is a heart disease found in cats. HCM can appear in all cats, but it is especially prevalent in Maine Coons, Ragdolls, Norwegian Forest Cats, and Sphynx cats. HCM research in humans has shown that there is a genetic link, so similar research is being done to show a genetic link in cats. More research is needed to help cat owners diagnose and treat this deadly disease, and hopefully one day eliminate it entirely. The Nudes hopes to bring awareness to the issue while also raising funds to go specifically toward research efforts.

The Nudes is filled with fun photos of Sphynx cats from all over the world as well as an essay by Brook Arnold on what is HCM. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to HCM research at Washington State University where Dr. Kathryn Meurs is at the forefront of HCM research.

There are tests for HCM that, if performed early enough and regularly, can detect if a cat is developing the disease. An important point to make is that breeders of Sphynx cats and any of the other breeds where HCM is prevalent, must test every one of their cats annually. I’m of course a huge proponent of rescuing animals, but there are also lots of reputable breeders out there, and this is one way to find out who they are. If you are ever considering getting a Sphynx, Maine Coon, Ragdoll, or Norwegian Forest cat from a breeder, please make sure they are testing their cats annually to reduce the likelihood that HCM will be passed on genetically. This is not a complete guarantee, but it will reduce the chances and it is the right thing to do.

I had never met a Sphynx in person, so Chanel and her husband Glen invited me over to their house to meet their six Sphynx cats. What wonderful kitties! They are so loving and full of personality! They love to play and snuggle and, boy, do they love their mom and dad. I absolutely love these cats!

Chanel is completely dedicated to eradicating HCM, so she also designed a line of clothing and and other fun stuff with the HCM logo. Proceeds from the sale of these items also go to fund HCM research. Check it out on her website thenudesphynx.com.

It’s that time of year again when the folks over at Ex-Boyfriend, the uber-hip illustration and design company, put together a special fundraiser to benefit the Maryland SPCA. Last year they raised $1300 and this year they hope to raise even more!

Purchase any of Ex-Boyfriend’s keychain bottle openers or magnets now through April 15 and 100% of the profits will go to the fundraiser. These fun accessories ship for free and they make great gifts! There are lots of cute kitty designs to choose from.

The team over at Ex-Boyfriend supports animal rescue year-round by donating 5% of the profits from the sale of all their other merchandise to the SPCA.

We’ve all had the disaster in Japan on our minds over the past few days. I know that everyone is praying for the safety of those affected — both the people and the animals. As we all know, cats are cherished companions in Japan, where they have been revered throughout history. One area that we have all been thinking about is Tashiro Island, or “Cat Island”, located on Japan’s vulnerable east coast, that is home to a community of elderly Japanese people and hundreds of cats. Early speculation was that the island was devastated, but recent reports indicate that the residents, and hopefully the cats, may have been able to make it to the higher elevations on the island.

One way you can help is by supporting organizations that provide animal rescue in situations like this. Artist Bernadette Kazmarski is doing her part by donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these beautiful block prints of her two tortie girls.

These gorgeous pieces are made with linoleum block printing and then hand colored, a technique that is of course associated with traditional Japanese art, making this a fitting fundraiser. “The Goddess” and “The Roundest Eyes” are available as framed prints and on t-shirts in Bernadette’s Etsy shop. Please visit Bernadette’s blog for more details on the fundraiser.

Here are some of Bernadette’s other prints:

There are several ways you can contribute specifically to animal rescue groups working on the disaster recovery in Japan. Please visit The Conscious Cat and The Daily Tail for some links.