Cat's Meow Marketplace

The other day, I was killing time waiting for my car to get new tires when I noticed a cool new store in the strip mall next to the mechanic. It's called the Cat's Meow Marketplace, and is sponsored by an animal rescue organization called FurKids. They call it a yard sale, but it's basically a thrift store. It's pretty big, and they have everything! I saw couches, kitchen appliances, clothes, pictures, books, cat stuff, and yes - they even had a kitchen sink! They had a good selection of used books - from health (like the best diet pills) to popular fiction (I saw some Tom Clancys) to finances (Dave Ramsey anyone?). And next to it was a section for pet supplies! (Don't usually see that in thrift stores! :-)) Their prices seemed reasonable, too. Unfortunately, I didn't need anything at the time, but if I am on the lookout for something I'll definitely check it out. They are open Saturdays from 9-4pm, and they accept cash only. They're located at 4015 Holcomb Bridge Road in Norcross, GA. The proceeds go to benefit the organization, about which I've heard great things. I'm all about helping animals! I also like that I can donate stuff there if I want - and it's tax deductible. I have a box in my apartment that is quickly filling with things to donate, so when it's full I'll be sure to drop it off. I'd encourage you to check it out if you're in the need of some second-hand items! Support the animals and get great deals!

Cat's Meow Marketplace
4015 Holcomb Bridge Road
Norcross, GA

Headbanging kitties

This video absolutely cracked me up.

New license plate

For all you cat-loving Georgia residents!

A new license plate has just been unveiled for Georgia drivers! It's a cat-theme, with a picture of Hope, a former Suwanee shelter resident. She's a tuxedo cat, just like Lewis. :-) Too bad I just renewed my tags! I'll have to wait another year before I can get this license plate.

As with the other animal plates (a dog-themed one with a Golden Retriever, and an animal-themed one with a dog and cat), a portion of the tag fee goes to the Dog and Cat Sterilization Program, which subsidizes spay/neuter procedures by Georgia vets.

You can read more about Hope the cat here. fat burner

Ziggy the Bandito

Check out this video, it makes me laugh! (It's more than a cat-chasing-paper-in-printer video.)



The cat in the video - Ziggy Bandito - was at Good Mews when I started volunteering. He captured our hearts with all his crazy fun antics around the shelter. We were excited that someone adopted him, but a little sad to see him go! He was a kitten - 7 months old when I knew him (he's 10 months now) - but he did much better in the main shelter with the adult cats than in the kitten room. I guess he was just a younger brother!

Anyways, I'm excited to see him doing so well in his home now!

Flowering Cherry Trees

Why everyone should own a dog

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In style pets

Joanna sent me an article that I thought was really good. It's entitled "Leave Marley in the Movies: Why Buying a Trendy Pet Makes No Sense", written by Tisha Tolar over at Wisebread. An excerpt:

Who doesn’t fall in love with the many animals featured in hit movies of today and years past? You may be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t want to adopt 101 cute spotted dogs or wish to cuddle with a little, talking Chihuahua but the reality is the animals we see in the movies or on television are simply not reality. As the movies continue to bring us “insight” into different types of lovable pets, parents are more inclined to run out and buy the same kind of animal to appease the kids without much thought into the expense, care, and time needed to truly love and nurture the real deal.

Every time a lovable critter makes it big in Hollywood, impulsive consumer demand causes a frenzy that often turns out bad for the real life "stars". As quickly as they're scooped up from stores, they're abandoned at shelters. These fads aren't just made up of four-legged Hollywood stars.

I thought she made a really great point. Movies do affect people's sentiments about certain animals, and too many people buy their animals impulsively. I fear the consequences of Marley & Me in particular: lab puppies are cute, but notoriously wild, energetic, and hard-to-control dogs! Not saying that they're bad pets, but it takes a responsible owner willing to put in the time to train them to make for a well-behaved dog.

If a movie has inspired you to get a pet, I'd recommend you first analyze your reasons for doing so. It's not bad to have a pet, but it's best to do it for the right reasons. Do your research. Find the breed that fits your needs/lifestyle the best. There are lots of options and decisions to make, and it's better for everyone involved if you make them with a clear head and not emotions. And if/when you do go to adopt an animal, make sure you're not supporting puppy mills! Rather, choose a rescue or a shelter... and if you must have the purebred for whatever reason, then make sure it's a reputable breeder.

So next time your dog gets into your Blackberry plants, it will help knowing that you made the decision to get him out of wisdom and not impulsively... :-)

Ah, kitties

more animals

Opening Bell

If you watched the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday then you would have seen something special. In celebration of the 80th anniversary of The Seeing Eye school, the president and his puppy rang the opening bell! The Seeing Eye is a school in New Jersey that trains visually impaired people to work with guide dogs.

When I was growing up, there was a couple behind us who had a guide dog for the husband, who was blind. I once interviewed him for our school newspaper about his life and his dogs. He had two different dogs while I knew him; both were black labs, one named Brooke and the other Casey. They were so obedient, and it allowed their owner to have a lot of freedom he wouldn't have been able to have on his own. I love this example of animals helping humans.

You can see the video of the NYSE Opening Bell here. Poor puppy gets a little frightened of the bell!

Luminox watches

Visit to the vet

A few months ago, I had to take the cats to the vet. They were due for their annual shots, and the apartment complex we were moving into required proof of vaccinations. Also, for the weekend that we moved, we boarded the cats at Petsmart's PetHotel and they also require vaccinations.

I snapped a couple of pictures with my cell phone:

Lewis was hilarious. There are two doors in the little exam room: one for the pets and their owners (that led to the main lobby), and one for the vets and vet techs, that led to the back where all the meds, equipment, etc. were. We came in the one door, and then the vet came in. She left for a few minutes, and the whole time she was gone Lewis sprawled in front of the door pawing at the bottom. As if he wanted to follow her! I guess he's more interested in her than staying with me. :-)


Ebony preferred the hiding approach when the vet was gone. She thought that perhaps if she hid behind the computer, the vet wouldn't see her and she wouldn't have to get any shots. Smart, Ebony! Too bad it didn't work. I think your eyes gave you away. :-)

I really love my vet. I've used them for years, even though they're a bit of a drive. If you're in the north Atlanta area, I highly recommend them. They're named Animal Hospital of Sandy Springs and are located off Roswell Road near I-285. I've met with each of the vets there, and I've liked them all!

One thing I like about them was how they take the time to explain things and show you things. Back when I had Zoey, I had the vet implant her with a microchip. It was really cool: they showed me how you read the microchips... they have something like barcode scanners that reads the chip and displays a number. Then you can match the unique number to the animal. The vet definitely didn't need to take the time to show me that, but I was really grateful!