Cats got their hearts

I have nothing against cats. But, I do know lots of pet lovers who are classified either as dog lovers or cat lovers.

Let’s see.

I have been told by my cat-loving friends that they prefer cats to dogs because cats are more independent. As we all know since cats are not as socialized as dogs then they can take care of themselves. I know a few cat owners who can leave their feline companions alone for the day with the food dish, kitty litter and water.

“Can you cat-sit for me while I am away?” asked a cat-owner friend of mine many years ago. “It won’t be anything as complicated as dog sitting. All you have to do is check if the cats have eaten, change the kitty litter and check on their water.”

It was actually quite straight forward, taking care of the cats. Only problem for me — being a dog owner— was that it was difficult to tell what moods the cats were in when I saw them.

I mean really, the cats just stared me down as I entered. They watched my every move in the apartment and then when I tried to approach them they jumped off the couch and headed into the room.

But, I took the cat-sitting duty seriously, and I must say that yes, cats can pretty much take care of themselves.

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Since our home is one of those that feeds stray cats, I know that the cats know exactly what time to come around. But, they don’t really hangout in my home since it is a “dog house.”

My five canine companions have gotten pretty used to seeing the cats out in the garage in the afternoons.

Matter of fact, I appreciate it that my doggies leave the cats pretty much alone if the cats sit still and don’t try to run away from them.

“It is a good sign when a dog does not chase a cat just because he/she sees it,” said Jojo Isorena, dog behavior specialist. “This means that your dog does not have aggression issues. A dog should only want to chase a cat if it hurts him/her or if it is running away. But, if a cat is sitting still, a non-aggressive dog will leave the cat pretty much alone.”

This must be the reason that the cats that come to my house to feed sit still really well.

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There are also very well-loved (or much-hated), depending on what kind of pet lover you are, famous cartoon cat characters. My three fave cat cartoon characters are Garfield, the bully who picks on Oddie the lap dog and loves lasagna; Sylvester, the cat who only is obsessed with being able to eat Tweety Bird; and Hobbes or Calvin and Hobbes. Hobbes is a loyal tiger and playmate to Hobbes — but for us readers, he is the stuffed companion of Calvin.

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“I have a few cat adoption stories to share with you,” purred Anna Cabrera, Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) director and self-confessed cat-lover. “There is a growing number of cat-lovers, I know this because there have been more instances of cat adoption here at PAWS over the years.”

Anna recently spoke on the animal welfare campaigns of PAWS Philippines at the Middle Eastern Network for Animal Welfare conference in Cairo, Egypt.

Anna said she was so happy that she learned that Egyptians really loved their cats with a passion.

“The people there adored cats,” quipped Anna. “And even mummified them when they passed on.”

It was cat heaven for Anna who was “attacked” by a flurry of loving cats when she visited the animal shelter in Cairo.

I guess, cats know who the cat-lovers among us are. Just as I have always believed that dogs can sense who are the real dog-lovers among the humans they meet.

Two Blind Cats Go Home

At the PAWS shelter, Ria the cat, was found blind and stumbling across the Ateneo University campus. PAWS vet, Dr. Almoro said that the cat’s eyes may have been injured and left infected which may have caused Ria to go blind.

It was Evan Yap, an Ateneo student, who rescued Ria and brought her to PAWS. Ria must have gotten Evan’s ear because after having Ria treated at the PAWS shelter Evan himself decided to adopt her.

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Kristina Ferrer and her mom used to live in San Mateo, Rizal.

Kristina would feed this gentle stray white cat with orange spots on its head.

The Ferrers moved homes and left the cat in San Mateo. When Kristina’s mom returned to their old home a few weeks after the move, she was horrified to find the gentle stray injured — his jaw was broken and his left eye was bulging out of its socket. Kristina brought Matthew to PAWS in tears. She promised him that she would adopt him if he got better.

Since the PAWS shelter has no equipment to do surgeries on broken jaws and the like, all vets Maripi and Wil could do was bandage the jaw.

The vets hoped that Matthew would be able to start eating again after a few days.

Since Matthew was in critical condition, the smashed eyeball had to be taken out during surgery.

After two weeks, Matthew bounced back to life. It was a happy reunion for Kristina and Matthew. Now, Matthew lives with Kristina and her mom.

“No one will hurt him again,” Kristina said as she carried Matthew in her arms, the day she came to take him home.

Take Me Home

Victoria the cat who was rescued by PAWS in the Shaw underpass last month is still waiting for a home.

Curious drivers and bus passengers tried to see what was happening at the Shaw underpass last March 2 as three PAWS volunteers, including

Norman Laroque, got on all fours and tried to reach into a drainage hole to pull Victoria out. The rescuers themselves held their breaths as they hung on to the scruff of the terrified cat as cars whizzed by.

The cat had been spotted under the Shaw flyover — probably dumped by a cruel person — three weeks prior to the rescue. Concerned ADB employees, Sue Hooper and Wendy Duncan tried in vain to catch the obviously-starving cat. Both ADB ladies called PAWS to help rescue the cat Victoria is sweet and loving. She is waiting for someone to come and adopt her.

If you are interested in adopting a pet companion, dog or cat, you can reach PAWS at 475-1688 on Monday to Saturday at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.