Oskar, Klaus, and Friends...

Help Oskar Win the First FRISKIES Award

2012-11-08T10:28:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends!

We are very thrilled that Oskar is one of twelve finalists in "The Friskies" cat video contest! He does need some votes from fans to help him win, however. Please visit the site below, check out the videos, and submit your vote. Each time you vote, like, and share the video, Friskies will donate five cans of cat food to the partner shelters (up to 250,000 cans).

Now, we can't ask you to vote for Oskar if he's not your favorite, but there's good karma that comes with voting for a blind kitty! : )

You may vote once through Friday, November 9th.

Thank you for all of the help!

http://enter.thefriskies.com/oskars-first-toys/

Cats Need Help - From the American Heartland to the Holy Land

2012-08-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

August 4th, 2012:

We receive lots of request to share information about cats that need to urgently find homes (we generally share these via Oskar's Facebook page). Often, these are cats with special needs and disabilities. This cute bunch is no exception.

The first cats that need help were dropped off in a cardboard box on the porch of a former Cat House volunteer named Melissa -- she now lives outside of Lincoln, Nebraska, in a small town called Friend. The box contained a momma cat and her babies. One of the babies was unfortunately not alive, and the others were wrapped up in the umbilical cord (which caused some injuries). One of the kittens is partially blind and another has a damaged foot. Melissa writes:

"I just wanted to send you a message about those babies that came to me in the box that were intertwined in umbilical cords. One has half a paw and one is partial blind. The other one escaped peril. The mama also needs homing as well. Their names are Sassy for the half foot.... Sheba for the mom..... Stella for the blind and Sabrina for the fluffy gray cutie!!!"

Below are the photos. If you can help Melissa in any way, please contact her directly at this e-mail address: rodeoprincesscowgirl21@hotmail.com

Sabrina

Sassy (the half-foot)

Sassy's damaged foot

Stella (partially blind)

another Stella pic

Sheba (mom cat)

The kitten you'll see below is currently being taken care of by a fan of Oskar named Gili in Tel Aviv, Israel. The little guy is named Sammy and he is totally blind. Gili writes:

"This is Sammy (temporary name). He is vivacious, sweet, climbs and plays, loves to come up to people. We can get him to anywhere in Israel. We can't keep him because we are at full capacity animal (and people) wise. Uses a litter box. So adorable."

You may contact Gili at this e-mail address jillieorama@gmail.com or you may call from Israel: 054-7000175.

Sammy

Here's also a link to a short YouTube video of sammy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTA5BRiDHlo&feature=plcp

Let's see if we can find permanent, loving homes for these cats living on basically opposites sides of the globe! Thank you!

Launching Today: www.OSKARandKLAUS.com

2012-08-01T16:54:00.001-07:00

Today we will launch www.OSKARandKLAUS.com at 9pm Central. What you will see in a few hours is just a tiny step in creating the coolest online pet shop in the whole universe (we have modest goals).

This web shop was created to offer pet lovers around the world a chance to buy quality products made by independent, creative, eco-friendly, and just plain awesome companies. We will specialize in pet toys and accessories that feature durable construction, nontoxic materials, organic ingredients, and -- above all -- great design.

Our goal is to keep testing pet products and constantly adding the best we can find. We always prefer doing business with suppliers who donate a portion of their sales to fund charities around the globe.

We personally partnered with three fantastic animal rescue organization and 20% of the full purchase price of each product we sell will be donated quarterly to aid their mission (most companies donate 5% or 10% of just profits, not net sales). Our partner charities are listed below.

-The Cat House in Nebraska (former home of “The Klaus”)

-Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary in North Carolina

-The Cat House on the Kings in California

We only have a handful of products as we begin this venture (inventory is expensive when your business has no cash flow yet), but we will certainly offer the first batch of 100 cat ties starting at 9pm. These are specifically our product and Bethany has spent countless hours perfecting the design and sewing. If we sell out of any product, it’s just a matter of days before more will become available. Additionally, in the next weeks and months you will be able to buy Oskar and Klaus calendars, photo books, recycled totes, posters, signature catnip toys, photo prints, and all sorts of pet products made by animal-loving entrepreneurs from around the world. Oh yeah, we will also have a girl-cat version of the ties!

I’m sure we will receive some criticism for this venture because “selling” and “money” have an amazing ability to spoil a good thing in the minds of many. We will close by stating our intentions: we want to offer products that we have control over (unlike Cafepress and Zazzle), we want to sell the right products from the right suppliers, we want to raise funds for organizations we admire, and finally, we hope that this gives us an opportunity (down the line, anyway) to have a part-time home business that lets us spend more time with Oskar and Klaus. Call it our own mini American dream!

Thank you for all of your support,

Mick, Bethany, Oskar & Klaus

Omaha, Nebraska

Cat Toy Review: Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip Products

2012-07-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

Oskar and Klaus spent the past two weeks testing out an assortment of goodies made by Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip Products out of Burlington, Vermont. The boys were lucky enough to try the original Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip, the Tuna Sushi Catnip, a catnip-infused Tipsy Nip Ball, as well as the XL Tickle Pickle toys.

Before we get to the reaction of the cats, we just want to say that there is something very rewarding about using products made by small companies that were started by people who simply love animals and combine that passion with an entrepreneurial spirit. These are companies that are focused on using healthy, quality ingredients; they're not about maximizing profits and answering to shareholders. There is nothing better than being able to e-mail or call the owner of the company for a quick chat – try that with big supermarket brands!

The Tipsy Nip products are packaged very well in sealed containers that preserve the freshness of the organic catnip. The black and white labels are eye-catching, attractive, and uniquely styled. Oskar and Klaus don’t care one bit about that however!

The Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip runs $5 and comes in a 4oz container. It is dried fresh, devoid of large stem pieces and “junk parts,” and -- most importantly -- it’s very potent. Klaus has two reactions to catnip: he either sniffs it and walks away unimpressed or he goes K-R-A-Z-Y like Maru in a shoebox factory. After the first sniff and taste of the Tipsy Nip, the Klaus was hooked....hard. We simply had to let him be Mr. Hyde for a while until he crashed and drifted off into a six-hour nap. Oskar, on the other hand, has a milder reaction. He simply ate some of the nip with much delight, rolled around in the remnants on the floor, and moved on to another toy, happy as always.

The Tuna Sushi Catnip proved to have the same effect on this duo. The cool thing is that this variety has flakes of dried tuna and seaweed mixed with the catnip for a little “extra” reward. Tipsy Nip is the first company we’ve come across that offers this. Do the cats prefer this variety to the original? It’s hard to say for sure – the key is that it’s catnip and everything else that's mixed in is just a bonus! We think it’s a nice product to have on hand to mix things up a bit – it runs $7 for a 3/4oz bottle. This would make a great gift for someone's lucky cat.

The Tipsy Nip Ball is $5 and it's another fun product that we now hear bouncing off the walls (sometimes at 4am). It’s a nontoxic wooden ball that is sanded to a smooth finish. There are no rough spots or potential splinters that could pose a threat to a cat’s paws, mouth, or digestive tract. The ball is infused with an “essence of catnip,” which probably means it was treated with catnip oil. Even though there is no bell or other noise-making mechanism inside this ball, Oskar can locate it by the scent alone. By the way, the container that the ball ships in is filled with more Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip, so if you store the ball inside the container it will absorb some additional catnip oil and scent.

The real hit for Klaus and Oskar was the Tickle Pickle (we were lucky to have two on hand). The Tickle Pickle is a knit tube stuffed with 100% Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip and nothing else! It comes in two sizes: the standard 6 inch model and the "XL" that measures 11 inches. Oskar and Klaus tested the XL models, which we recommend since the cats are able to kick the Tickle Pickle with their hind paws while holding on to a portion of it with their front claws and teeth.

The Tickle Pickles come in one color – green – and do resemble a cucumber in a way. The fact that the color is somewhat neutral and subdued is a welcome departure from the crazy Day-Glo patterns that you see on just about every other cat toy. You could even go so far as to say that this is one classy looking toy!

The Tickle Pickle is filled with catnip, of course, but the best part is the knit fabric that holds it all together. Unlike tightly-woven fabrics that cover similar toys, the wider spacing between threads allows a cat’s claws to dig in just a little deeper – which translates to more energy expended when kicking (which will wear out a kitty faster) and probably more gratification (we don’t think of this too often, but cats are born hunters that revel in the sensation of causing damage to an opponent – whether it’s a squirrel or a pickle). The fabric is also very tough and has not been shredded in the least by our duo’s pointy claws and sharp teeth. Oskar and Klaus grabbed, squeezed, bit, licked, kicked, tossed, wrestled, and cuddled with their Tickle Pickles every day since we opened the package two weeks ago. It’s their new favorite toy for sure!

In summary, Tipsy Nip makes some fantastic products with a clear commitment to quality. Their prices are also very reasonable considering that the toys are not mass-produced in an overseas factory out of nylon or plastic. You can buy the toys in select pet stores across the U.S., directly from www.tipsynip.com, and after August 1st you will be able to buy them on www.OSKARandKLAUS.com! Oskar and Klaus like this brand so much that we decided to offer it in our new web store.

Two dew claws up!

Cool Logo

4oz Organic Tipsy Nip

Tuna Sushi Catnip

Tipsy Nip Ball

The goodies!

Klaus and the XL Tickle Pickle

Klaus Kangaroo-kicks the Tickle Pickle

What's better than one Tickle Pickle? Two Tickle Pickles.

All this happened to Klaus -- at once!

THE VIDEO:

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 11

2012-07-09T10:59:00.003-07:00

Cat Toy Review: Kitty Collage

2012-06-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

Klaus and Oskar had a chance to test some good things this past weekend thanks to the folks at Kitty Collage. The cats tested the catnip pillows, kitty treats, and some dried exotic catnip from last August's harvest. All of the items were a huge hit and even Klaus couldn't resist the aroma (usually Oskar is the cat who goes nuts over catnip scents).

The catnip pillows come in two sizes. We found that Oskar tossed the small one around like it was a mouse and spent considerable time chewing on it as well. The larger pillow is similar to a Kitty Kick Stix toy because both cats would hold on to it with their jaws and front claws while kangaroo kicking it with their hind paws. The fabric seems very durable, and it is both colorful and stitched with care.

The treats were well-received and were completely eaten. They are not too firm in consistency and the ingredients are for the most part wholesome. We had little guilt giving the boys an extra snack or two, although we strongly feel that snacks should be moderated since they are not as balanced nutritionally as premium soft foods. Use these as a special reward.

Lastly, the exotic dried catnip was of top quality and very potent despite being harvested ten months ago. The cats had a very strong reaction to it and preferred it significantly over our own fresh catnip we grew. The hyper phase lasted about 20 minutes followed by a period of complete calm when the cats were too intoxicated to move even an inch. We are pretty sure we'll be ordering more of this quality catnip when the supply runs low.

Overall, Klaus and Oskar give the products from Kitty Collage two dew claws up (that's two thumbs up for us)! We feel strongly about promoting small companies that put care into the products they sell -- especially for such a reasonable price. The best companies are the ones where you can e-mail the owner and get a prompt reply back. Anyway, feel free to visit Kitty Collage on the web at the following addresses:

http://www.facebook.com/KittyCollage

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittycollage

Oskar guards the package from Kitty Collage.

Catnip pillow fabric close-up.

Travel-size catnip pillow.

The big catnip pillow.

Bite, bite, bite ... lick, lick, bite...

Oskar's back legs are starting to get into the action.

Klaus hogs the two catnip pillows.

Kitty Collage contact info.

Kitty snacks.

You could be arrested for this in some places!

Top-quality catnip up close.

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 10

2012-06-19T09:50:00.001-07:00

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 9

2012-06-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Bonus Video: Klaus the Stress Relief Cat

2012-05-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Klaus is a genuine therapy cat. He can relieve your stress in two minutes -- you just have to watch his beautiful face as he tries to fall asleep! Ha!

Actually, below is some more info on the big guy from The Cat House newsletter. He's really one of a kind and we are the luckiest people in the world to have him (and Oskar too of course)!

http://www.thecathouse.org/newsletters/april08/april08.pdf

Adoption Stories From Around the Web and Around the World (Numbers 21 and 22)!

2012-05-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we shared these genuine inspirational tales of people finding their special furry life companions -- as always unedited and posted just the way they're sent in to us. Let's not delay too much longer and get to the good stuff. If you have a story to share on Oskar's blog, please e-mail it to: blindoskar@yahoo.com.

First, we have the story of a once unlucky kitten named Pezz who now gets to live the good life, sent in by Mia:

"a few years back, a neighbor approached me in hysterics, a tiny wet bundle under her sweatshirt. upon a closer look, this little thing was a kitten..about the size of a.... i dunno..it was just so small.... and redolent of motor oil.

luckily, there was an veterinary hospital across the street, and we ran....my neighbor on the verge of an asthma attack, me, one day away form surgery and this tiny little thing, more dead than alive.

it was a three week old kitten that someone had tried to drown in motor oil, and my neighbor had heard it crying. the vet's assistant took it back to try and remove some of the oil..including that which had sealed its barely opened eyes shut. its temperature was barely 84, and my neighbor couldn't take any financial responsibility, so i did. i was told that i could take him (yes, they could tell me that "it" was a "him") home, but that it would probably be only to give him a warm, safe place to die....

i kept him in the bib of some overalls i had...right next to me....called and postponed my surgery..... tried to drop kms into his mouth...kept records of his intake and output...of which there wasn't any...but he was alive... his eyes opened....
his temperature stabilized.... on the third day, freaked that he was rejecting the kms, put him near some wet food that i was about to feed my tuxie.. and he went nuts...literally making little growling omnomnom noises.

because of his size and thumbing my nose at his would be murderers, i named him "pezz"...1) after the tiny candy...and 2) as a contraction of the oil brand "penzoil"

and here's a pic of him now (on the left, with my tuxie "simon")"

One more story for tonight. This one is about a special needs rescue kitty named Ritz, and it's sent in by Heather.

"After horrible flooding in our area in Sept 2011 there were several areas that had to be evacuated and temporary shelters were set up. My son and I volunteered to help walk and take care of dogs and cats that couldn't go home. There were also several cats there listed as strays that police had found in evacuated areas. I couldn't take my eyes off the little bundle curled shivering in the back of one of the cages. He looked so much like a cat I lost less then a year before to bacterial meningitis. At first I didn't even realize he was missing a leg. I called the shelter every day to see if he had been claimed and when he hadn't and they had to close it down I went and picked him up.

He had an upper respiratory infection, really bad ear mites, fleas, a broken tail in two places, and he's missing his back left foot below his knee. The first time I fed him he acted like it was going to disappear at any moment.

I took him to the vet the next day to have him checked out. He was under weight and was put on antibiotics. I thought he would hate me because every time I dug him out from where ever he was hiding I had to give him medicine for something or try and get rid of some of the fleas he was covered with. Every time I found him hiding he would find a new spot to go.

I can tell when his leg is bothering him because he will lay on his side and pull himself along to reach what he wants. I trim my other 5 cats nails but I just can't seem to do that to him because I know he uses those front claws more to get where he wants to go. When I see him trying to scratch on his left side I take care of the itches for him which he seems to appreciate.

He's breathing is still weird and he doesn't meow very loud, if at all. You can see his mouth going at times but nothing comes out.

He now follows me EVERYWHERE and sleeps with me at night. He still doesn't like strangers, especially men and has just starting to allow my son to pet him. As soon as he hears someone coming up the stairs he wakes up and hides under my bed. I don't know what all he had been through before he was found but I'm so happy that such a strange turn of events brought us together."

Oh yeah, Ritz also has his own Facebook page, so visit him and say hello:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ritz/304784382909784?sk=info

That's it for now -- more stories coming soon! : )

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 8

2012-05-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 7

2012-04-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Adoption Stories From Around the Web and Around the World (Numbers 18, 19, and 20)!

2012-04-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we shared some heartwarming adoption stories from around the planet -- why not post some today (the taxes are done and the night is free). Some of these animals have more secial needs than others, but one thing is constant: they mean the world to their caretakers! If you have a story which you want to share with us, please e-mail to blindoskar@yahoo.com. Here we go.....!

The first story is about Charlotte, the half-blind cat, sent in by Amy K.

"Wanted to share my story about my kitty Charlotte - she is half blind (can't see out of her left eye).

I had a cat before her, named Paco. He was also blind out of one eye - due to lack of tear production. Unfortunately, at 8 years, he got cancer and I had to put him down. I was distraught for months...

One day my room mate was in a bad mood and suggested we go to the shelter and play with kitties and puppies to cheer her up. I said to her "Fine, but NO ANIMALS are coming home with me!". I missed my other kitty, but I had 2 others at home and thought I would keep things at a 2 cat house.

Well, we went into the cat room - and there my room mate and her boyfriend met Charlotte. They fell in love with her, and begged me to let them adopt her and keep her at my house. She had only one eye - the left one was bad just like my Paco cat. They felt so sorry for her and were afraid no one else would adopt her. I was reluctant to welcome another kitty into my home, but I agreed to let them take her home as long as they promised to be responsible for her.

After having Charlotte for about a week, we bonded amazingly and she became my little girl. My room mate came over to me a week later and told me "I got her for YOU. YOU needed her, and SHE needed you!"

She was right, and that was the best gift ever. Charlotte is the best thing ever! She has a wonderful personality and doesn't seem to even realize she has a handicap."

The next submission is actually from our town, Omaha, Nebraska! Here is a tale of three sweet cats sent in by Miranda Z.

"Hello! I recently became acquainted with Oskar the Blind Cat. This is such a touching story. I've always wanted to be able to help a special needs cat. But, each time a cat falls into my lap, they are lucky enough to be completely healthy.

I actually have three cats, and one dog. The cats are, in order, Scorn, Musketeer and Tesla. Each of the cats has their own unique story of being on the street and finding a way into my house and my heart.

Scorn, being the oldest and the head cat, is my baby. I've had her for almost 10 years. When we found her, she was sitting and shivering in the November winds on the front stoop of my mom's co-worker's house. The co-worker said that she had gotten the cat, then named Brooklyn, for her oldest daughter, but she didn't like the way the litter box smelled, so she kicked the cat out of her house. I remember sitting in my mom's car after that, watching this tiny cat be bullied by other neighborhood cats, sleep sitting up, nearly fall over from falling asleep, and watched the food in her bowl be eaten. Neither my mom or I could stand watching this poor thing be cold anymore. My mom told her co-worker that, if she could not find a home for the cat, she would take her. The co-worker said she would not look, and if we wanted the cat, we could take it now.

So, I bundled the little cat in my coat, and we took her home. We found out later, after taking her to the vet, that she weighed almost 3 pounds, and she was a little over 1 year old. I immediately fell for this cat. And this cat would not leave my side when I was at home. At the time, she would glare at me, meow at me, then demand attention from me by climbing into my lap. I began to call her Scorn, because she looked like she scorned everything! I later found out that cats will slowly blink to show affection. However, I think Scorn is still a fitting name.

Nearly 10 years later, she will come when I call her, will lay on me for the better part of the night, and she will never say no to pettings. She's recently had a growth start on her stomach, so I fear our time with her is quickly drawing to a close. But, when I can afford it finally, I'm going to start looking into treatments for her. I'm spoiled enough that I will do anything to have my baby Scorn around for as long as possible.

The second cat is Musketeer. He is the offspring of a group of cats my mom and some of her law school friends helped save. Musketeer's mother was born under a porch in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Musketeer's mother, Pirate (because of the one black patch she had over an eye), was FIV+ when she had her kittens. Thankfully, Musketeer was not affected by the disease. He was raised from kitten to cat by my husband. He is now our slinky, skitterish cat, sometimes only coming out for headbutts late at night when the house has settled down and ready for sleep. We figure he has the mind of an advertiser. He will only let you give him attention if you chase and follow him for it. You must work for the attention you will give him! When you have satisfactorily completed the chase, he will flop over onto his side, and ask for belly rubs.

The last of our clan is Tesla Coil, or simply Tesla. She is definitely my little momma's cat. She was abandoned around a drug store parking lot in August of 2010. She was covered in fleas, had worms galore, and ear mites. A friend of ours found her, took her to the vet to clear her of all the mites and worms, and took her home. She was maybe 7 weeks old when they found her, and she did not get along well at all with their older cat. Our friend asked my husband if he was interested in her. My husband said probably not, but then the friend showed him little Tesla. My husband melted, texted me that he was bringing home a cat, and that was final.

A while later, he walks in to our small apartment, with a tiny brown bundle in his arms. I scooped her up, and held her like a baby for more than an hour while she acquainted herself with her new surroundings. We believe Scorn had not been feeling well at the time, and had been acting a little strange. When Tesla came into the apartment, Scorn was instantly a mother, cleaning her and carrying her around, showing her where the food bowl was, and keeping an eye on her. Musketeer warmed up to her immediately as well. He was very happy to have a new playmate, as we had tried other cats but they were not compatible with our clan in some form or another.

Tesla is now 8 pounds of chittery little cat. She has a hard time being locked out of bathrooms while you are in there, showering or just trying to do your business. She will mew at you until you let her in, and then mew at you until you pet her.

I know that they aren't exactly adoption stories. But, I kind of see them as rescue stories, I guess. If I didn't have my four furry babies, I think there would always be something missing. And, I'm sure I would not be half as happy without them."

Scorn

Musketeer

Tesla

The next story is one that's just beginning, and we are awaiting an update. It was shared with us by Alyssa W.

"Hi, this is about my new cat, who doesn't quite have a name yet. On March 4th (2012), my fiance and I were stopped at a red light in our car, waiting to turn left. As we were waiting, we saw a cat get hit by a car next to us. Cars were moving around her and not even stopping to check to see if she was ok. We both noticed she was still moving, so my fiance jumped out of the car and ran across five lanes of traffic to get to her. As he was running back, people were giving us disgusted looks, as if we were doing something horrible!

The cat was bleeding profusely from her mouth and we were both panicking. We had just moved to a new house and neither one of us knew where a vet's office was that was open on a Sunday afternoon. The poor cat was bleeding everywhere, but she was very calm. We found a cop cruising along and I literally sped up to 70 mph (when it was only a 45 mph zone) to catch up to him and flag him down. My fiance got out of the car, covered in blood, and carrying the cat, and asked the cop if he knew of a vet that was close by. The cop told us that there was a vet at the next light and, thankfully, it was an emergency vet's office.

We sped to the office where they took her from us. The lady was not very nice, only saying that we did a nice thing and that nobody else would have done it. She did, however, tell us that we would not be able to see how the cat was doing, since she was not ours.

We went home, both traumatized and scared whether the cat would die or not. My fiance called later that night and all they told us was that they gave her pain medication and that she had head trauma and was doing ok.

The next day, we went to see her and, boy, was she a lover. She was rubbing all over us, wanting to be loved. The vet told us that she was not hurt at all, besides a ripped lip (which is almost all healed now) and that she was either just pregnant or early on in a pregnancy. We were told that the owner could not be found since she didn't have a chip and that the owner of the office would have to give us permission to keep her. We went home with high hopes and called the next day. Luckily for us, she said yes.

Yesterday we picked her up. She is, in fact, pregnant, and we are very excited to be the owner of this lucky kitty.

The first picture is of her sleeping and the second picture of her was taken right after we got her."

UPDATE:

"Molly gave birth to five healthy kittens on March 22nd. They all seem to be perfectly healthy, which is great, considering what happened. I've attached a picture that was taken after they were all born."

Urgent Help Needed: Neville the Kitten [UPDATED]

2012-04-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

We were recently contacted by one of the board members of the Hancock Count Humane Society in Greenfield, Indiana, about a very special kitten named Neville that is having a hard time finding a home. Because of his special needs, and the fact that the shelter is located in a smaller rural community and doesn’t see as much foot traffic as a larger city shelter, the odds of having the right person walk through their door are slim. Neville’s difficult placement has also led the board to entertain the idea of euthanasia. We want to do all that we can to promote this kitten to the rest of the world and try to find him a loving home as soon as possible. Below is the info on this special guy directly from the board member’s email to us:

“{Neville] is about 6 months’ old, golden eyes, orange. A polydactyl, he has these big paws that make him look like he's wearing mittens all the time. A friendly guy, he likes to play and run (or hop) around.

Neville is a "rumpy" meaning he has a little, tiny bit of a tail but you wouldn't know it. (Polydactyl and rumpy is pretty rare). But this is where the problems start: rumpies have difficulty with pooping. (see the manx syndrome) Often there's neurological issues in that not all of the nerve endings work well enough to help them know when they have to go. Neville tries hard to go; sometimes he whines he's trying to so hard. But then he doesn't go and when he relaxes when he's not trying, little poo-duds will eventually find their way out onto the floor, his cage or wherever. When you clean his bottom, he pees...a lot. But he purrs the whole time and he's a lover-cat of epic proportions.

Neville is a special little guy; he really loves human interaction and the more attention he gets, the more "normal" he becomes......”

We really feel that with some care and patience (and possibly some kitty diapers for a period of time) Neville would become much better about using the litter box at the right time. We have seen some great videos of people caring for paralyzed kittens and cats, and they manage despite more substantial nerve damage (Please watch this amazing video some time and keep in mind that the kitties shown have much, much more nerve damage than Neville: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXsQc9OkJfw!)

The shelter welcomes application from out of state to anyone who can be the hero for Neville. Please visit the following web address for shelter contact information and to apply.

http://members.petfinder.com/~IN34/index.html

Here are some photos of Neville!

UPDATE:

May 2, 2012

Great news -- Neville has found a permanent home with a loving family in Florida. He was picked up by his new "mom" and flew to his new place this week! Thank you for helping!

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 6

2012-03-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Oskar "Hiding & Hunting" Cell Phone Video Clips

2012-03-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few video clips of Oskar taken with the ol' iPhone. They show that he likes to play like any other cat -- that is, he likes to hide and wait in ambush and pounce on things too. His favorite new game is to attack a finger gently wiggled underneath a blanket. No matter where he is, he pounces on it with superb accuracy. I am confident that he would be successful hunting bugs and rodents! The other senses are strong with this one!

2012-03-19T19:08:00.002-07:00

Mike Scherenberg and his wife of Kitty Kick Stix were kind enough to send Oskar and Klaus one of their creations. Please check out the video at the bottom of this post to see the boys' initial reaction to the colorful catnip log with bells. I think both cats are really enjoying this toy and they are even playing with it right now as I type this (now there's actually less licking and more kicking). We will come back to the toy in the coming weeks to see how it holds up. It's good to see Oskar having fun less than a week after his neutering surgery! Thank you Kitty Kick Stix for the quality toy; I think we'll have it for quite a while! Recommended!

Please visit Kitty Kick Stix on the web:

http://www.kittykickstix.com/

http://www.facebook.com/kittykickstix

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 5

2012-03-19T18:40:00.001-07:00

At the vet.

At the vet's office before neutering.

Home from the vet after neutering!

The pain patch.

The pain patch is off.

Adoption Stories From Around the Web and Around the World (Numbers 15, 16, and 17)!

2012-03-07T15:46:00.001-08:00

We proudly present to you the next series of stories of special-needs animal adoption. These tales show that through the kindness and love of dedicated people, homeless animals that are just fighting for their survival can blossom into wonderful life-long companions. If you have a story to share, please e-mail it to blindoskar@yahoo.com.

Let’s start with the saga of Sweetie, sent in by Gina G.

"About three years ago, I moved into a new place where I could have cats, so my first thing to do was to get a cat. It was my mom's housewarming gift to me. I already had a name picked out too: Queenie. So I went to the local vet's office to see if they had any cats available. I only wanted a rescue cat. They had two that day. The first one they brought out was a scaredy cat. She was shaking and shivering and her tail was between her legs and her back legs were shaved completely. Most cats don't put their tails between their legs. She was terrified. I asked what her story was.

Apparently, whoever had owned her left her in her crate on the front porch of the vets office. Because she was in the crate, she wasn't discovered until the vet's office closed and one of the vet workers was leaving. They didn't know anything about her. She had been there all day in March where our temps can vary from very cold/snowy to pretty warm, like 60s. This was one of those 60 degree days. I asked about why her legs were shaved. I was told that her legs were shaved because she had an infestation of fleas on both of her legs, so to take care of her, they shaved her legs and bathed her. I was smitten and worried no one would want her. I looked at the next cat anyway, even though my mind was just about made up about that first cat. I couldn't get how scared she was out of my head and how many people wouldn't want to take a cat so scaredy. The other cat was friendly, but then nipped at me. I was just so in love with the first cat that I had to get her and since she was
so sweet (even though she was scared, I could tell, lol), I called her Sweetie pretty immediately.

I had to wait a few days to make sure that the flea infestation didn't get infected before I could bring her home. I brought her home to kitty litter and food ready for her. I monitored her eating and pooping habits to make sure that she was adjusting okay. She hid under my couch for the first couple of days when there was a loud noise or anything, but she warmed up to me that first day. I sat on the floor to eat dinner and she came out to sit with me. From the way she reacts to people, I am pretty sure she was abused because she doesn't always respond well to new people. And she sometimes is a little slow, like she was cleaning herself the other day and she got her collar caught in her mouth. But other than that, she has made a full recovery. Her favorite toy is tissue paper and she loves catnip! She still gets scared sometimes, especially during thunderstorms or around new people, but she is my little pretty kitty and my Sweetie and I love her so much."

The second story is a tribute to Puss, sent in by Morgan H. It's a sad ending, but we included it in the mix of stories to remind everyone that sometimes special needs animals are not destined to have much time here on Earth with us. Nonetheless, even if their time is brief, they can touch our hearts and spirits in profound ways!

"My dad was at the local camping area. It was time to take the campers home. While moving my great-uncles camper, my dad heard a tiny meow. My dad thought it was just his imagination when all of a sudden he heard it again. He was searching around the area. He looked under a pile of wood. There sat a 3-4 week old kitten. He took him home, he called me to come and look. By my surprise There was a tiny orange and white kitten! I decided to name him Puss. My brother did not care for him much, but I fell in love the minute I layed my eyes on him. He had no teeth and was really small, like a hamster. It looked as if his eyes just opened for the first time! He was wild at first. Three days later he meowed for me to come play with him. Did I mention that he loved it when I read spongebob books to him?

He was playing in my room one day when all of a sudden he started to shake and shake. I thought he got scared. He made a weird nose and fell. As soon as he got back up he ran away. My mom is allergic to cats. When he got big we put him in the shop (A place where tools are put and other things) He lived in there. One day my dad was working on something. Puss screached and fell to the ground. My dad wrapped him up in a blanket and took him in the house, did I also mention that my dad doesn't like animals? He was sick for a few days. After a while we put him back in the shop. He was playing in the snow and he got cold, he ran to the house. I took him in my room. Something was wrong, he wasn't as playful, he didn't like any noise except my voice, and I noticed the tips of his ears were starting to freeze. A few days later he became really sick. He spent another night inside the house.

The next day my dad and I drove him to the vet. That was the last time I ever saw him. He had to stay the night. Hours later we got a phone call saying that they have to drain some fluid from his lungs and he should be ok. They phoned again and they said the fluid keeps coming back. The next day they said that he was only drinking water. Hours later the vet phoned back and said he was dead. He was born a stray and had problems with his heart and organs. That's why he screeched alot. We thought he was being silly. It turns out that his heart was too big for his body. His organs started to shut down and he passed away. To this day my cousin makes fun of me for crying when he died. I don't find it funny. It's been a year since he passed and I still cry everytime I tell his Story.

R.I.P Puss

Ps: This picture is him trying to attack the camera. He always would bite people, not out of anger but in a playful way. I do have a picture of him attacking my leg. He always chased me, no, I didn't chase him, he chased me. He always attacked people, but it was so cute."

The final story tonight is about a little feline angel named Lucy, sent in by Stacy S.

"Hello...This is a story about my sweet little girl Lucy. In was the winter of 2006 and it was cold, wet and dark outside. I went to let my yellow lab outside to go potty and notice something in the snow. Something black, so I went to see and it started to move, but not walk, she was pulling herself with her front legs. But before I could get to her she was gone. So the next night I put some tuna outside and set up a trap. It worked! She could fit in my hand and she was so wild, scared and in pain. What had happen was the night before she'd been hit by a car and left to die. The car had run over her back legs and pelvis, crushing everything from the middle of her back all the way down. It was so late by the time I got her in the house, so I set up a small dog cage with warm blankets, water and food.

The next day I took her to the vet and I didn't like what he had to say at all. He said that I should just put her down, there's was no hope for her and if she did live she wouldn't walk or eat well. I left and went to a different vet! This one was a little more compassionate and understanding. He did all the tests and gave her pain meds and made her comfortable. I found out that she was only about 3 weeks old and that her pelvis and hips had been crushed. One hip was worst than the other but he didn't think she'd make it. So after several visits and a lot of money (that I didn't have) she came home with me. After about 6 months and a lot of therapy, money, patients, and love she started showing signs of health and happiness. She was walking, with a limp, running, jumping, eating, and acting like a "normal" kitten. She wasn't going to be totally normal..she's only about 5 pounds. She can jump but not real high. She can run but not very far, and she will always need help with her potty problems. She has problems going potty everywhere...she can't always make it to the potty. She lost half of her tail and the vet said she'd never use the rest of the tail. He also told me that I should just take her bad leg off at the hip and take the rest of her tail. He told me that she more than likely wouldn't live to be over 2 years old.

TODAY...She's going to be 6 years old this summer and she's healthy, happy and loved so very much. She's spoiled and pretty much runs our house. It's just me and my 13 year old daughter plus besides Lucy we also have two other rescue cats and a yellow lab. Lucy's my black little angel, she has made my life complete. She's smart, funny, loving, and so sweet. We have a very special bond that's very hard to explain. She's part of my heart and soul. The older she gets the problems she's has are becoming worst. She walks a little slower, hurts more in her joints, and doesn't run around as much as she use too. If I had money I would find a place that would help her, if that's even possible. I will keep trying...I will never, ever give up on my Lucy! All in all she's doing good, even when 3 vets told me she wouldn't even live this long. I guess she showed all of them."

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 4

2012-03-07T14:47:00.001-08:00

Video: Oskar Loves Playing WIth the Plants!

2012-02-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

Oskar & Klaus: The Instagram Photos Part 3

2012-02-27T09:37:00.001-08:00

Adoption Stories From Around the Web and Around the World (Numbers 12, 13, and 14)!

2012-02-23T19:05:00.001-08:00

Let me not waste any time; here are the next inspiring, heart-warming, and simply amazing stories! If you would like to share yours, please e-mail it to blindoskar@yahoo.com.

The first one is about a little trooper named One-Eyed Jack, sent in by Laura A.

"In early August of 2011, after 9 months off of work with a torn
shoulder, I received a call from a friend about her neighbor who had
found a kitten underneath a house. They had named him "Sneezy"
because he sneezed dozens of times a minute and it was clear he was in
poor shape. They did not have the financial means to care for this
kitten or the time to offer him the care he needed. It was apparent
from the beginning that this kitten needed a lot of help.

Sneezy was rejected by his mother and carried off to die. He had a
severe respiratory infection, burns on his legs from an unknown
origin, worms, ear mites, and worse of all, and eye that had fallen
from the socket and was profoundly infected. I agreed to foster him,
rehabilitate him, and fund raise for his care which is precisely what
I did. He weighed less than a pound upon arrival to my home and it
was late in the evening so I could not take him to the vet right away.
He was set up in a jumbo dog cage for his safety, but his screams to
lay with me did not go unheard, so into bed he came.

The following morning, I took him to the local vet where I was
displeased with the information I received and some apprehension about
how much help they would be, so he was promptly seen by another vet
who works on a different island-- a 3 hour ferry ride away. She
offered a more helpful and positive prognosis and started him on
medications. She advised me that "Sneezy" was just too small and sick
for surgery, not even weighing a pound and being 3 weeks old, so he
was sent home with me to start some rehabilitation at home.

He required around the clock attention and care. I was home-bound
with this new ball of fur because the adult kitties (Nala, Ninja, and
Zumez) played too rough with him if unsupervised. Sneezy could not
get onto the bed without help so if he awoke during the night to eat
and potty, he required supervision and assistance back onto the bed.
The days passed and his health slowly got better. He even stopped
sneezing, at which time, a friend recommended we name him "Captain
One-Eyed Jack" in honor of his upcoming eye removal surgery.

We fundraised online and throughout town to obtain the $450 needed to
remove his eye and there were enough donations leftover to pay for all
of his future shots he would need within the first year. We were
shocked to find donations come in as far away as Australia and all
over the United States. Jack still has his original facebook page,
"Ketchikan Rescues Sneezy" and it is still maintained daily. Slowly,
our little half-pound kitten grew to be two pounds and was flown to a
nearby island to undergo an eye removal surgery. The veterinarian
offered service with amazing compassion and offered us a complimentary
neuter as long as she was operating on him.

He returned several days later to complete his rehabilitation at home
until time came that I was told his sutures could come out. After 5
weeks of intensive care, love, attention, and medication, the time
came for "Jack" to go back to his original owners. I was beside
myself after developing such a close bond with this kitten. I did my
best to compose myself and return him but it was no worse than losing
a child after the time we spent together.

After a week in his original home, he was returned to us after
discovering the home was still not equipped to offer him the care he
still needed. Today, Jack is just over 6 months old, 12.5 pounds, and
has a healthy appetite for adventure and love."

This is the first photo that was semi-not stomach wretching to look
at. It was much worse.

Jack needed frequent baths, as all kittens might.

This photo was right before his surgery when they could remove the
remaining dead tissue.

Jack recovering after his surgery with fellow tabby, Zumez.

Jack in January, weighing in over 12 pounds. His fur is dark
underneath his "missing" eye because he maintains problems with his
tear duct. He will be having surgery on that if necessary in April.
He is waiting for his vet who is on a different island to open a
practice here so he doesn't have to fly or ride the ferry again.

The second story was sent in by Jessica S., and as you will see, it's actually in four parts!

"All 4 of my babies are special in some way. Although not one of them has a major physical problem, they all have something that makes them very unique. I know we all say our pets are unique but even our friends have said we have a unique collection of pets.

Our oldest is Miss Priss, still going strong at 14 years young! She came to me because my son asked for a cat. Although we weren't supposed to have pets, I gave in. I looked in the paper and found a woman who was moving to take care of her sister and had to give up her animals. Prissy was this little tiny thing that looked less than a year old. I was quite surprised to discover she was fixed, declawed, and 2 1/2 years old. The cats I have always seen gained weight when they were spayed or neutered. To this day she is 5 lbs and loves cheese. The vet gave us the go ahead to let her eat anything she wants to try to get her to 6 lbs. Maybe when she stops sleeping on top of hangers in the closet or on top of the bookcase she will gain weight :)"

"Mystic aka Mysticalbutt was adopted from a local no kill shelter. She was born there and came to my attention from my vet. At 4 mos old she had never been socialized. She is now 12 years old and although she still runs when we enter a room most times, she will come to us to be petted and on the rare occasion will get on a lap. This picture was taken without a zoom when she decided she needed love!"

"We then have the one boy in our clan, Val Entino. He was adopted from another local no kill shelter. For some reason when people heard of a flame point siamese, they shied away from our boy. He is a bit tempermental and is cross eyed as many siamese can be. He has been our big boy for 8 years and is about 10 years old now. Supposedly he was full grown and weighed in at 7 1/2 lbs. He is now a whopping 15 lbs and has doubled in length as well. Being mildly cross eyed he cannot see the water dish well and will bump it to make the water splash so he knows where it is so he can drink. He also like most cats needs box rehab and the bigger the box the better."

"Our most touching tale is of the kitten found in the freezing rain Jan 2007. My husband was working at a nursing home and was taking the trash out and going outside for breaks. This tiny kitten kept coming almost up to him and then running. When he was leaving for the day (6:30 in the morning) the kitten came up to him again and let him pick her up. He saw the ice crystals in her fur, saw the singed fur from where she had leaned against something to keep warm. He brought her home and set her up in our spare bathroom, with the intent that on his next day off we would drive 1 hour to take her to the Humane Society, as we already had 6 pets, 3 cats and 3 ferrets. Her cries were so pitiful that she of course attracted the attention of our other cats and they immediately began crying as well. By the time his day off came around, she had been dewormed, bathed, and introduced to her new family. Her name is Serae and she is our puppy cat. Due to her rough start, she has abandonment issues and follows me around everywhere. I cannot close a door or she cries. She has her own pillow on our bed, Amazingly that is the only issue she has."

The last adoption tale of the night is about a little munchkin named Myrtle. It was shared by Cherisse F. from Idaho.

"Myrtle was found as a stray on the streets and brought into the Canyon County Animal Shelter in Caldwell, ID. ironically, this is my place of work and I happened to be working the day that she was brought in. I have a special place in my heart for special needs felines, and when I saw Myrtle I couldnt resist taking her home. She does have a very unique look. She is most likely the result of inbreeding or poor breeding of a munchkin breed cat. She does have some obvious physical deformities, including shortened front and back legs, a pallet disorder, cranial deformity and the inability to eat solid foods.. but with her feisty personality, she sure doesnt act like anything other than a normal cat.

She is now approaching 1 year old in the next few months, and weighs in at 3.5-4 lbs. she stands just shy of 5 inches high, and is no bigger than a 4 month old kitten.

Myrtle is such a joy to have around.. she learned very quickly how to jump onto the couch and relishes those sunny afternoons where she can bask in the sun by the back door. She also loves to play with other kittens her size, and LOVES my Husky mix Sammara.

I hope to have Myrtle for many years, but however long I do have her, she will be showered with love and a warm place to lay her head..."

Let's Find Peri the Blind Kitten a Forever Home! (Updated)

2012-02-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

Below is a request from a very dedicated animal lover named Rasheno, who contacted us all the way from Oman in an effort to provide the best possible future home for a wonderful blind kitten named Peri. Instead of paraphrasing our correspondence, I will just post the original e-mails that will give you a background on the situation.

“I follow Oskar's FB page and Blog as Lucy-The Blind Cat. I am Lucy's caretaker.

We have recently accepted a new foster kitty into the home. Peri is fully blind. He was living on the streets here in Muscat, Oman. He was found by an expat lady who feeds the trash container cats here in Muscat. We cannot understand how he could have survived all this time being blind. He is so very fortunate as we are for finding him.

As you know, it is difficult homing blind cats, especially since he is not a small cute kitten. For this reason, I would like to ask for your assistance. I am not sure if you will be able to help me re-home Peri or not. We have fundraiser here so we can raise money to send Peri to the states. The procedures are easy for cats leaving Oman. We can pay for all his paperwork, vaccination and processing. I can try to do an online fundraiser to gather money to pay for his transport in case we don't find a volunteer to bring him to the states. This will not be the first time we are sending cats or dogs overseas. There is a limited number of animal loving expats here in Oman so we find ourselves getting creative in finding people who will adopt our homeless animals. We have sent both dogs and cats to Canada, Spain and America among other places. Another problem is that we don't even have a homeless pets shelter. Many have been trying for over 8 years to get government approval, still no luck. Most of the time people like me foster cats or dogs till we find someone to adopt them. Other times we have to just catch, neuter/spay and release. It is tough for homeless pets here in Oman. In the Summer the temps can go over 100F. It is mostly sand so animals can't find places to hide and find shelter. The average lifespan for a cat is 5-6 years max. We are all doing the best we can, the few of us doing anything.

Here are some of our FB pages that we use to help animals here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/136762669672937/ (Pet Sitting Oman)https://www.facebook.com/groups/130658766951245/ (Oman Cat-astrophe)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oman-Animal-Adoption-Fostering-2012/190131667750341 (Oman Animal Adoption and Fostering)https://www.facebook.com/groups/133996656624282/ (this is my home pet sitting FB page)

In conclusion, if you can think of a way we can help Peri, I would be ever grateful. I cannot keep him myself because I have three which are rescues off the streets. Of those three, Lucy who is blind and was abandoned in a shoe box on the side of the desert, does not do well with new cats. She gets very stressed out and becomes neurotic. She starts pacing in circles. So, three is all I can take care of now.

We will do what we can to find Peri a new home here. But if we can send him to the states we can also be sure that whoever adopts him will not dump him when they leave Oman. That is another problem we have. Many expats dump their pets when their contracts finish and they leave Oman. It is awful since so many of them are making so much money, most of the time tax free.”

Update:

“I will have new pictures for Peri after his eye surgery on the 29th. They have to perform this procedure so that he doesn't get infections later. His type of blindness is different from my Lucy so this is all new to me. The vet works with the rescue group and his surgery will be paid for. He will stay with me till he has recouped from his surgery.

A professional photographer has also volunteered to take pro pics of him. This is so important since he doesn't have eyes to convey his sweet nature. I can say that I have never in all my life of living with cats, that would be over 30+ years, come across a cat as sweet and affectionate as Peri. He is very vocal too, of course.”

I personally feel that getting Peri to the United States and into a safe and caring home is an achievable goal, as well as a testament to the fact that borders are a human concept that should never stand in the way of the love and respect that animals deserve. If you feel that you are a right match for Peri (regardless of where you live), please reach out to Rasheno at this e-mail address: petpals.email@gmail.com.

UPDATE:

Here is a link to Peri's Fund page: http://www.indiegogo.com/Peris-Fund

Here are a few new Peri photos too!

Video: Oskar & Klaus, the Door Greeters

2012-02-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

We are always so excited to come home, especially since Oskar and Klaus welcome us in!