65-year-old British floor-fitter drives to Ukraine to rescue his wife and her cat

Steve Lucas, 65, responded to his wife's desperate pleas to be taken out of Ukraine with Lucky her cat because of Putin's invasion which is destroying the country. Steve Lucas met his wife Anastasia five years ago while working in Ukraine. They tied the knot while he was in Ukraine but the problem is he can't get a visa for her to bring her to the UK. The UK has got quite tough since Brexit on immigration and that toughness has spilled over to presenting barriers for refugees from the Ukraine war. This is immoral and the Home Office should do much more.

65-year-old British floor fitter drives to Ukraine to rescue his wife and her cat. Photo as per embedded credit.

Anyway, I digress. Steve lives in the UK and Anastasia lives in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. She managed to get a train to Lviv in the relatively peaceful west of the country where the Russian troops have yet to arrive in force where she met up with Steve. A family gave her and Lucky shelter in their home while they waited for Steve. Steve has cat supplies in his van such as cat litter and food.

Steve travelled 1,300 miles across Europe in his Citroen van. He travelled through 5 countries to rescue his wife and her cat Lucky. He said that it breaks his heart to know that Kyiv is being destroyed by the Russians because it is such a beautiful city. The area where Anastasia lived has been bombed and she tells us that there are bodies everywhere. And the Russians are killing women and children indiscriminately.

And what about the cat? Steve said: "She was adamant that she wouldn't leave unless she found someone to look after her cat Lucky". The solution has been found; Lucky is going to go to the UK with Anastasia. We don't know what happens next because there are continuing immigration problems even for refugees from war-torn Ukraine in France.

You may have read that the British immigration officials in Calais are making a mess of it. Refugees have to complete complicated forms and are being sent to Brussels or Paris as part of the immigration process. It sounds completely horrendous and utterly out of step with the circumstances under which these refugees find themselves.

Ukrainian refugees should be allowed through into the UK 'on the nod' without any substantial barriers. I believe in controlled immigration but under the circumstances UK can do a lot more to help. It is beholden upon northern European countries to do their best to help refugees. It will cost the UK and other European countries as is the war but we have to pay that price.

There may also be obstacles in getting Lucky into the UK as there are no longer pet passports for pets travelling from the EU to the UK since Brexit. The rules are complicated. Lucky will need vaccination certificates.  I have touched on this in an earlier article:

RELATED: EU’s bureaucratic pet transportation rules causing cats and dogs to be abandoned at border by Ukrainian refugees?

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) attracted more attention rescuing a cat then they would in rescuing 10 men

The RNLI have said that in rescuing a white cat from a river they attracted more attention than if they had rescued 10 men 👍. Great Yarmouth and Gorleston coxswain, Paddy Lee, said:

If we'd rescued 10 men, I don't think we'd have got as much attention. It's even hit the headlines in places like Italy and France.

Oliver Bolton took the photographs. He said that the rescue had been dramatic. The cat, who they have named Icicle, fell into a river. Icicle appears to have clambered up to a space about 2 feet above the waterline in a wall but was stuck there.

Icicle on the ledge. Photo: Oliver Bolton.

RNLI rescue a white cat from a river near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Photo: Oliver Bolton.

Icicle after his rescue from a river. Photo: Oliver Bolton.

It looks as though somebody called out the RNLI and just before they arrived icicle fell into the river. The men of the RNLI quickly got to him and scooped him out of the water. They wrapped him in a warm blanket as you can see in the photograph.

He was reunited with his owner Mandy Baker who said that he has used up his nine lives.

Icicle fell into the river about two minutes before the RNLI arrived and the photographer said that he was struggling as they rescued him.

Domestic cats are good swimmers but this cat may have been very tired because he may have been in the water for a long time before he clambered up to that ledge and then fell back in. And the water must've been very cold. 

I would have thought though that he would have survived for quite a bit longer because domestic cats are very durable, resilient creatures. They are great survivors which is exactly why they have nine lives.

Family mistakenly donated their cat to a Denver thrift store

The owners of this ginger tabby accidentally donated him to a thrift store in Denver, Colorado, UK. The way it happened is interesting. The cat had hidden inside a recliner chair. No doubt he had made a little nest for himself there. He had probably done it before several times. 

As a side note, it should be added that recliner chairs are dangerous to kittens and puppies and even adult companion animals because they go underneath them and when a person sits on them and reclines,  the mechanism under the chair shifts position and it can crush the animal.

Montequlla inside the recliner inside the thrift store. Photo: the store or Denver Animal Protection.

But that is another issue. In this instance the cat, whose name is Montequlla, was hidden inside the recliner and the family donated the recliner to the thrift store. They did it because they were moving home

They realised that they were missing their cat and had no idea what had happened. In the meantime, the store noticed the cat (meows) and called Denver Animal Protection. They scanned the micro-chip but it had not been updated. Therefore they could not contact the owners.

Jenna Humphreys of Denver Animal Protection, told the Denver Channel: "Sure enough, there's a recliner out front, and there's a little orange tabby stuck inside. Very friendly, couldn't get out. They said that they had noticed the meowing shortly after somebody had dropped it off."

The recliner. Photo: Denver Animal Protection (believed).

In the meantime, the family were frantically searching nearby houses but then realised that he could be inside the store, inside the recliner. They returned to the store. The employees of that store gave them the phone number of Jenna Humphreys at which point they were able to reunite with their cat.

They put the event down to Montequlla being stressed and a bit frightened about the impending move to a new home. Perhaps there was quite a lot of noise and commotion in the home. His home territory was being disrupted quite dramatically. He decided to hide in a place which she had used before.

Humphreys said that "It's not uncommon for us to be call to help remove animals from those situations, but this was a new one."

Good ending 👍. Photo: the husband I expect.

The family are very happy that the story ended well. And they are thankful to everyone involved who managed to arrange the reunion. I bet Montequlla is happy too. Although he now has a move to do. He won't like that. It is going to cause some more problems.

RELATED: 5 tips to make moving home with your cat a success.

There is a Facebook post on the event by the Denver Animal Shelter which is below.

Montequlla's family donated a recliner to the thrift store when they were moving. They didn't realize that their cat was...

Posted by Denver Animal Shelter on Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Biden family are adopting a cat

NEWS AND COMMENT-WHITE HOUSE: It is all over the news and it is pleasing news for people who like and live with domestic cats. We know that the Bidens like animals and so you could say it's about time they adopted a White House cat. There's a cat waiting in the wings, apparently, currently with a foster carer, which they are going to bring to the White House in January 2022. That is the sum total of the news about the Bidens and a new cat.

Jill Biden and Major in the foreground. Photo: Jill Biden.

They've also adopted a new dog whose name is Commander. It appears that their two-year-old dog, Major, couldn't settle in the White House and they have wisely, I would say, decided to rehome him. There were reports of him nipping people or a person. I don't think these were really difficult situations but he was clearly unhappy. Perhaps these were defensive bites because of stress. He's gone to a quieter home with family friends. It's best for him.

Major has not been at the White House since the beginning of the year. He was undergoing 'additional training'. Commander is the sole companion animal at the moment at the White House.

I suppose, on a realistic note, the Mr and Mrs Biden will have to ensure that their new cat fits in. It depends upon the individual's character. But bringing in a new cat into the White House is not the same as bringing a new cat into a three bedroomed, semi-detached house in Washington DC.

There's lots of activity I guess at the White House, a lot of people, noise and disturbances from time to time. The new cat is going to have to be well selected which I think he is. We don't know the cat's gender but for the sake of convenience I have described him as male.

When they placed a mouser at Downing Street in the UK, the residence and office of the Prime Minister, they went to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to select an individual that they believed could cope well under tricky conditions for a domestic cat. He had problems with the new dog, Dilyn apparently.

Larry the cat at number 10 Downing Street is spraying urine to mark territory on the arrival of Dilyn the dog

The Bidens' new cat is going to have to get on with Commander and settle in quickly and feel confident and relaxed in their high profile role. There will be lots of news about him or her. I'm sure the Bidens want it to go very well. They don't want to be seen as failing. It would not look good if they had to rehome their new cat having already rehomed Major.

It's good news though. It's good for domestic cats to have a high profile feline in the White House to generate some pleasant, light-hearted cat news for the future.

China taking a more respectful and humane approach to domestic cats who might be infected with Covid

This is an op-ed about the news. I need to comment. On 13th November I wrote about Chinese health workers killing pets when their owners contracted Covid. It is described as a zero-tolerance policy. In truth it is a desperately cruel and inhumane policy, deeply tainted with immorality and ignorance.

RELATED: Chinese health workers “disinfect” an apartment by killing the owner’s dog with a crowbar!

Past stories of legalised animal cruelty. Corgi dog brutally killed by crazed health officials in China to disinfect the dog owner's apartment. Image credit: see image.

Well, there's a bit of good news in the online news media today. It comes from China Daily.com. They report on a story in which a woman contracted Covid. The family have a much loved and long-standing cat companion. The cat was not mercilessly killed as appears to be in happening in the past, but protected and treated with respect. I hope it lasts. Don't hold your breath 😇.

China is taking a very tough stance on Covid. In this instance the woman was taken into quarantine away from her home while her home was disinfected. And while that happened the family cat was put into a carrier and, I guess, removed from the home. They employed a person with knowledge of domestic cats to care for the cat during this process. The cat had been placed in the restroom for a few days apparently (isolation?) which is not great but far more satisfactory than killing him or her.

The story comes from the Gaoxin district of Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province. They say that the cat was provided with a clean litter box, water and food after being tested for Covid. News got out that the cat was being treated well which pleased cat aficionados in China. But I guess it reminded them of the brutality of the alternative method.

There is a discussion in China, apparently, about how to deal with companion animals when their owners get Covid. The owner of the cat asked the health workers who were controlling her quarantine to check on her cat. It appears that an army of officials and health workers descended upon her home including the police, disinfecting experts and workers from the district CDC and subdistrict office! 

That's how serious the Chinese are dealing with Covid. I guess it has come about because of a fear of a fourth wave and increased infections which would stall economic growth something which the Chinese are incredibly passionate about to the detriment of the rest of the world!

A health worker said: "Prior to the visit, we contacted the patient's community first. In addition, because of our lack of knowledge in cats, we went specifically to a pet store and inquired for advice from the shopkeeper, and purchased cat food and cans."

That sounds very nice. That sounds great. It indicates a concern about animal welfare. We love to see that. That's the way it should be every time. Cats are family members. They are not objects to be slaughtered at the whim of some maniac health worker.

On a strictly legal basis, a lawyer in China has been helpful by saying that the law does not mandate that pets should be killed if there is a fear that they might carry Covid and infect others. The law on killing animals under these circumstances only applies to livestock and poultry. There are no regulations on how to deal with pets that are infected with epidemic diseases, he said.

The earlier story, therefore, about health workers killing cats and dogs indicates that these were rogue individuals breaking the law. Of course nothing will happen. They will not be punished for their cruelty but it is clear that there is no law which says that they can treat animals in that way.

It is also reported that Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have taken a more scientific and reasonable approach in dealing with pets during quarantine since the beginning of this year. That, too, is great to hear.

Black cat theft warning at Halloween is trying to be helpful and not a threat

BIRMINGHAM, UK-NEWS AND COMMENT: News media is reporting on a mysterious note that has been stuffed through letter boxes in King's Heath, Birmingham, UK. It appears that some people found this note a bit disturbing. News media state that the letter created "grave concern". As you can see it is a simple warning on lined notepaper in tidy handwriting. It is almost certain that the person who wrote it is a woman and probably a young woman. The handwriting is very female and the smiley at the end is also a female trait. This adds to the certainty that it was written with good intentions.

Black cat theft warning at Halloween is genuine and not a threat. What I mean is that it is intended to be helpful. Picture: Facebook.

We can only see a part of the note but my interpretation of it is that it was written with a genuine concern for black cats in the area. Perhaps one of the residents felt it necessary to provide neighbours with a reminder that black cats can be a danger during Halloween.

One person responded on Facebook by saying: 

"I do worry extra about my 2 black cats around Halloween. Always try and have them both in by dark all year round."

And another said: 

"People have been hurting black cats on Halloween for years unfortunately due to the superstitions etc. I've never allowed mine out on Halloween or days either side just in case."

Both are sensible comments. Cats Protection, the cat charity, chipped in by saying that they had not come across this sort of human behaviour before and they had not seen any real evidence to suggest that there was a rise in cat thefts around Halloween. Although they did understand that people might be concerned about the note.

That is an interesting observation because in the USA where Halloween is much bigger, I feel that there is also a bigger concern about the welfare of black cats during Halloween. Cats Protection clearly feels that black cats are no more at-risk during Halloween than any other time. Although they agreed that keeping cats inside reduces the chance of possible theft or abuse and all the other usual problems that can occur when outside the home such as road traffic accidents and getting into fights with other cats.

Come on America; Canada is beating you to a nationwide ban on declawing!

NEWSA AND VIEWS - SASKATCHEWAN, CANADIAN PROVINCE: Some more great news on the long journey to ending the declawing of cats in North America. Canada is miles ahead of America in doing away with this obnoxious operation. Saskatchewan have now banned it. They follow in the footsteps of other jurisdictions in Canada who've banned it: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association's membership recently passed a new bylaw to ban the declawing of cats within the province. File / Global News

Come on America. Please for the love of God get rid of it. You know it is no good, immoral and cruel.

The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association (SVMA) passed the new bylaw on Sept. 12 during its annual general meeting. The law was proposed by members. The majority voted for a ban. The ban is currently active. It states: "No member shall perform elective and non-therapeutic partial digital amputation of any felid including domestic cats". It is the usual ban which prohibits declawing when it is not for the benefit of the cat; 99% are at the convenience of the owner.

Saskatchewan. Image: Wikipedia.

Associated: New York state declawing ban passes state legislature

The good vets of Canada who don't want to declaw anyway can now turn to their clients and explain why they can't comply with their request. It is now time to educate the cat owning public of Canada. I hope and presume the vets will do this.

There was already a decline in the number of people requesting declawing before the ban took effect. The message is clearly getting across to the public. They are beginning to understand that it is not removing the claw but a part of the toe from the last joint. It is an amputation. Vets have had a habit of downplaying the operation. Unethical behaviour.

And, yes, you know that cats walk on their toes! Think of it. Think what it means to a cat to lose the ends of all their toes on their forepaws. Confusion, pain, distress and sometimes complications. Too many complications. To many cats going back to the vet for a follow up because the cat does not feel well. Botched? How many?

Cat's persistent meows helped to lead rescuers to owner who had fallen down a ravine

BODMIN, CORNWALL, UK - NEWS: A cat's persistent calls saved her owner. And 83-year-old woman was rescued after falling 70 feet down a steep ravine after a passer-by was alerted by the meows of her pet cat, Piran. The police were searching for the woman at the time the passerby was alerted by her cat. That led the rescuers to the woman. 

Cat's persistent meows helped to lead rescuers to owner who had fallen down a ravine. Photo: Bodmin Police.

She'd fallen into a stream and access to it was very difficult as shown in the photo on this page by Bodmin police who said that Piran had saved the day. The woman was hoisted on a stretcher to safety by fire crews and taken to hospital by ambulance. She is in a stable condition.

Neighbours had become concerned about her whereabouts and had called the emergency services. The rescue mission was launched on Saturday. She had been missing for over an hour and had fallen near her house.

Piran had meowed insistently and persistently from the top of the ravine. Piran was sitting in the corner of a field near her owner's home.

Kitten escaped car on ferry and jumped into the sea

NEWS AND VIEWS - THE SOLENT, UK: The Red Funnel ferry runs between Southampton and the Isle of Wight as I understand it. On that ferry there was a kitten inside a car and he or she managed to escape the vehicle and then proceeded to jump off the ferry into the sea. Comment: I suspect that the kitten's owner left one of the car's windows slightly ajar to ensure that air got into the car in the interests of cat welfare but it backfired.

 Kitten escaped car on ferry and jumped into the sea. Launching rescue boat. Image: Danny Grist.

Witnesses saw the kitten jump which happened at about 5:30 on 19 July 2021. They alerted the crew who in turn alerted the captain and who in turn issued orders to recover the kitten if possible. A rescue boat was launched from the side of the ferry and two members of the crew frantically searched for the kitten and through a stroke of good fortune located him or her. The cat was brought back on board and the ferry proceeded to its destination.

Comment: it's the first time I have heard of a cat jumping into the sea from a ferry. I guess the moral of the story is to leave your cat or kitten in a carrier inside the car while you are on the ferry. Then you can leave the window ajar slightly to allow fresh air to come into the vehicle. And keep the vehicle cooler. I think the kitten and the owner were incredibly lucky because the chances of finding a kitten in The Solent must have been remote.

Bengal cat trapped in neighbour's bathroom and found after two weeks

NEWS AND VIEWS: This is a novel way for a cat to become lost so it is worth mentioning. Also, the cat is a purebred Bengal. His name is Batty. It's unusual for such a glamorous cat to be allowed to wander outside. I'm not sure that I would be able to accept that if I lived with a Bengal cat. Too much worry about the cat being stolen.

Bengal cat Batty. He was trapped in a neighbour's bathroom for two weeks! He is recovering nicely. Photo: Colin McNeil, the owner with his family

Batty lives in Midlothian, Scotland. He was missing for about two weeks because he was trapped in a bathroom in a neighbour's property that was being renovated. The owner left the property unaware that the Bengal cat had entered her bathroom. The report does not tell us this but the door to the bathroom must've been closed on her departure. How else would the cat have been trapped?

The Bengal cat's owner is Colin McNeil and his family. They spent 12 days searching for him, putting up the usual posters et cetera. Colin feared that Batty may have been stolen which is the point I'm making.

Colin was being interviewed by Edinburgh Live when he learned that his cat had been found. As expected, he was hungry and dehydrated. It seems that he had nothing to eat or drink for two weeks. He is being nursed back to full health. They say that he is underweight.

Building contractors were working in the house where he was trapped. It seems odd that they did not spot him. I would have thought that the cat would have made some sounds to notify people of his predicament. Colin McNeil went along to the house and made enquiries but they said that they hadn't seen him. Strangely, McNeil said that the bathroom was wrecked while his cat was in it! I don't understand that part of the story.

I'm not sure that we're getting the full picture here except for the fact that the cat was trapped in a bathroom. It is the first time that I have read about a cat being lost in this way.

Stray cat inspires man to cycle 10,000 km around the British Isles coastline for charity

SWANSEA - NEWS AND COMMENT: Jean-Louis Button, 28, is a very fit man but he admits that during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown he was hit hard with mental health problems just like many other people. But a stray cat came into his life and cheered him up. 

Jess, the name that he gave to his cat companion, is believed to be around 18 years old and Jean-Louis says that "luckily at just the right moment a beautiful feline crept through my door and woke me up with her gentle purr."

Jean-Louis Button and Jess. Photos:- Left: ITV News. Right: Jean-Louis Button.

They became very close over eight or nine weeks. Because of the amount of comfort, happiness and love that she gave him he felt a strong desire to give back and help Cats Protection, one of the UK's largest cat welfare charities which is entirely run by volunteers who foster cats.

John-Louis because decided to raise money for three charities, one of them being Cats Protection, by cycling around Britain which, as mentioned in the title, is about 10,000 km if you follow the coastline entirely around the island. In short, he was inspired to take on this arduous and lengthy fundraising project because of the companionship and love shown him by a stray cat who introduced her to him unannounced. He said: 

"I honestly don't know how I would have coped without Jess's loving company."

The other charities that he is riding for are The Akshaya Patra Foundation and Water for Kids. These are two charities that provide food and water for vulnerable people across India and Africa.

"I chose each charity because they help causes, I feel strongly about."

He started his 10,000 km cycle ride on June 22. He believes that he will complete it before September. So far, he has travelled about 3,500 km. One of the photos on this page shows him about to enter Scotland. The picture was published on the ITV news webpage on July 13, 2021.

The other picture shows him with Jess who is a grey/brown tabby-and-white random read cat. Jess is currently being fostered by Cat Protection until he returns from his journey in September. She is an elderly lady. I hope they are reunited and that they stay together until she goes over the rainbow bridge

Did Binx a black domestic cat survive the collapse of Champlain Towers South condo?

8777 Collins Ave, Surfside, FL News and comment: The Miami-Dade Mayor is seen on video telling the world that a black cat has emerged after the dramatic and tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium. It is a moment of light emerging from the darkness of this tragedy. 

The building is adjacent to the beach and the sea and it is believed that poor quality concrete eroded because of the sea air. So far it is known that 79 people have died while 61 are still missing. The world has read about this story. Nobody could survive that collapse looking at the rubble which is flattened.

Binx a black cat survived the Maimi Beach condo collapse? Pic: ABC News.

But it appears that Binx, a black cat has survived it. Nobody has said that this cat actually survived the crushing collapse. However, he was found in the area after the collapse and there are question marks as to why he was there. Binx lived on the ninth floor of this condominium. He must have been a full-time indoor cat. He was found and a person has claimed him as their cat.

READ A MORE CONVENTIONAL VERSION OF THIS STORY

A local cat rescue, The Kitty Campus, is involved because the cat was taken to them. They posted on Facebook what had happened but that particular post cannot be found by me. It seems impossible that Binx survived the collapse and therefore he must have been outside. And if he was outside, was he the resident of an apartment on the ninth floor of this building.

What I'm saying is that he may be a community cat of which there are quite a few in Miami Beach being looked after by volunteers. I guess the only evidence that we have that Binx lived on the ninth floor is that the owner of the apartment on the ninth floor claimed him as their own. That's the evidence.

Note: This is a video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

But being a cynical old man that I am, it seems plausible or at least arguable that the person who claimed Binx is not the true owner but a person who wanted to adopt a cat and perhaps wanted a bit of celebrity although we don't know the person's name which indicates that they did not want celebrity! :)

But we also know that a lot of people, a lot of the time, do rather strange things under these situations. In the past people have claimed to be the murderer of an individual when they are not. They did it for celebrity. They want to be in the news. Perhaps this person did in fact want to be in the news but she was prevented from appearing before the cameras! I have no idea because I'm speculating wildly but it sniffs of that to me.

If Binx truly did survive the collapse of this building he would be the single sentient being to do so. And it would seem to be unimaginable that it actually happened despite the enormous ability of the domestic cat to survive the most extraordinary conditions and emergencies. That's why they are said to have nine lives.

Building contractor spent 8 hours rescuing 16 cats stuck in wall of abandoned home

NEWS AND COMMENT: It appears that a building contractor was doing up a property in Philadelphia and he heard the meows of cats. He discovered 16 cats and kittens stuck in a wall of the building. He decided to rescue them and it's reported that it took him eight hours to save the cats from behind the walls of this abandoned house. Amazing work.

 Building contractor spent 8 hours rescuing 16 cats stuck in walls of abandoned home. Some of the rescued cats and kittens at ACCT Philly rescue. Photo: the rescue.

They are now safe at ACCT Philly, Philadelphia's only animal shelter and control organisation which helps 18,000 of Philadelphia's pets and people in need each year, according to their Facebook page on which they report the rescue.

They said the following:

"Sunday started out a bit differently for a contractor working on an abandoned house. The home owners had heard meowing in the walls, and when he opened the wall, he found 9 adult cats with 7 kittens. Thankfully, he was able to get them out and bring them to us - but it took eight hours to do so. We're so glad that he did, as quite a few aren't in great shape, and sadly, one of the kittens was not able to be saved.  The cats are scared, some will require more socialization, but right now they are resting in their cages."

Obviously with such a large immediate input of rescue cats to their organisation they are in need of donations as usual. And they would like people to come forward to foster a cat or kitten. I'm writing about this about two days after their report so they may have been able to manage things but if by chance you are able to help and they still need help then please email them using this email address: 𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫@𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐭𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲.𝐨𝐫𝐠 .

Some of the 15 rescued cats at ACCT Philly. A kitten could not be saved. Photo: ACCT Philly.

We are told that there were nine adult cats and seven kittens. One kitten could not be saved. The remainder all owe their lives to the contractor who found them because many of them were in desperate need of medical attention and they would not have lasted much longer but for his efforts. They don't know how the cats ended up inside a wall in an abandoned property. The cats are resting and recovering their health. They will be socialised and brought back to full health and then found new homes.

P.S. I have assumed the contractor is male! In the interests of equality, it has to be said that it might have been a woman or women.

Domestic cat 'Jon Snow' repatriated to the Philippines with his owner

Filipinos working abroad in countries adjacent to the Philippines are unable to get back to their home country because they stopped commercial flights due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Philippines government have stepped in to organise their own flights which I presume are chartered. They are 'sweeping up' the various overseas workers and then flying them back to the Philippines. Six of the workers are from the Yangon region of Myanmar and in all 55 Filipinos from Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand are being repatriated. The Philippine embassy in Yangon is apparently making the arrangements. This is the fifth government sponsored flight of this kind.

Jon snow thank you and in carrier. Photo: Twitter.

Jon Snow the cat repatriated from Myanmar to the Philippines. Image: Twitter.

Welcome back to the Philippines, Jon Snow White! 😺

A domestic short-haired cat named Jon Snow White is the first pet to be repatriated to the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ: https://t.co/N8v6dg1Nnt pic.twitter.com/C8XKrUerOQ

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) June 1, 2021

The point of the story though is that one of the passengers wanted to bring her cat back and they wouldn't allow it because of the pandemic. The overseas Filipino worker concerned is Karen Vinalay and her cat is Jon Snow. I presume that he was named after the British television presenter. She wrote to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and made a special request. Others had been similarly denied the opportunity to bring their pets home. The minister responded positively and included Jon Snow on the flight. We are not told whether he or she extended the exception to the rules to the other pets.

It seems not because a tweet on Twitter asks the government to do the same for the other pets.

PETA gives "Hero to Animals Award" to the Thai Navy

This is a quick follow-up to a story that went viral. The Thai Navy saved 4 cats from a sinking boat after the engine caught fire. The cats moved to the bow of the ship and the men got off and were rescued but the cats were left behind. In an act of great enlightenment and a delight to animal lovers the Thai Navy rescued all 4 cats. It was great to see animals given equal rights to humans under the circumstances.

PETA grants "Hero to Animals Award" to the Thai Navy for their rescue of 4 cats from
a sinking boat. Photo: Thai Navy.

It wasn't an easy rescue. It's quite hard to take hold of 4 cats on a large boat that has almost sunk and transport them across about 30 yards of water to the Navy's ship. It was quite a dangerous operation. The cats cooperated which indicates how frightened they must have been and they appear to have been appreciative of the rescue.

You can read about the story by clicking on this link.

The senior vice president of PETA, Jason Baker said:

PETA hopes that their example will inspire everyone to keep an eye out for animals in danger and do whatever it takes to get them to safety."

He also said that the sailors' courageous and compassionate actions made a big impact across the world. They certainly did. As mentioned, the news went viral. It indicates, by the way, that the average citizen in the average country really appreciates animal welfare. They want to see animals treated properly.

It is therefore always shocking to me that there is so much animal abuse in the world. It appears that there is a minority of people, perhaps a very small minority of people who abuse animals and exploit them. If that's true, surely it is not beyond the bounds of the imagination of humankind to tackle animal abuse more effectively by targeting these people.

Has there been a study on the kind of section of society where animal abuse takes place? I know that we can profile animal abusers. I just think more work needs to be done on targeting abusers. Society wants to see it happen. The viral story of the Thai Navy strongly indicates that people like to see animal rescue and therefore they want to see an improvement in animal welfare. Let's try and achieve that with a bit more purpose.

Bomb squad called out to deal with bag full of newborn kittens abandoned in freezing snow

There are two key aspects to this story from Ohio, USA about cat abandonment and subsequent rescue. Last Thursday a bag full of six newborn kittens and their mom were left outside the main entrance of a church in New Miami, Butler County, Ohion, USA. They had been abandoned in freezing weather. It genuinely was freezing as there are icicles hanging from the church's guttering.

Six newborn kittens and their mom abandoned outside church in freezing conditions in Ohio. Photo: Butler County police.

That's the first point to make. Who in their right mind would do this? Newborn kittens must be kept very warm, almost hot by human standards to avoid them becoming chilled and dying. There was a real risk that the person who did this was passing a death sentence on these kittens. She or he got lucky.

The second point is that the bag looked suspicious. The bomb squad were called out. They must have been surprised when then discovered the kittens. But there was danger there too wasn't there? The bomb squad sometimes defuse suspicious bags by destroying the bag. That would have killed the kittens and their mom. Fortunately it worked out okay.

Six kittens recovering after being abandoned in a bag outside a church in Ohio in freezing conditions. Photo: Animal Friends Humane Society.

The person who abandoned them left a note saying that the mother cat who's named Sprinkles went into labour on 17 Feb at 2pm. That is a strange note if that is all it said. It implies that the person abandoned the cats while the mother was in labour and that the mother gave birth in the bag! 

Anyway they are safe and being looked after by Animal Friends Humane Society. They confirmed that all was well at the shelter. Sprinkles was vaccinated and blood tested and her kittens have been gently bathed. The mother is nursing her kittens well. End of bulletin! 

A strange cat rescue story though. Sad too. If people want help with unwanted kittens they should contact a shelter and talk through it. In non-Covid times you could walk into the local shelter and explain things. No shame. No guilt. It is okay.