Aside from adorable pet videos, sometimes I think the internet was really invented for silly cat photos! Our friends over at Petcentric came up with the idea to post seven photos of cats sleeping and they are each cuter than the next, and that inspired us to go through the archives of our foster cat and kitten photos to find all the cute cat sleeping photos we’ve taken over the years too! Vallo, pictured at right, is one prime example. He would sleep like that with his belly up and a big kitty smile on his face all the time! There’s not much cuter than a happy sleeping kitten or cat, and they can get into some pretty silly positions when they sleep too! Petcentric adds, “On average, cats sleep 13–14 hours a day. Lucky for us, that gives us tons of time to observe their funny and unique sleeping habits. Here, we’ve uncovered seven sleepy cats. Look through quietly — we wouldn’t want to wake them!” Here’s the link to see Petcentric’s seven sleepy cats, and click the “more” link at the end of this paragraph to see the photos we picked to share with you here too. If you have a cute photo of your adopted cat or kitten sleeping, you can share it on our Facebook page here! You can share our photos with your friends easily too by clicking one of the icons below.

Amelia’s adopters sent me this photo of her sleeping snuggled up with their dog.

Maggie Mae would sleep with her paw stretched across me in a kitty hug.

Valentino loved to sleep in sinks!

George was sleeping so soundly, he couldn’t be bothered to move when Alfred sat on him!

A shelter kitty curled up sleeping in a donut bed.

Kate’s adopters sent me this adorable photo of her sleeping!

Silly foster kitten sleeping in my camera bag!

Huckleberry another of my belly-up foster sleepers!

Victoria would sleep snuggled up with as many people or other kitties as possible.

This past weekend, at a brand-new event called the Purina Pet Project, the folks at Purina once again showed their enormous commitment to supporting not only homeless animals, but the shelters and rescue organizations that care for them.  I had the pleasure (and it was!) of attending this event, along with Adopt-a-Pet.com’s director of animal shelter outreach, Jennifer Jacobsen.  We were both so impressed with what we saw, and absolutely inspired.

Here’s a little background: every year, Purina employees participate in a day of volunteerism to help St. Louis-area animal shelters, taking part in a variety of projects like assembling dog and cat beds, doing shelter makeovers, and making blankets to keep shelter pets warm .  These projects really make an impact on the animal welfare community in St. Louis.  This year, our friend Caroline Holke at Purina had an amazing, big idea, which began with a simple question: If the employees of Purina could make such a big difference in a single day, how much more could be done if the general public were given the opportunity to volunteer as well?  Caroline’s idea was embraced by her colleagues, and presto! The Purina Pet Project was born.

The event was held on Saturday, October 1st at Purina Farms.  Before the doors opened to the public, we took a look around. More than 30 different projects were waiting to be completed. More than 30 rescue groups and shelters were there with adoptable pets on display.  There were empty troughs waiting to be filled with donated items from a wish list Purina had provided to the public, things that shelters really needs like toys, bleach, and other supplies.  An empty volunteer sign-up sheet sat at a booth dedicated to the biggest project of the year: a complete makeover of the Five Acres Animal Shelter, which was to be completed the following weekend, if enough volunteers could be recruited.  So many opportunities to help…but would anybody show up?

The doors opened, and we got our answer: a resounding YES!  The folks at Purina were really hoping they’d get 1,000 people to come out and help.  Instead, they got about 2,800!  People poured in the door, many carrying items to donate, and all ready and willing to lend a hand.  It was a beautiful thing to behold.  It was especially wonderful to see so many parents and children working together.  Kudos to those parents for teaching their children the spirit of volunteerism (and kudos to the children who taught their parents, of course)!

The results?

15 dog houses were beautifully decorated

200 Kuranda dog beds were assembled

40 Kuranda cat towers were assembled

220 pet blankets were made

600 pet bowls and 550 bandanas were decorated

$2,000 raised from games and raffle tickets –the winner of the 50/50 raffle donated the cash back to the animal shelters

Approximately 20 pets were adopted and MANY other leads were made (most organizations reported receiving at least 4 applications)

12 troughs were heaping with donated items

27 volunteers signed up at the to help with the Five Acres Animal Shelter makeover

Fabulous, in other words.  Thank you, Purina, for caring so much about homeless animals (and the people who take care of them)!

And here are some photos of the event:

Aww, surely she doesn’t mean it, right? Jokes aside, aren’t your pets ALWAYS in your prayers?

RedandHowling: Musings on Dogs, Cats & Other Bundles of Love.

The folks over at Purina® Pro Plan® and Tidy Cats® are gearing up to proudly sponsor another PetSmart Charities Adoption Weekend. From Friday through Sunday, September 13th-15th, you can make a love connection with an adoptable pet by stopping by a PetSmart location near you. Adoptable pets from shelters and rescues across North America will be ready to meet and greet with potential adopters all throughout this exciting three-day adoption weekend. (If you can’t make this event, there will be another one November 15th to 17th 2013 too!) For more information including the participation times of local animal-welfare agencies, contact your local PetSmart store and check out the event on Facebook.

October is Pet Wellness month and we couldn’t think of a better way celebrate all the wonderful animals out there than by giving them the products they need to stay happy and healthy. We’ve already awarded more than $60,000 in Seresto^® product grants to 15 organizations and there’s a lot more where that came from. With giving season on the horizon, we’re excited to provide shelters and rescues with another opportunity to participate in the Seresto^® Circle of Love program, in collaboration with Seresto^®. One end of year recipient will get more than $17,000 worth of Seresto^® product. Stay tuned for more information on the program and how shelters and rescues are putting their grants to good use!

Summer is in full swing! For many of us, that means barbecues, cookouts, beach bonfires, and other outdoor affairs. But what’s a lot of fun for humans can present dangers to our pets, so before your next big backyard bash, add these pet-safety pointers from our friends at Petcentric.com to your pre-party checklist – it just might save you a trip to the vet. The summer-party staples your pets should avoid start with the…

Picnic or Barbecue party. Most prepared human food isn’t good for pets the rest of the year either, but it’s especially important to keep little snouts out of the potato salad and other rich dishes. Pancreatitis, an all-too-common and sometimes fatal inflammation of the pancreas, can proceed from eating “greasy, spicy, fatty foods” – all mainstays of barbecues. And while you might follow the rules and not give your pets cookout food, your guests might not know better. Plus, parties can get chaotic, and many pets will take advantage of a busy backyard to perform a little quality control on the deviled eggs. So, while it might sound cold-hearted, your pet (and you) may have a better time if she’s in a cool air-conditioned room with a bowl of water, a little of her own kibble, and the door closed with a sign on it asking your party guests to let your furry friends have their own private party in peace.

The aftermath. Post-BBQ trash will likely contain bones, which are very harmful to pets, particularly cooked bones that splinter more easily. Bone fragments can pierce your dog’s palate and other soft internal tissues like his stomach or intestines. Garbage will likely also contain sloshed alcohol, Styrofoam plates, pointy plastic utensils, and human food that’s started to turn. Keep your dog away from barbecue refuse and make sure trash-can lids stay on tight.

Fire — and fire-starters. Anything you use to get the grill going – matches, lighters, lighter fluid – should be locked away. Matches contain phosphorus, which is poisonous if ingested, and the tiny amount on each match may not harm your pet, but better safe than sorry. Lighter fluid is dangerous across the board: eating it, inhaling its fumes, even getting it on the skin or fur. And we all know that dog whose tail knocks over glasses and sweeps shelves clean of picture frames. No one wants a tail to get toasted! Keeping pets secured safely inside is a good idea any time you have open flames as décor, whether it’s tiki torches, candles in paper bags, or a simple fire pit in the back yard. Most pets understand fire, but accidents (and tails, as we mentioned) happen.

Bug preventives. Citronella candles, bug coils, bug zappers, bug spray, insect oils, smudges – all these things can burn, zap, or poison your pet.

 If your pet is bothered by outdoor insects, ask your vet about a bug spray specifically formulated for pets. Human formulations should live in a secure cabinet.

Fun in the sun. This isn’t to say that your dogs shouldn’t enjoy your guests, or the summer sunshine – but you should keep an eye on both situations. For yard parties, using a tie-out or runner cable can let your dog enjoy the party without you having to worry about a pet slipping out of an open gate or door as guests come and go.

Sunscreen. Daylight parties probably mean strong sunshine, and pets can suffer the effects of too much sun exposure the same way we can. Ask your vet about a pet-safe sunscreen that will prevent skin cancer on delicate ears and elsewhere, and make sure your pet has enough water. Familiarize yourself with the signs of heat stroke in animals in case your pet gets overwhelmed by hot and/or humid weather.

Booze. Never give your pet alcohol, and make sure he’s not lapping out of glasses that contain it. It can affect your pet’s mental state and depress his respiration, and toying with a pet by giving him beer or other booze “as a joke” is putting your pet at risk and is not funny at all if you really care about your pets. Get rid of empties promptly, or keep your pet out of temptation’s way entirely by setting him up indoors.

Dogs eat entire chickens in seconds, and cats get out in a flash; it happens, and nobody’s perfect. If you think your pet has ingested something harmful or otherwise fallen afoul of your fiesta, call your vet or local animal hospital and ask what to do next.

Got any pet-safety tips you’ve picked up at your own barbecues? Please click an icon below to share your comments and this article on Facebook, Twitter, and more!

A dog’s dental health depends a lot on its breed and diet. But dogs can get gum disease from plaque on their teeth. And gum disease and tooth decay can start early in a pup’s life, so the sooner you attend to your dog’s teeth, the better.

Ideally, you should brush your pup’s teeth each day with a soft bristle brush and a special veterinary enzymatic toothpaste. This comes in flavors such as beef, so your dog will think of it as a treat. Simply push the skin back from your pup’s mouth and use a back-and-forth motion on the outside of your dog’s closed teeth. The pooch never even has to open his jaw!

If you have trouble, talk to your veterinarian. He or she may recommend an anti-plaque mouthwash or a bio-adhesive film instead.

We are proud to announce that our Google Maps now covers New York! Our Google Maps makes it easy to realize how many shelters and rescues work in the greater New York area. Click on the pins and find out what shelters and rescues operate in that area. Then follow the links to see the pets available. It’s easy to use and easy to share.

New York Businesses that Support Pet Adoption

• Get Your Website Mentioned & Linked To Here

New York Dog & Puppies Rescues & Shelters

Place This Map On Your Website

<---500 X 500 DOG MAP---></p> <p>Find <a href="http://www.adoptapet.com/s/dogs-and-puppies-for-sale-in-new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Dogs & Puppies</a></p> <p>

New York Cat & Kitten Rescues & Shelters

Place This Map On Your Website

<---500 X 500 CAT MAP---></p> <p>Find <a href="http://www.adoptapet.com/s/cats-and-kittens-for-sale-in-new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Cats & Kittens</a></p> <p>

Our friend over at Petcentric just posted this short and sweet article on the signs your dog will use to show you and other humans their affection! They can’t pet us or give us belly rubs, but they can certainly communicate when they’re happy and how much they love us! Author Andrea explains the five signs her two dogs use to show their appreciation to her and her husband, and gives easy-to-understand examples. There’s the wag, the sniff, the lick, the sigh (that was a new one I hadn’t thought about before!), and the smile. You can read how dogs demonstrate these five signs in her full article here. Can you can identify which of the signs your dogs or dogs you meet display with you? Share this article and let your friends know by using the icons below!

Shelter Me, the uplifting PBS film series about pets and the people who help them, is sharing a very special sneak peek of a new episode with us! In Episode 9, “The Art of Kindness,” Lights Down Low singer MAX hosts concerts at animal shelters to help promote adoption. In this clip, you’ll see the amazing work MAX is doing across the country and why he believes spreading the message of pet adoption is so important. Check it out here!

Be sure to tune in to PBS this summer to watch the full episode. You’ll meet a famous painting pooch named DogVinci who helps to teach kids about creativity and sells his paintings to raise money for animal shelters. The episode also highlights a senior dog adoption fair that helps give exposure to pups that are often overlooked. We can’t wait for you to see the entire episode! You can also watch past episodes online now.

Shelter Me is presented by the Petco Foundation and produced by Steven Latham Productions. Learn more about Shelter Me here.

Looking to adopt a pet of your own? Get started here!