We've arrived at our second issue! Thanks, readers, for the great response and positive feedback. Just a minute. I've just been informed of something by a feline bystander named Tribbs. (That's him to the left, claiming ownership of my monitor.) He says that the word "feed" could never be negative. He wanted me to tell you.

This week "Our Place to Paws" has more a-mewsing-things for you and a few informational tidbits too, including:

• The debut of our new columnist, Orson the Chow
  
• Our first "Reader Photo Spotlight"
  
• Two heartwarming stories about pets who saved their human companions
  
• News about a special upcoming conference co-sponsored by Green Chimneys and the ASPCA
  
• What's a Malayan sun bear?
  
• Don't forget to read down as far as our fun videos!
  
• In Your Letters: a special squirrel sighting in Vermont (have you ever heard of a "fairydiddle?")
  

CONTEST NEWS!: We'll be running some fun contests in "Our Place to Paws," and I wanted to announce the first one, which is designed to help us work together to grow our readership. The more readers we have, the more letters, responses and story ideas we'll have to draw from. Therefore, the first reader who refers six new subscribers to "Our Place to Paws" will receive a $20 gift card to PetsMart or Petco (you choose!). To qualify, simply have at least six people write to faye@ourplacetopaws.com asking to subscribe, and mentioning your name as the person who referred them. Thanks, and good luck!


Now it's time for this week's issue. And by the way, in case it isn't obvious (which most readers assure me it is), if you want to read the full stories in each section, just click on the colored link.


Meow! Woof! Naaaaayyy.

My name is Orson. I am spiritual evolution's crowning achievement. A spirit that once enlivened an amoeba in the sea and traveled through the likes of Moses, Spartacus, Betsy Ross, Sigmund Freud, Winston Churchill, Rosa Parks, MLK, JFK and Princess Di has landed now in the ultimate creature. My spirit has never -- and will never -- pass through Dr. Phil.

While not humble, I might say that I am the epitome of wisdom, interdependence, compassion, reason, empathy, loyalty and love. If you send me your tales of love, woe and triumph, I will be happy to answer your questions and share my insights into your personal and professional dilemmas. I may, from time to time, approach you with food for thought.

My advice is not intended to be taken in lieu of professional counsel. Indeed, I recommend such assistance, as it is likely that only after an endeavor of this type will you fully appreciate the sublime perspective of..........the dog.

---

Adopted cat saves family: One very special turn deserves another. This family found that out when the cat they adopted from a shelter saved them from a fire a year later.


One "Lucky" kitten in New Zealand was rescued when a whole highway was closed down so that the police could retrieve him. It looks like there are some warm hearts Down Under.

Celebrity dogs save lives too! Salma Hayak credits her dog, Diva, with saving her life and getting her to the Golden Globe awards on time!


It is puppy love for one little fellow named Frank as friends and neighbors in the U.K. help a British family and their beloved pup afford life-saving surgery.

Can it be true? A recent study found that people who live with dogs 'lead healthier lives' than people who live with cats. That includes having lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Readers, we must be able to generate a few comments on this one!

An amazing New York organization called Green Chimneys, recognized as the worldwide leader in animal-assisted therapy, is co-sponsoring a Humane Education Conference with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Putnam County, NY this April. The conference will focus on helping parents, teachers and communities create a more caring environment and raise children who have a capacity to feel for others.

We have Panda cub Mei Lan to watch at the Atlanta zoo, but it's a rare Malayan sun bear cub that is captivating residents of New Zealand . This little bear made her public debut just last week.

Did you know that Manx cats are named for the Isle of Man, where they are mainly found? Or that some cats, like the Oriental Lilac Cat, actually have pink fur?

The new CATS STICKER BOOK (ISBN 0 7945 1584 3) by Sophy Tahta, features 24 pages of cats, grouped together by features/and or heritage. These groupings help young cat lovers to learn to distinguish, for instance, the markings that designate a Tabby cat from the those that designate a Tortoiseshell cat. Curly-coated cats, Tailless cats, Abyssinian cats, and Siamese cats, and lots of others, are all accounted for.

Along with a faded image of each cat (onto which the user will place the appropriate vividly-colored sticker) there is a paragraph further identifying each feline, and providing little-known facts like those mentioned above. There is also a place for cat watchers to record when and where they actually catch their first glimpse of a particular feline in real life. The stock of the pages in this book, therefore, is worth mentioning. These are heavy semi-glossy pages that should hold up just fine not only through the stickering process but also through all the years it can take to actually identify each cat, and then all the years beyond that that a cat lover might want to keep such a record.

The cat stickers (six artists created the 90 cat images) are not only expressive and well-illustrated but also easy to peel and easy to place. They are located in the middle of the book. A back-of-the-book check list provides page numbers for each sticker placement, ensuring that young cat lovers don't succumb to frustration before they are able to place all the cats.

CAT STICKERS BOOK is a must for anyone who loves cats. It is fun and informative, and gives young readers growing up in this age of 'sound-bites' an opportunity to work on a rewarding long-term project. Priced at $8.99, it's irresistible. (Other animal books by this publisher can be found at www.edcpub.com.)

CATS STICKER BOOK is reviewed by Joan Schweighardt, the author of GUDRUN'S TAPESTRY and other novels. Over the years Joan has counted among her closest friends Zelma, Cleo, and Speedy-Clark (all felines) and Heidi, Barnaby, Dirty Ben, Auggie Doggie and Smart Sartre (all canines). Currently Joan counts herself lucky to share her life and home with Nikki, a Belgian Shepherd who survived a near-death experience more than a year ago. Having been nursed back to life with drops of water from a turkey-baster and thereafter minuscule pieces of prime rib, Nikki is now the most spoiled 14-year-old dog on the planet.

Origami is the traditional Japanese art or technique of folding paper into a variety of decorative or representational forms, such as animals or flowers. Well, if it has to do with animals, we're going to look into it at "Our Place to Paws," of course!

Have you ever made an origami puppy? Whether you're a child or an adult child, download this simple, one-page art project and have some fun.

Just keep the paper you're working with away from the goat, because he might be hungry for breakfast.

Download origami puppy instructions here.

These cute little red squirrels have been very active in our backyard lately, and they're extremely entertaining to watch. They're so trim and petite! My awesome animal book, Mammals of North America, by Adrian Forsyth, says common nicknames for them are chickaree and fairydiddle. They really do seem like little fairies; I wouldn't be surprised to see one out there someday with a wee hat on, smoking a pipe! - Karin G., Middelbury, VT


Coastal Birds Outside my Window

I hope to write soon about my bird watching from my windows out to my own little backyard. I have my own wildlife right here on the coast of Maine. - Joan H., Brunswick, ME

Have a response? A comment or question for other readers? Write to faye@ourplacetopaws.com.

To subscribe to Our Place to Paws, send an email with Subscribe: Our Place to Paws in the subject line to faye@ourplacetopaws.com. We will not share or sell your email address or our email list no matter what - upon pain of having to change 100 litter boxes every day. Our Place to Pawss is trademarked, and content is copyright 2007.


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