Here in Minnesota a stylist from a local twin cities salon has taken it upon herself to help out families who are finding it hard to afford to feed their pets.  “I felt people who’ve lost everything else shouldn’t have to lose the thing that keeps them sane”, said Kim after hearing some of her clients talk about giving up their pets because they lost their jobs.

Kim started collecting pet food donations at pet stores around the metro to give to people who otherwise couldn’t afford to feed their pets.  Since starting the program 3 months ago, Kim has personally delivered about 6,500 pounds of dog and cat food to food shelves across the Twin Cities.

She dropped off 600 pounds at a ICA food shelf in Minnetonka and three days later, half of it was already gone.

Even though the Pet Project adds about 30 hours a week to the already 40 hour week Kim has, she says if it helps keep even one pet from being abandoned or separated from its family, its time well spent.

“I don’t think anyone should be faced with losing their pet.  If I can help them keep their pet, my day is made”

Bravo to you kim, thanks for your hard work and kindness.

Animal hoarding involves keeping higher than usual numbers of animals as pets without having the ability to properly house or care for them, while at the same time denying this inability. Compulsive hoarding can be characterized as a symptom of mental disorder rather than deliberate cruelty towards animals. Hoarders are deeply attached to their pets and find it extremely difficult to let the pets go. They typically cannot comprehend that they are harming their pets by failing to provide them with proper care. Hoarders tend to believe that they provide the right amount of care for their pets. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals provides a “Hoarding Prevention Team”, which works with hoarders to help them attain a manageable and healthy number of pets.^[1]

THINK YOU KNOW A CRAZY CAT LADY? THINK AGAIN!

Tidy Cats® “Campaign to End Cattiness” Debunks Myths about Multiple Cat Owners

National Survey Reveals “Catty” Stereotypes among Non-Cat Owners

ST. LOUIS, July 27, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — Owning multiple cats is a way of life for millions of Americans. In fact, 71 percent of all domestic cats living in the U.S. reside in multiple cat households¹. However, while owning more than one cat is the status quo in America today, a new Tidy Cats® national survey reveals a surprising number of stereotypes still exist about people who own multiple cats.

According to the survey, the majority of non-cat owners have negative perceptions about multiple cat owners and their homes, saying that they would describe people with more than one cat as being a homebody (75%), lonely (69%) and a “crazy cat lady” (58%). And, non-cat owners say they would describe multiple cat owners’ homes as smelly (75%), having furniture and bedding covered in cat hair (85%) and being cluttered (66%).

To help debunk these misperceptions and celebrate the millions of multiple cat owners, Tidy Cats brand cat litter today launched the “Tidy Cats Campaign to End Cattiness.” The campaign includes a national contest on www.tidycats.com in which multiple cat owners can share their stories about their fulfilled lives with their cats to help redefine what it means to be a “cat lady.”

“The reason there are millions of people who have multiple cats is because our feline friends enrich our lives and reward us in countless meaningful ways,” said Dr. Pia Salk, animal welfare advocate, psychologist and spokesperson for the Tidy Cats Campaign to End Cattiness. “Cats have always been misunderstood and it’s high time to change misperceptions about these amazing animals and the people who share their homes with them.”

While a total of 62 percent of non-cat owners say they agree with the statement, “when I think about people with multiple cats, I think of the phrase ‘crazy cat lady,’ people who own more than one cat have very different perceptions of themselves and their homes. According to the survey, multiple cat owners describe themselves as being caring and loving (96 percent), generous (90 percent), well adjusted and fulfilled (87 percent). And, nearly nine in ten cat owners (87%) say their cats do not prevent them from keeping their home clean and odor-free.

Nearly a quarter of multiple cat owners surveyed admitted that they would like to eliminate the “crazy cat lady” stereotype and prefer terms such as “cat lover” and “animal lover.” According to Dr. Salk, now is their chance to be heard.

“The survey found that 88 percent of multiple cat owners credit their cats with making their lives more fulfilling and rewarding,” said Dr. Salk. “We want to hear from these people and share their stories to help educate others about the abundant lives people live with their multiple cats.”

Multiple cat owners can enter the Tidy Cats Campaign to End Cattiness contest from July 23 through September 11. Cat owners are invited to share their personal stories of how they enjoy more life and less worry at home with their multiple cats. Dr. Salk and cat lovers across America will select the winning entry in the national photo/essay contest. The Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000, a one-year supply of Tidy Cats® Scoop brand cat litter, and the opportunity to be featured in a Tidy Cats Cribs Webisode that will appear on the cat litter brand’s Web site and other social networking sites. For complete contest rules, visit www.tidycats.com.